![]() |
Back To The Egg |
| Produced by Paul McCartney and Chris Thomas | |
| Released on May 24, 1979 | |
| UK CHART POSITION #6 . . . US CHART POSITION #8 . . . PLATINUM RECORD (7/18/79) | |
| Find it at GEMM | |
| FC 36057 cover [high resolution photo] |
I ’ve always enjoyed Back To The Egg, as with London Town in lieu of the critical consensus that both albums represented a waning of the skills in attendance on Band on the Run and Venus & Mars. Personally, I’d rate the first side of Egg with the prettiest pieces of PVC in the McCartney catalog. It’s occurred to me on several occasions that this might be the most underrated of the Wings elpees, though I usually accord that label to London Town on further reflection. The reason? London Town has a charming humility lacking on the overstated Egg. There’s little doubt in my mind that while “Getting Closer,” “To You” and “Arrow Through Me” are ripe for rediscovery, excessive numbers like “Rockestra Theme” and “So Glad To See You Here” (which might represent the biggest waste of talent prior to USA for Africa) and the self-important “Old Siam, Sir” are best forgotten. Paul also returns to the bad habit of fusing sketches into medleys like “After The Ball/Million Miles” and “Winter Rose/Love Awake,” which should send a chill down the spine of anyone who’s heard Red Rose Speedway. If you could separate the egg white from the yolk, there are some very tasty parts here waiting to be unlocked: Denny Laine’s likeable “Again And Again And Again,” brief exposures to Robert Fripp’s incorporation of taped voices on “Reception” and “The Broadcast,” and the old dance hall revival “Baby’s Request.” Taken in toto the album is uneven, but so was Venus + Mars (not coincidentally the last time that Wings underwent an overhaul). Honestly, few of the McCartney/Wings album really stand out from the pack -- Band on the Run and Ram come to mind -- and placing this (or London Town) at the back of the pack is unsupportable.
![]() |
![]() |
| FC 36057 back cover | FC 36057 picture sleeve/label |
TRACK LISTING
CREDITS
STEVE HOLLY -- drums
LAURENCE JUBER -- guitar
DENNY LAINE -- guitar, vocals
LINDA McCARTNEY -- keyboards, vocals, back cover photos
PAUL McCARTNEY -- vocals, bass, guitar, piano, back cover photos
Speedy Acquaye -- percussion (8,13)
Tony Ashton -- keyboards (8,13)
Black Dyke Mills Band -- (11)
John Bonham -- drums (8,13)
Gary Brooker -- piano (8,13)
Tony Carr -- percussion (8,13)
Howie Casey -- horns (8,13)
Ray Cooper -- percussion (8,13)
Tony Dorsey -- horns (8,13)
Dave Gilmour -- guitar (8,13)
Steve Howard -- horns (8,13)
John Paul Jones -- bass and piano (8,13)
Kenney Jones -- drums (8,13)
Ronnie Lane -- bass (8,13)
Hank Marvin -- guitar (8,13)
Morris Pert -- percussion (8,13)
Thaddeus Richard -- horns (8,13)
Bruce Thomas -- bass (8,13)
Pete Townshend -- guitar (8,13)
Phil McDonald -- engineer
John Shaw -- front cover photo
return to WINGS discography
| REGION | RELEASE DATE | LABEL | MEDIA | ID NUMBER | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK/AUS'L | May 24, 1979 | Parlophone | LP/CS | PCTC/TCPCTC 257 | picture sleeve |
| US/CAN | May 24, 1979 | Columbia | LP/CS | FC/FCT 36057 | picture sleeve, picture label |
| ARG | 1979 | Parlohone | LP | PMC 9514 | |
| BRA | 1979 | EMI | LP | 31C 066 62799 | |
| COL | 1979 | EMI | LP | 11678 | |
| FRA | 1979 | EMI Pathe | LP | 2C 070 62799 | picture sleeve |
| GER | 1979 | EMI | LP | 1C 064 62799 | |
| JPN | 1979 | EMI Odeon | LP | EPS-81200 | picture sleeve, insert |
| NET | 1979 | EMI | LP | 5C 062 62799 | |
| SWE | 1979 | EMI | LP | 7C 066 62799 | picture sleeve |
| YUG | Jugoton | LP | LSEMI 78019 | ||
| US | 1989 | Capitol | CD/CS | 48200 | |
| JPN | 1990? | EMI/Toshiba | CDX | TOCP-5990 | w. bonus tracks |
| UK | August 1993 | EMI | CD | CDP 7 89136 | |
| JPN | 2000 | EMI | CDLE | TOCP-65511 | limited edition w. bonus tracks |
For more discographies visit...
![]()
© 2005 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.