Paul McCartney Album by Album Thread

I like "Ram" but it's not my favorite McCartney solo album. My impression is "Ram" is McCartney's "Pet Sounds". It's the album in which he is at his peak as a producer/arranger.

However, I feel the songwriting does not always match the imaginative arrangements. It does have enough good songs to make it worthwhile and it is generally a lot of fun, even in the weaker tracks. The sole exception for me is "Long Haired Lady", which I do not find appealing at all.

The album's highlight is the "Ram On/Dear Boy/Uncle Albert" segment.

 

“I did cocaine for about a year around the time of Sgt. Pepper,” --> Paul McCartney got no thrill from heroin

 

RAM to me is the culmination of Paul's greatest period of songwriting, from 1966-1971. It inhabits a unique, magical place in his discography. Even the tracks that didn't make the cut have that sparkle. These days I think of RAM almost as much as an era rather than just an album, which includes about 24 different songs, in my estimation, if you include "Brung to Ewe By"... Double the RAMness, if you will.

RAM to me is also Paul at his most effortlessly inventive AND least calculated. He would later be just as inventive, but he would be more careful about when and to what degree. He would also let his guard down again in the future at times, but not necessarily during such a fertile period in terms of his songwriting, production, and vocal prowess.

To me the biggest tragedy is the critical slaying he got, because if RAM had been embraced critically back then the way it is today, his career might have continued on quite a different path. In early 1971 you've got him working on tracks like "Ram On" and "Dear Boy"... clearly he's going in an interesting direction here... And then, "Mumbo". Which has its charms, but you get the idea. It could have continued on very differently, but still we have this. It's the only solo album by any of the boys that I love just as much as the Beatles' best collective work.

 

Ram is not my #1 McCartney album (it's my #3), but it's certainly the best-produced of Macca's LPs. And when temporarily forgetting Memory Almost Full to consider how Paul albums usually sound, that's saying something!

 

It's funny... I used to hear that as the theme to a sci-fi tv series I imagined in my head.. The first half was the opening theme and the second half was the closing credits....

Thanks for spurring that memory...

 

Maybe a dumb question, but was it always in that aspect ratio or has it been cropped for YT?

 

Your least favorite is my favorite on here.

 

No twin freaks? Off the ground compkete works. I was surprised to see compilations such as all the best so if those are here you might as well throw in things like: Paul McCartney rocks, never stop doing what you love.

 

I also hear themes from non-existent TV series in "Heather" and "Singalong Junk"--and, of course, "Crossroads" was a real theme!

 

This sums up what I think about the RAM album:

RAM: McCartney's solo most significant album? | Paul McCartney Recording Sessions

 

Ram was the first album I ever bought. 1971 I was 15 years old and just had purchased my first modest stereo-equopment. Of course I was very familiar with both the Beatles and the first solo-albums. My friends had all the albums including stuff like Two Virginis. Plastic Ono Band and McCartney

There were lot s of discussions and arguments among us who was the best among the Beatles. These discussions became more heatet after the schreening of Let it be when we realised they were in-band fighting. The most radical among us picked George-ecspecially after ATMP. I was very farcinated with Lennons first solo-stuff but right from the release off McCartney the low-key charm, melodic strenght and voice of Paul was my true favorite. His music connected with me on a sheer emotional level. That feeling strenghtened even more with Ram-that album really stretched my Imagination
At the time Ram was an incredible popular album and I was only vaguley aware about the critics. On the contary we found it just as cool as the stuff from the other Beatles.

