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"Band On the Run"--#1 hit in the U.S., is a McCartney classic and opens this album. One of Paul's "songs-within-a-song" pieces.

"Jet"--Top Ten hit is a nonsense rock number, but "rock number" is the most important phrase.

"Bluebird"--not to be confused with Paul's Beatles song "Blackbird," even though it's also a great acoustic ballad.

"Mrs. Vanderbilt"--little known Wings number is a lot of fun with neat lyrics.

"Let Me Roll It"--B-side to "Jet," this is a crowd-pleasing blues song at McCartney's concerts.

"Mamunia"--probably the weakest song on the album, though it's not too bad.

"No Words"--a McCartney/Laine collaboration, a fast-paced love song.

"Helen Wheels"--another Top Ten hit, this is an underrated McCartney rock song. Not on the U.K. album; Capitol gave us more songs than the U.K. issue?!

"Picasso's Last Words"--comical acoustic number written by Paul as a dare made by Dustin Hoffman.

"Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five"--B-side to "Band on the Run" in the U.S., this apocolyptic (sic?) rock number brought a great close to this album.

I personally reccomend this album to anyone who likes rock 'n' roll, but don't take my word for it. Look at all the other reviews: 47 of 61 are five stars. The bonus disc is o.k., but isn't worth buying this if you've already got the album. If you don't, buy this version as it's the same price as the regular one.


No Words for My Love   January 21, 2005
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

Many fans and critics alike will tell you that Paul McCartney's 1973 Band on the Run and 1975 Venus & Mars are his best albums and near-equals. While I like Venus & Mars fine, I think this faulty comparison is due to one of two things: A) overestimation of V&M or B) underestimation of BotR. And strange as it may seem, the latter is much closer to reality. Band on the Run is terribly underrated the same way Abbey Road is underrated - respected, but not held in the awe reserved for "better" records like Sgt. Pepper's or Plastic Ono Band. Yeah. Right. Ranking at a paltry #418 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums" list, it's about time Band on the Run stands up and is accorded its rightful place as one of pop's greatest achievements.

The album opens with a one-two punch of the title track, a grandiose mini-suite chronicling a bereaved prisoner and his jubilant escape (construe that how you choose), and the thrilling Jet, flying as high as its namesake. Amazingly, Paul manages to keep a comparable level of excellence up throughout the album. If you've heard these two tracks you'll know how unlikely that seems, but it's true: this is the most consistently awesome album the man has produced since the Beatles' breakup. What made the Fabs' best so great - the intricate-yet-accessible melodies, the imagistic poetry, the superb musicianship, the soaring harmonies, the thumping bass, the multi-tracked vocals and guitars, the glorious strings and brass - is all here.

Stylistically Paul creates an effervescent fusion of melodic pop, exhilarating rock & roll, and elaborate symphonic elements with touches of blues, jazz, music-hall, and folk expertly mixed in for colour. For instance, Bluebird is laid-back and jazzy; Let Me Roll both send-up and tribute to John Lennon's distinctive post-Beatles style. As for subject material, freedom is the word. Right from the get-go Band on the Run is rife with the themes of liberation and release - the opening one-two punch sets it up and from there it's all-out. This idea, this concept ties the album together, transforming it from merely a collection of brilliant songs into a monumental whole. Each and every song carries the thread, whether it be a literal prison break, the liberty of the open road, or even Death, the ultimate escape. Reprisals of themes, lyrics, and passages all act to unite Band on the Run until, at the very last, the roaring climax of the finale, we come full circle: "Band on the Run! Band on the Run..."

On Band on the Run not only are you able to experience the songwriting genius of Paul McCartney at its finest, but you get an album that is more than an album. From the very first note it sucks you in and doesn't let you out again until the last ringing chords of the reprised title track have evaporated completely, forty-five minutes later. And what a glorious forty-five minutes they are! They will take you on a wondrous journey, yet by the end you will feel the journey is only just beginning...

NOTES FOR THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

If you can, get this, the 25th Anniversary edition; it is far superior for the same price as the original pressing. The bonus disc here is not, as on many albums, a parade of rarities or a series of alternate takes on the songs proper. Live and alternate versions of certain tracks are included here, but they take backseat to what this disc is all about: the interviews. It is, for all intents and purposes, a radio show: a radio show about the making of Band on the Run. We get to hear Paul, Linda, Denny, and just about everybody involved with the making of this record (or, in many cases, its gorgeous cover) explain their part and the record's enchanting story, giving sense of just how big a deal this album really was. The included booklet is equally superb. Replete with lyrics, photographs, chart placements, and Mark Lewisohn's fabulous liner notes (quite possibly the best liner notes I've ever seen) it is the perfect companion to the record.


