Ram

Paul McCartney

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 3, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 17, 1971
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002UC7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (181 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,130 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Technically, it was Paul and Linda McCartney, since this album was very much a collaboration between them. Some of the material was of the standard we expected ("Monkberry Moon Delight," "The Backseat of My Car," "Uncle Albert/AdmiralHalsey"), but somehow it all seemed entirely too whimsical, as if they'd spent a bit too long isolated on the farm. It was the expectations that were the problem, of course. Paul was simply making a lighthearted album, and we wanted earth-shaking pronouncements. Take Ram on its own terms (i.e., fun), and it's throughly enjoyable. --Chris Nickson

Product Description
Reissue of the 1971 album. Paul McCartney's 2nd solo album, which was credited as a collaboration with his wife, Linda, is a more substantial and produced effort, yet it has much of the same homemade charm as its predecessor. Divided between simple pop/rockers and cleverly constructed mini-suites like 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' and 'Back Seat of My Car', Ram doesn't gel into any major statement, but it has many pleasurable detours. McCartney layers the ramshackle rhythm tracks with odd sound effects and off-kilter arrangements. While the production might not always work, it does make for pleasant ear candy, not only on lovely songs like 'Heart of the Country' but also on throwaway numbers like the hard-rocking 'Smile Away' and 'Monkberry Moon Delight'. Packaged in a paper sleeve. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Critically underrated album deserves 2nd look, November 21, 1998

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

I've always liked this album. I bought it in 1971 when it came out and thought that it was a sophisticated well written album with a few clunkers. Time hasn't changed that assessment. Yes, there is whimsy and, yes, there is garbage but, all in all, it sounds terrific. The songs appear to be about nothing but....take a second look at some of the pointed lyrics written about his former band mates. McCartney also makes observations about politics, goes on a little road trip about sex and romance. He also examines the serenity of down home living. Is it a deep album? No, but that wasn't its intention. Here is a bit of trivia for those interested. "Ram on" appears to be a throwaway title when, in fact, it refers to the pseudonym Paul used during the Beatles' early days--Paul Ramon. So, the song is a very personal fragment written about his salvation--Linda. It is every bit as infectious as "Oh Yoko" and any of John's other love songs. My only complaint--"Back seat of my car" is a great song and the production is very good, but the orchestration is overkill. This is where the tasteful string arranging skills of George Martin would come in handy(I think Paul realized this himself when, in later years, he repeatedly returned to Sir George for arrangments). Macca has taken a lot of critical drubbing, but it's time for a critical reassessment of his work. Yes, he recorded a lot of crap(WILD LIFE, WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND), but at his best he is virtually unmatched as a tunesmith. Oh, one other thing--he's still a great rock'n' roll shouter.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars party with Paul, October 31, 2004

By	running_man (Chesterfield Twp., MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Released in May of 1971, this is Paul McCartney's second 'solo' LP, preceding his formation of the band 'Wings' for the 'Wild Life' album. It's a one-hundred percent improvement on his mediocre self-titled 'debut' album. Although 'Ram' did yield a number one hit for McCartney, the lush 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey', that song is far from the best song in the 'Ram' collection. That simple fact is instructive about the high quality of the album, which is solid from start to finish. And while wife Linda receives co-billing with McCartney on the album cover and in the song credits, and despite some endearing background vocals from her, Linda's contributions are surely overstated here, most likely as another swipe at Paul's ex-collaborator John Lennon.

'Ram' is, if nothing else, a fun collection of witty pop and rock songs. It most likely was intended as nothing more than that. While its style would certainly encourage John to continue ravaging Paul's productions for their pop sensibilities and 'meaninglessness' relative to his own crusades for peace and justice in the world, Paul's work probably produced a lot more peace and joy than John ever Imagined (pun intended). The songs on 'Ram' are not simply bouncy dance music, but bouyant numbers that bring pleasant and comforting images to heart and mind. Songs such as '3 Legs', 'Smile Away', 'Monkberry Moon Delight' and 'Eat At Home' are just a joy to experience, while the lighter fare, such as 'Heart of the Country', 'Long Haired Lady', and 'The Back Seat of My Car' are poignant and touching. There is an incredible mix of sounds, an aural cornucopia, on the production that keeps the listener attentive and interested. While 'Band On the Run' is often heralded as McCartney's best post-Beatles work, this album gives away little ground to that widely acclaimed classic. The only thing lifting 'Band On the Run' over the top of 'Ram' is its unifying theme. The individual songs run a dead heat between the two discs.

Despite the quality of these performances, only 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' has received consistant exposure over the years, which actually contributes to the album aging well and remaining fresh and accessible. After taking hits for the quality of the musicianship on his debut LP, Paul pulled together a slick, professional collection of studio performers for this outing, the most notable of which are future Wing drummer Denny Seiwell, and guitarist Hugh McCracken, who has backed up everyone from Steely Dan to Paul Simon. Also featured is guitarist David Spinozza, who ironically would later contribute to John Lennon's 'Mind Games' LP.

'Ram' rose to number two on the album charts in mid-1971, and remained in the Top 100 for 37 weeks, a testament to its quality despite the widespread panning it received in critical reviews. It's really a shame that McCartney has had to endure so much undeserved criticism over the years for what his music isn't, rather than having his work appreciated for what it is. Being a Beatle certainly had a down-side. But be advised that 'Ram' is as much an unheralded masterpiece as any production associated with a Beatle could be, a disc sure not to collect much dust on whatever shelf it may grace. Paul once remarked that he couldn't understand how anyone could listen to this disc and not enjoy it, and I wholeheartedly agree. It's a five star effort.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Effortless genius from the true pop master, June 30, 2005

By	Garbageman (the other side of California) - See all my reviews

This is a real hard album for me to even write about. But I got my hands on a remastered copy this week... and... BAM. There it was again: those melodies... those creeping, effortlessly-written, sensual melodies, jamming every song until they are overflowing with sound... I mean, does it really get any better with Paul?

A quick glance of the reviews here makes me sick. "Not as good as John's 'Imagine'.." "they spent too much time on the farm"... "too whimsical"... bah! What a legacy he had to uphold! And even from supposed Professional Beatleologists! But here he does it with grace and style and a fantastic sense of what needs to go on in a perfect pop song. Truly, there aren't any better pop songs on one single Beatle-related album than "Ram".

The influence of this record is still being felt. You could uphold the entire post-90's indie-pop scene (from Elephant 6 and their cadre all the way up to the new crop of SubPop poppy singers a la Fruit Bats and Long Winters) and trace it to "Ram". That a whole new, younger generation of fans has discovered the fountain of melody within pleases the heck out of me.

"Long Haired Lady", "Back Seat of My Car", and "Uncle Albert" are pure Paul pop masterpieces each. The hidden ditties, "Ram On", "Smile Away", "Eat At Home", are all essential in the context of the whole thing. "Dear Boy" and "Heart of the Country" are so fantastic in their simplicity and confidence you could almost see him writing them in literally minutes. The whole thing is just excellent... tasty pop good-naturedness that it's almost unbelievable that he would put that photo on the back cover. He didn't need to. This album alone would have provoked a good enough response from John so as to make any photo irrelevant. (And for the record, I find "Imagine" to be a pretty decent album, but not a melodic one at that, sort of disturbing and hard to follow, and highly impersonal at that.)

This is definitely the best Sunday Morning album ever recorded and one of my top 5 Beatles-related records of all time. It never loses its sweetness. Highly recommended.