Wings fans are still holding out hope for an anniversary release for a lesser-known album Paul McCartney denounced before it was released.
Back to the Egg, Wings‘ last studio album, is still beloved by fans who posted to the r/PaulMcCartney subreddit in the hopes of finding information on an anniversary release for the record. Though it may be unlikely Back to the Egg ever receives such treatment, especially given McCartney’s previous comments, some remain hopeful of a remastering. One user wrote: “It seems like a great day for a random shout-out for my favourite Paul/Wings album, Back to the Egg.” Another user replied: “Bring on the archive collection.”
McCartney said of the album: “The interesting thing is that, looking back on some of the work, some of the stuff, it’s better than you think it was, but because it got such harsh criticism… from me. The critics gave us a hard run, but I was particularly hard on us. I remember looking at a book, there was an album we did, I think it was Back to the Egg, which didn’t do well, and I remember thinking, ‘God, complete disaster.'”
Despite the negative reception, the album has grown into a cult classic for Wings and McCartney fans, with one user suggesting Arrow Through Me is one of the band’s best three songs. They wrote: “Arrow Through Me is a top three Wings tune.”
Another added: “Definitely overlooked in his discography. We’ve seen four thousand re-releases of Band on the Run, yet this one gets ignored.” Another added: “I don’t understand the hate (or dislike) this album gets. I really like the sorta concept things Paul did, the interview with the deputy sheriff, the echo of ‘we’re open tonight for fun’ in So Glad to See You Here. Arrow Through Me, Old Siam, Sir and even Getting Closer are really good.
It seems like a great day for a random shout out for my favorite Paul/Wings album Back To The Egg.
byu/Chey222 inPaulMcCartney
“I’ll admit side two is a little bumpy, and reading two poems in The Broadcast was a bold choice. However, after listening to this album again and again and again I still know the words to those poems by heart.”
Other users remain hopeful of an archival release for Arrow Through Me. One wrote: “Absolutely incredible album! I really do hope that the Deluxe archive box set is still in the plans…” Another added: “That it hasn’t gotten the deluxe treatment tells me that he must really dislike this album.”
A third wrote: “I continue to be mystified by how poorly this album was received. It has a few songs that may have fed into the ‘Paul as Muzak’ trope, but much of the album is quite good. And yet it got roasted and did not sell well for Paul/Wings and helped end the band. I don’t get it.”
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I agree, it’s my fave album, used to play it on repeat, I don’t get the bad reviews it got ? One of the best of his I thought?