Customer Reviews

Venus & Mars

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Look, this album is one of McCartney's unsung masterpieces--frivolous perfection from start to finish, pure candy-coated bliss. But the DTS--who did this thing? For starters, the song order has been shuffled, which wouldn't be an issue on other albums but which matters entirely to this album, which was sequenced with the care of Abbey Road and Dark Side of the Moon, the two albums it directly quotes, both visually and musically. Also, the versions of "Letting Go," which appears as track 3 (why?) and "Rock Show" sound like remixes or something. They're not the album versions, that's for sue. FOr all of that, the album's triumph, the linked pair of "Listen to What the Man Said" and "Treat Her Gently," sounds positively magnificent. The latter track particularly benefits from the 5.1 mix: the orchestra plays throughout here, with luscious harps and cellos buried in the original mix. So a precursor to what we can expect when McCartney himself oversees an SACD remix.

I won't address the songs themselves, but this DTS version is a novelty item at best. The instruments come through as half bright and half muddy and the DTS recording engineer, no doubt named Todd or Dave, seemed to think it was funny to move the voices around from speaker to speaker to speaker in classic "Hey, watch this; this is cool" mode. Bad call, Ripley. I just hope the remastered CD sounds better than this. I would not buy it again.

This sounds like an amateur (maybe Paul) mixed it in his basement. A very very sorry DTS recording! Shame on DTS for letting this one out! First he's behind, then for no reason in front, to the sides, awful! Just AWFUL!! Who do they think they are kidding? If you don't believe me, or want just about the worst surround disc ever made, put this high on your list. It's just AWFUL!!

I love McCartney, and this is one fine album, but get the stereo version, this compressed and uneven disc is DOA!!

As with the DTS CD of "Band on the Run", the DTS CD version of "Venus and Mars" is a very early DTS attempt. It is presented in 4.0 quadraphonic sound (no center or LFE/SW channels) taken from a mid-70s quadraphonic mix. Everything that was wrong with the "Band on the Run" DTS CD is multiplied with this release.

Unlike the stable mix in "Band on the Run", the "Venus and Mars" DTS CD has instruments flying around all four of the active speakers. Even the background vocals make trips around all the speakers by the time the "ooohhhss" have finished in "Magneto and Titanium Man". You can almost get tired listening to all the movement - talk about a band on the run!

The equalization is even further off than the "Band on the Run" DTS CD attempt. Also, the DTS CD's song running order is different than any other version of the "Venus and Mars" album. It takes a while to get used to tracks running in different orders. I suspect that the different order had something to do with the original quad record mastering process but should have been reversed for a DTS CD.

I guess the different running order makes this CD a collectors item. However, if you want to listen to "Venus and Mars" music, stick with the regular CD until a newer multichannel SACD or DVD-Audio disc is available (sometime).

Paul McCartney always wanted Wings to be more that just his backing band. He wanted them to be a complete band, with himself considered as just another member. Previous releases were credited to Paul McCartney & Wings, but in order to strenghen the group idea, Venus & Mars was the first album to be released as just Wings. It was also the first to have songs sung by other band members. While on subsequent releases this strategy contributed to uneven albums, it works out great on Venus & Mars. Denny Laine contributes the mystical "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt" and Jimmy McCullough plays soothsayer on the excellent "Medicine Jar". The song is about the inability to quit using drugs and McCullough would, himself, fatally overdose just a few years later. Even though Mr. McCartney tried to foster the group atmosphere, he, of course, is the true star of the album. The album opens with the dreamy "Venus & Mars" and seiges right into the roaring "Rock Show". "Listen To What The Man Said" is different from just about anything else in the McCartney catalog as it's very jazzy in nature. It was the album's only number one single. Other standout tracks include the rocking "Letting Go", "Call Me Back Again", the goofy "Magneto & Titanium Man" and "Love In Song". Venus & Mars doesn't get the praise that Band On The Run got, but it is the equal to and in many ways a better and more interesting record.

To me this is the concept album of the Wings era. Rock Show, a seventies song about performance like Sgt Pepper's opening track and You Gave Me The Answer, the vaudeville, When I'm 64. No where near as succinct as SPLHC Band but it is Macca at his grooviest.

My first finds of the "Venus & Mars" album were in the bargain-bins on its original Capitol label years ago."Venus & Mars" takes off perfectly where "Band on the Run" ended. "Love in Song" is among some of Paul's finest tunes. Songs like "Listen to What the Man Says" and "Treat Her Gently" show just where Paul's heart is and are only proof that he is always the realest of the members of the Beatles. "Rock Show" and "Spirits of Ancient Egypt" are among the most rocking tunes on this album. The disc version of "Venus & Mars" takes on a second life with the fabulous bonus tracks "Zoo Gang," "LunchBox/Odd Sox," & "My Carnival," which were only available as B-sides before. "Venus & Mars" is a must for those who love the tunes like "Helen Wheels" and "Let me Roll it" on the "Band on the Run" album.

Listen, I really love Paul Mccartney and his group Wings music. Loved them for years. In general, this is one of their best lp's and one of the best classic rock lp's of all time. But, you've got to be kidding. This is without a doubt the worst DTS recording I have ever heard. In short a terrible mix. Thin, trebbly, hardly any bass response, and worse, OUT OF SEQUENCE. SACRILLAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The music is uneven and all over the place. Pauls voice is practically buried in the mix. Did someone say OVERKILL? Surround sound is one thing, but this is something else. Don't waste your money on this. The two channel version will do nicely. I'm sure Paul never approved this mix, and hopefully in the future someone will get it right. Avoid at all costs.

When you listen to this with an open mind you'll find a dam good album.

Some of the lyrics are banal, the synthesizers sound dated and a few of the tracks should have been ditched completely but McCartneys melodic genius pulls it through. I don't know what Magneto and Titanium Man is about but I love that track. The driving rhythm combined with a marvellous melody and the lift when it goes to the middle section "Well there she were.." - just great.

I can easily imagine "Letting Go", "Call me back again" and perhaps the best track on the album "Listen to what the man said" being on an imaginary Beatles albums in the 70's if they had continued.

OK so overall its not as good, and critically not as important, as The Beatles albums, but without the input of John, George and Ringo this is better than anyone could expect. Listen with open ears!

Maybe Venus and Mars isn't the equal of Band on the Run. Okay. But, remember, Band on the Run is considered a great album by many. When you listen to songs like "Listen to What the Man Said" and "Medicine Jar," among others, it's pretty easy to realize that this is a very good, if not a great, album. When you compare it to most of McCartney's later work, Venus and Mars looks like a masterpiece.