Wings
Rockshow

"Sitting in the stands of the sports arena,

Waiting for the show to begin.

Red lights, green lights, strawberry wine

A good friend of mine, follow the stars,

Venus and mars are alright tonight"

A delicate sequence of notes, dry ice smoke envelops a stage magically touched by hundreds of soap bubbles, he is at the center. He holds his RicKenbacker bass, the notes of "Venus And Mars" slowly fade as the lights turn on, it's the opening of "Rockshow", the show begins.

Paul McCartney's gamble is won, a great concert, a great world tour, an extraordinary live show. The Wings in '75-'77 are the architects of an incredible show, what was born only as "small stuff" in a few years was able to fill arenas worldwide with a highly successful set of songs, a palpable harmony in every note. "Rockshow" is the concert film released in 1980 that captures McCartney's and his group's historic feat around the world; the Beatle who wanted to return to playing live has finally obtained what he wanted, a modern show full of energy and rhythm, a sparkling sequence of songs perfect for sharing with the audience. Critics had judged the opening of "Venus And Mars" ('75) as artificial, and indeed it was, clever Paul had created it specifically to open the "Wings Over The World Tour" with pathos and magic. The film brings back Paul's band in what many consider to be the best incarnation, the faithful Denny Laine finds his spaces with the superb "Time To Hide", the nostalgic "Go Now", moreover providing impeccable service to the final success. Like Paul, he is a stage man and finds himself fully integrated into the perfect machine that are the Wings. The unruly talent of the very young Jimmy McCulloch is fully affirmed in a myriad of breathtaking guitar passages, the solo in "Maybe I'm Amazed", the powerful "Letting Go", the sound wave of a "Beware My Love" fully enhanced, and his "Medicine Jar", an edgy, raw song about drugs. The addition of an exceptional horn section, the precision and power of Joe English on drums, and Linda's essential presence on stage complete the whole.

McCartney enjoys himself, captivating an audience that spans at least three generations, he's just a thirty-year-old musician but already a legend, able to perform some of his Beatles past, "Lady Madonna", "Blackbird", "Yesterday", the latter two included in an acoustic set that anticipates the unplugged by twenty years. The concert finally brings back a free McCartney, gritty like the closure with the very dirty "Soily".

Unfortunately, "Rockshow" is available only on laser disc, Paul has restored a part of it and included it in the box set "The McCartney Years", with excellent audio and remarkable video quality. It is very likely that it will be made available in the impressive reissue project of the entire work of the English composer, which is announced as the most complete and courageous ever made in the field of rock music.