The McCartney Years (2007)

It's rather incredible to ponder the fact that with the release of The McCartney Years in late 2007, Paul McCartney has now been making recordings in various mediums for the better part of 40 years--and that's not even including the decade he spent as a member of the world's greatest band. And while some may quibble about certain details of the content and presentation, this three-disc set, packed with videos, concert footage, interviews, documentaries, and more, will surely satisfy the vast majority of Sir Paul's loyal subjects. The dozens of videos, occupying the first two discs and spanning the years from 1970 ("Maybe I'm Amazed," ten years before the emergence of MTV) to 2005 ("Fine Line"), can be viewed in either chronological order or as programmed by Macca himself. Ranging from straight lip-synced performances to various conceptual films, they are a decidedly mixed bag. In some cases (e.g. "London Town"), the songs are superior to the clips, while in others, the reverse is true ("Coming Up," a lightweight tune but a delightful video in which McCartney portrays everyone from Buddy Holly to Sparks keyboardist Ron Mael). Sometimes both the song and the video are terrific ("Take it Away" features Ringo Starr on drums, producer George Martin on piano, and a cameo by actor John Hurt; "Band on the Run," a creative pastiche of photos, film effects, and other media, suggests that the band in question was the Beatles, not Wings), while some fail on both counts (John Lennon might have had the likes of "C-Moon" in mind when he referred to McCartney's '70s output as "all pizza and fairytales"). Of the three concerts included on Volume Three, the best (and shortest) comes from a 1991 Unplugged show and features lovely versions of "Every Night" and "And I Love Her"; Rockshow spotlights Wings on tour in '76, and the 2004 gig in Glastonbury, England features McCartney's excellent current band (a good show, but the playlist isn't nearly as adventurous as, say, 2005's Live in Red Square). Extras include McCartney's commentary on several of the videos; footage from Live Aid in '85 and the Super Bowl in '02; and, accompanying every DVD menu, various raw and unreleased live and studio performances of obscurities like "Blackpool." The late Linda McCartney is featured throughout, of course, and if The McCartney Years is a de facto tribute to his first wife, as one reviewer has suggested, it's a more than fitting one. --Sam Graham Amazon.com

 Paul McCartney,,,The Real King of Rock & Roll
I have been a Beatles and McCartney fan from the very start.
Myself being a Rock/Blues Guitarist and Singer....Paul greatly influenced my style in every way.
This video is a great joy...just like Paul. :)
Cheers,
Ken Widlake April 30, 2008

 Excellant
The McCartney years is a record of Paul as a solo artist.
What is amazing is how many great songs he has written and made videos of.
This shows Paul McCartney as the true genius he is. He and Lennon are the greatest song writers of the last 100 years (at least)
Paul has been so innovative, its unbelieveable. When you watch him interviewed on this DVD collection, many times he shows his genius and how he records records.
His catalog is very extensive and I am sure we still have not heard the last of Paul.
This includes Wings and of course his solo efforts. There are gems on here like the video of Mull of Kintyre ( two different videos) and London Town among many others.
The last DVD is mostly concert footage from his World Tour in 1977 and parts of his Unplugged appearance. There is also recent concert footage.
This is for any McCartney or Wings fan............... April 26, 2008

 worth every penny
This dvd is really great. I totally enjoyed it....you forget how much great stuff he did AFTER the Beatles.
I am glad I bought it and would recommend it to anyone. March 31, 2008

 A must have for Beatle McCartney Fans.
Some will compare this to the Beatles Anthology from several years ago. Just a fantastic historical timeline. The technical composition of the McCartney story is also impressive as you can pick anywhere in time - by song or performance- and you do not need to sit through the whole thing at once. So watch by you Fav song or performance or watch it in order but most of all watch it several times because there are all sorts of hidden reels of movies and clips that are buried within each menu and level. Nicely done! Guaranteed a fantastic time for all and for all ages. March 31, 2008

 EXCELLENT Bargain for great Macca Vintage Video..
As most reviewers have stated, I agree with that the aspect ratio monkeying wasn't a good idea, and that much more needs to be officially released (both the total VH1 Unplugged and Rockshow shows being the most requested, to cut down on the bootleg issues..anyone at MPL reading this..?). But for the low price under $25, it's a delightful, introductory 3-disk taste for what could still be released. Would LOVE to have the Kampuchea concert on a future release as well as the other Egg selections released. As for the review who complained about the chronological order, that's in error, since you can select the by-release date order at the bottom of the menu.

Also, in case you owners havent' noticed, some videos have more than one version: Besides 'Mull', the 'Goodnight Tonight' video is actually included in two versions; the commentary version's the straight one, the non-commentary version has the middle bit with the band hamming it up in contemporary clothes intersperse with the vintage look (ala the 'Hello Goodbye' ending) so for some of the casual owners, there's definitely some hidden gems if you watch everything.

Still, a GREAT start ~> Now let's open up the vintage closet a little wider for a Volume 2 and/or separate concert releases. March 25, 2008

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