POLL: How do you rate Paul McCartney/Wings' "Band On The Run" album?

Time to evaluate another McCartney album. Round 11 in an ongoing series, spread out a couple weeks between albums (to show a modicum of mercy to those sick of Beatle-related threads). Since many are preoccupied with Beatles Mono talk, I thought I'd pick a BIG album to garner some attention this time around.

The ground rules: this poll, like the others, is designed for people familiar with the album in question and with at least some familiarity with some of his other post-Beatle catalog (for comparison purposes). If the poll doesn't interest you, please kindly move on to a thread that does. I intentionally don't name "comparison albums" on the best-to-worst scale, as some may think a particular album of his is awesome, while others have a completely different take on the same album. Just consider how YOU would rate it in comparison with his other post-Beatles work.

If you've missed a previous poll, feel free to vote below. Here's a current recap of how the others have rated so far:
The "New" album poll A remarkable 338 forum members have voted on this disc (!!), with a weighted average of 3.65 (edging slightly towards "solid effort").
The "Back To The Egg" album poll. 237 votes, also with a weighted average of 3.61.
The "Wild Life" album poll. 298 votes, with a weighted average of 2.87 (just below "not bad").
The "Driving Rain" album poll. 247 votes, with a weighted average of 2.77.
The "Flowers in the Dirt" album poll. 240 votes, with a weighted average of 3.71.
The "Flaming Pie" album poll. 273 votes, with a remarkably favorable weighted average of 4.13 (!).
The "McCartney II" album poll. 200 votes, with a weighted average of 3.13.
The "Red Rose Speedway" album poll. 150 votes, with a weighted average of 3.39.
The "Memory Almost Full" album poll. 171 votes, with a weighted average of 3.33.
The "Pipes of Peace" album poll. 138 votes, with the lowest rating to date of 2.44.

The biggest surprise to me so far? That the albums with the most ratings so far (bad or good) are "New" and "Wild Life" - granted those polls are amongst the oldest, but I'm still surprised by it!

Thanks to all those who continue to take place in the voting!

 

Almost impossible to pick anything other than:

"Clearly one of his best works - essential listening for Paul fan"...

 

Band on the Run is a timeless classic. The title track, Jet, mrs Vanderbildt, 1985 are all bonafide classics. One of Pauls best- without a shadow of a doubt

 

Solid effort. I like it a lot. One of his best, possibly even the best. Then again I also keep returning to Venus and Mars.

 

An empty and hollow soulless product. A desperate (though perfectly successful) attempt by Paul to get back to the Top of the Charts and reestablish himself as a superstar. It has "every song has to be a Top 40 single" written all over it. Nowhere near the charm and soul of his early 70's work.

 

A classic, essential listening.

 

I don't think there's anything desperate about this album. I think it's just another McCartney/Wings album that happens to hit on all cylinders (the earlier ones had hits and misses). Oh, I love the earlier albums too and understand the comments about "charm and soul", but I don't think there was anything 'calculated' about this album as some might imply. I think Paul has always strived to have hit singles and albums, and this album just comes closer to that mark than his earlier albums.

Obviously, lots of great songs here. I like the US version (or more specifically, the DCC version) that includes Helen Wheels. I love all the songs on the album with possibly Picasso's Last Words being my least favorite. Actually, I like the most of it but don't really care for the reprises of other songs in it.

 

One of his very best, along with Ram and Tug of War.

 

One can like or dislike the album - but a desperate attempt on gettin back to the charts it was not. He d never left the charts, several of the albums before were nr ones just as some of the singles

 

Clearly one of his best. Duh.

 

I think it's a minor masterpiece, and I don't toss that phrase around casually. It's been severely damaged over the years by the overexposure of the title track, Jet, and Let Me Roll it. The only song that is anywhere near weak is Helen Wheels.

 

In my top 10 of all time favorites.

 

Essential and clearly his very best album.

 

Best album outside the Beatles...

