Wings Back To The Egg Revisited

[@andydixon2980]

I love "After the ball/million miles". People rarely mention Macca's many vocal talents. His voice here on these 2 songs just blow me away.

[@GordonWilkinson-t8b]

Spot on

[@andrewtowers5977]

I was there in Lewisham in 79 . Unbelievable to see a Beatle. I still have the programme and ticket stub

[@alancawley8810]

I remember a BBC radio interview promoting the Album. Paul said that Linda invented the riff that he developed to Old Siam Sir. She played key boards in Wings, and he was praising her up .

[@skee19]

It’s a shame that the archive series appears to be done 😢. Would love to see this one

[@daveowen9481]

My favourite of all Wings albums. I still have my original copy from 1979.

[@babyfir77]

I also like "The Broadcast" and I believe you once did a video in which you played it on the piano!

[@debjorgo]

So Glad to See You is one of Wings best songs. I love it!

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

I appreciate the fact that your albums mostly looked played hence it shows you actually played them and enjoyed the music. Baby's request is a wonderful old standrads-type song.

[@captaincopter2387]

Back to The Egg has always been a personal favorite, including the Rockestra material. Everyone in Rockestra looks like they are enjoying themselves. A great get together with great musicians.

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

David Bowie was right. TheBroadcasdt is a beautifully moving musical slice of poetry. It just works so well.

[@jamesfair4315]

I remember it and the 1st song I liked was Old Siam, Sir. And I liked We're Open Tonight. Great album.

[@julianmulloy3772]

I like old siam sir lve got the single, good video John.

[@jeffkaufman9875]

I’m pleased to see that your Lordship is holding his own and the proverbial fort down at Heaton Castle…

[@lawrencebrissenden]

McCartney "won" by keeping Goodnight Tonight off the album which diminished its artistic and commercial worth. But, the record company in the States got back at him against his wishes with the live version of Coming Up being promoted and making it to #1.

[@jupitermadcat]

I remember vividly when this album came out and good night tonight. It was a big hit on the radio a lot in my parts. I also love the album. I hope they do a deluxe edition of it. I will snap it up.

[@shyman99]

The last album where McCartney legitimately sounds youthful, and he went out with a bang. A fitting album to say goodbye to the strongest period in the history of music (1964 - 1979). A landmark album that sounds great today.

[@davidm7840]

All excellent points. It is the last album he sounds youthful, and 1964-1979 was an amazing era for pop music-the best.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

Coming Up Live is the last one but yeah that’s technically from 1979 aswell. Does he sound young in Wonderful Christmastime aswell? I mean all of McCartney II was done in 1979 right?

[@RoadienicknamedRory]

I would point to Tug of War as his last youthful sounding album. The decline on Pipes of Peace and Broad street is enormous.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

@@RoadienicknamedRory That makes not so much sense as pipes of peace was partly made around tug of war (not only writing, also the recoring. Especially Say Say Say

[@davidm7840]

@@RoadienicknamedRory I would agree with that. Tug of War does sound basically youthful. What came after sounds very “middled aged.”

[@ronfowlermusic]

I wish we had a Wings version of Tug of War with a couple songs from Denny.

[@beatleboy0195]

Always thought when touring commenced after lockdown he should have opened with a quick burst of so glad to see you hear then crash bang wallop into a song like jet before he goes into my only criticism of Paul's touring career too many Beatle songs. But this is my fav Wings album i remember buying this on release and i think the reason we've waited so long for an archive of this because it got roasted in the press and he took it to heart i don't think he's ever played a song from this album since he got back to touring in '89. I love it.

[@petejp1]

Back to the egg is a pretty good album, it would have been interesting to hear another album from wings. I have been listening to london town a lot lately. It seems to get better with each listen.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Waiting on the deluxe box of this and LT’ (years waiting) I was 10 years when this album came out. I’d just gotten into The Beatles, and some of their solo work. My brother and I saw “yellow submarine” at a cinema, our parents took us, revival film, even over in south Ohio.

