London Town [Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered]

Paul McCartney, Wings | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 8, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: MSI:EMI/PARLOPHONE
• ASIN: B00000721I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,649 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The previous time Paul McCartney's Wings had been pared down to its core trio (Macca, wife Linda, and singer-guitarist Denny Laine), the band endured a star-crossed series of crises (the sudden defection of two band members and near-disastrous sessions in Nigeria) to produce its enduring 1973 masterpiece, Band on the Run. Conceived and recorded five years later under considerably more idyllic circumstances, London Town often seems like the previous album's laconic twin. It's also a collection whose softened edges often foreshadow the tone of not only McCartney's later, oft-critiqued solo work, but that of old partner John Lennon's final album, Double Fantasy. Suffice it to say that "With A Little Luck" is not "Band on the Run," nor will "I've Had Enough" ever challenge "Jet" for pop-icon status. Still, there are enough natural McCartney-isms here ("Café on the Left Bank," "I'm Carrying") to suffuse it with a consistent, breezy tone. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

No Description Available

Track: 10: Famous Groupies,

Track: 11: Deliver Your Children,

Track: 12: Name And Adress,

Track: 13: Don't Let It Bring You Down,

Track: 14: Morse Moose And They Grey Goose,

Track: 15: Girls' School,

Track: 16: Mull Of Kintyre,

Track: 1: London Town,

Track: 2: Cafe On The Left Bank,

Track: 3: I'm Carrying,

Track: 4: Backwards Traveller,

Track: 5: Cuff Link,

Track: 6: Children Children,

Track: 7: Girlfriend,

Track: 8: I've Had Enough,

Track: 9: With A Little Luck
Media Type: CD
Artist: MCCARTNEY,PAUL & WINGS
Title: LONDON TOWN
Street Release Date: 02/25/1997
Import
Genre: ROCK/POP

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different versions, different sound, October 28, 2005

By 

shstaples - See all my reviews

This review is from: London Town (Audio CD)

For some reason, most of the 1970-1990 McCartney/Wings catalogue is now available in two versions: the Capitol CDs and the British remastered "McCartney Collection".

The British CD's offer, in many cases, more bonus tracks than the Capitol CD's, some of which are very welcome: London Town adds 'Mull of Kintyre' to its B-side 'Girls School'.

The remastering of the British series is, to my ears, NOT a bonus. The signal has been compressed in such a way, that the average level is louder than on the Capitol CD's, although the peaks are not. Especially the low frequencies have been boosted, resulting in a somewhat muddy sound and a less focused midrange. This has also affected the stereo image. To me, the Capitol CDs are sonically superior and closer to the original LPs.
This is very noticable on orchestral and acoustic songs in particular. The difference between 'Mull of Kintyre' on the London Town CD, and the track on 'All the best' is also striking!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From The Other Side Of The Pond, June 26, 2005

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: London Town (Audio CD)

On London Town, Wings was again back down to a trio. The album is a definite step up from Wings At The Speed Of Sound and it contains some excellent songs. "With A Little Luck" is a synth-laden song that is what Mr. McCartney does best; simple pop songs with great vocals and catchy hooks. This one is as infectious as anything he's ever recorded and became his sixth number one single in the spring of 1978. "I'm Carrying" is a pretty acoustic ballad and "Cafe On The Left Bank" is a pulsating rocker. "Backwards Traveler" is an interesting song, "Girlfriend" is done much better by Michael Jackson, "I've Had Enough" is a good rocker and "Name & Address" is an attempt at rockabilly. London Town is a solid, well-made effort. The bonus tracks are the hard rocking "Girls School" and the elegant "Mull Of Kintyre". The latter was a major hit in England in 1977, staying at number one for nine weeks and become the UK's biggest selling single of all-time at the time (it's currently number four all-time) and the first to sell over two million copies. In the US it was regulated to the b-side of "Girl's School" which peaked at number 33 in early 1978.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Time No See, Baby, January 8, 2004

By 

Dl Fairey "ousetunes" (Sheffield, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: London Town (Audio CD)

In February 1986, I placed an ad in the now defunct Beatles Book Monthly asking for Wings/Beatles Mad Penpals. You'll note that I was a bigger Wings fan than Beatles fan at that time (an impressionable 16 year old) and I got a great response from the ad, including some from the United States.

One of my favourite Macca/Wings albums was - and still is - London Town. I thinks it's got a light, relaxed mood, far removed from the tensions of Band on the Run or the trying-too-hard-to-be-commercial At The Speed of Sound. The first thing that struck me on first hearing it (I bought it in 1985) was that it was a very acoustic album, hence its lightness and air of happiness!

Linda had her critics, but the title track would not be the same without her and Denny Laine's wonderful harmonies. I rate these harmonies as among the best on any McCartney album. It is a beautifully produced album. I too like Cafe on the Left Bank, particularly the line where Paul's vocal is single-tracked as opposed to double-tracked as on the rest of the song.

A typical McCartney ballad follows, but any musicians among you will probably note that it is more Harrison than McCartney. I'm Carrying contains a very Harrison key change, from E major to a diminished chord. Harrison was king of diminished chords. A lovely song. As one other Amazonn reviewer noted, Backward Traveller by itself could be a great song. Why then the two minutes of snyth rubbish tagged onto it? Sometimes this is McCartney's biggest problem: Self-indulgence. No Lennon to say 'That's not going on the album.'

I've always loved With a Little Luck, containing a great rock vocal toward the end. It's a good mix of late seventies rock and synthesiser. I like this extended version. Deliver Your Children sees Denny Laine in the vocal spotlight and this is a great song to play on the acoustic guitar. I don't know if such sexist lyrics would go down so well these days, though!

Girlfriend sees McCartney using his So Bad falsetto and he would give this song to Michael Jackson. To me it's just a pleasant track with nice keyboard work toward the end. The album soes contain a couple of knocked-off songs: Name and Address and Famous Groupies. The former is memorable only for its production and lead guitar solo, possibly the last thing Jimmy McCulloch contributed to this album? The latter is, well, not really memorable for anything...,

One of my favourite tracks is the lachrymose Don't Let It Get You Down, a beautiful slow track with Paul stooping the lower depths of his vocal register. The flanged twelve-string guitars really cut through the speakers.

And - on the original release - the last track is Morse Moose and the Grey Goose, an idea that doesn't quite come off. It's interesting but quickly grates. Maybe the album should have closed with Don't Let It Bring You Down?

Still, I do enjoy this album, and although I'd recommend it to everyone, I reckon if you are wanting to get into Paul's solo catalogue, I wouldn't buy this one first. Try Band on the Run or Venus and Mars. Or better still, the fabulous Flowers in the Dirt!