Grab a brew and set aside some time to rock cuz this album demands your full attention! This remastered “Band on the Run” is sublime, full of sonic grandeur and power. It’s warm and crisp, precisely what you want in an analog album reconstituted for digital consumption. Packed with expertly crafted songs featuring tight performances, “Band on the Run” satisfies on every level. It is as fresh as any new release, and maybe that’s because the remastering was personally supervised by Paul McCartney at Abbey Road, where McCartney joined forces with the same team who recently re-mastered the complete Beatles’ catalog now enjoying iTunes success.
For those of you who are new to “Band on the Run,” Paul McCartney and Wings, the 2010 “Band on the Run” reissue is the first release in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, which encompasses 40 years of music from the most successful songwriter and recording artist in music history. Originally recorded in 1973 in Lagos and London, “Band on the Run” was McCartney’s fifth album since the breakup of The Beatles. It was also Wings’ third album, becoming Wings’ most successful album. It remains the most celebrated of McCartney’s post-Beatles albums.
The “Band on the Run” Special Edition collection, which is the basis for this review, features two CDs and one DVD. The first disc is the remastered album with its original nine tracks (available separately as the Standard Edition). The title track “Band on the Run” impresses with its three-part structure and themes of escape and liberation, and “Jet” electrifies with its energetic pop sound. Softer/slower tunes hold their own against these mega hits thanks to the great clarity in sound. In fact, many details and flourishes stand out in ways never noticed before, making it seem like you’re hearing these songs for the first time.
The second disc contains nine bonus audio tracks, including newly remastered versions of the single “Helen Wheels” (which was on the US release of the album) and its B-side “Country Dreamer”, and “Zoo Gang” (the B-side to the UK single “Band on the Run.” This second disc is as satisfying as the first. 
The “Bonus Film” DVD contains nearly an hour-and-a-half of rare footage from the time when the album was originally recorded. It is loaded with engaging behind-the-scenes looks at the famous cover shoot, films of the band in Lagos, the album promo clip and the One Hand Clapping TV special in which the band performs 15 songs. There are also original promotional videos for “Band on the Run”, “Mamunia” and “Helen Wheels” songs. Lots of fun!
The Paul McCartney Archive Collection has reissued “Band on the Run” in several other formats, including a Deluxe Edition (three CDs and one DVD) and a two-disc180 gram vinyl version. Both the Standard and Deluxe Editions are available digitally, as well. The Deluxe Edition includes more extras than the Special Edition: a 120-page hard bound book, downloadable high bitrate versions of the tracks, expanded track information, a new McCartney interview about the album and the “Band on the Run” audio documentary that was originally released on the 25th Anniversary Edition.