[@llewellynGS1]

Hi John happy new year. As regards Back to the egg, I too have a soft spot for it, having got it on release and I believe it was also my 2nd or third McCartney album. In fact, it would be about #3 on my McCartney list. But unlike you, I think some albums deserve some fantasy re-jigging; and though I think its a great album, it could have been even stronger and sold more if the track list went something like this: Side One: 1. Were open tonight, 2 getting closer, 3 spin it on, 4 Again and again and again, 5 Old Siam sir, 6 Arrow through me. Side Two: 1 Rockestra theme, 2 To you, 3 Winter Rose / Love awake 4 Daytime nighttime suffering 5 So glad to see you here, 6 Goodnight tonight. - I think it's nice to open with "Open tonight" and close with "Goodnight tonight" (Ooo, a concept album!). The addition of both sides of the single make it strong, and more commercial. To add them, I omitted what I feel are the weaker tracks - "Reception", "Million Miles" and "The broadcast". (not bad tracks really, but weakest. Also more of the McCartney habit of little snippets of songs and medleys). I also like the rockestra tracks, I think it makes a nice change to hear him rocking. - By the way, I am not sure Jimmy Page played on this album as you said; I know John Paul and Bonham did. Have a great week.

[@johnheaton5667]

Yes you’re right about Jimmy…my mistake!

[@marcyfan-tz4wj]

in case no one else says it, i love "arrow through me". "daytime nighttime suffering" is fabulous. i appreciate your review because this is my most overlooked wings record.

[@markfernandes9715]

Back To The Egg was unfairly underrated at the time of it's release. Comparing it with Paul's subsequent post 1979 output, it's a very good album, and a great swan song for Wings. Just as good as 1973's Band On The Run. Best tracks on the album: Arrow Through Me, Getting Closer, Old Siam Sir, To You and Baby's Request.

[@euanthorburn8135]

Thanks John Happy New Year

[@rdorman71]

Tremendous stuff as per usual, John. A very Happy New Year to you and your family ❤

[@BeatlesEddieV]

Maybe a topic for later, different lineups, wings and the later bands who played/is playing fior Paul?

[@invisibleray6987]

Lots of food references in mid Wings 😂

[@mikahattunen4502]

No Values and Such a Bad Boy are great musically. I don't know if they sound corny to english ears, but they are not the weak tracks on McCartney catalog.

[@mikahattunen4502]

You are the one to call I Am the Walrus simple song. Because George Martin said that line.. Get a grip, eh?

[@mikahattunen4502]

It's the most complicated and innovative and groundbreaking song Beatles ever made sonically. A Day In The Life is there too.

[@invisibleray6987]

WHERE IS MY DINNER LORD HEATON 😂

[@ivarvregard4873]

Back To the Egg is in my opinion a solid album, and would have been even better if it had included Goodnight Tonight and Daytime Nighttime Suffering (what a great song). At the end of the opening track Reception you can hear a male voice talking in a strange language. This is a snippet of a Norwegian radio sermon. Translated to English it says: Let us for a moment try to look at this in the context of the New Testament. The pastor was quite flabbergasted when he was told that he had ended up on a Paul McCartney (Wings) album.

[@johnheaton5667]

What a great story! cheers

[@RonaldBrown59]

I purchased this album the day it was released in the US. I loved side one, but never cared much for most of side two. I need to revisit it, I have played through the whole album in many years. I was surprised how little airplay the record received on the radio in the US. And just a year before the London Town album tracks got a lot of airplay, especially the single 'With a LIttle Luck', which was massive hit in the US. Not my favorite Wings album, but it has its moments. Great review John, thanks for sharing.

[@MrJeffers06]

Excellent as usual John.

[@DoubleCross2009]

For Xmas I was gifted a Japanese release CD of the entire Kampuchea set from Wings. Mull of Kintyre was played. The Back to the Egg songs stand up pretty well live, particularly a muscular Spin It On and Denny's song.

[@universalist42]

Admittedly I love so glad to see you here and rockestera. Both remain ear worms for me

[@robertzastrow4648]

Agree that Paul was trying to gives Wings a harder edge with the songs on Back To The Egg. "Getting Closer" has always been one of my favorite solo Paul songs. Wish he had included it in his concerts once he started performing regularly again, starting in the late 1980s. Think Back To The Egg is an overall good album. When it was finally re-released as a CD in the early 2000s, would have been nice if both "Goodnight Tonight" and "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" had been included on the CD as bonus tracks, rather than just "Wonderful Christmastime". Several years ago, read an interview with Lawrence Juber, where he was talking about being a member of Wings in the band's final year together. He talked fondly of the short British tour the band did in December, 1979. Lawrence said they'd put on "a hell of a show"/really good (at least in his mind). Then he'd talk to Paul after the show, and ask Paul, "What did you think? I thought we really kicked some ass!" (I'm paraphrasing what he said to Paul). According to Lawrence, Paul would look at him and say "Oh, we did alright." Lawrence said he'd be thinking "What do you mean? We just did alright." Maybe it was a question of their respective positions in the group, the group's leader versus a new member (who was excited to be in a group with Paul?).

