Wide Prairie

by Linda McCartney

Overview

Toward the end of her life, Linda McCartney compiled an album of her solo recordings with the assistance of her husband Paul. She died before she had a chance to complete it, but Paul proceeded to finish the album, Wide Prairie, and release it in the fall of 1998 as originally planned. Clearly, it was a labor of love for the pair, since they spruced up 25-year-old tapes and recorded brand-new songs, all when she was suffering from breast cancer. Consequently, it's hard to say anything bad about Wide Prairie, since that would be distasteful, but the fact remains that the album is wildly uneven. Much of that is due to the fact that it contains every scrap of tape Linda recorded over 25 years, a tactic that could never produce a coherent record. That is a bigger problem than her meager musical talents, actually, since even weak songs can gel into a homogeneous listen. Wide Prairie, however, jumps all over the place, and while there are a couple of songs in a similar style, such as two bizarrely innocuous covers produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, they're separated by several songs. Such an approach makes the compilation feel like the McCartneys' albums from the early '70s (McCartney, Ram, Wild Life), complete with a similar ramshackle charm. The difference is, the songs aren't there. There are a few enjoyable tunes (more than you might expect, actually), but they're slight, albeit endearing. Ultimately, that's the key to Wide Prairie -- sure, it's uneven and Linda's musical talents were limited, but it's hard to dislike the album if you've ever been a fan of the McCartneys' early-'70s albums, since you'll be predisposed to accept the loose ends and silliness that distinguish the record. Even if Wide Prairie doesn't establish Linda McCartney as a significant musical talent, it does function as a loving tribute to a woman who, from all accounts, was kind, generous, and loving, which is all it ever needed to do. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/02/2019
Label:	Capitol / Universal
UPC:	0602577285189
Rank:	87725

Tracks

1. Wide Prairie
2. New Orleans
3. The White Coated Man
4. Love's Full Glory
5. I Got Up
6. The Light Comes From Within
7. Mister Sandman
8. Seaside Woman
9. Oriental Nightfish
10. Endless Days
11. Poison Ivy
12. Cow
13. B-Side to Seaside
14. Sugartime
15. Cook of the House
16. Appaloosa

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Linda McCartney   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Mellotron,Vocals (Background)
Vassar Clements   Guest Artist,Fiddle
Laurence Juber   Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Denny Laine   Guest Artist,Flute,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jimmy McCulloch   Guest Artist,Guitar (Electric)
Paul McCartney   Guest Artist,Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Emulator,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Robbie McIntosh   Guitar (Electric)
Billy Gardner   Guitar
Geoffrey Richardson   Mandolin,Slide Guitar
Denny Seiwell   Drums
Billy Puett   Sax (Tenor)
Norman Ray   Sax (Baritone)
George Tidwell   Trumpet
Joe English   Drums
Johnny Gimble   Fiddle
Thadeus Richard   Sax (Alto)
Winston Write   Keyboards
James McCartney   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Barry McDonald   Trumpet
Mikey Boo   Drums
Steve Fletcher   Vocals (Background)
Steve Johnson   Bass,Trumpet
Mick Bolton   Piano,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Alvin Clark   Engineer
Stephen Lipson   Engineer
Paul McCartney   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Sweetenlo   Assistant Engineer
Steve Popovich   Remix Producer
Charlie Phillips   Composer
Geoff Emerick   Engineer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Lee "Scratch" Perry   Engineer,Producer
Pat Ballard   Composer
Doug Hopkins   Engineer
Ernie Winfrey   Engineer
Linda McCartney   Composer,Producer
Tim Summerhayes   Engineer
Alan O'Duffy   Engineer
Mark Vigars   Engineer
Carla Lane   Composer
Keith Smith   Engineer
Ian Maiden   Engineer,Producer
Odis Echols   Composer
Mick Bolton   Composer