Album Review #16 - Paul McCartney and Wings "Venus And Mars" (1975)

Album Review #16

 

Artist:  Paul McCartney & Wings

Album:  Venus and Mars

Year of Release:  1975

Grade:  3 / 5

 

Band Members

Paul McCartney – lead vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, piano, percussion

Linda McCartney – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion

Denny Laine – lead vocal on “Spirits of Ancient Egypt”, backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion

Jimmy McCulloch – lead vocal on “Medicine Jar”, guitars, backing vocals, percussion

Joe English – drums, percussion

Geoff Britton – drums

 

Other musicians:

Kenneth Williams – congas

Allen Toussaint – piano

Dave Mason – guitar

Tom Scott – soprano saxophone

 

Background

Paul McCartney’s band Wings had scored a major hit with “My Love” and was looking forward to their next album “Band On The Run” when the drummer and lead guitarist abruptly quit the band before going to Nigeria to record it.  McCartney, wife Linda, and Denny Laine recorded the album as a trio.  McCartney needed a follow up album and recruited Geoff Britton on drums and Jimmy McCulloch on lead guitar.  Britton stayed long enough to record a few tracks before he left and then Joe English (an American) was added to the lineup.  This lineup recorded “Venus and Mars” and “At The Speed Of Sound” as well as a world tour before McCulloch and English left the band.  This trilogy of albums is considered the height of Wings.

 

 

Track Listing

1.      “Venus And Mars” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

2.      “Rock Show” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

3.      “Love In Song” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

4.      “You Gave Me The Answer” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

5.      “Magneto And Titanium Man” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

6.      “Letting Go” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

7.      “Venus And Mars (Reprise)” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

8.      “Spirits Of Ancient Egypt” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

9.      “Medicine Jar” (Jimmy McCulloch)

10.  “Call Me Back Again” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

11.  “Listen To What The Man Said” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

12.  “Treat Her Gently – Lonely Old People” (Paul and Linda McCartney)

13.  “Crossroads” (Tony Hatch)

 

 

Review

The first and second tracks are usually combined as a medley.  “Venus and Mars” is similar to walk in music before a concert starts.  It could have some astrological thing or just being the closes planets or a “women are from venus and men are from mars” thing.  Whether this album is intended as a concept album or not, it comes across that way as a concertgoer’s experience. 

 

“Rock Show” then kicks of the concert.  It is a fun rocking song that namedrops concert venues and even other musicians like Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.  The only part of the song that I really don’t like is the campy French talk that McCartney does.

 

The next track is “Love In Song”.  It is a typical somewhat syrupy ballad that McCartney churned out during this time.  It is a song about a failed relationship.  Melodically, the song is almost subdued but nothing stands out about.

 

“You Gave Me The Answer” is a typical upbeat McCartney song.  It reminds me of “When I’m 64” of his time in the Beatles.  McCartney’s vocals are slightly distorted.  It is a toe tapping with a great saxophone set of riffs.  It does have a waltz type appeal.

 

What happens when Marvel comics’ Jack Kirby and Paul McCartney cross paths?  The answer is the song “Magneto and Titanium Man”.  It is a great little rocking song.  The guitar riffs are great.  This is one of the story songs where it tells the specific tale of a bank robbery by the villains.

 

The slower “Letting Go” is about the fine line between love and obsession.  In this case, it was McCartney’s recognition that his wife Linda had given up a successful career as a photographer for his career and that he needed to let her explore her passions as well.  The song has a pop/blues feel.  It is a decent song but not one of my favorites.

 

It is at this point that the concept of a concert hits intermission and is then followed by the “Venus and Mars (Reprise)” to get the people back in the seats as an announcement as if the second set is going to start.  This version has more of a spacey feel with its extended background vocals.

 

It then segues into “Spirits of Ancient Egypt” as sung by Denny Laine.  Vocally, Laine does a great job but lyrically it feels a bit messy.  It is definitely a rocker that moves to ballad and back and forth.  McCartney sings the bridge.  It’s just an ok song for me.

 

“Medicine Jar” is a rocking tune.  It was written and sung by lead guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.  It is an anti-drug song.  Unfortunately, it’s author succumbed to death from drugs a few years after this song was published.  As a song, it hits the right notes as far as melody and performance.

 

“Call Me Back Again” is one of those songs that I just don’t like.  While it has a nice bluesy feel, it is one that rings hollow to me.  I do know people who just love this song.

 

“Listen To What The Man Said” is probably the biggest hit on this album.  It was recorded in New Orleans and definitely has the feel of that city.  It is a big radio friendly sound to it.  Tom Scott’s sax solo was done in one take.  It definitely is an up tempo happy song.

 

The album is full of songs that bleed into the next song and is one in this case where it transitions into “Treat Her Gently – Lonely Old People”.  This is where the concept of a concert kind of falls apart.  Nobody really wants to end a concert on a slow song.  It has a blues/ballad feel.  The guitar response is very good here.  It has a haunting feel that is quite nice.

 

The closing track “Crossroads” is not the Cream song but an instrumental for the British TV soap opera show.  Instrumentally, it is a good bookend as an album closer but still seems out of place.