McCartney Archive Collection - Venus & Mars and Speed of Sound "Coming Soon"

Anybody know whether Paul has a version of the song Venus and Mars as one complete song, rather than broken into two separate songs? That song has one of Paul's best melodies and I always regret that the song (either half) ends too soon.

 

I remember meeting Steve at CES a few years back, holding aloft my DCC CD of Venus and Mars, and thanking him emphatically for his work on it. He probably (and correctly) thought I was a crazed fanboy.

It was one of my three demo discs - I made more than one hi-fi manufacturing luminary sit through Venus and Mars/Rock Show at full blast.

 

So how does the DCC of Venus and Mars sound? Is it still compressed? I guess I'm wondering if the master tapes for V&M can be made to sound good, without going to a remix (which will never happen). I only have the standard issue CD and I'm wondering if the DCC version is worth tracking down or if I should just wait for the remaster to come out.

I'll be very surprised if we see any outtakes on either of these albums, though I'd welcome it. We haven't seen any on the other releases have we? We got the singles and a handful of live tracks mostly. Ram really was a surprise though, getting the mono album and Thrillington album included. And I'd be shocked if anything from Mike McGear is included in these sets - I just don't see it happening.

 

Ram had some unreleased outtakes: Hey Diddle; Great Cock and Seagull Race; Rode All Night; and Sunshine Sometime. Arnie

 

Oh, you're right. I should have said I'd be surprised if we see any demos or alternate takes. That's what I was thinking.

 

McCartney and McCartney II also.

 

Technically, the Great Cock and Seagull Race wasn't "unreleased," as Paul had played it (albeit a mix with more overdubs) on a radio show and said it was something he was working on as a "b-side."

 

So, technically, which, um, release does this appear on (apart from the Ram reissue)?

I'd argue that it WAS unreleased, just not unheard.

 

*vomits*

 

I'll agree that it's not the strongest Wings album, but I wouldn't call it awful (except maybe Cook of the House). I actually think The Note You Never Wrote, Must Do Something About It & San Ferry Anne are pretty good. Time to Hide and She's My Baby aren't that bad either. You like Warm and Beautiful - I don't.

I probably like it better now than when it was first released. Upon release I was disappointed that it had so many band members songs, instead of being all written/sung by McCartney. I guess I've come to accept it for what it is and realized that most of the band members songs aren't that bad.

 

Despite what everyone seems to feel about the compression, I think it sounds superb, but I'm likely biased by the music itself. It was one of those definitive albums I listened to in high school. And I just bought a second DCC V&M at Amoeba last weekend as a backup - I feel it is currently the best digital version out there, at least until the new one comes out for evaluation (unless someone has a better one to suggest - if so, I'd appreciate it).

I made it a CES demo disc, as the first two tracks nicely reflect acoustic and electric guitar. Steve did a great job with what he was given to work with. And CES gives you an incredible opportunity to audition a wide range of new systems in every price range - despite the hotel room acoustics, you still get a decent idea of what is possible. Based on my music library, Venus and Mars/Rock Show helps illustrate what a system is capable of in those two areas.

 

I think "Venus and Mars" and "Speed of Sound" may come out at the same time, like "Mc" and "Mc2," because "Speed of Sound" is too weak to be the only archival release of, say, 2015. Hopefully we get both around Christmas and they move on to other albums.

 

Much as I agree with answers 2 and 3, I've never felt the love for the single mix that others feel. To me it seems wimpy after the album version. And anyway, it fades out WAYYYY too early

 

It would certainly make sense for these two to be released together, since they were recorded by the same personnel. The 'Wings Over America' reissue is also a good primer for any new or casual fans interested in those albums.

 

I'd be embarrassed to make V&M a demo disc at CES. Drums sound like cardboard being hit when their not buried. One of the worst sounding Wings discs. ATSOS sounds so much better.

 

The Note You Never Wrote and San Ferry Anne are great. Silly Love Songs is always a skip for me, Warm And Beautiful could have been great if it had been recorded/produced better.

 

I would be hugely annoyed and angry if they did this.

At the very least, all the albums should be remastered and reissued as 2 CD sets with bonus tracks.

The back catalogue for someone like McCartney should be in print on CD, not download only.

 

I agree completely, but that doesn't mean it will turn out that way.

 

Maybe, but I think it would be strange to release some titles on CD and others as download only.

 

I'm hopeful that they will at least reissue the whole shebang eventually - at least single disc. No way in hell super deluxe versions for everything and, if I had to bet, no way each disc would get the 2 disc DE tx either.

 

I'd say it was released to commercial radio--it was played that first time and, IIRC, might have been played again on Paul's Oobu Joobu radio show. It was never released to the public for purchase, though.

 

I don't think it would be strange at all--at least, there is recent precedent for this. The remastered Anthology 1,2, and 3 sets and the remastered Let It Be . . . Naked album were released as downloads only, while the "core catalog" of the Beatles remasters were released on CD.

 

I didn't think it was released - I mean, I've never so much as heard a sniff that there's ever been a promo. Perhaps Macca turned up one day with an acetate and let them spin it but that doesn't mean it was released in any definition of the word.

 

Since this created a precedent: Maybe then Paul can turn up at some radio station now, play the 27-minute version of Helter Skelter or Carnival Of Light, and then go back home. What's stopping him, right? Arnie

 

Well, by Billy's definition, "Carnival of Light" was "released" in 1967 because they played it once at a happening.