Track Listing

1. Venus And Mars
2. Rock Show
3. Love In Song
4. You Gave Me The Answer
5. Magneto And Titanium Man
6. Letting Go
7. Venus And Mars (2)
8. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt
9. Medicine Jar
10. Call Me Back Again
11. Listen To What The Man Said
12. Treat Her Gently Lonely Old People
13. Crossroads
14. Zoo Gang - McCartney, Paul & Wings
15. Lunch Box/Odd Sox - McCartney, Paul & Wings
16. My Carnival - McCartney, Paul & Wings

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4573 in Music
• Released on: 1993-06-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Released in the glow of Wings' biggest and best album, Band On The Run, Venus & Mars found Paul McCartney in his element--a working rock star, being screamed at again, cheerfully riding the last rays of his youth. Adulation always brought the best out of him, and Venus & Mars is nearly the equal of its more lauded predecessor. McCartney never strays from his favourite themes (sex, drugs, rock & roll and marriage), but his confidence is audibly high, mixing gorgeous, airy production numbers such as "Listen To What The Man Said" and "Letting Go" with the ribald and hilarious. "Rock Show" matches The Who's "Long Live Rock" as the finest and funniest of those self-celebratory Seventies stomps.

McCartney's effortless marshalling of melody and arrangement hoists the blander material out of trouble, and the best stuff's powered by genuine, rediscovered verve. Facile and frivolous, but not at all bad. And their version of the "Crossroads" theme tune is wicked. --Taylor Parkes

CD Description
VENUS & MARS is an interesting mix of musical styles, punctuated by Paul McCartney's unerring sense of melody and hookysongs. Along with founding members Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney & Denny Laine, recent additions Jimmy McCulloch (ex-Thunderclap Newman) Joe English rounded out the band on guitar and drums respectively. Guests for these sessions (partially recorded at New Orleans' famed Sea Saint Studios) included N'awlins pianist Allen Toussaint, saxophonist Tom Scott and guitarist Dave Mason.
The highlights include the hard-rocking anthem "Rock Show" (later used to great effect in the Rock For Kampuchea benefit concert five years later) and the gently nostalgic "You Gave Me The Answer", Macca's tribute to the sounds of vaudeville introduced to him by his late father. Elsewhere, the mysticism of the French Quarter is embedded within "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt" while New Orleans' rich R&B tradition is all over the horn-laden "Call Me Back Again". The bouncy number one single "Listen To What The ManSaid" also contrasts nicely with the melancholic title track.

Customer Reviews

Very Underated
Evertone seems to slate everything Paul McCartney did post-Beatles. Why? It seems the people who do this have probably not listened to his solo and Wings stuff much. This album, along with Band On The Run, Ram, and McCartney prove them wrong. Ok, It's not as good as Band On The Run (not many albums are), however, a lot of the tracks would not be out of place on Beatles albums. For example, 'You Gave Me The Answer', although not the strongest of the album's songs, would not be out of place on the White Album (neither would Ram's "Heart of The Country"); While "Call Me Back Again" would fit into Abbey Road or Let It Be. Other stand-out tracks which are pure McCartney are Venus and Mars (although the Reprise is a bit annoying), the fantastic "Rock Show" and the joyous "Magneto and Titanium Man". If one considers the aim of this album, like most of McCartney's music, which is to produce good fun, enjoyable music it succeeds. It does not try to be profound or clever and fail like some of Lennon's music from the time, and like McCartney's role in the Beatles it is good, lighthearted pop music. If one takes a classical music cross-reference, McCartney is rather like Shostakovich - producing music that was rarely ground-breaking, but that is not to its detriment, as this album is a credit to McCartney. Fortunately nowadays McCartney's post-Beatles music is beginning to be appreciated in an unbiased manner without some shortsighted wannabe 'knowitall' coming out with the 'shot the wrong Beatle' cliché. A good album, not quite deserving 4 stars, but a good buy for those experimenting in Wings and McCartney music

Give it a go !
In my view this is one of Paul's top 5 post-Beatles albums ( and he has released over 20). It shows his versatility to the full - rock, pop, ballads, it's all here. It has dated a little, but so what. The overall feel of the album is one of FUN. You get the impression that Paul and the band were probably on drugs when writing and recording this, but there is so much to be admired here, that it doens't bother me. The lyrics are a little non-sensical, but there is no denying the musicianship, the melody and the attitude. it is a memorable album, which is consistent throughout. the opening 3 tracks need to be played together, and then you know you are going to enjoy yourself.

A Great Album
What a wonderful album this is. From the twinkling, tingling opening of the title track we move into the fantastically exuberant Rock Show and any worries you might have instantly melt away.

Already you're hooked.

The thoughtful Love in Song 'My heart cries out for love and all that goes with loving' is spookily realised through synths and water-bird trumpets, slowly grinding its melody through a vast landscape of sound. It is a track that grows with further listening but that, despite its melody, points to the difference between this album and Band on the Run. The darkness and vastness, the more-mature sound and floating melodies of Venus and Mars to me equate to a dreamy star-filled night, spread outside your bedroom window. Band on the Run is beautiful, but never as defined in its motive (This is possibly why it is also the more accesible, popular album. It can be moulded better to your own imagination. Venus and Mars presents its cosmic-blend and your mind is set off into its spacey blackness. Though there is room for movement, it is movement primarily within this intergalactic world).

You Gave me the Answer is music-hall kitch, but sweetly honest too, even in its parody, and Magneto and Titanium Man is just great. Brilliant. It sounds so fresh now that I can imagine if it was re-released, with some kind of funky comic-cartoon video, it would be a great hit.

Letting go is grinding, guitar rock, and beats down your stereo with a mallet whilst Spirits of Ancient Egypt is another funky, slightly hazey track.

I love Medicine Jar too. Often dismissed because it isn't by McCartney, and because Venus and Mars is only usually bought by McCartney fans (Rather than, say, the general music fan), it is a stonker. A great stomping rhythmn and some great imagery.

Call me back again is an echoey stadium track, McCartney on great form vocally, and rises and rises into a great singalong grandness.

Listen to what the man said, everyone knows, and is the most poppy of any of the tracks here.

Treat her gently is sweet and melodic (Though maybe a little patronising for the elderly, of which Sir Paul is kind of one now though not so lonely) and Crossroads theme grinds us to a halt.

Overall a great album. I love it.