This was a huge hit in 1976 when it was released, I can still remember the gigantic display at "Gemco" when it came out. "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'em In" were in constant rotation airplay on FM radio stations that summer.

But this record has not held up particularly well with the passage of time. Most of the lyrics are insipid and facile, hardly worthy of the genius who produced "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One." What was Paul thinking when he allowed Linda to sing the ridiculous (though admittedly catchy) "Cook of the House," complete with sizzling bacon canned sound effects?

"Beware my Love" is a good rocker with bite. Had the rest of the album been done with a similar hard edge, it would have been much better and less cloying and adolescent.

Probably my least favorite album in McCartney's catalog, probably because he's only on it about half of the time. I guess he tried to re-create the flavor of the Beatles by passing the mike around a bit. But he passed it a bit too much. The very subpar singing/compositions by the backing members of Wings is probably the reason why this was the only album he let anyone other than Denny Laine sing/write on his records ever again. (I won't even get into Cook Of The House.) Still though, it undeniably has moments of greatness. Warm and Beautiful deserves to rank up there with Maybe I'm Amazed, Beautiful Night, and Wanderlust as one of the best ballads of his solo years. The Note You Never Wrote is quite dreamy and mellow, and there are 2 good (semi) rockers in Beware My Love and Time To Hide. The rest is regrettably forgettable. If you get the import version of this disc, the track "Sally G" is really cool! Great, amusing lyrics, and a much better country experiment then "Country Dreamer" was.

With all the hoopla surrounding the Paul McCartney & Wings media blitz and the release of the two-disc Wingspan anthology, maybe it's time to take another look at the original albums. Wings at the Speed of Sound was released in advance of the band's triumphant U.S. tour and the album stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks. Its first single, "Silly Love Songs," hit No. 1 and stayed there five weeks. But it's no Band on the Run. Heck, it isn't even a Venus & Mars.

"Let 'Em In": A pleasant enough song. The single went Top 10 and sold a million copies.

"The Note You Never Wrote": A fairly tepid ballad--nice guitar solo though.

"She's My Baby": The kind of song McCartney could write in his sleep and probably did.

"Beware My Love": One of the highlights of the album. A strong vocal from Paul helps propel this rocking number. [This should have made the Wingspan set list.]

"Wino Junko": This is Jimmy McCulloch's chance to shine on a tune he wrote. He doesn't.

"Silly Love Songs": This is the song where McCartney answers his critics. And you know what? It's a terrific song!

"Cook of the House": You know your album is in trouble when this slight rocker with lead vocal by wife Linda is better than most of the other tracks here.

"Time to Hide": Denny Laine provides this mid-tempo rocker.

"Must Do Something About It": Here's another keeper. Lovely melody. Nice guitar accompaniment.

"San Ferry Anne": Nothing really memorable here. Some nice moments, but sounds unfinished.

"Warm and Beautiful": Mostly just Paul and his piano. A nice, but insignificant ballad.

Bonus Tracks:

"Walking in the Park with Eloise": A toe-tapping dance hall number with some nice Chet Atkins-style picking and barrelhouse piano on this instrumental.

"Bridge on the River Suite": This is a moodier instrumental with a jazz feel. Both of these songs were originally released under the pseudonym The Country Hams.

"Sally G": This was originally released as the b-side to "Junior's Farm" and charted for one week at No. 39 in early 1975. A fun if not spectacular country romp complete with pedal steel.

Overall, it's no surprise that only three of these tracks made it onto the concert disc Wings Over America: the two hits and "Beware My Love." With a handful of exceptions, once McCartney left the Beatles he was mainly a singles artist. Sure, I still bought everyone of them. However, most fans will be more than content with his hits collections. The individual albums are for completists like myself. [But, hey, I also bought Lennon's Life with the Lions and Wedding Album.]

Released prior to Wings' mega successful American tour, this album (and it's two singles) sailed to the top of the charts. Less focused than "Band On The Run" or "Venus And Mars", we still have some interesting material here. Besides the commercially successful singles "Let 'Em In" and "Silly Love Songs", we have the invigorating rocker "Beware My Love" (why was that a B-side?) as well as some interesting tracks by the other members. Denny Laine scores with his composition "Time To Hide", as well as providing lead vocal on the McCartney track "The Note You Never Wrote". Jimmy McCulloch contributes "Wino Junko", another dope song which pales in comparison with it's cousin "Medicine Jar" from "Venus And Mars". Drummer Joe English sings a wonderful lead on "Must Do Something About It", but Linda's vocal on "Cook Of The House" is, well, if you can't say anything nice...

I really got into this record when it came out. Even Linda's,"Cook of the House" was great.I remember by cousins and I sitting in back of there pick up truck,and all of us singing a part in "Silly Love Songs." I thought it was so cool how this song came together at the end.I hate it when they cut this song on the radio.My favorite number on the CD is "She's my Baby."Along with "Let 'Em In," this could have been a hit also.When Linda sings backup,I always thought her voice was so layed back,and different. Every member of Wings gets a solo shot,and there all fantastic. I was always a Beatles fan,but I became a Wings fan after this record also.