Tripping the Live Fantastic

Perhaps it’s because music comes so easily to Paul McCartney that it often sounds as if he’s in the recording studio even when he’s performing in front of tens of thousands of fans. There aren't rough edges, just variations concerning the sound of his performances—and much of that is the result of the equipment available at the time of the recordings. This extensive live album was McCartney’s first since the excellent Wings Over America; it covers his 1989-1990 tour in support of Flowers in the Dirt, an album highly praised upon its release. McCartney combines highlights from that album with an extensive look at his Beatles catalog, including many songs The Beatles never performed live (“Got to Get You into My Life,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “The Fool on the Hill,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be”). Such legendary material makes it hard for the more recent material to stand its ground, but McCartney’s such a peerless performer that he slides from one era to another without losing a beat.