[@invisibleray6987]

Denny Laine plug, the album is ridiculous but I've got a real soft spot for it...when Wings were not just English, but Sussex as well 😊

[@taoofjohnandpaul]

Fantastic sounding album! Love the singing throughout. Forever a top McCartney album. Cage should have replaced My Baby's Request. Daytime Nighttime Suffering is my favorite McCartney solo song.

[@christophertalbot9064]

Cage should have replaced the unmelodic To You.

[@glenhumphrey8822]

Paul is the Eggman.

[@davidm7840]

All great points, John. This is a very fair review. The album is good, if somewhat disjointed. My favorites are “Arrrow Though Me” and “Baby’s Request,” though the latter may not be as popular a choice. I think with some of the rockers and punk-oriented stuff he tried too hard, though “Old Siam, Sir” was good. I also don’t care for Rockestra and think it was a waste of the musicians. The studio version of “Coming Up” is far superior to the live version.

[@davidjones4906]

Great, honest, review and not the usual Macca love-in as from others. 100 pc correct about this and Ram being a bit over-rated.

[@argieav]

Goodnight Tonight is in my Top 10 of Wings songs , and as you say, the video is ace also

[@tyronewhitehead3123]

Love this album one of my favourite album covers thanks John

[@roywatson8133]

great album paul lets that great voice of is really rip which most of the time he hardly does on some of is records

[@Bobmacca64]

The first McCartney/Wings album I ever owned. Well after the fact since I was born in 92' but still it holds a really special place in my heart. Great video as always, John. Thanks to you I got to know some amazing catalogues better( Paul Simon, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA...) Thought I ought to acknowledge that:) Take care and keep the great stuff coming.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Nice job John. Yes, the lyrics do take this album down a notch, but then don't they all!

[@invisibleray6987]

Savage garden.....ROCKESTRA 😂😂😂😂

[@otisroseboro5613]

Happy New Year & This Is One Of My All Time Favorite Albums

[@Slydeil]

My first contemporary purchase as a Beatles / Wings fan. I think it's a very good album but unfairly got panned. Goodnight Tonight and Spin It On should have been on the album. Arrow Through Me is a classic. I almost went to a Glasgow gig. I was in the Wings Funclub and could habe got priority tickets ..but alas i was a tad too young (12)

[@michaelberthelot3594]

Spin It On is on the album!

[@Slydeil]

@@michaelberthelot3594 I know...I had a brain fart. I meant Daytime Nighttime Suffering...🙄😜

[@npartridge12]

Thanks for your excellent review sir. Back to The Egg has always been one of my favourite McCartney albums and includes some great songs and excellent performances. Sad it didn’t really sell at the time, I remember picking up my copy a year after release for just 99p in a bargain bin in Woolworths and being totally blown away by the album when I got it home and I still have my original copy. And thanks for the tip off on the Kampuchea concert record, wasn’t aware of that and have just ordered what looks like a decent copy from a seller on eBay for just £4.99.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

I‘d say it makes sense that only Arrow Through Me is the one song on Pure McCartney (and Babys Request on the extended). They are the ones (with Goodnight Tonight) that sound the most timeless and the most „classic McCartney“ to me. Maybe Getting Closer as an obvious choice as a single but it sounds a bit dated probably.

[@renaud_c_h]

Over the years the videos have made me like this album more than I should because although it was my first Wings album and the first I bought the same year it was released, of course it is one I hold dear but lyrically it's pretty bad and there are a few tracks that I would not have included in the album. Not because they were bad but more because they mellowed the album or broke the atmosphere too much. I'm all for ballads and I think Winter Rose/Love Awake is a keeper, however I thought After the Ball/Million Miles goes nowhere and brings the album to a standstill. As for Baby's Request, it does not belong on the album [but it has a great video]. Side One works well. Side Two would work better with Good Night Tonight and Daytime Night-time Suffering and without After the Ball/Million Miles and Baby's Request. I'm also not a big fan of The Broadcast but I find it so odd that it works as part of the sequencing in a way...