The anthemic rock of Too many people, eccentric blues of Three legs, hard rock of Monkberry Moon delight. melodic wonders of Dear Friend or Ram on-it was all there.Not to mention the pop of Eat at home and grandiosity of Back seat of my car or acoustic charms of Heart of the country. Or the stunning and very beatlesque Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Even the colourful, vibrant album cover startled my imagination. At the time Ram for me and some if my friends were as close as a new Beatles album we ever came. Even though it sounded nothing like the Beatles
So one of the reasons I still hold Ram in such a high regard is based of all the time. Now knowing more about the circumstances of the recording I even admire it more. Knowing also all the great songs that didn t make it on the album like Another day or Little lamb Dragonfly it was an extremwly creative period for Paul ecspecially given all the turmoiil surrounding him at the time

To this day I think Ram is the solo-beatle album that is most close to a ”real”Beatles album. Not because it sounds like the Beatles or contains better songs than say Imagine, All things must pass or Band on the run. No -for me it has more to do with a certain feel and vibe of the album. A certain magic so to say

What a great album Ram still is almost 50 years later

 

One of the things that I enjoy is the sequencing of RAM.

The obvious ones are Too Many People as the opener and Back Seat Of My Car as the closer.
But even Heart of the Country-
Monkberry Moon Delight works.

I'm not sure how much thought was put into it, but it works.
Boy, it works.

 

Great idea. I've listened to the episodes on McCartney and Red Rose Speedway, both of which I enjoyed very much. I'm looking forward to listening to the episode on Ram.

 

I must admit that until I started participating in Paul-related message boards about 10 years ago I had no idea that there were sentient humans who actually liked Ram. To my dying day I will find it mystifying. Your mileage may vary (pretty clearly it already does in many cases).

 

A nice instrumental cover of "Ram On" by They Might Be Giants:

 

Absolutely love RAM. If there was ever a "desert island" disc, this would be one I'd choose. I think side two is perfect. And I adore "Long Haired Lady". The "love is long" part is such sweet ear candy to me

 

Ram is an album I've liked since it came out. As a teen I liked the whole album more than I do now. But the songs on it that I've always particularly loved, I still particularly love them just as much. The songs I more easily tolerated as a teen I just skip these days. Ram is down to about half of an album, although with the excellent bonus tracks it's back up to a full length. Even so, of all the McCartney albums with songs I skip, Ram is the one where I would have the least aversion to still playing the complete album.

Best song on it by far is Too Many People. Dear Boy, Smile Away, Heart of the Country, Monkberry, and Eat at Home are the others I still enjoy. Even way back before CDs I would often just stop the album after Eat at Home.

The bonus tracks I love are Another Day, Oh Woman Oh Why, Little Woman Love, A Love for You, and Hey Diddle. So listening to it without the songs I don't like, and adding in those bonus tracks makes it a fantastic album to me. As it was originally released, it's an okay album, one of his better ones actually, but not great start to finish for me.

One other interesting thing I discovered a few years ago listening to the "Pure McCartney" concert done by Tim Christensen of the full Ram album -- the songs I don't like on the original album I like much better in this show. So maybe it's just the way McCartney does the songs, and the production of them, that drives me away more. Anyway, I think this is a fantastic show, and much more enjoyable to me than actually seeing/hearing McCartney doing the same songs live (that he has ever done so far).

 

Both RAM and McCartney are, for me, just behind Band on the Run. I’d probably put Electric Arguments (THE underrated gem of the McCartney catalogue), Memory Almost Full (Which I seem to love more than most), Chaos, and New are all more or less also on the same level for me. All are great, but a step below BOTR.

Oh, and Flowers in the Dirt too! Although, for me, that album ends with “That Day Is Done.” It’s near-perfect to that point. The three songs that follow, however, definitely take it down a notch (Or maybe two) for me. We’ll discuss more when we get to that album.

And Venus and Mars is perhaps a step below all of those, with some great songs, and some definite filler. Flaming Pie as well. When it’s good, it’s really, really good. But a few songs on it are (IMO), just lousy.

I have no idea how to rank Choba B CCCP and Run Devil Run. Love them both, but I don’t know how to rate albums of (almost) entirely covers to albums of original songs.

Everything else (Not counting compilations or live) is well below the aforementioned. Try as I might, I could not get into Egypt Station. “I Don’t Know” was easily my favorite there, but the title sums up my feelings about most of the rest of it.

