Paul McCartney and Wings: Rockshow

Filmed primarily at Seattle's Kingdome in 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings perform a generous two-hour-plus 28-song set mixing tunes from their then-new Wings at the Speed of Sound album (“Let ‘Em In,” “Silly Love Songs”), with earlier Wings hits (“Jet,” “Band on the Run,” “My Love”), Macca solo highlights (“Maybe I'm Amazed”), and Beatles classics (“The Long and Winding Road,” “Lady Madonna”). Backed by a horn quartet, McCartney alternates between bass, guitar, and piano, joined by former Moody Blues member Denny Laine on guitar (and a multitude of other instruments, as well as lead vocals on a handful of songs), guitarist/bassist Jimmy McCullough, drummer Joe English, and, of course, Linda McCartney on keyboards. Viewers' proverbial mileage will certainly vary here (although Baby Boomers will likely feel the magic when McCartney does a solo acoustic guitar set featuring “Blackbird” and “Yesterday”), but there is really something here for everyone, including the delightful “You Gave Me the Answer” (dedicated to Fred Astaire), a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's “Richard Cory” (based on Edwin Arlington Robinson's haunting poem), and a pyrotechnics/strobe-lit rendition of Wings' James Bond anthem “Live and Let Die.” Now for the bad news: the Internet is on fire with righteous indignation over the transfer's soft and grainy imagery, uneven sound mix, and occasional syncing issues. While Rockshow is guilty on all three counts, the complaints are somewhat overstated, and there's little doubt that many Beatles, Wings, and McCartney fans will love this. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a brief montage combining backstage scenes, home video footage, and comments from fans. Recommended. (R. Pitman)