All The Best
	previously released material
	Released on November 2, 1987
	UK CHART POSITION #2 . . . US CHART POSITION #62 . . . 2x PLATINUM RECORD
	Find it at GEMM
CDP 548287 cover [high resolution gatefold scan]

T he wonder of it all, baby. Of course, I’ve heard most of these a gazillion times already, but this is one history lesson I don’t mind repeating. About once a decade, McCartney’s beneficiaries, Capitol and EMI, take stock of his portfolio with a new compaulation. Wings Greatest was the first of these, which served a genuine purpose by compiling nonalbum hits like “Junior’s Farm,” “Mull of Kintyre,” “Live And Let Die” and “Hi Hi Hi.” All The Best repeats those hits, saying goodbye to “Hi Hi Hi” but adding its B side, “C Moon,” in the bargain, and extending the kindness to “Goodnight Tonight” and the live version of “Coming Up.” At least, that was Capitol’s idea. Parlophone reswizzled the selection, swelling the set to 20 tracks on the double elpee version, and adding “We All Stand Together” and the recent “Once Upon A Long Time Ago” instead. I would have liked it if the US version had included the latter, maybe “Maybe I’m Amazed” too, if I had more money, hair, grouse grouse grouse. Really, what Capitol and Parlophone have clipped from the garden makes a lovely bouquet in any order. The Eighties selections are disappointing (we all know “Take It Away” is more fun than “Ebony and Ivory,” for example, or that “Getting Closer” is better than “Goodnight Tonight”), but the lone inclusion of “No More Lonely Nights” nearly atones for those miscues. Soninha was singing this yesterday, recounting how she loved this song as a girl, and it’s a testament to the universal appeal of Sir Paul and love and music and the freedom of radio waves, all of which might be said about All The Best as well.

CDP 548287 lyric gatefold	CDP 548287 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. JET
2. BAND ON THE RUN
3. COMING UP
4. EBONY AND IVORY
5. LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID
6. NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS
7. SILLY LOVE SONGS
8. LET 'EM IN
9. C MOON
10. PIPES OF PEACE
11. LIVE AND LET DIE
12. ANOTHER DAY
13. MAYBE I'M AMAZED (*not on CD)
14. GOODNIGHT TONIGHT (*not on CD)
15. ONCE UPON A LONG TIME AGO
16. SAY SAY SAY
17. WITH A LITTLE LUCK (*not on CD)
18. MY LOVE
19. WE ALL STAND TOGETHER
20. MULL OF KINTYRE
    
    Capitol track listing
    
1. BAND ON THE RUN
2. JET
3. EBONY AND IVORY
4. LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID
5. NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS
6. SILLY LOVE SONGS
7. LET 'EM IN
8. SAY SAY SAY    (Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson)
9. LIVE AND LET DIE
10. ANOTHER DAY
11. C MOON
12. JUNIOR'S FARM
13. UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY
14. COMING UP
15. GOODNIGHT TONIGHT
16. WITH A LITTLE LUCK
17. MY LOVE
    
    All songs written by McCartney unless noted

CREDITS

PAUL McCARTNEY -- photography
LINDA McCARTNEY -- photography
Michael Ross/Normal Service -- art direction & design, illustration
Bush Hollyhead, Paul Leith, Ainslie Macleod, Willie Ryan, David de Silva, Ian Wright -- illustration
Maggie Campa, David Dagley, Chalkie Davies, Robert Ellis, Graham Hughes, Trevor Jones, Tim O'Sullivan, David Thorpe, Mark Vigars -- photography

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