Paul McCartney & Wings
Red Rose Speedway Archive Collection

THE REVIEW

Holding the box of this new reissue of "Red Rose Speedway" is a real pleasure. Finally, the second Wings LP from 1973 is given a reissue in an accurate, complete, and full of historical details and curiosities version. We have a new edition that makes up for years and years of lack of completeness compared to a work that was originally conceived in a very different way than the one finally printed. "Red Rose Speedway" was originally a double LP, but an entire disc was canceled due to EMI’s lack of confidence in the original concept. Today, after forty-five years, Paul has decided to put things right and give the public all the tracks from those sessions and republish the album in its original version both on LP and inside the box. The overall cut is therefore rougher, and you can enjoy the Wings dealing with "The Mess", "I Lie Around" (later used as the B-side of "Live And Let Die"), a gritty "Best Friend", Linda's little reggae jewel "Seaside Woman" (in a different mix to the one published on Wide Prairie), the dark and menacing "Night Out". The album thus regains its original hue and fully brings back the very hippie, carefree atmosphere but with a strong drive of the first incarnation of the Wings, with the fundamental contribution of Henry McCullough to the overall sound thanks to his dirty and raw blues guitar. The third disc adds demos and singles, including "Live and Let Die" and the double A-side "Hi, Hi, Hi"/C Moon". Amongst the demos, particularly noteworthy are an astonishing almost instrumental version of "Get on the Right Thing" from 1970 (the track belongs to the Ram sessions) and a rough mix of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with a take later cut in the final 1972 version. Various live pieces from the "Wings Over Europe Tour" are added, "Best Friend", and "1882", and an exceptional studio version of "The Mess". Closing the set is the jazz-rock diversion of "Jazz Street" (here cut to five minutes) and a "Live and Let Die" without orchestra. The book adds details, memorabilia, and photos, while Linda's splendid photo volume "Wings in Morocco" testifies to the Wings' stay in Africa in 1972 at the Mamunia Hotel (which would later inspire the eponymous song on Band on the Run). The DVDs add gems upon gems, all promotional videos including the four versions made for "Mary Had a Little Lamb" at the BBC, but most importantly the "James Paul McCartney Show" of 1973 and, believe it or not...the "Bruce McMouse Show"! The legendary mixed technique film that depicts the 1972 Wings live; for years it was believed that the animated part was never completed, but now we know the film was ready and finished, and here it can be enjoyed in superb quality.

Published together with "Wild Life", this box is a great purchase for Beatles fans and non-fans alike.