The Boys of Dungeon Lane is not only the 18th solo album to be released by Paul McCartney; it is a collection of rare and revealing glimpses into memories never-before shared along with some newly inspired love songs, from one of the most culturally significant figures of our time.
Across the album, Paul turns the lens inward, revisiting the formative years that shaped not only his life, but the very foundations of modern popular culture. In a career defined by timeless storytelling and unforgettable characters, Paul now tells the most personal story of all, his own. The album is his most introspective album to date, taking the listener back to where it all began. These extraordinary new songs find Paul writing with rare openness about his childhood…
Tag Archive: Paul McCartney
On February 19 only, director Morgan Neville’s documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run enjoy a limited theatrical release. Then, on February 27, the film arrives on Prime Video for home streaming. At a running time of almost two hours, it chronicles McCartney’s artistic rebirth in the 1970s in the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup, including the rise of Wings, via archival footage, Linda McCartney’s photographs, and new interviews with Paul and the McCartney family as well as Sean Ono Lennon, Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde, and others. Coinciding with the Prime Video release on February 27, MPL and Capitol release a soundtrack album.
The one-disc, 12-track collection draws on recordings spanning Paul’s 1970 solo debut McCartney (“That Would Be Something”) through…
…Unlike the Wingspan compilation from 2001, this new collection sticks strictly to songs from Wings albums (and Wings non-album singles) and so doesn’t include any solo hits adjacent to this era (such as ‘Another Day’ or ‘Coming Up’) or anything from 1971’s Ram (credited to Paul and Linda McCartney), despite ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’ being a US No 1 hit single in September 1971.
The 32 tracks on 3LP, 2CD and blu-ray audio formats all feature songs from the seven Wings studio albums (Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, At the Speed of Sound, London Town and Back to the Egg) along with non-album hits such as ‘Hi Hi Hi’, ‘Junior’s Farm’, ‘Live and Let Die’, ‘Mull of Kintyre’ and ‘Goodnight Tonight’.
Out of all the former Beatles, Paul McCartney has had the most successful and diverse solo career, maintaining a constant presence in the British and American charts during the 1970s and ’80s and becoming a musical and cultural icon in the decades since.
McCartney’s hot streak began in 1970, when he became the first Beatle to leave the group and quickly began accumulating hit singles and best-selling albums as a solo artist. Then, he formed Wings in late 1971 with his wife Linda and Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, and the group remained active for the next ten years, racking up a string of hit albums, singles, and tours in the meantime. Wings disbanded in 1980, but McCartney stayed near the top…
Released in 1983, featuring songs initially recorded during sessions for the Tug of War album, Pipes of Peace continued Paul’s rich vein of song-writing form and included two massive hits, the Michael Jackson duet ‘Say Say Say’ and the number 1 title track. Lyrically, the album features Paul’s thoughts on love, peace and the future, centred around the symbol of the pipes of peace.
Styled as a conspicuous companion piece to Tug of War, Pipes of Peace mirrors its 1982 cousin in many ways: its title track holds up a mirror to its forefather – and, if that weren’t enough, Paul McCartney serves up the knowing “Tug of Peace,” an almost-electro collage that twists the songs into McCartney II territory – it serves up two showcases for duets with a former Motown star…
Released in 1982, Tug of War was Paul’s first solo album after Wings’ split was confirmed, and followed the death of John Lennon, whose memory is poignantly evoked on the track ‘Here Today’.
The album saw him reunite with producer George Martin and included two duets with Stevie Wonder, one of which, ‘Ebony And Ivory’, was number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
The sessions were so fruitful that a number of songs were held over for Pipes of Peace, which followed in 1983.
Upon its release, Tug of War was nominated for the 1983 Grammy for Album of the Year.
2015 remix. Includes printed inner sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translation of the lyrics.
McCartney II was Paul’s first solo album since the formation of Wings in 1971. While it‘s highly electronic style was certainly innovative, its cosily domestic origins were reminiscent of 1970’s McCartney album. Recorded in the summer of 1979, when the future of Wings remained uncertain, the album was conceived at home on Paul’s farm in Scotland. 2011 remaster. Includes printed inner sleeve and booklet featuring the Japanese translation of the lyrics.
Entitled McCartney II because its one-man band approach mirrors that of his first solo album, Paul McCartney’s first record since the breakup of Wings was greeted upon its release as a return to form, especially since its synth-heavy arrangements seemed to represent his acceptance of new wave.