 

BOTR is one of the few Macca albums where everything really come together. I like most of his albums - some Like Ram on a personal level- even more than BOTR. But the brilliance of the songwriting, arrangements, singing and sequensing is second to none . Lyrically it might not deal with all to heavy subjects but I world say there is a theme of breakin free in most of the songs. But it s the arrangements that really are genius here. The different themes linking the titlesong, the moog on Jet , the saxsolo on bluebird. Did i mention the basslines on mrs Vanderbildt, guitarriff on Let me roll it or the piano on 1985. There is so much goodies here its almost embarrasing

 

One of Paul's best and given the adverse circumstances of its creation, amazing really. Having half of your band leave just before recording began, then have your demos stolen while in Lagos (and facing the chance that you might be killed), then discovering that the recording studio is less than a glorified living room with ancient equipiment all could have contributed to the worst disaster for Paul since "Let It Be". Instead, he came out shining with one of his best selling and best received albums with original material that was exceptional.

Way to go Paul, Linda and Denny!

 

Clearly his best solo album, the second-best solo Beatles album behind All Things Must Pass, gets more play at my house than many Beatles albums do.

 

Gimme anything as "empty", "hollow" and "soulless" as this album any day.

 

I voted "Clearly one of his best", though it's not in my top three. A very very strong effort, but No Words and the second half of Picasso are filler. And I liked it better with Helen Wheels!

 

This is true but I don't think that over exposure of music can damage the reputation of a strong album in the long run. There might be those who knock it because of it ("Sgt. Pepper" or "Thriller" , "LZ IV" or "Purple Rain" anyone?) but, generally, those are people who might have not cared for the original work to begin with. Familiarity does breed contempt but usually among those who had that inclination anyway IMHO.

Since "Helen Wheels" wasn't part of the original release (except in the U.S. as I recall or anywhere Capitol handled distribution), for me it's an solid A or A+ album. Heck, "Helen Wheels" is a nice bouncy rocker that plays nicely off of "Picasso's Last Words" with its audio version of Picasso's approach to his own work.

 

Nigh on flawless. As I said in another thread, the only change I'd make is to substitute Live And Let Die for the slightly underwhelming No Words. Not sure if the former was recorded in time for the LP, though. Although it's a soundtrack song, I feel it would really fit in on BOTR. It would be a Jet for side 2!

 

Really Anton? I would suggest the opposite. Yes, he knew he needed to continue to create hits but the album is anything but hollow and soulless and reflects the desperation and dire circumstances that helped birth it.

Paul was ALREADY at the top of the charts with "Red Rose Speedway" and the hit "My Love" as well as "Live and Let Die". He was already established as a superstar in terms of sales by "Ram" and "RRSW" (and "McCartney" to a lesser extent). Sure, "WL" didn't do as well but it still did better than anyone could expect given the lack of singles.

Paul also already had "Hi Hi Hi" and "Another Day" under his belt as top ten hits so there was no need to be "desperate". Sometimes something will be successful and sell well BECAUSE of its quality in addition to how well marketed it is/was. That's the case here. Does it lack the charm of his early 70's work? I don't think so now it might lack the more elaborate arrangements that were on some of the "Ram" tracks but it is every bit as honest and direct as that album particularly in regards to "Band on the Run", "Let Me Roll It" and "Picasso's Last Words" (even if that started as a challenge from Dustin Hoffman to create a song from the news). It doesn't mean, however, that it lacks soul.

You want empty soulless product--that's "Wonderful Christmas Time" or even "Girl's School" (which still ROCKS).

 

I say that because so many people think that those songs are the sum of the album, everything else being filler. Plus, I have to admit to wanting to skip those three when trying to listen to the entire album, simply because I've heard them so much.

 

I clearly believe Live and Let die were recorded before BOTR Could have been included on Red Rosé Speedway

 

# 2 for me right behind Venus And Mars. One of the best albums ever made.