Sure, you could go buy the Beatles compilation, 1. But if you already have every album it offers - no mean feat by itself - you might be at a loss as to where to turn next. The band did break up over 30 years ago, after all. What could possibly follow it up?
Maybe it's still been awhile, but Paul McCartney and Wings did a highly respectable job in 1973 with their now-classic release, Band on the Run. Any fan of the original Fab Four will find quite a bit to like, and McCartney is still as prominent as ever.
Hear the voice, hear the guitar, and you might think it's the Beatles. Hear his wife, Linda, and... well, you probably won't hear Linda at all, at least not if Paul's doing his job. Bringing a family member into the band isn't always the best decision, musically speaking, but Wings didn't seem to suffer for it. One has to give the McCartneys credit for doing what John Lennon and Yoko Ono never pulled off: making enduring popular music in the aftermath of the Beatles' breakup.
Band on the Run easily could have never happened, which would have been all the worse because it certainly surpassed the previous two Wings albums. Due to unfortunate circumstances (and McCartney's decision to record in Lagos, far less convenient than Abbey Road), the band was cut from five members down to three - just Paul, Linda, and rhythm guitarist Denny Laine - and left without a real drummer or a lead guitarist.
Not to be stopped, the trio forged ahead. The McCartneys and Laine split up the percussion and ended up making an album full of catchy, recognizable tunes that were more than empty pop. Between Paul McCartney's voice, Paul McCartney's songwriting, and... well, everything Paul McCartney, there certainly ended up being a lot going for Band on the Run.
If you can name a song by Wings, you probably already own the album. It's guaranteed, however, that you will recognize at least recognize the title track. "Band on the Run" goes from soothing to dark to bouncy, all in the space of five minutes, and remains a rock radio staple today. Without delving into tricky rhythms or melodies, the song catches the listener through each of its moods with airy guitar and echoing vocals.
The entire album remains cheerful and enthusiastic - making it a well-paced record overall - without becoming flat and monotonous. The sweet vocals and guitar of "Mamunia" blend with the background hand drums, while the more rock-out chords of "Helen Wheels" and punchy rhythms make for a forceful, driving listen.
Not to get bored, the band still gets to play around. "Helen Wheels" and "Jet" both feel like grinning inside jokes, while "Picasso's Last Words" was written on a dare from Dustin Hoffman to see Paul come up with a song on the spur of the moment (and includes one musician playing nothing but a tin of gravel). Even slightly darker sounding material like "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" is still exuberant and rich in sound, with all sorts of sounds and melodies meshed together.
The only part of the album that could be called disappointing is its end - and not for any conventional reason. It closes neatly, but one is left wishing it could go on. "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" gets so heavy and absorbing by its climax that turning off the record seems a shame. In fact, the song ends with a quiet piece of the chorus from the opener, "Band on the Run," giving the lonely listener a license to cycle back to the beginning again if absolutely necessary.
If you liked the man when he was with the Beatles, you're sure to like his later work. Whether Lennon or McCartney deserved more credit for the Beatles' success is moot. Band on the Run proves just how much McCartney could do without any of those friends to help him out.
