“Silly Love Songs” was McCartney’s response. As anyone who has ever heard “My Love” can attest, that criticism was not completely unfounded. McCartney was still getting accused of writing too much mindless, disposable tripe that did small justice to his considerable talents. That it sold well or is even worth talking about today comes down to two smash singles, and you get one guess as to who wrote those. Quite simply, Wings at the Speed of Sound is too mediocre an album to warrant parsing of who-wrote-what by anyone save Wings’ most ardent fans.
In the end, though, the “spread the wealth” approach did not have much effect on Wings’ career trajectory or critics’ and fans’ perceptions of them. He wanted Wings at the Speed of Sound to be a “real” band album because he wanted Wings to be a “real” band. But, while by most accounts Fogerty’s democratic methods had been a belligerent (and ultimately successful) attempt to sabotage CCR from within, McCartney was sincere. All five band members contributed songs and/or lead vocals. As John Fogerty had done several years before with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Mardi Gras, McCartney made Wings at the Speed of Sound a true band affair. Issued in 1976, Wings at the Speed of Sound was meant to change that perception. Wings was widely seen as little more than McCartney’s excuse to “be in a band” with his wife. The run of chart smashes and sold-out tours allowed Paul McCartney and Wings to become simply Wings again, but with the band playing Beatles tunes at its shows and an ever-fluid lineup, no one was really fooled. There was McCartney, his wife Linda, and loyal guitarist Denny Laine. Their most successful album, Band on the Run (1973), was recorded as a trio. Wings just couldn’t keep a consistent lineup together. Not even McCartney could get out of the way of his legacy. For the follow-up, the name was changed to Paul McCartney and Wings.
But Wings’ first album, Wild Life (1971), was a commercial disappointment. For their first tour, they drove around the UK in a van, showing up unannounced to play shows at universities, keeping it about as “real” as a former Beatle could. Paul McCartney really wanted Wings to be a proper rock ‘n’ roll band.
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