Paul McCartney,Wings/Studio Recording Sessions

There is no definitive reason why the Beatles disbanded, and it can only be said that various factors intertwined to lead to their collapse. One of the reasons for this is the difference in their attitudes as musicians. Even before his debut, Paul was conscious of his future as a professional, while John and the other members seemed to have let nature take its course. Paul was still in his 20s when the Beatles disbanded and was too young to retire. They decided to form a new band again. No one would doubt the success of Paul McCartney’s solo career, but it was far from a smooth sailing. With Paul’s fame and connections, it would have been possible to recruit famous musicians and form a super band that was popular at the time, but although they brought in a key player named Denny Laine, the rest gathered virtually unknown musicians. His wife, Linda, who was deaf and had no musical background, was placed on the keyboard. Immediately after the Beatles disbanded, Paul released two solo albums. “McCartney,” which is an extension of home recording, and “RAM,” which is in a band format. In particular, when recording “RAM”, Paul auditioned participating musicians. It seems that this was not just an audition, but also served as a selection of members to form a new band. Drummer Denny Sewell, who passed the exam with flying colors, later recalled, “I felt like Paul was looking for a certain kind of ‘preparation.”’ That’s how Wings was formed. Paul’s purpose in forming Wings was to make an album and go on tour, and to go on tour he needed a permanent band. That is Wings. Although he went on tour as early as after the release of his first album “Wild Life”, his repertoire was undeniably small, and he often performed the same songs twice or cover songs, making it difficult to complete his performances in later years. It was a very different state of groping. However, Paul’s talent cannot be hidden, and his second album as Wings, “Red Rose Speedway”, is a beautiful masterpiece. In any case, Paul’s initial motivation for Wings was hasty, almost impatient, and Paul’s desire to produce albums and live shows in parallel, and to grow Wings into a band comparable to the Beatles in a short period of time, was palpable. It was a very hot period. The aforementioned masterpiece second album “Red Rose Speedway” took half a year to record and had two albums’ worth of material, which was condensed into the form we know today. Once again, this fact suggests that young Paul at this time was in a feverish state of creative desire. This work is a collection of early Wings studio outtakes around the time of “Red Rose Speedway”. [DISC 1] This disc corresponds to Volume 1 of Answer Past Masters. Studio outtakes from the album “Red Rose Speedway” are the main focus of the first half. “Big Barn Bed” is the opening number that marks the beginning of the album. Takes in the early stages are still included here. The outline of the song, in which the lyrics are spun along with the riff, has already been completed, and the process of singing and arranging it like this is probably the process. The vocals are single-tracked, with no effects applied and can be heard as very raw vocals. The ending is played in its entirety rather than a fade-out, but I guess they felt like it wasn’t a proper performance and the final take would have been faded anyway. A live version of “The Mess” was released as the B-side of the single “My Love” at the Hague performance in the Netherlands, but what is included here is an unreleased studio version. The impression is completely different compared to the energetic live version, and you can see that the song was created with a hard rock approach, with the guitar riff as the main focus. The bass phrase in the break part and the heavy bass piano inserted in the middle make it a song that gives you a feel of the atmosphere unique to this era. “When The Night” is a rough mix and the take itself seems to be the same, but it is unique in that the ending is recorded until the end. “Single Pigeon” is a different take, without any follow-up chorus added to the final version, and is a version played by Paul on the piano. The vocals are very raw and the mix brings them to the forefront, so it’s sure to be irresistible for fans. “Thank You Darling” is an unreleased song that was ultimately postponed for recording. Paul is in charge of the vocals, and Linda puts in a crazy twist, but the melody has a strong Denny Lane flavor. “Mary Had A Little Lamb” is Wings’ second single. When pointed out that the song was borrowed from a nursery rhyme with the same title, Paul said, “My daughter’s name is Mary and she keeps sheep.” The first single was “Peace for Ireland,” and the second single was a children’s song, suggesting that they were at a time when their direction was uncertain. By the way, the third single was called “Hi Hi Hi”, which must have confused fans at the time. The take recorded here is almost the Linda version, although Paul calls out when entering the chorus. The method of repeating the chorus like a reprise after the song ends was used here as well, but it was ultimately omitted when it was released. “Loup” is a unique instrumental number on the album, but because it includes a chorus, the instrumental impression is weak, and it feels like a long prelude to the magnificent medley that follows. What is recorded here starts with Paul’s count. “Tragedy” is an unreleased song that is familiar from the unreleased album “Cold Cuts”. The second half of this disc contains a live performance at Newcastle on July 10, 1973. Newcastle on this day was considered for official release, and was officially recorded and cut to acetate, but it remains unreleased to this day. The acetate sound source for this audition was a sound source that was known among collectors from a relatively early period, but what is recorded here is not from that acetate sound source, but is a tape source. I was very surprised by the clean sound quality, which was moist and calm and had no unpleasant tastes. Moreover, the acetate includes “Go Now”, which was not recorded, so it is clear that the source of the sound source is traced back. It is also very interesting in terms of content, and “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Live And Let Die” continue to be played as Paul’s important stage repertoire even now. I am deeply moved when I think that this is a simple performance from about 50 years ago, rather than the excessive production of today. [DISC 2] This disc corresponds to Volume 2 of Answer Past Masters. Compared to Volume 1, which contained many very rare and valuable sound sources, Volume 2 has received a lower rating, perhaps because it is mainly instrumental, but it does contain a lot of very interesting content. Best of all, it includes the sound source of “RAM” with almost no outtakes. “The Back Seat Of My Car” is the last song on the album, but it is not a grand finale that is typical of Paul, but is a good song that makes you think of a melancholy sunset.This album includes the basic track. There is. “The Best Friend” is also a live version. A studio version of this song has not yet been discovered, and the take scheduled to be included on the unreleased album Cold Cuts was also a live version. This song is somewhere between rock’n’roll and blues. The following four songs, “Mama’s Little Girl,” “Hey Diddle,” “A Love For You,” and “Tragedy,” were also mixed many times with the intention of being included on Cold Cuts, but none of them were recorded as a whole. In the end, it was never released until now. Mixing work continued into the 1980s, but it was based on recordings that had already been made during this period. “I Would Only Smile” is a song by Denny Laine. It was also performed on the Wings stage in 1972, but here is the studio version. [UNSURPASSED MASTERS Vol.1 & 2] This work is a reprint of the same title on the Strawberry label, which includes Wings’ early studio outtakes. The original jacket photo is posted on the back jacket. There are many takes that first appeared with this title, and even now this work is considered the best, and this historic title has been coupled as a two-disc set. UNSURPASSED MASTERS Vol.1 DISC ONE 01. Big Barn Bed 02. The Mess 03. When The Night 04. Single Pigeon 05. Thank You Darling 06. Mary Had A Little Lamb 07. Loup 08. Tragedy 09. Seaside Woman 10. Wild Life 11. Little Woman – C Moon 12. Maybe I’m Amazed 13. My Love 14. Live And Let Die 15. Go Now UNSURPASSED MASTERS Vol.2 DISC TWO 01. Bridge Over The River Suite 02. The Back Seat Of My Car 03. Best Friend 04. Mama’s Little Girl 05. Hey Diddle 06. A Love For You 07. I Would Only Smile 08. Tragedy 09. Long Haired Lady – Love Is Long 10. Sunshine Sometime 11. Rode All Night 12. Night Out 13. Seaside Woman