Favorite Opening Track on a McCartney album?

Too Many People

had it been pick three like the other polls...
Getting Closer
Venus and Mars/Rock Show

 

The Song We Were Singing

 

Band On The Run

HM: Too Many People, Venus and Mars/Rock Show, Tug Of War, My Brave Face

 

Absolutely agree - that's the one for me as well. I bought it when it came out as a teenager, and was blown away by that first track. The ending of Rock Show, beginning with the piano solo around 4:25, was my favorite part.

Overall, it was a radical stylistic blend, basically three songs in one. I love Band On The Run too, but the complexity of Venus and Mars/Rock Show does it for me.

And while we're at it, let's throw in "Venus and Mars (Reprise)," which is found later in the album. Incredible as well - one of his best.

My favorite McCartney album.

 

Can't choose. An album of these tracks would be a fantastic listen.

 

Venus and Mars/Rock Show

Superb beginning to both the Venus and Mars and the Wings Over America albums.

 

Venus and Mars/Rockshow is not only a fantastic album opener, but to me it goes down as one of the absolute greatest openings to a concert in rock history! That moment when McCartney and Wings launch into it is still thrilling to me! I was there June 10, 1976 at the Seattle Kingdome and it's still the absolute best concert I've ever attended in my life, and a moment I will never ever forget!

 

I like the way "No More Lonely Nights" kicks of BROADSTREET

 

"Getting Closer" could have been one of Paul's greatest rockers. Love the opening vocal, the guitars and the chorus. Dislike "my salamander", the verse melody and the muddy production. Tighten it up and it's a great song.

 

It's a really big topic and it's hard to choose just one out of, what, twenty-three albums? [Not including 3 albums of covers/mostly-covers..]

There is also the semantic distinction to be made between "favorite tracks to open an album with" vs. "favorite tracks which happen to open an album"...
For the former I would go with either The Lovely Linda or Mumbo. Both kick off the album with a "here's the vibe we're going for" and in the case of WildLife it's a fantastic, energetic jam, for McCartney a goofy, off-the-cuff homespun piece of not-too-serious.
For the latter it's a much more difficult race to call. So many favorites: Band On The Run, Too Many People, Song We Were Singing, Venus And Mars/Rock Show, My Brave Face, Coming Up, I Don't Know...

 

I still think it's one of Paul's greatest rockers. I have loved the track ever since the first listen.
I dig the production. It doesn't seem muddy to me. (Especially on the first-pressing Parlophone UK CD.)

But I catch your drift about the tune structure.

 

I thought it was great coming out of the the radio in '79. I thought his new album was gonna be a new wave album...not really.

 

I do wish that Macca would have rolled this one out on one of his earlier tours when he still had the voice to pull it off. He must not have much use for Back To The Egg, but I think it's a better album than both Speed Of Sound and London Town. The critics were too harsh with it when it came out and Paul has apparently dismissed it himself over the years.

 

The lead vocal is absolutely searing. It's one of the main things I love about the track.

 

I'm a big fan of Getting Closer as well, have always wished McCartney would perform it live, as I do with so many.

 

Pretty boring answer but, Band On the Run. I do love Coming Up though