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Back to the Egg | 
| Artists: Paul Mccartney, Wings
Label: EMI Europe Generic
Category: Music
List Price: $12.98
Buy New: $5.96
You Save: $7.02 (54%)
New (30) Used (13) Collectible (2) from $4.80
Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 34336
Format: Import, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 789136
UPC: 766484408427
EAN: 0077778913627
ASIN: B00000721D
Release Date: August 16, 1993
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Reception | | • | Getting Closer | | • | We're Open Tonight | | • | Spin It On | | • | Again and Again and Again | | • | Old Siam, Sir | | • | Arrow Through Me | | • | Rockestra Theme | | • | To You | | • | After the Ball/Million Miles | | • | Winter Rose/Love Awake | | • | Broadcast | | • | So Glad to See You Here | | • | Baby's Request | | • | Daytime Nighttime Suffering [*] | | • | Wonderful Christmastime [*] | | • | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae [*] |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The promising career of this final edition of Wings was cut short in 1980 when Paul McCartney, perhaps just a bit too elated to be returning to Japan for his first performances since the Beatles' legendary visit 14 years earlier, was arrested by Japanese customs officials with a substantial stash of marijuana in his luggage. But though it's anchored by the muscular drumming of Steve Holly and the solid guitar work of the classically trained Laurence Juber (who's since carved out a comfortable niche as studio ace and innovative acoustic stylist), it's too often McCartney's songwriting that's the band's weakest link. Ostensibly upbeat numbers such as "Spin it On," "Getting Closer," and the big rock of "Old Siam, Sir" just can't overcome the MOR leanings of much of the rest, including "Arrow Through Me." The star-laden "Rockestra Theme" (featuring Pete Townshend, Ronnie Wood, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Dave Gilmour, and Ronnie Lane) is rollicking fun, but still not enough to surmount the artistic Battle of the Two Pauls; the Little Richard-inspired rocker and the Manilow-esque balladeer who too often gets the upper hand here. This CD also features the strong B-side "Daytime Nighttime Suffering," a track which may unintentionally comment on the other two "bonus" cuts here, the misfired McCartney holiday singles "Wonderful Christmastime" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae." --Jerry McCulley
Album Description
Digitally remastered reissue of their top 10 1979 EMI album featuring the hits 'Getting Closer' and 'Arrow Through Me', plus 'Old Siam, Sir' and 'Rockestra Theme', as well as threebonus tracks: 'Daytime Nighttime Suffering', 'Wonderful Christmastime' and 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae'. 17 trackstotal. 1993 EMI release.
Album Details
Digitally Remastered Reissue of the Original Album with Getting Closer / Spin it on / Old Siam Sir / Rockestra Theme and More, plus Three Added Bonus Tracks: Daytime Nighttime Suffering / Wonderful Christmastime / Rudolf the Red Nosed Reggae.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
We're Open Tonight (for Fun) April 1, 2005
Tom Emanuel (Deadwood, SD USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
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.
 they were gonna be back!!!! November 13, 2003
polo (america)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
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.
Back To Rocking The Heck Out Of Me is more like it! December 9, 2005
Philip Cannistraci (Newtown, PA USA)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
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.
A Musicians view of this album September 13, 2003
AndyMan (Des Moines, IA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Why do people insist on bashing this album? For an album that was recorded intentionally as a non-commercial effort, Back To The Egg is a full band effort for Wings full of hooks, melody, and a great overall sound. A very rock influenced album, it is full of McCartney gems that found McCartney channeling his need to be seen as a fully-fledged rock star.In my opinion, the reason I feel that people pan this album is because of the diversity that it shows. It contains some disco-pop (Arrow Throguh Me), Ray Charles influenced piano blues (after The Ball), Jazz oriented slow tunes (Baby's Request), Funk music (Reception), Classical (winter Rose), Accoustic (Love Awake) and artistic (Open Tonight). But what makes these songs and diversity work is the production (recording and mixing) of the songs. The well recorded, prominent Bass lines, great sounding drum tracks, and dueling guitar lines from Mr. Juber and Laine make the songs enjoyable. The overall sound of the album has this very dark and rocky feeling to it, and we find McCartney (in my opinion) singing in his best rock voice ever. Prime example of that is McCartneys hardest-rocking song 'Old Siam Sir'. McCartney Belts every song out on this album as if he has something to prove. If you are interested in buying this album, buy it for the simple reason of an overall listening experience. From start to finish, it is very eclectic, but the overall sound, feel, variety, and artisticness in the songs themselves will make you feel fullfilled. I do suggest buying Band On The Run and Driving Rain before this album... Just to get used to the McCartney-ish type rock, but do buy it indeed! Favorites:
Getting Closer, Spin It On, After The Ball-Million Miles/Winter Rose-Love awake, Old Siam Sir, Rockestra, Baby's Request, Daytime Nighttime suffering, Arrow Through Me. All the Best, The AndyMan
wings never flew higher October 9, 1999
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I bought this album when it first came out in 1979 and wore the grooves away. The ultimate tragedy is that this line up of Wings went bust after Paul's Japanese jail time. I admit there is some filler on this effort but it is very interesting filler. Paul gives it his all vocally and the guitar parts are always inspired.If you have access to a surround sound system you will appreciate the fine production value. Truly a sleeper that will wake you up once again to the beauty that is McCartney.
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