Paul McCartney and Wings: Red Rose Speedway (1973)

This one is strong, though uneven. Neither worthy of the violent kicks it received on the initial release (where ‘Wild Life’ certainly was), nor an unrecognized gem hidden under Wings’ feathers (which belongs to ‘London Town’), ‘Speedway’ has many moments of brilliance, with a wide range of disconcertingly poor moments, with very little middle ground to cover in between. When ‘Speedway’ works, it works wonderfully and when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. But there is enough tune here for converts to pay and some substantial moments for unbelievers to hear.

Stripped of a double album, ‘Speedway’ made the decision to cut some of the strongest tracks from the recording. ‘I Lie Around’ and ‘Country Dreamer’ would later find their way to audiences as the B-sides of ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘Helen Wheels’, although both were substantially better songs than’ Loup (First Indian on the Moon ) ‘(those of the politically correct nature should be careful) or the’ Big Barn Bed ‘opener. McCartney, the most skilled musical of the Beatles, once again struggled to write a medley to rival his ‘Abbey Road’ behemoth, but Speedway’s ten-minute closer is well below the mark. Divided into four distinct sections, only ‘Lazy Dynamite’ had the makings of a strong independent song, undermined by the orchestrated brilliance of ‘Golden Slumbers’ and ‘Carry That Weight’. The other three ranged from the childish ‘Hold Me Tight’ to the forgettable ‘Power Cut’ and the excruciating ‘Hands of Love’, proof that McCartney had temporarily lost his magic (though not for long, the era that defined ‘Band On The Run ‘just a few months away), though Henry McCullough’s deft guitar playing glued all four pieces together into something of an acceptable ensemble.

‘When The Night’ proved to be a good ensemble that could bring mediocre lyrics to life (Linda is very, very good here). ‘Single Pigeon’ sounded sweet, albeit lyrically twee, a magnificent piano slipping through the song, while ‘Indian Loup’ sounded past even by 1973. ‘Get On The Right Thing’ proved to be a strong rocker, though he would be better served on stage. live, while ‘One More Kiss’ is a sweet piece that wouldn’t have seemed out of place on ‘The White Album’. ‘Big Barn Bed’ shouldn’t have been demoed, let alone released.

Some albums are saved with one track, ‘Speedway’ is saved with two: the seductive ‘My Love’ and the excellent ‘Little Lamb Dragonfly’. ‘Love’, a beautiful pop ballad from AOR, had a resonance on the keyboard that was not heard again until Queen’s ‘You’re My Best Friend’. Masterful in its delicacy, ‘Love’ provided Wings with a much-needed credible success after the chilly reception of ‘Give Ireland Back To The Irish’ and ‘Hi Hi Hi’ in 1972. McCullough, unsure of the guitar suggestions dictated by McCartney, he was reluctantly given permission to compose his own guitar solo (McCartney recalled that he “played the solo on My Love, which came out of nowhere”). It was his best contribution to a Wings song; Despite their lack of longevity, McCullough proved to be an asset for Wings – ditch their guitar solos from ‘My Love’ and ‘Live and Let Die’ and they’ll instantly downgrade from classics to great songs.

‘Dragonfly’, cut from a cloth similar to ‘Hey Jude’, glowed with celestial acoustics (played largely by Hugh McCracken, this is a take from the ‘Ram’ sessions), a melody as fine as’ The Fool On The Hill ‘, as pleasant to the ear as’ Your mother should know’. The three-part harmony segway between the McCartneys and Laine brought the joie de vivre of the mid-1970s, exemplified on the next two Wings albums. The best song on the album, it’s a major shame that it’s been scrapped from Paul McCartney’s live set since the 1970s.

Just as’ Maybe I’m Amazed ‘made’ McCartney ‘a more palatable album, so too’ Dragonfly ‘gave credit to Wings’ second album, if his grandiose musical ambitions weren’t what they were three years earlier, at least he still could. do it. writes a hauntingly murderous song like no one else.

‘Speedway’, to use crudely an engine metaphor, finds itself racing and stopping, meshing well, but stopping just off the finish line. But where ‘Wild Life’ was the sound of a car accident, ‘Speedway’ sounded like a car restarting its engine. And with the expulsion of two members, his next album would be the sound of a band roaring at the Grand Prix!