Venus and Mars Soars
Venus and Mars by Wings
So what do you do when you are the most famous music star in the world?
Paul McCartney followed his Beatles years with four studio albums in the period from 1970 to 1973. The initial result was somewhat lackluster from critics and fans alike, but both groups quickly praised 1973's breakthrough Band On The Run. The album not only featured the title cut, but the hit Jet and several other well received numbers.
Against this backdrop, McCartney returned to the studios during late 1974 and early 1975 to begin recording the ambitious Venus and Mars. McCartney again scored with a smash single, this time releasing Listen To What The Man Said and watching it climb all the way to number one.
But it was not only the dancing clarinets and New Orleans sound of the hit that made this album special. For the first time as a solo artist, many people felt that McCartney had crafted an album that was uniquely his sounds, but solid from start to finish. Songs such as Bluebird and Bip Bop on previous albums had allowed critics to savage McCartney as an empty showman sponging from John Lennon's genius.
With two critically successful albums as well as new hits, however, the stage was set for McCartney and his newly formed Wings to tour and release an essential live album the following year, Wings Over America. With that tour, and the album released the same year (Wings At the Speed of Sound), McCartney firmly established himself once again in rock's pantheon.
Interestingly enough, however, the process was made much simpler by the complex sounds and wonderful melodies on Venus and Mars. When you drop the needle on this album, you'll find some treasures that sound as fresh as they did nearly thirty years ago.
Let's listen:
Venus and Mars - McCartney has always liked a beginning, middle and end to his work. He starts the album off here with a simple guitar and heavily echoed vocal track that conjure images of a rock band about to begin a show. The short number slowly slides into some deft keyboard work that may be Paul's, or ex-Moody Blue Denny Laine's. Both are credited with keyboards on the album and for some reason this album's notes don't list musicians by cut. In less than a minute-and-a-half, the listener is transported to
Rock Show - The rollicking sounds of the Cavern Club are evident throughout this cut, as is the arpeggiated guitar scales that McCartney loves when he rocks. Paul, never much of a topical writer, gives a nod to Jimmy Page in this tune, as well as to venues like Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl - site of that famous Beatles live album. The song features a trademark McCartney bridge where everything - tempo, tone, arrangement - changes and the whole group clamors for a piece of the action. This song still gets AOR play, particularly now with the classic rock format in every American market.
Love In Song - Some listeners may be tempted to use this cut as their proof that Linda McCartney and Denny Laine harmonized beautifully with Paul McCartney. Nope. Listen more closely; the main backing vocal is an overdubbed Paul. The others are there, but the powerful harmony is Mr., not Mrs., McCartney. Of the cuts on this album, this one would be the one a listener would suspect is lifted from a Beatles album. The song is a gorgeous ballad with tender lyrics and terrific instrumentation.
You Gave Me The Answer - Crooning showman and musical genius that he is, McCartney would never follow such a tender song with another downer so the album launches immediately into a vaudeville-like number. Rounding out the mood is a distorted lead vocal track that simulates McCartney's voice emanating from a radio speaker circa 1930 something. For an absolute copy of this song and its style, take a listen one day to Queen's Seaside Rendezvous from 1975's A Night At The Opera. McCartney always seems to have a blast with a period number that lets him wear top hat, tails and do a little tapping. This would be that song for this album.
Magneto and Titanium Man - The paean to comic book characters, this remains one of my favorite Wings cuts of all time. Oh, I know that there were better songs, better vocals, better lots of things, but this is just one of the songs where every hook hits me perfectly. I love the harmonies, the silly lyrics and the simple chugging pop. You will hear this one also pop up on album cut AOR every so often. Whenever it comes over my radios speakers, I want to call the disc jockey on the phone and ask, "You too?"
Letting Go - This song is probably most people's nomination for a rough cut or bit of filler on the album. The song is hardly my favorite. The lyrics are a little too cloyingly sweet for my liking (She feels like sun/Mother nature look what you've done), but the saving grace is a dirty and distorted lead guitar that struts throughout the short cut.
Venus and Mars Reprise - Here is the middle of the wanna-be concept album. Lyrics sung about starships and a triple tracked and heavily echoed McCartney give way to synthesizer effects designed to sound cosmic. Gary Weaver did it better on Dreamweaver, but it is the same time and flavor. I can do without the chorale of discordant voices that end the song, but I usually don't mind because the segue into the next song is beat-perfect.
