Formed in 1971 with his wife Linda and guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Denny Laine, Paul McCartney’s band Wings became his artistic rebirth after the Beatles broke up. Over the course of a decade and seven studio albums, with US #1 singles including “My Love,” “Band On The Run,” “Listen To What the Man Said,” “Silly Love Songs,” and “With a Little Luck,” and over 22 million albums sold around the world, Wings flew well above even the most popular acts of their time.
For 2025, there’s a new compilation called WINGS that covers it all and then some. It begins with “Band On The Run,” with a decidedly louder sounding electric guitar to the simple yet-so-effective bass flumping of “Junior’s Farm.” McCartney sounds sweet on “My Love” and powerful on “Getting Closer.” There’s even “Mull of Kintyre,” absence from any proper album yet a huge hit that features the bagpipes. It’s a solid collection of 32 tunes running the gambit across the Wings catalog, with deeper album cuts as well as hits personally overseen by Paul McCartney himself.
Beyond the music all formats of this collection include a booklet, featuring an introduction from the musician himself (the triple LP and double CD editions include an expanded one, with photos, artwork, paintings, trivia, and information about the band). The Blu-ray version of WINGS is the first time all the songs have been remixed in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos.
When you factor in The Beatles, then you get what’s on WINGS, plus a prolific solo career, it’s no wonder Paul McCartney is considered the most successful musician in history.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
