Paul McCartney & Wings – Wings Over America (1976) – CD review –

Paul McCartney has always been a perfectionist; it’s certainly one of the factors that contributed to the breakup of the Beatles.  And, while his 70’s hits with Wings are great, many of them sound stuffy, as if they’ve been cooked too long.  That’s what makes Wings Over America such a revelation.

McCartney is out of the studio and into a live band setting where things can really heat up, and he doesn’t have a chance to add overdub after overdub.  The Wings’ hits sound more lively; “Jet,” “Silly Love Songs,” and “Let “Em In” all benefit from the concert setting.  Paul had a tendency to play most of the instruments on his records.  Here, he has to put his faith in the band, and they deliver.  Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch is a real highlight, injecting some slinky solos into Paul’s songs.

The opening medley of “Venus & Mars / Rockshow / Jet” is as breathtaking a performance as Paul has ever done.  He’d not yet made peace with his Beatles past, so the Fab Four songs are minimal; mostly leaning toward ballads like “Yesterday,” and “the Long & Winding Road.”  Paul used this as a proving ground for his current band to be taken seriously, and he pulls it off.  Even the album cuts, like “Time to Hide” and “Beware My Love” are enjoyable.  A triple-LP set when it was first issued, Wings Over America stands as a pinnacle of McCartney’s solo work.  –Tony Peters