[@michaelberthelot3594]

Back To The Egg.is in my top 5 McCartney albums. I would have replaced Baby's Request with Goodnight Tonight on the album.

[@astrosjer822]

A truly fine album. Sadly the last Wings album. Sadly also that Macca does not think BTTE is one of his best. Tired of waiting for the archive edition of this album. Many hate “The Broadcast” but I think it fits the album vibe! I do love the “So Glad to See You Here/We’re Open Tonight (reprise). It cooks!

[@debjorgo]

So Glad to See is a highlight of the album. Love it!

[@wigimonster8909]

This album to me is a tour de force. McCartney gives you everything on this one. Rockers, Ballads, medleys, experimental spoken pieces, acoustic, if Goodnight Tonight had been included even the late 70s disco nod. Exceptional album IMO from beginning to end.

[@Dusty_Records_]

Whatever happened to your video cover of The Broadcast? I remember quite liking it.

[@markalexander6501]

Nice summary John and totally agree with you on the Rockestra content: thinking that Goodnight Tonight and Daytime Nightime Suffering in their place would have made the album much stronger. Around your age and from the same neck of the woods as you so I did manage to attend the south London concert at the Lewisham Odeon on 3/12/79. Paid a tout 20 quid (which was a lot for me then of course) and can confirm your setlist and that they did play Mull of Kintyre. I have that all written down and tucked inside the programme. I always like the setlist because it differed quite a bit from the Venus and Mars/Speed of Sound domination of Wings Over America and greatly enjoyed the deeper reaches of No Words, Hot As Sun and Every Night. Remember Laurence Juber giving a shout-out to Goldsmiths Music College which was local to Lewisham/Greenwich I recall. The sound was good and I do remember Band on the Run being the last encore song played.

[@chrismcgovern1647]

Great video John! I always really liked BTTE! I got it in '79 after it was played on the radio in its entirety (They used to do this on FM radio in the 1970s)

[@MrKaywyn]

Although, I prefer London Town I really like Back To The Egg.

[@ricard3135]

London Town is much better for me. In fact it's a great album criminally underrated. The Egg though is a mess with no outstanding songs except Old Siam Sir. That doesn't mean I dislike it overall. I think John hits the bulls-eye when he says Paul was wound up by the critics saying the previous album was soft. Paul has always been an unbearable big-headed guy, let's not fool ourselves.

[@Suburbangeek]

I think McCartney retreated from touring after Lennon's murder. David Bowie cut short his Elephant Man acting career, too, around that time. I think they were spooked.

[@christophertalbot9064]

Enjoyable review. My least favourite track is To You. Should have been replaced by Cage imho.

[@jaylene.turner6524]

Happy New Year,John! Great video!

[@stefanjonsson699]

I think a lot of the mystery of this album is in the title and also in the TV special. This is Paul goin back. Back to the roots of the band. They began goin round the UK in a van and playing short songs and rockin out. Maybe he just realized the concept was up? It had been done. Also change of personel again.. repetetive now. Not fresch. The 80s was comming and lets lay off the band and get further.

[@arar8792]

made 8 promo videos

[@mikahattunen4502]

Must admit, never have liked or owned this album. I gave it a listen a while ago, did not do anything to me. I might just give up. Is it trying to be contemporary or something? I donät obviously like it.

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

Dear John I would love to see a muppet on each side of you. That would be cool. Maybe the Mananana song

[@jamesmanon3000]

Side 2 isn't strong.The 2 medley and the Broadcast are weak.Should have been replaced with Goodnight Tonight and Daytime Nightime Suffering.Oh well I still enjoy this album alot.Thank you.

[@frugalseverin2282]

At the time of this release I was stationed in the UK. I remember each of 3 singles bombing 1 after the other but I thought 'Arrow Through Me' was the best track on the album. The Rockestra songs were filler to me, why recruit all those superstar guitarists and have them all play the same riff? Have them trade solos like on "Abbey Road". The rest did not impress me, it sounded like leftover scraps with radio snippets tacked on. Of their 7 studio albums I rank this last, haven't played it in years. Any idea why the "Kampuchea" was never released on CD? I presume it has to do with copyrights and legal issues with the charity.

[@christophertalbot9064]

I agree about Rockestra.

