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Rating: 2010 is an important year for Beatles fans and not only, as finally, after many delays, the release of all Paul McCartney and Wings' LPs begins in a newly remastered version, especially rich with previously unreleased material both audio and video. The operation is meant to replace the old "Paul McCartney's Collection" series from 1993, a series that presented many gaps, such as the sparse booklets for "Ram" and "Wild Life" and some omissions regarding b-sides, not to mention the absence of any unreleased tracks. With the new "Archive Collection" series, McCartney truly opens his archives rich with rare and highly appealing material so much so that all the LPs will be republished in various versions: single disc, double CD, double CD plus DVD, double LP, and a limited edition which includes a book that adds details and illustrates the genesis of each LP.
The project could only start with "Band On The Run", an album released in 1973 and considered by many as one of McCartney's fundamental works. The album has already been analyzed in detail in other reviews on this site, so it's more useful to list the merits of this new edition. The audio quality of the original signed by Geoff Emerick in the Nigerian studios of Lagos was already remarkable, in this 2010 version, the most noticeable tweaks are in the basses which are brought to greater prominence in tracks such as "Mrs Vanderbilt" and "Let Me Roll It". New sound details emerge in the title track, the acoustic guitar part, in "Jet", Linda's synth part, which is better highlighted throughout the song, in "Mamunia" the percussion drawing African sounds are more pronounced. The single disc edition faithfully reproduces the original UK version with the exclusion of the intruder "Helen Wheels" (present in the US version), with no bonus track additions. The double-disc edition adds the single "Helen Wheels" and its b-side, the beautiful country ballad "Country Dreamer," and includes excerpts from the "One Hand Clapping" soundtrack, particularly highlighting a superb version of "Jet" where Geoff Britton's drumming prowess stands out and Paul's amazing vocal performance in "1985". The DVD edition finally makes available a series of gems concerning the story of this beautiful album, like the nostalgic little documentary "Wings In Lagos," the video document of the photo session for the famous cover, the promotional videos for "Band On The Run," "Helen Wheels," and "Mamunia" (previously released in the "McCartney's Years" box set) and finally the 1974 concert film "One Hand Clapping". The latter holds significant historical value as it captures the first studio rehearsals of Wings for the future mega world tour of '75-'76, it's significant and quite beautiful to see how the band worked in the studio and especially how McCartney's enthusiasm was contagious to the other band members, particularly the very young twenty-year-old Jimmy McCulloch. One of the gems in "One Hand Clapping" is the tape recording of the string part for the live version of "Live And Let Die" which will serve Linda during the tour.
The verdict on this first release of the major reissue project of McCartney and Wings' catalog is excellent, the audio and video quality are outstanding, the booklet is exhaustive and rich in information, and the cost is affordable. The next publications should concern "McCartney," "McCartney II," and "Ram," the anticipation among fans is very high, especially for the Wings' work, which is a true treasure chest rich with delightful surprises.
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