Paul McCartney The McCartney Years

What can one say about Paul McCartney that isn’t already known throughout the galaxies?  You’re right, very VERY little, if anything.  Many people have already settled on his celebrity; you like him or you don’t.  As Mr McCartney’s bank account can easily attest, most people love the man with his knack for the hummable melodies.  All of which goes to explain why the acquisition of the recently released 3DVD The McCartney Years is such a no-brainer, even if it doesn’t cover every little nook and cranny, as it should have.

This set views Paul McCartney from several angles.  On the first two DVDs, there are a collection of videos, 41 all told.  These are not chronologically placed nor are they exhaustive by any means.  There is no “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” no “Let ‘em In,” not even “Live and Let Die,” nor is there a video for “Jet.”  These seem criminal in their absence but still do not take away the fine experience drawn from watching a set such as this.  However, there are plenty enough to keep the Macca fan entertained for hours.  With inclusions like “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs,” and two that I’m very happy to see here, “Mull of Kintyre,” and “Junior’s Farm,” the set does a decent job of it.

The third DVD is a disc of assorted concert and live performances.  They are laid out in incomplete parts but cover a range of periods, enough to give an overview of the McCartney years, as this set’s titling wisely denotes.  There are cuts from Wings’ highly successful 1976 World Tour, edits from his 1991 Unplugged show, and clips from the 2004 Glastonbury Festival show.  In addition, the extras found on that 3rd disc include the Live Aid performance as well as the Superbowl XXXVI performance.  The run also presents some Beatles favourites.

The musical legacy of Paul McCartney travels many decades.  The fact that a post-Beatles career can fill a 3DVD set is amazing.  Exempting his Beatles years, his continuing wealth of solo/Wings material is quite satisfying.