Venus and Mars from Wings, released in 1975, doesn’t often receive the recognition it so rightly deserves. Its release two years after Band on the Run came out often overshadows just how good an album it is in every way. Band on the Run may be McCartney’s best solo work and easily one of the best albums of the watershed 1970s, but Venus and Mars is an exceptional Wings album and one that holds up well 50 years later.
Like Band on the Run, the album is very much a thematic, unified effort and the group’s traveling outside of London to an exotic locale to work on it aided in making it such a strong effort and a timeless recording. Also, as with Band on the Run, internal band chaos brought about yet another change in the Wings lineup, with drummer Geoff Britton departing and Joe English taking over. While initial recordings for Band on the Run took place in Lagos in Africa, Venus and Mars was largely recorded in New Orleans, with some sessions In London, Nashville, and Los Angeles.
McCartney’s choice of recording locales once again reflected his desire to try new things and find ways to keep refreshing his music. While there are touches of an African influence on Band on the Run, Venus and Mars does not in any way tip off the listener that some of the music was either recorded or conceived in New Orleans or Nashville. Unlike other artists who record in various places to appropriate those locales’ musical or cultural color, McCartney maintains the focus on his impeccable songs and thematic ideas.
The unique sounds or local players of a given region don’t so much influence the music as allow McCartney to produce the music and sounds he hears in his head, while also giving the musicians an opportunity to improvise what will best suit the songs. It sounds simple, but it’s also part of McCartney’s genius, not just as a songwriter, but as essentially the producer of his own recordings even when operating in a group setting and/or with a producer.
The album reflects a wide variety of musical styles and approaches, including rockers like “Rock Show” and “Medicine Jar” (co-written and sung by Jimmy McCulloch, the other member of Wings here, along with McCartney, English, Linda McCartney, and Denny Laine) and McCartney-esque pop at its best, which is most infectious on “Listen to What the Man Said.” The joy and charm of that song are unmatched and dominated radio upon its release.
This new edition, although a reissue of an album that was released 50 years ago, jumped right onto the top 50 album charts right after release, making for one of the best chart showings for McCartney’s Abbey Road half-speed releases. Overall, these editions tend to sell out, with only Wild Life and Flaming Pie, the two releases prior to this one and Band on the Run, still available from the Paul McCartney website store.
This 50th anniversary reissue of the album was mastered at Abbey Road Studios and cut at half-speed by Miles Showell, is limited to 5,000 copies, comes in the original gatefold sleeve and includes an OBI-strip and an embossed certificate of authenticity.
Reproducing the configuration of the first pressing, the set includes recreations of the original “Venus and Mars are alright tonight” circular sticker and the sun and planets bookmark sticker, along with two posters with photography by Aubrey Powell and Sylvia de Swaan.
Although loosely a concept album that melds being in a rock ‘n’ roll band with a science fiction comic book fantasy theme, the album is just pure McCartney pop and rock at its best and this reissue will find a whole new generation of listeners and remind those around back then just what a great album it still is all these years later.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A
