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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
We're Open Tonight (for Fun), March 31, 2005
One of the most overlooked aspects of Paul McCartney's career is his versatility. This is the man who could write and perform Helter Skelter, Honey Pie, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, and Blackbird all on the same record. His ability to compose in quite literally any style (including those outside the realm of popular music, such as classical) has always been impressive in and of itself. This eclecticism has helped and hindered him over the years, exposing his strengths and his weaknesses both, and nowhere is this more obvious than on 1979's Back to the Egg.
After the peculiar (but successful) soft rock/Euro-pop/Celtic folk amalgam of London Town, Back to the Egg functions like a late 70s version of the Beatles' "Get Back" project as Paul returns to straight-up rock & roll. Pounding out pummeling riffs and thunderous drums he crafts some fine rockers, even teaming up with an all-star "rockestra" including Pete Townsend, John Bonham, Dave Gilmour, and more for two huge songs, So Glad to See You Here and the Grammy-winning Rockestra Theme. Of course, that doesn't mean Wings (with its strong new and last lineup: in addition to the usuals Laurence Juber on guitar and Steve Holly on drums) can't rock on their own - Old Siam, Sir is one of Paul's heaviest cuts.
Although rock & roll is prevalent, Paul goes all over the place stylistically, tackling all the music predominant at the close of the 70s. Punk, funk, rock, pop, disco, folk, jazz, ballads, and even spoken word (The Broadcast) and a Celtic-gospel fusion like a twisted hangover from London Town (Million Miles) all make appearances, to varying degrees of success. The opener (the static-laden Reception), closer (the 30s-style Baby's Request), and others point toward a kind of "concept" about radio, and if it isn't quite successful it does help lend this scattershot record a sense of unity. This lack of focus derives mostly from the lyrics - the best songs have the best words, naturally enough, but less amazing cuts like To You and Spin It On are almost cringe-worthy. (Denny Laine gets in a shot too, with the poppy Again & Again & Again.)
This album represents both the best and worst in Paul McCartney and isn't the ideal place for introductions. But if you've already heard the astonishing Band on the Run and are digging albums like Venus & Mars, Back to the Egg is certainly worth a listen.
NOTES FOR REMASTERED PAUL MCCARTNEY COLLECTION:
And the bonus tracks? Daytime Nighttime Suffering is sheer pop perfection and Back to the Egg is worth the price tag if only for this one song. The others, the holiday-themed Wonderful Christmastime and its B-side Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae... are for McCartney completists.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Back To Rocking The Heck Out Of Me is more like it!, December 8, 2005
I don't know what's up with the main Amazon review up there. That bit about the Little-Richard inspired rocker vs. "..the Manilow-esque balladeer who too often gets the upper hand here."?! What album are they listening to?! "Back to the Egg" is the most consistently hard-rocking album in the Wings' catalouge. Paul would never scream like this, rock out like this, ever again. "Spin It On", "Old Siam, Sir", "To You" and "So Glad To See You Here" all display that McCartney had far more energy and fire than any of his peers at the time. And although it's hard-rockers that dominate "Back to the Egg", there are many styles of music: funk, soul, bizarre New Age, and touches of disco and jazz throughout. Save for the apolitical lyrics, it's not unlike a Clash album from the late 1970s or early 1980s. Another thing that gets me about the above Amazon review is that dig about too many MOR leanings. How could an album that is so insanely diverse and idiosyncratic be middle of the road? McCartney was always a lover of extremes; this was the same man who put "Martha My Dear" and "Helter Skelter" on the same album. Well, "Back to the Egg" is McCartney's most diverse outing next to "The White Album". Of course it was another McCartney/Wings release that was panned mercilessly by critics; Rolling Stone magazine even ludicrously insulted the musicianship on the record. The band (Wings' third and final line-up) play tight as heck; McCartney lays down some of his best bass-lines. The failed single, "Arrow Through Me", is a masterwork of smooth funk in which Paul's vocals and bass dance with one another to thrilling effect. And his pronouncing of "arrow" like "arrah" just sounds so cool. Then there's those great and funky jazz horns! If this is MOR, then MOR is some inventive stuff! It's more in line with Stevie Wonder and Prince than anything a blue-eyed soul act could come up with. Just compare Paul's "Arrow Through Me" vocals with Mick Jagger's corny falsetto on "Beast of Burden" (recorded around the same time) and tell me which artist got his swerve on better. And whereas all the punk-influenced songs on "Some Girls" sound horribly forced, Paul has loads of passion when performing the punk-influenced songs on "Back to the Egg". He sounds right at home doing cotemporary 1979 music and at the same time never forfeits his identity. Not surprising, since Paul was performing this brand of fast and concentrated rock back in 1974 (e.g. "Junior's Farm"). And he was doing funky groove workouts in 1973 (e.g. "1985"). And almost every New Wave act was inspired by what he, and his ex-partner John Lennon, did in The Beatles. Why shouldn't McCartney rumble with the very music he helped to inspire? Some people have a problem with the medley of slow songs towards the end; like the Beatles didn't do slow songs or something? THIS ballad medley is far better than the slight and uninspired medley at the end of "Red Rose Speedway". Here all the medley songs don't sound alike (they're quite different from one another in fact) and they make for a nice contrast to the hard-rock. "Back to the Egg" is a genre-defying gas from beginning to end. And it's easily one of Paul McCartney's best albums.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
they were gonna be back!!!!, November 12, 2003
as many reviewers here, I just cant understand why some people dont like this album, even if they call themselves macca fans!!. The band sounds very well and tight, the new additions to the line up were great musicians, and less problematic than jimmy mccullough anyway. The songs are great, this is probably the rockiest wings album, and everytime paul wants, hes a hell of a rocker. Getting closer, spin it on, old siam sir, rockestra....just great. Just as an example, look for the live 79' bootleg in glasgow, the last wings concert (not counting the kampuchea show), and you will hear a great band, a repertoire probably superior than the one on wings over america, and you will see why I like this album so much. A pity that this line up was interrupted the way they did.
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