This is the UK version of McCartney's 1987 U.S. album of the same title. The U.S. album duplicated everything from 1977's Wings Greatest except for "Hi Hi Hi" and "Mull of Kintyre" then included seven additional tracks. The U.K. version of All the Best deletes "Junior's Farm," "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," "Goodnight Tonight" and "With a Little Luck" and adds the following four tracks:
1. "Pipes of Peace," a U.K. No. 1 in 1983 which appeared on the B-side of the U.S. single "So Bad."
2. "Once Upon a Long Ago," released as a single only in the U.K. where it reached No. 30 in 1987. Also available as a bonus track on the import version of Press To Play. The B-side was "Back on My Feet," co-written with Elvis Costello.
3. "We All Stand Together," a U.K. single that reached No. 37 in 1985. Available as a bonus track on the import version of Pipes of Peace.
4. "Mull of Kintyre," a U.K. No. 1 which sold 2.5 million copies, making it the biggest-selling single of all time in the U.K until 1984's Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" It was relegated to the B-side in the U.S. where "Girls School" was the A-side. "Mull of Kintyre" is also available on Wings Greatest or the import version of London Town.
What this compilation clearly illustrates is that even if you own every U.S. album McCartney ever released, you still don't own all of the songs that he's released. Even if you bought all of the import versions of his albums (which are expensive--especially if you already own the U.S. versions), you would still be missing some single-only releases (the aforementioned "Girls School" and the theme to "Spies Like Us" from 1985 come to mind) and numerous B-sides. I have many of these songs on 45's, but Capitol Records would be doing McCartney fans on both sides of the Atlantic a huge favor if they would compile a 2- or 3-CD box set of all of McCartney's singles, B-sides and other rarities. That's my Christmas wish for this year.
I grew up during the time when the Beatles and Paul Mc were relevant. I purchased this item as gift for a friend who rememberes his favorite song by Paul " Let Em In". I would have liked to see Maybe I'm Amazed on this compilation and this would have sealed the deal for me but it is a very good collection of songs and the price was phenominal.
To this lifelong McCartney listener's ears, the UK version of "All the Best" appears to be a finer more refined version. For the U.S. owner of "All the Best" there are 5 differences. 1) The studio version of "Coming Up" instead of the live version which is a huge mistake:those of us who were lucky enough to attend his 89 and 93 concerts can assert that "Coming" like wine got better as it aged and Paul experimented with it. "Mull of Kintyre" was a must in any McCartney best compilation and this one has it. I'll take "Mull" over "Junior's Farm" any day. Also the import has what any good compilation must have and that is an original track in "Once Upon A Long Ago." One of Paul's most underrated tracks ever, it is an excellent bridge between his recordings of the 80's and his expolits later that roared with authority in with strong studio albums and historic concerts around the globe in the late 80's and into the mid 90's. "Pipes of Peace" was an OK track especially if you already own London Town with the longer (better) version of With A Little Luck.
"We All Stand Together" is a novelty to we in the States but makes perfect sense on the UK version since it went to #4 on the UK chart in 1984.
All in All, the UK version of All the Best is a more diverse compiliation and a better reprsentation of the skills of Paul McCartney as a recording artist. As a pragmactic collector of McCartney recordings, get the UK version because you get Mull Of Kintyre and Once Upon A Long Ago. It might cost you a bit more, but to get the same songs would cost you more in the long run.
