If you love Paul McCartney singing his heart away with the Wings band, you could do no worse than watch "Rockshow," an almost seamless compilation of live concert footage clips with over 30 songs from 1976 with McCartney and the band on tour tearing up the stage. It is hardly, in hindsight, one of the best filmed live concerts but it will suffice for McCartney/Wings/Beatles fans.
Watching a rather cruddy DVD of this notable concert doesn't quite do it justice but it is still energizing and entertaining all the same (in 2013, a restored, longer print on Blu Ray became available but I haven't seen it). McCartney along with his Wings band members including Paul's wife, Linda doing vocals, keyboards, piano, percussion; the joyful Denny Laine doing vocals, guitars, bass, piano and harmonica; Joe English pounding away on drums; Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, vocals, and bass, as well as some distinctive horn players play with an electricity that one can only glean from having been at concerts. Crowd-pleasing songs are performed on stage from the Wings such as "Venus and Mars", "Jet," and two of my favorites, "Listen to What the Man Said" and "Band on the Run." There are some Beatles favorites including the tear-inducing "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face." The stage is practically on fire when we hear the rousing "Live and Let Die." McCartney is having the time of his life, bowing to the audience frequently and enthusiastically introducing the band members. He is having as much fun as the audience is.
The concert footage is strong to a degree, though the players are often filmed from practically below the stage. Paul is given a rather odd side-angle view and the other players are sometimes obscured by darkness when the lights are not shining on them. Alas, we are never on the stage with them and the best rock concert films always gave us that impression. Also, there are insufficient crowd reactions and, as usual, it is not always clear which song the audience members are really reacting to since, again, this is a compilation of footage largely shot in Seattle and sections in L.A. as well.
"Rockshow" is often thrilling and, if you like these songs and are a rabid fan, you will sing along too. You'll be listening to what the man sings.
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