What we're listening to: Wings 'Over America'

1976 and a triple live Album no less. 

It was remastered in 2013 so that's the one to get.

Recorded during the Wings 'Over the World' tour and as someone in here said, she preferred The Beatles when they became, Wings.....

Of course, Paul McCartney at the core here and so too, the Album contains Beatle songs - 'Yesterday', 'Long and Winding Road', 'Blackbird' and others. 

But it also focuses on Wings "hits" like 'Listen to what the man said', 'Hi Hi Hi' (banned at one stage because it was really 'High High High'), 'Beware my love' and the really very excellent, 'Silly Love songs'. 

'Maybe I'm amazed' was released as the single from this record.

Linda McCartney features of course and the great Denny Laine ('The Moody Blues', who left the band after McCartney's refusal to tour following Lennon's death). 

It's a great record really.

Captures the live mood perfectly and captures the era in what was, Paul McCartney's real solo venture after The Beatles. You'll also find their 'Band on the run' Album in this blog by searching top left.

One to have. No doubt about it.

Previous "listen tos" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Sheryl Crow 'Tuesday Night Music Club': Dwight Yoakam 'Gone': Deep Purple 'In Rock': Police 'Reggatta de Blanc': Dylan 'Freewheelin': Stevie Winwood 'Arc of a Diver': Jamiroquai 'travelling without Moving': Eels 'Meet The Eels': Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly': Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust': Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook: REM 'Automatic for the People' :Coldplay 'Parachutes': Springsteen 'Hammersmith 75': Barry White 'Can't get enough': The Band 'Before the Flood': Dimitri from Paris 'Le Chic': Santana 'Abraxas': Suzanne Vega 'Debut': Michael Jackson 'Bad': John Hiatt 'Bring the Family/Budokan': JJ Cale 'Naturally': Ray Lamontagne 'Trouble': The Bluetones 'Expecting to Fly': Norah Jones 'Come Away with me': Macy Gray 'On how life is': John Cougar 'American Fool': Earth Wind & Fire 'Greatest': Boz Scaggs 'Silk Degrees': Durand Jones + The Indications: Elton John 'Captain Fantastic': Nirvana 'Nevermind': James Brown 'At The Apollo' 1962: Grateful Dead 'American Beauty': Frampton 'Comes Alive': Snow Patrol 'Final Straw': The Jayhawks 'Hollywood Town Hall': Alanis Morissette 'Jagged Little Pill': Chris Stapleton 'Traveller': Shelby Lynne 'I Am': Lauryn Hill 'Miseducation': Alicia Keys 'Songs in A Minor': Beatles 'Revolver': The Allergies 'Push On' (Our Album of 2017): Sinatra 'Jolly Christmas': Stranglers 'Rattus Norvegicus': Happy Mondays 'Pills Thrills and Bellyaches': The Verve 'Urban Hymns': Jim Croce 'You don't mess around with Jim': America 'America': Hall & Oates 'The Singles': George Michael 'Older': Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers': Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue': Mink Willy De Ville 'Backstreets of Desire': Ten Years After 'Undead': The Beat 'Just can't stop it': George Thorogood/The Destoyers '2120 Michigan Avenue': Tom Waits 'Franks Wild Years'; Glen Campbell 'Rhinestone Cowboy': Rory Gallagher 'Live in Europe': Michael Jackson 'Thriller': Daft Punk 'Discovery': DJ Dimitri 'Disco Forever': John Martyn 'Grace & Danger': Peter Gabriel 'So': Crowded House 'Woodface': Springsteen 'Born to Run': ACDC 'Back in Black': Grace Jones 'Nighclubbing': Stevie Wonder 'Songs in the key of life': The Cars 'The Cars': Billy Joel '52nd Street': Beatles 'Sgt Pepper': Tom Petty 'Damn the Torpedoes': World Party 'Bang': Eric Clapton 'Slowhand': John Mayer 'Room for Squares': Ry Cooder 'Bop til you drop': Jon&Vangelis 'Friends of Mr. Cairo': Mary Chapin 'Come on, Come on': Frank Zappa 'Joe's Garage': Joni Mitchell 'Blue': Steve Gibbons 'Caught in the Act': Elton John 'Tumbleweed Connection': Elton John 'Honky Chateau': Gallagher & Lyle 'Breakaway': Warren Zevon 'Excitable Boy': Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly': Supertramp 'Breakfast in America': George Michael 'Listen without Predujice': Radiohead 'The Bends': Beyonce 'Lemonade' Album of the year 2016: Oddisee 'The mix Tape': Soul 11 Soul 'Club Classics': Jennifer Warnes 'Famous Blue Raincoat':Art Garfunkel 'Watermark': REM 'Out of Time': Van 'Keep me Singing': Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black'; Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill.

What we're listening to. Wings 'Band on the Run'

One of the great quotes in here was when we were talking about The Beatles, one genuinely said, that they preferred them "when they were Wings". Right, understood.....

But Paul McCartney's 5th Album post Beatles (left 1970), was with Wings and 'Band on the Run' - it is their seminal Album. The Album cover featuring well known celebs of the time in 1973 (not unlike Sgt. Peppers?) was very talked about too - convicts in a prison spotlight. James Coburn, Christopher Lee, Michael Parkinson (really) and Clement Freud are all there.

"Jet" and of course, "Band on the run" got huge airplay making this McCartney's most commercially successful record to date. It was actually recorded in Nigeria (betcha' didn't know that) where Paul and Linda were robbed at knife point during the making.

It also marked the end of Henry McCullough with the Band, who rowed with Paul in rehearsals and quit leaving Denny Laine (ex Moody Blues) to take up the slack. 

"Bluebird", "Let me roll it" and "Helen Wheels" (only on some versions btw) are standout tracks too. But it's really pretty great all round whether you like McCartney or not. We don't and we did if you get our meaning.

Have a listen to 'Band on the Run' and the opening bars were so recognisable to a generation - in a 'Parklife' or 'London Calling' way. Magic.

What we're listening to this week. Pink Floyd. Dark Side.

Why do we keep finding ourselves going back to 73? But this was a short, bank holiday week so a more chilled Album that Dark Side of the Moon, you couldn't get.

In fact, a better Album ever, will be hard to get.

Recorded at London's Abbey Road with Alan Parsons as the Engineer (very famous in his own right as The Alan Parson Project but also produced 'Abbey Road', 'Let it be' and others) with possibly, the greatest album artwork of all time by Hipgnosis.

The Studio's Irish doorman Gerry O'Driscoll, features along with other Abbey Road staffers and he says "there is no dark side of the moon. As a matter of fact, it's all dark". "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time" is Henry McCullough from Wings.

It's one of the best selling albums of all time no doubt - but possibly the best album of all time. Roger Waters did all the lyrics but Mason/Wright and especially Davy Gilmour pulled it all together.

We loved listening to it in here this week anyway and had to pinch ourselves to think....it's over 40 years old. And here it is -