Venus and Mars (1975)
1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show
2. Love in Song
3. You Gave Me the Answer
4. Magneto and Titanium Man
5. Letting Go
6. Venus and Mars (Reprise)
7. Spirits of Ancient Egypt
8. Medicine Jar
9. Call Me Back Again
10.Listen to What the Man Said
11.Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People
12.Crossroads *
13.Zoo Gang *
14.Lunch Box/Odd Sox *
15.My Carnival *
* CD Bonus Track
 
Following in the footsteps of the
incredibly successful Band on the Run,
this album really doesn't try, surprisingly, to replicate its
predecessor. This album is a much more straightforward set of songs,
that delivers what it intends to, but sadly never quite takes off like
his last record. This time the "Wings" is more of a real band, although
I never really could keep up with who was in Wings during any particular
time in the band's existence. It was pretty obvious that if you played
in a band with Paul McCartney, he was going to call all of the shots
anyway, although there is one track here (Medicine Jar) done by
someone in the group other than Paul. It does seem a bit out of place
in that regard.
The opening track (I guess it's really two tracks) does seem to
try to mirror the title song from the last album - changing time
signatures and tempo a total of three times, the last being the "strong
part" of the song singing about rock stars in the seventies performing
under the red and yellow lights - yet it doesn't really quite have the
bite that Band on the Run (the song) did. It did chart, but the
song hasn't aged that well. The best song on the album is the
ever-catchy Listen to What The Man Said, which every one seems to
know, and it climbed all the way to number one on the charts.
The rest of the album is rather unspectacular. All songs are good and
he doesn't embarrass himself at all. There's a little bit of
"everything" that Paul can do, including a 1920's style flapper called
You Gave Me the Answer which is damn catchy, to the point of one
being embarrassed that they actually like it. You definitely wouldn't
catch John Lennon doing something like this. Sadly the "bonus" edition has several
songs that are all worthless and actually bring the whole experience
down a notch. Overall, not one of his best, but not one of his worst
either.
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