With an ultimate collection album compilation on the way, Wings fans are being offered a chance to flick through their discography. The Paul McCartney-fronted band had more than a few hits to their name and a few great albums as well. From the James Bond soundtrack to a final album many believed McCartney was simply unhappy with at the time of its release, the Wings collection appears to offer a glimpse of all their work. But those who want more than a compilation of their hits will want to leap into their discography and discover the deep cuts. The band’s discography is a fantastic look at McCartney’s output in the 1970s, with the post-Beatles, pre-solo career work having the strengths of his songwriting at the core. But also featured are some exceptional instrumental additions from Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, and a collection of great musicians who came and went from the Wings line-up. You can find our ranking of Wings’ discography below.
6. WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND
Let ‘Em In can’t save this one. A commercially massive album for the band, very much the peak of their notoriety in the United States. But what a flat and uneventful piece of work Wings at the Speed of Sound is. Very, very light listening for the days when an album with more depth would prove too taxing for a mind suffering a heatstroke, hangover, or both. McCartney would specialise in this floaty, friendly sound for the decade of pop-chasing changes, but it would sound a little more compact than it does on Wings at the Speed of Sound. The Wings frontman feels like a spare part in his own band here, and it is the major reason Wings at the Speed of Sound feels so lopsided. There is no consistency for what barebones theme can be presented, and it stunts the tempo, the lighter sound is not strong enough to survive these changing parts. Â
You can read our full review of Wings at the Speed of Sound here.
5. VENUS AND MARS
Gone is the defiance of Band on the Run, the situation in the studio was no longer guided by lost instruments and post-Beatles hang-ups. McCartney had proven his worth as a solo artist and found himself back in the good graces of the public. Venus and Mars feel a bit middle-of-the-road at times, but it has a soft rock spirit to it which never fails to charm. Charm is what carries Venus and Mars. From the percussion joys of Spirits of Ancient Egypt to the hopes heard on Medicine Jar. McCartney knew better than most the benefits of time as a healer, especially considering the reaction to Ram just four years before Venus and Mars. What is not lost on Venus and Mars is the defiance. The desire to kick on, irrespective of being in or out of public favour. Who cares? A moment like Call Me Back Again captures the spirited, loving consistency McCartney has always gunned for, and almost always achieved. He brings on the melody strengths with Listen to What the Man Said and Treat Her Gently, the pop-rock skill with those early moments, and it makes for a fun, albeit light, listen. Â
You can read our full review of Venus and Mars here.
4. LONDON TOWN
Songs of childbirth, of protecting the new generation, are littered throughout London Town with little care for the original message of the album. What remains of that core, of people watching and being aware of time slipping by, is tremendous. It makes London Town worth revisiting. Don’t Let It Bring You Down has that staggering, stony-faced McCartney style, which had rarely been heard since Ram. He was no longer knocking Lennon by the time London Town came out, but there was still a prickly part of the Let It Be songwriter, which this penultimate Wings album taps into nicely. Wings are all about having fun, but they managed to do that time and again by orchestrating some exceptional instrumentals, some musings on the world around them, which filled London Town with promise. Â
You can read our full review of London Town here.
3. BACK TO THE EGG
An album of two halves in every sense. A personable A-Side with some of McCartney’s more open and frank lyrics, and then an Out of the Blue adaptation with Rockestra Theme and onwards. Groovy bits of light work but nothing essential. Had it been a neat and compact A-Side and just white noise on the reverse, Back to the Egg may be looked at with fonder feelings. It was not to be. An unremarkable collection of noise soon follows and the reasons for Wings’ collapse can be felt. Messy work the whole way through is easy to ignore when tracks like Getting Closer can be heard. But the fun-loving McCartney operation was coming to an end. This train has reached its station. An album in the wrong place at the wrong time, and doomed to be ignored by McCartney for a long while yet.
You can read our full review of Back to the Egg here.
2. WILD LIFE
McCartney is given new lease of life by Wings and puts this feeling, that spirit of creativity, to good use. A shaky first side gives way to some of Wings’ subtle best. A truly understated album which gives McCartney a chance to fashion a new route through pop music. It marks a rather surprising start to Wings, especially given the middle-of-the-road sound found on follow-up album, Red Rose Speedway. McCartney’s popularity was never a guarantee following the end of The Beatles, and Wild Life hears how desperate he was to make sure the music was of solid quality, as it was on his first two solo releases.  I Am Your Singer is perhaps the most overlooked and charming part of his first few years away from The Beatles. The earnestness of Long Haired Lady paired with the beauty of Maybe I’m Amazed. Â
You can read our full review of Wild Life here.
1. BAND ON THE RUN
This is the poptimism McCartney would go on to adapt over the years and it feels like the defining message of all his songs. From Maybe I’m Amazed right through to Friends to Go, the joy and positivity outweigh the dark cloud certainly hanging over the studio at points. Band on the Run would have been an acceptable disaster; the circumstances do not lend themselves to comfortable recordings. And yet, through some artistic inevitability, Band on the Run comes good. It is a powerful piece of work – one which would define McCartney more than it would Wings. Wings turn in some of their best-ever songs, the likes of Jet and Let Me Roll It, still staples of the McCartney set. These songs are not great because of their live show longevity but because of what they reflect at the time, and how the meaning can transform over time
You can read our review of Band on the Run here.
