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Wings: Paul McCartney (vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, percussion); Denny Laine (vocals, acoustic guitar); Jimmy McCulloch (vocals, guitar); Linda McCartney (vocals, keyboards); Joe English (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: Chet Atkins (electric guitar); Lloyd Green (slide & pedal steel guitar); Bobby Thompson (banjo); Johnny Gimble (fiddle); Bill Puitt (clarinet, saxophone); Thaddeus Richard (saxophone, horns); Norman Ray (baritone saxophone); Don Sheffield, George Tidwell, Barry McDonald (trumpet); Dennis Good, Dale Quillen (trombone); Tony Dorsey, Steve Howard, Howie Casey (horns); Floyd Cramer (piano); Geoff Britton (drums). Recorded at EMI/Abbey Road Studios, England in 1976; Bonus tracks recorded at The Soundshop, Nashville, Tennesse. It's widely accepted that McCartney was never the serious artiste that Lennon was; he never claimed to be, and more importantly (as this album bears out) never needed to be. This 1976 recording found McCartney and Wings at their peak. It's full of glimmering pop gems more concerned with infectious hooks and unforgettable melodies than social relevance. The opener "Let 'Em In" is almost childlike in its simplicity, and is effective precisely because of that lack of premeditation. "Cook of the House" and "Wino Junko" are good fun, conveying a loose sense of mirth that's both appealing and contagious. The highlight of the album is the near-manifesto "Silly Love Songs," in which Paul makes a case for the everlasting appeal of said compositions, and after a listen to AT THE SPEED OF SOUND, you can't help but see it his way.
