Paul McCartney - Red Rose Speedway (1973) [Vinyl Rip 16/44 & mp3-320 + DVD] Re-up

All right, he's made a record with his wife and a record with his pickup band where democracy is allegedly the conceit even if it never sounds that way, so he returns to a solo effort, making the most disjointed album he ever cut. There's a certain fascination to its fragmented nature, not just because it's decidedly on the softer side of things, but because his desire for homegrown eccentricity has been fused with his inclination for bombastic art rock à la Abbey Road. Consequently, Red Rose Speedway winds up being a really strange record, one that veers toward the schmaltzy AOR MOR (especially on the hit single "My Love"), yet is thoroughly twisted in its own desire toward domestic art. As a result, this is every bit as insular as the lo-fi records of the early '90s, but considerably more artful, since it was, after all, designed by one of the great pop composers of the century. Yes, the greatest songs here are slight – "Big Barn Bed," "One More Kiss," and "When the Night" – but this is a deliberately slight record (slight in the way a snapshot album is important to a family yet glazes the eyes of any outside observer). Work your way into the inner circle, and McCartney's little flourishes are intoxicating – not just the melodies, but the facile production and offhand invention. If these are miniscule steps forward, consider this: if Brian Wilson can be praised for his half-assed ideas and execution, then why not McCartney, who has more character here than the Beach Boys did on their Brother records? Truthfully.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic

Tracklist:

Side 1

A1 - Big Barn Bed 3:48
Backing Vocals - Linda McCartney / Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar - Denny Laine
Bass, Piano, Vocals - Paul McCartney / Drums - Denny Seiwell
Electric Guitar - Henry McCullough
A2 - My Love 4:06
Backing Vocals - Linda McCartney / Bass, Backing Vocals - Denny Laine
Drums - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar - Henry McCullough
Electric Piano, Vocals - Paul McCartney
A3 - Get On The Right Thing 4:15
Backing Vocals - Linda McCartney / Bass, Piano, Electric Guitar, Vocals - Paul McCartney
Drums - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar - Dave Spinozza
A4 - One More Kiss 2:27
Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Paul McCartney / Bass - Denny Laine
Drums - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar - Henry McCullough
Harpsichord [Electric] - Linda McCartney
A5 - Little Lamb Dragonfly 6:18
Backing Vocals - Denny Laine / Bass, Vocals - Paul McCartney
Drums, Percussion, Vocals - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar - Hugh McCracken
Percussion [Dingers], Backing Vocals - Linda McCartney

Side 2

B1 - Single Pigeon 1:52
Acoustic Guitar - Henry McCullough / Bass - Denny Seiwell / Drums - Denny Laine
Piano, Vocals - Paul McCartney / Vocals - Linda McCartney
B2 - When The Night 3:36
Acoustic Guitar, Harmony Vocals - Denny Laine, Henry McCullough
Drums, Harmony Vocals - Denny Seiwell / Piano, Vocals - Paul McCartney
Electric Bass, Piano, Harmony Vocals - Linda McCartney
B3 - Loup (First Indian On The Moon) 4:21
Bass, Guitar, Synthesizer [Moog], Voice [Chant] - Paul McCartney
Drums, Voice [Chant] - Denny Seiwell / Organ, Voice [Chant] - Linda McCartney
Electric Guitar, Voice [Chant] - Denny Laine, Henry McCullough
B4 - Medley - (11:14)
B4a - Hold Me Tight
Backing Vocals - Linda McCartney / Drums, Backing Vocals - Denny Seiwell
Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals - Denny Laine, Henry McCullough
Vocals, Piano, Bass - Paul McCartney
B4b - Lazy Dynamite
Electric Guitar - Henry McCullough / Harmonica - Denny Laine
Piano, Bass, Vocals, Mellotron - Paul McCartney
B4c - Hands Of Love
Drums, Percussion - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar - Denny Laine
Percussion - Henry McCullough / Vocals - Linda McCartney
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar - Paul McCartney
B4d - Power Cut
Drums - Denny Seiwell / Electric Guitar, Vocals - Denny Laine
Electric Piano - Linda McCartney / Vocals, Electric Guitar - Henry McCullough
Piano, Celesta [Celeste], Mellotron, Vocals - Paul McCartney