Resurrection   February 7, 2000
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

Paul rises from the dead. After stumbling with his first two Wings albums, McCartney created one of his most satisfying and complete masterpieces. The classic single Live And Let Die (recorded a couple of months before the album) hinted at the treasures on this great album. Clearly McCartney had rediscovered his unique songwriting voice.

Recorded under trying conditions ( two members of Wings quit just before recording began) in a less than ideal environment (McCartney was robbed while in Nigeria and the recording studio wasn't in the best condition), it's a miracle that this album succeeded. Clearly Macca took the situation as a personal challenge to his creativity. It inspired him.

Never much of a confessional writer (like Lennon for example), McCartney has always excelled at lyrics that told a story. Difficult circumstance, however, have always allowed him to create some of his best work. While he could create great songs from his personal life, McCartney would use those nuggets to create stories in his lyrics unlike, say, Lennon who was more nakedly confessional in tone. There are exceptions of course (For No One, I'm Looking Through You, Let It Be, The Long And Winding Road, Two of Us, etc.), but on the whole McCartney was more of a storyteller than Lennon using events from his life to spin stories about other people.

The stories on Band On The Run are witty, interesting and compassionate. The title track captures the exuberance of an artist that has recaptured his muse. When the orchestra kicks in and McCartney & Laine's acoustic guitars chime in this classic song takes your breath away.

Jet has a monster hook and although appears to be lyrically lightweight (the title was inspired by McCartney's puppy), it again tells a little story that captures the confusion in any new love affair. A lot of the songs on Band On The Run are devoted to the simple pleasures in life and how we let them escape us in this fast paced, uneven world we live in. The Laine-McCartney collaboration No Words is an example of the magic these two could create when their chemistry was right.

The stand out track is Picasso's Last Words. Created on a dare by actor Dustin Hoffman, PLW captures both the exhaustion of a life well lived and the appreciation for simple things that make life worth living. The segue into Jet and Mrs. Vanderbilt demonstrates McCartney's amazing skills as an arranger.

1985 is a crushing rocker filled with hooks. McCartney's love and pop songs have always overshadowed the great rock songs he is capable of writing. 1985 belongs in the same company as McCartney's best Beatles and solo rockers. It's a lyrically simple, but filled with great musical ideas that more than make up for this fact. 1985 brings the album to a satisfying close with a musical quotation from the title track.

The second disc has a number of live and alternative takes of the album tracks (all of them recorded well after the album). Since the original demos were stolen (McCartney was held up in Nigeria)McCartney tries to give a sense of the albums importance by preforming both faithful live versions and reintreptations of the tracks on the album. Although the second disc isn't essential it does give a sense of creative avenues unexplored. While it would have been interesting to hear the outtakes from the Nigerian phase of the recording process, these tracks do give the listener a sense of the album's importance.

The booklet provides an informative history on the album by Beatles scholar Mark Lewisohn. The excellent booklet gives a great overview as to the circumstances that almost robbed McCartney and the world of this terrific album.


Against All Odds   February 12, 2000
 11 out of 16 found this review helpful

Paul McCartney pulled off a small miracle with Band On The Run. 2 band members quitting during the album rehersals, a broken-down recording studio in a rather hostile region of Nigeria, and being robbed at knife point, losing whatever valuables they had with them including the demo cassettes for the album.

Paul, Linda, Denny Laine and renowned engineer Geoff Emerick, despite the very adverse conditions, proceeded to deliver an adventurous and delightful rock album. Aside from his bass playing, Paul played drums and shared lead guitars with Denny.

The title track, Jet & Helen Wheels are among his best songs along with little gems like Bluebird, Mrs Vanderbild and my personal favorite from the album 1985.

The bonus disk is full of insightful bits and reflections about the album's making, numerous variations of the songs and a few live versions recorded from the 89 and 93 tours. The liner notes in the booklet vividly tells the story that made up Band On The Run.

This 25th anniversary edition is a terrific edition for all McCartney fans and a fantastic upgrade from the original CD release.


sap city   August 10, 2002
 10 out of 46 found this review helpful

These discs make excellent Frisbees, they catch the light in a fascinating way, and they can also serve as hand mirrors. Don't put them into your CD player, though, or you'll hear some of sappiest pop "music" ever recorded in excruciatingly abominable taste. (I'm not exaggerating. It's that BAD.)