Paul McCartney & Wings (2/Cd) Wings From The Wings

The Forum, Los Angeles, CA – June 23rd, 1976

Disc 1: Venus & Mars/Rock Show/Jet, Let Me Roll It, Spirits of Ancient Egypt, Medicine Jar, Maybe I’m Amazed, Call Me Back Again, Lady Madonna, The Long And Winding Road, Live And Let Die, Picasso’s Last Words, Richard Corey, Bluebird, I’ve Just Seen A Face, Blackbird, Yesterday

Disc 2: You Gave Me The Answer, Magnetto & Titanium Man, Go Now, My Love, Listen To What The Man Said, Let Em In, Time To Hide, Silly Love Songs, Beware My Love, Letting Go, Band On The Run, Hi Hi Hi, Soily

Misterclaudel’s very first release is Wings Over Los Angeles 1976 (mccd-01/02) which consists of soundboard recordings from the final two nights of the Over America tour, June 22 and 23 in LA with three songs from the Kingdome in Seattle June 10. It was a way of presenting the official live album in its raw and unedited form.

This new release is an audience recording of the very last Wings concert on the tour and the final one ever in the United States. The set list stayed pretty much set with the addition of Denny Laine’s old Moody Blues hit “Go Now” added to the final two shows. The emphasis is upon the middle period of Wings’ career (Band On The Run to At The Speed Of Sound) with a selection of Beatles’ songs. Wings From The Wings, the latest from Misterclaudel, is the complete audience recording of the final night of the tour.

The taper was close to the stage. All of the instruments are discernable and up-front although the sound in general is a little thin without the dynamics of the Boston or Toronto tapes from this tour. The band also sound tired and sluggish in this performance with missed cues (“Letting Go”) and off key singing (not to pick on Linda, but her efforts on “Live And Let Die” makes one cringe). I thought maybe the tape was running too slow.

Comparing “Richard Corey” from this tape with Wings Over America (the song was lifted intact from this show for the official live LP) reveal that isn’t the case. Wings do begin to loosen up a bit in the second half of the show with “You Gave Me The Answer”. Paul eschews his usual dedication to Fred Astaire to thank the road crew. A high point is reached with the songs from At The Speed Of Sound (“Let ‘Em In”, “Silly Love Songs”) and closes with a scorching version of “Soily”. This title is recommended to Beatle/Paul fans as a very good document of the final US Wings show.