Band on the Run is the third studio album by Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It marked the fifth album by Paul McCartney since his departure from the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially, its commercial performance was aided by two hit singles – "Jet" and "Band on the Run" – such that it became the top-selling studio album of 1974 in the United Kingdom and Australia, in addition to revitalising McCartney's critical standing. It remains McCartney's most successful album and the most celebrated of his post-Beatles works. In 2000, Q magazine placed it at number 75 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". In 2012, Band on the Run was voted 418th on Rolling Stone's revised list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Basically, there are two things that rock bands do: they make an album and they go on tour. Since Paul McCartney fervently wanted to believe Wings was a real rock band, he had the group record an album or two and then took them on the road. In March of 1976 he released Wings at the Speed of Sound and launched a tour of America, following which he released Wings Over America, a triple-album set that re-created an entire concert from various venues…
This is a stripped down version of The 7" Singles Box. The 7" Singles was designed as a collectable and was treated as such by its intended audience. Not long after its announcement, the wooden crate containing 80 vinyl 7" singles sold out its limited pressing of 3,000 units. Those who missed the boat – or were constrained by the high cost of admission – could enjoy the digital version, which trims a few duplicates and re-releases existing in the vinyl incarnation. Listening to the digital version of The 7" Singles is much easier than flipping sides on 80 different 45s, but the experience is much the same, as it's hard not to marvel at the breadth and scope of what McCartney achieved within the confines of a single for five different decades.
Tripping the Live Fantastic is Paul McCartney's first official live album and his first release of concert material since Wings' 1976 Wings over America live package. It was released in 1990 as triple LP, double cassette and double CD. Tripping the Live Fantastic reached number 17 in the UK and number 26 in the US. A document of the huge success of The Paul McCartney World Tour, Tripping the Live Fantastic encompasses McCartney's entire musical career from his famed Beatles hits to his recent hit album, Flowers in the Dirt, while also including some unique covers. Interspersed throughout the package are occasional soundcheck recordings as well. This album spawned a few singles which contained live B-sides from this tour. These B-sides were live songs that were not featured on the live album, which made the singles collectors items.