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

1. RECEPTION
2. GETTNIG CLOSER
3. WE'RE OPEN TONIGHT
4. SPIN IT ON
5. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN    (Denny Laine)
6. OLD SIAM, SIR
7. ARROW THROUGH ME
8. ROCKESTRA THEME
9. TO YOU
10. AFTER THE BALL/MILLION MILES
11. WINTER ROSE/LOVE AWAKE
12. THE BROADCAST    (Music: Paul McCartney, Spoken Words: Ian Hay, John Galsworthy)
13. SO GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE
14. BABY'S REQUEST
    
    CD reissue bonus tracks
    
15. DAYTIME NIGHTIME SUFFERING
16. WONDERFUL CHRISTMASTIME
17. RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REGGAE
    
    All songs written by Paul McCartney unless noted

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

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