Back in the U.S.

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Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S. cover
Live album by Paul McCartney
Released 26 November 2002
Recorded 1 April - 18 May 2002
Genre Rock
Length 1:55:21
Label Capitol Records
Producer(s) David Kahne
Professional reviews
Paul McCartney chronology
Driving Rain
(2001)
Back in the U.S.
(2002)
Back in the World
(2003)


Back in the U.S. (subtitled Live 2002) is a double live album by Paul McCartney comprised of highlights from his Spring 2002 Driving USA Tour in the United States in support of McCartney's 2001 release Driving Rain. It was released to commemorate his first set of concerts in almost ten years with an accompanying DVD.

Using most of the musicians that appeared on Driving Rain, McCartney assembled a new live act comprised of Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums and keyboardist Paul Wickens, who had been on McCartney's last two tours in 1989-1990 and 1993.

Although McCartney was promoting Driving Rain, the majority of his shows would be celebrations of his past, with a substantial sampling of McCartney's solo work with and without Wings, but in particular his Beatles hits. And it was with the release of those particular songs on Back in the U.S. that sparked one of McCartney's biggest controversies in ages. Despite keeping the famous Lennon/McCartney credit intact on Tripping the Live Fantastic, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) and Paul is Live, McCartney decided to reverse the credits to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon" much to Yoko Ono's public outcry. Reportedly, McCartney decided to act in response to Ono's recent dropping of his credit from "Give Peace A Chance" on Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon in 1997. While there continues to be division among critics and fans over McCartney's move, it is worth noting that John Lennon never publicly objected to the original credit reversal that appeared on 1976's Wings over America, four years before Lennon's death.

Back in the U.S. was an exclusive North American release (an international edition with a slight track listing change, entitled Back in the World, was released a few months later). Although it was McCartney's sixth live album, Back in the U.S. did extremely well, entering the U.S. charts at #8 with his biggest ever first week sales and going double platinum. Its tie-in DVD proved to be a large seller as well.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, except where noted (see also McCartney/Lennon).

[edit] Disc one

  1. "Hello, Goodbye" – 3:46
  2. "Jet" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 4:02
  3. "All My Loving" – 2:08
  4. "Getting Better" – 3:10
  5. "Coming Up" (Paul McCartney) – 3:26
  6. "Let Me Roll It" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 4:24
  7. "Lonely Road" (Paul McCartney) – 3:12
  8. "Driving Rain" (Paul McCartney) – 3:11
  9. "Your Loving Flame" (Paul McCartney) – 3:28
  10. "Blackbird" – 2:30
  11. "Every Night" (Paul McCartney) – 2:51
  12. "We Can Work It Out" – 2:29
  13. "Mother Nature's Son" – 2:11
  14. "Vanilla Sky" (Paul McCartney) – 2:29
  15. "Carry That Weight" – 3:05
  16. "The Fool on the Hill" – 3:09
  17. "Here Today" (Paul McCartney) – 2:28
    • McCartney's tribute to John Lennon
  18. "Something" (George Harrison) – 2:33
    • A tribute cover of George Harrison's most famous song, played on the ukulele - one of Harrison's favorite instruments

[edit] Disc two

  1. "Eleanor Rigby" – 2:17
  2. "Here, There and Everywhere" – 2:26
  3. "Band on the Run" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 5:00
  4. "Back in the U.S.S.R." – 2:55
  5. "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Paul McCartney) – 4:48
  6. "C Moon" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 3:51
  7. "My Love" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 4:03
  8. "Can't Buy Me Love" – 2:09
  9. "Freedom" (Paul McCartney) – 3:18
  10. "Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney) – 3:05
  11. "Let It Be" – 3:57
  12. "Hey Jude" – 7:01
  13. "The Long and Winding Road" – 3:30
  14. "Lady Madonna" – 2:21
  15. "I Saw Her Standing There" – 3:08
  16. "Yesterday" – 2:08
  17. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / "The End" – 4:39