 

Not me! Love that track.

We played it one night on a radio show at a classic rock station I used to work at, years ago. It was an “all-request” show (Which wasn’t really ALL request, but I digress), and that one song really got me to start reconsidering Paul’s solo stuff. Came to realize there were some incredible “deep tracks” there and not just some catchy hit singles.

Anyhow, I bought RAM and mostly love it to this day, a few things work better than others, but it’s really strong start to finish. “Smile Away” is easily one of my favorite Paul rockers.

True confession: For a good while, I though the backing vocals were “Gonna smoke a doobie, gonna smoke a doobie...” This may have been part of my love for the song. Always sounded like a stoner anthem to me, and given Paul’s pot proclivities it made sense. Still a great “pot song” IMO whether intended or not!

 

I agree. It’s kind of a hodge podge not unlike “McCartney,” (Which I also love, as previously noted) but, while the former has few actual songs on it, RAM has more fully realized songs.

No one song as powerful as “Maybe I’m Amazed,” but damn... “Albert/Halsey,” “Smile Away,” “Too Many People,” “Heart of the Country,””Monkberry,” “Eat at Home,” and (Perhaps the album’s most underrated gem) “Back Seat of My Car”? That last one could’ve/should’ve been a Beatles song. It’s a mini-epic that really showcases Paul’s melodic gifts.

Would anyone call this Paul’s most “Beatlesque” album? I am not trying to specifically compare the songs on RAM to any specific Beatles songs, but to me RAM is basically Paul’s own White Album, with perhaps some Sgt. Pepper/MMT or Abbey Road touches throughout.

When the deluxe came out, I sprang for the 2 CD version. Love everything on that second disc too. Even the outtakes are top-notch. Wish I’d known the album in its time too (Impossible, as I was only a year or so old). To hell with the critics.

It was a very fun, loose time for Paul as he must’ve felt liberated from being a Beatle. But I think the critical drubbing affected him. He was not nearly as experimental or ambitious after this. Not for a good long while, at least. I think he retreated a bit, going more for the “McCartney” (the album’s) homespun vibe with underwhelming results.

The next couple of albums he did were (IMO) not nearly as good. In fact, not very good at all. Some OK songs, maybe, but that’s all. Maybe the discussion here will make me reconsider and give them another try. But I doubt it.

 

Agreed.

Only complaint from me, and it’s a minor one: When I first heard the whole album I was disappointed that “Admiral Halsey” crossfaded with the start of “Smile Away,” but I am so used to it by now that it no longer bugs me as much. And since I have “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” in full elsewhere it really doesn’t matter.

The fact that Paul has never performed “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” live, however, irks me.

 

“Grotesque” production? Wow.

Takes all kinds, I guess.

 

I was around in 1970, bought it..loved it. Half of the songs are great. One classic song Maybe I’m Amazed. Inspired gatefold album cover ..loads of photos. 8/10 rating.

 

RAM is the best. For me, it’s not the best Paul album, it’s flat out just one of the best albums of all time. There’s not much I can say. Brilliant progressive pop songwriting, lush and romantic arrangements, rock grit, spot on stellar vocals, instrumentation and sequencing... and then there’s the bonus material which is equally as engaging. Another Day is pop perfection. This was an album nobody was ready for in 1971; completely ahead of it’s time in terms of presentation and execution. It’s 2019 and we’re only barely ready for it. It just does something in a way that no other album I’ve ever heard does and that includes Pet Sounds and Sargent Pepper’s. It draws the listener into a bizzare and fantastic trip where nothing is perfect but nothing matters, and it doesn’t let you out of its grip until the last second. I won’t say that it’s an album I expect everyone to appreciate, I think it is more niche than your standard “best albums of all time,” but what it does so well you won’t find anywhere else, and that is special, and worthy of acclaim.

 

Terrible album, next!


I kid, I jest!