Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run” underdubbed mix is stupendous in its unvarnished power

The “underdubbed” mixes for Paul McCartney and Wings’ landmark “Band on the Run” album are, in a word, stupendous. Released to mark the LP’s 50th anniversary, the mixes make for some of the more intriguing, even revelatory commemorative recordings across McCartney’s legendary career.

The story of “Band on the Run” is interesting in and of itself. With Wings’ drummer and lead guitarist quitting the band on the eve of their trip to Nigeria to record the LP, McCartney, wife Linda, and Denny Laine forged ahead, producing arguably the finest of the former Beatles’ solo albums in the process. And there would be harrowing moments along the way as the bandmates battled the elements, while also triumphing over a knife-wielding robber and, at one point, the ire of local Nigerian musicians, who feared that McCartney and company were out to steal their indigenous sounds.

When it was originally released in December 1973, “Band on the Run” emerged as one of the 1970s’ genuine blockbusters. With our unquenchable fascination for experiencing demos and outtakes associated with classic albums, the “Band on the Run” underdubbed mixes offer a welcome variation for music aficionados. As McCartney explains, “This is ‘Band on the Run’ in a way you’ve never heard before. When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that’s an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed.”

True to its creator’s words, the “Band on the Run”underdubbed mixes capture the tracks as they were originally created by engineer Geoff Emerick in October 1973. Without benefit of additional vocal and instrumental overdubs — including Tony Visconti’s orchestration — the tracks take on the live feel of the recording studio. Quite suddenly, the vocals and the basic instrumentation seem more up front, more pronounced in their underdubbed manifestations.

Take the hit single “Jet,” for example. With nary an overdub in earshot, the song takes on the raw sheen of its rock ‘n’ roll origins. Reduced to the sound of a trio — with McCartney on lead vocals and bass, Laine on guitar and Linda on keyboards — the new “Band on the Run” mixes seem simultaneously more alive and less polished, teetering in their various states of unfinishedness.

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With “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” the album’s thrilling closer, the track is reduced to an infectious rock ‘n’ roll jam. Given that McCartney added his lead vocals at a later date, the underdubbed mix is rendered here as a searing instrumental. Meanwhile, songs like “Mamunia” and “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)” benefit from their pared-down arrangements, which afford each track with a much welcome simplicity. This is especially true of “Picasso’s Last Words,” which, to my ears, has never sounded better. Stripped of its overdubs, the song revels in its inherent humor, showcasing McCartney and Laine’s splendid vocals and acoustic guitars.

But the real gem among the mixes may be “Let Me Roll It,” the album’s original bone-crunching, hard-rocking centerpiece. In its underdubbed state, the song feels even more lacerating, even more desperate and unflinching than the original. As with the other tracks on this new edition of “Band on the Run,” “Let Me Roll It” proves that even in their unvarnished states, McCartney’s timeless tunes can still take on new shades of meaning. Indeed, lo these many years later, there is always something new to discover among McCartney’s unparalleled musical legacy.

The “Band on the Run” 50th anniversary underdubbed mix is now on sale.