To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Paul and Linda McCartney's 1971 masterpiece RAM, the album will be reissued May 14, 2021, as a limited-edition half-speed mastered vinyl pressing via UMe. Paul's most recent release, the #1 album McCartney III, recorded in "Rockdown" last year, saw a return to the homespun, lo-fi style of the earliest days of his solo career. The eclectic charm and intimacy of 1970's McCartney and 1971's RAM found Paul redefining his post-Beatles creative identity, while unconsciously rewriting the rules of pop music and creating new genres along the way—or as Pitchfork would later describe RAM's sustained influence on generations of fans and musicians alike, "inventing an approach to pop music that would eventually become someone else's indie-pop." The only album to be credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney, RAM was created mostly at Paul and Linda's farm in Scotland (following initial, more traditional studio sessions in New York). Unlike the completely solo sessions that resulted in Paul's eponymous debut album, the recording of RAM found Paul and Linda enlisting a number of musicians, including Denny Seiwell, who would become a founding member of Wings, Paul's next musical adventure. The RAM sessions were completed in early 1971, also yielding the standalone single Another Day, a worldwide hit that preceded RAM's May 1971 release. RAM's singular sonic palette was unlike its predecessor—or anything else for that matter—and has grown exponentially in stature and influence over the decades. Critically polarizing at the time, the album was instantly beloved by fans, hitting #1 in the UK and giving Paul his first post-Beatles American #1 single, the GRAMMY-winning Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. In recent years the record has continued to solidify its standing as one of the most loved in Paul's unparalleled output. Fans and critics alike continue to sing its praises: Rolling Stone has hailed the album as a "masterpiece" and "a grand psychedelic ramble full of divine melodies," Pitchfork has praised it as "a domestic-bliss album, one of the weirdest, earthiest, and most honest ever made," and Mojo, perhaps most accurately of all, has deemed RAM "quintessentially McCartney."
Does anyone know if there has been any note if there’ll be a brick and mortar release for this. Or is it gonna be online only?
For the same price, one can probably buy a clean UK reissue that’s all analog and will sound better than the half speed master.
I'm in! That said; the lives of non-obsessive Beatles fans will never be easy with those releases yielding new threads all the time. Hahaha! Suffer, you non believers!
I don't see what the point is as all copies of Ram (from first UK/US LP issue to the deluxe set from some years back) are sourced from a master tape that was copied sloppily with poor azimuth. Seriously...try listening to "Ram" in mono. The highs just mush up, degrade and waver from poor or no azimuth adjustments somewhere between mixing and final two-track stereo master for the majority of the album. It makes sense why a dedicated mono mix of the LP for radio was made: the stereo mix won't fold properly because of the problem. They would be better off attempting a new remix from the multis and fixing the problem once and for all.
They’re an independent retailer so they will. This title is exclusive to... the Paul McCartney Store, Universal Music Group’s direct-to-consumer shops like UDiscover Music, and perhaps most importantly during these times, local record shops - find yours here.
Waiting for this to pop up for Canadian retailers. Also, disappointed that there is no 8-track reissue
Thanks! I'm bitter towards MusicVaultz because they cancelled my yellow McCartney III. I think they'll be able to fulfill the order this time around, but I'd rather try to buy it from a local record store or even Amazon...
Is Harry father of Kate? I have a Swedish copy of Ram with HTM in the dead wax. It sounds like a sheep’s bladder. Love it!
Ha ha No, Harry T Moss was a long time mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios. He cut all of the Beatles albums and countless others.
You’re a living encyclopedia, Tommyboy! I wonder how a half-speed mastered ”Ram” would sound if cut by Kate Moss... Thin?