Spirits Of Ancient Egypt - Paul and John Lennon had all those Beatles albums where they had to offer up a "George cut" to Mr. Harrison. We are all the better off for their "sacrifice", because we ended up with some brilliant songs. On this album (and subsequent ones), McCartney gives up a Denny cut to the ex-Blue. Laine sings well, but the disparity between his and McCartney's voice becomes crystal clear on the chorus. They are technically harmonized, but McCartney's voice is so much sweeter, stronger and clearer that Laine is left as a shadow on the track. Fans of AM pop will remember when Barbara Streisand went through her duet phase and left Donna Summer and Barry Gibb in the vocal dust during the late 1970s. The same happens here, but the song is surreal enough to make it interesting.
Medicine Jar - As an autobiographical writer, McCartney is famous for wearing his heart on his sleeve. This get straight plea to Wings guitarist Jimmy McCullough is an intervention in song. The song touches me, despite its rock anthem mood, every time I hear it. The lyrics are that painfully poignant throughout, but a snippet here should do: (There's more to life than blues and reds/I say, I know how you feel/now your friends are dead). Jimmy McCullough, a brilliant guitarist who was not only a member of Wings, but played on albums with Roger Daltrey and the Small Faces, died of an overdose four years later shortly after his 26th birthday. That makes him about 22 when this album was being cut. McCartney's voice is strong and forbidding, but you know the guitarist's problem was tearing at the band's soul. In retrospect more than two decades later, the advice from the world-famous 33-year-old (at the time) McCartney to his guitarist protégé is heartbreaking.
Call Me Back Again - Never one to forget his roots, we are treated to the Wings rendition of '50s-style rock with a full horn section, cooing background vocals and Paul's "blues" voice. He never quite makes it where I think he wants to go, which is a mix of Ray Charles and Little Richard, but this is a nice cut and again serves to break the album's tone which had suddenly become very serious.
Listen To What The Man Said - The best pop song released in 1975. You might think the sound is dated now (it's not), but you must remember the context of the times. The #1 song in the United States for the previous four weeks was the Captain and Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together. This song managed only one week at #1 before The Hustle took over the top spot. Compared to those songs, this one ranks with the classical works of the century! Seriously, the melody is wonderful, the clarinets dance with abandon and the sounds of super studio musician and New Orleans stud Allen Toussaint are pure ear candy. Speaking of studio musicians, listen to Tom Scott's terrific sax solo. He is another one of those jazz studio musicians who has played with everyone.
Treat Her Gently - Lonely Old People - A sweet love song to Linda and a message to the world. I'm okay now, says Paul Mac, and will grow old with this woman. You know what? He did, and again in retrospect, that is very cool. McCartney and Laine also manage to get their harmonies tight on this one as well as potting down and twisting Linda's vocal into something pleasant. Take a listen to this pleasant tune if you want to hear the genesis of Silly Love Songs and its song-in-the-round.
Crossroads Theme - It is not Abbey Road's Her Majesty, but a nice piece of guitar work that ends the old album with a minute of melody, but wait -- it is
BONUS TIME! Yes, the CD version has bonus tracks. Here they are:
Zoo Gang - A bit of a drop-in on the vocal before the cut starts, McCartney's favorite faux "you are there" technique and a set of swirling guitars over a whining synthesizer. I am not sure about the placement, and I know I hear a guitar track lifted straight out of Live and Let Die, but this is a very pleasant instrumental.
Lunch Box/Odd Sox - Your mind screams out that McCartney snuck another vaudeville cut on the album, but this is the equivalent of the previous cut with the wailing down on a stripped down road piano with McCartney's trademark staccato piano melody. You can always tell when he's sitting on the black bench.
My Carnival - Some crowd noises and cheering as the song opens over a simple blues riff finally give way to McCartney reliving his roots with a sing-along. Trills, another brass section, hand claps and the like make this one an unlikely cut to end the album, but I am glad to have a clean copy of the song because it shows McCartney's versatility.
The Bottom Line, Skips and All
Paul McCartney recorded better albums before Venus and Mars and he certainly recorded better albums afterwards. But for a brief period from 1970-1975, he did not record as well balanced an album as this one turned out to be. Yes, you should get the triple live album released a year or so later and you will get most of the cuts from Venus and Mars, but this one should be in your collection as well.
At last count, McCartney had recorded 27 albums without the Beatles. The jury is still out on which is his best, but this one always ranks in the top 3 or 4. That is a good enough reason for me to call it an essential buy.