[@beatlefreakers]

_8 moonearth

[@jamesboyce4000]

Hello, John. Mull Of Kintyre was played at the Newcastle show I was at and throughout the tour but with a single piper, only Glasgow got the full pipe band. According to Wikipedia Mull was played at the Kampuchea show but I'm not so sure as Laurence Juber did say the show was truncated for the Kampuchea gig. I wont go over old ground but I have a fondness for this album and it's probably just nostalgia and sentimentality that makes me love it. I actually like the daft lyrics for Spin It On and as for it being Paul's punk song I see it as a sped up rockabilly track not a punk attempt. I would drop Denny's song which I've never liked and put Daytime Nightime Suffering on instead. I would've preferred Weep For Love to be honest if a Denny song was to make the album. Paul gets alot of stick for his eccentric lyrics but I don't mind most of them, it's just they're out of step with the seriousness of the times and so are dismissed as banal and juvenile. I think playfullness was just too uncool with Elvis Costello and The Clash sneering and snarling about.

[@davidjackson5449]

I was lucky to see one of the Liverpool gigs in 1979 and yes Mull of Kintyre was played as was Wonderful Xmas time To me the only great Paul song on Back to the Egg is Babys request.The rest seem uneven ,unfinished ballads which need developing and potentially great rockers Getting Closer and Old Siam spoilt by poor lyrics. I agree about Reception and Broadcast being two of the stronger tracks.. Think album if anything is over rated today Much prefer Red Rose Speedway and Wildlife.Off the Ground to me is the forgotten great album in Paul's cannon yet to be released on archive

[@jeffreylind3739]

I bought this when it came out in the summer of '79 and played it a hell of a lot and enjoyed most of it. It's also among my Wings favorite LPs. However- and this is just my opinion- I found "Goodnight Tonight" to be the most mundane, monotonous, worst piece of complete rubbish song McCartney ever put to tape. Completely unlistenable and just horrid.

[@DonaldMains]

Apologies to you John and your nostalgia for this album, but frankly Back to the Egg is a mess. Yes, there are good songs and good snippets from songs. How could there not be with McCartney writing most of it? This album just sounds like five people jamming in the studio and then took disparate parts and just willy nilly put them together. How could anyone think Spin it On is worthy of inclusion on this album? It’s similar to Red Rose Speedway in that respect, but for some reason I prefer Red Rose Speedway to Back to the Egg. It’s just a continuation of Speed of Sound and London Town, hugely disappointing albums that somehow manage to be less than the sum of their parts and in no way even close to McCartney at his best on Band on the Run or Venus and Mars.

[@matthewgiffin9305]

I NEVER liked this album, from the day it came out to now. There are only two fully realized songs on this album (not including the 'Daytime Nitetime / Goodnite Tonite single which is terrific). 'Baby's Request' and 'Arrow Thru Me' show some working brain cells. The Laine song is pretty good as well. The rest of it is absolute doggerel. IMO. Put it up against other albums from contemporaries at the time; Neil Young, Pete Townshend, Talking Heads, Pretenders, etc... Not even close.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

Lol I just mentioned also these two songs in my comment.

[@jasonbrooks6562]

Interesting appraisal, but its a poor album.

[@daytripper9222]

Back to the egg is a great album from beginning to the song 'Too You' second track side 2 then the album hits a brick wall. After that the only good song is 'So glad to see you here'. Those short little slow songs on side two suck. The radio broadcast sucks. Babies request sucks. What a shame. Daytime nighttime suffering definitely should have been on the album.

[@graniterhythm53]

Only 'sucks' if you don't like melody!

[@daytripper9222]

​@@graniterhythm53That's your opinion.

[@debjorgo]

I sort of agree with you. You have to take Baby's Request out of the concept of the album. It's sort of like an "album's over' now a bonus track. I don't mind the Broadcast either. At least it IS short, and it sets up So Glad pretty well.

[@graniterhythm53]

@@daytripper9222Of course, but if you're into melody there's lots going on in Back To The Egg!

[@daytripper9222]

​@@graniterhythm53To much Melody

[@martinmcgrath1985]

A bit of a mess… Tells you how starved fans were when this album is loved.. It’s a 5/10 from me.(always loved old siam) This album is another Paul is dead clue on the basis this can’t be the same man who did let it be, the long and winding road, get back. Can it?

[@maxwelleddison6717]

A good album but massively over rated by fans. Wings were just hired sidemen for Paul. Dropping Wings was one of his fabbest moves.