starcollector's Full Review: Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney
(Disclaimer: Those looking for a brief description of the album will find what they’re looking for in the "Review Body" section. The section titled "Track Reviews" is meant only for those who want to read detailed descriptions of the songs, and they do not constitute the essence of this review. Lastly and most importantly, this review is not necessarily written by the point of view of a Paul McCartney fan.)
Overall Score: 5+/5
Best song: Anything could qualify
Worst song: Huh???
Review Body:
Prepare yourself for some insufferable fan worship: I like this album more than most Beatles albums, which is a position that I’m sure will be met with its fair share of upturned eyebrows! But it’s true… Ram is an utterly charming album filled to the brim of great melodies and creative ideas. It’s homely (and homemade) and tons more modest than any Beatles album. I’m pretty certain that I’ve even listened to Ram more than I’ve heard any single Beatles album, and ever since I first heard it in 2002 it gets heavy rotation to this day (2007).
I can’t believe how many horrible reviews I read of this album… The one published by Rolling Stones goes to show how little they understand music. They call it inconsequential and too lightweight --- something that supposedly devalued his previous work with The Beatles and the music of the 1960s in general. Of course, that’s nonsense. The Beatles were just a rock band, after all… Also, somehow the fact that McCartney was the most melodically gifted member of that four-some escapes some reviewer’s mindsets. YES, THIS IS THE SAME GUY WHO WROTE “LADY MADONNA,” AND HE STILL HAS IT!!! Other reviewers tend to claim that the album contains “filler.” Some have even called it all “filler.” This is also utter hogwash. Even with the homemade feel of it, all these tracks are intricately produced and heavily melodic. Everything’s a masterpiece; everything’s a gem. Don’t change a thing about it!
For the love of pete if you don’t believe me, listen very closely to the album closer “Back Seat of My Car” and try to convince me that it’s throwaway. Hear how it develops… how expertly McCartney almost turns it into a cinematic soundtrack at a few points and its rock ‘n’ roll conclusion. The development is fantastic, varied and utterly flawless. Listen to it very closely. It might seem like lightweight hooey on the outside, but it’s very polished. It’s not over-produced in the slightest, which is probably where the confusion sets in. That’s just one example of the quality of songwriting present on Ram. Everything else (including, even, the critically overlooked “Ram On”) follows suit. Just because McCartney decided not to drench his songs with utter pretentiousness and aimless electric guitar solos doesn’t make it filler! He’s going more for a lighthearted and modest approach, which is something I endorse fully. Something, in retrospect, The Beatles should’ve done more often.
I don’t want to go too much in detail about all the tracks since I’m prone to rant (read the track reviews), but I should certainly make some blanketed statements about them. The big hit of the album was obviously “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey,” and why not? A sprawling masterpiece with more solid melodic ideas than most pop artists can make for a whole album. I never grow tired of listening to that song; it’s just as enjoyable to hear the first time as it is the last. “Monkberry Moon Delight” is as delightful as the song title makes it sound… a throwback to the Beatles’ psychedelic era. “Heart of the Country” is just as homely and charming as it sounds. It’s folksy, and it doesn’t fail to put a smile on children’s faces! … And I’m going to stop there. I wrote too much. Read the track reviews for more details.
To conclude this hopelessly obvious fan-rant, this is an utter triumph of composing! One of the greatest albums of all time!!
Track Reviews:
Too Many PeopleA+
Geez, if this was on any Beatles album, it would have been loved to death by every music critic on the planet no matter how hard-nosed they are. One could argue that this doesn’t even sound like The Beatles, but The Beatles wrote such diverse music that I have no trouble picturing this on a Beatles album. Of course, John is replaced with Linda on back-up vocals, and I miss George’s guitar… But hell, Paul’s a great guitarist, too! Anyway, what’s so special about this song? EVERYTHING! The melody is incredibly catchy, and McCartney shreds some great guitar. That sort of spaced-out introduction is great, and the transition to the main section of the song was flawless… Much more impressive than that is the transition to that unusual “jamming” section at the end with those pounding, marching drums and that “sitar” sound. Beautiful.
Three LegsA
This starts out as an above-average blues tune with McCartney giving a beautiful vocal performance… He gracefully ups the instrumentation as it goes along eventually bringing in a shredding and tuneful electric guitar! And extra points for creativity; he completely changes the riff at the two-minute mark. This could have made another two or three minute song in itself … geez, inspired ideas were just flowing out of this guy!!
Ram OnA+
Hardly worth disliking this song, either. It’s utterly light and airy, but that’s a good quality when done right. I heard it described as filler, but that’s ridiculous! It seems to open with studio noise (just as their warming up, apparently, to play this song). McCartney strums the ukulele and sings a rather spaced-out though still catchy melody. This is accented by an astounding and wonderfully constructed drum rhythm with a beat that sounds like someone’s tap-dancing in a large ballroom. The instrumentation is utterly inspired… a variety of very subtle synthesizers and especially Linda’s back-up vocals were fantastic. I can’t even imagine what’s supposed to be so awful about this… It’s a masterpiece!!
Dear BoyA+
Absolutely charming! … That describes every song on this album, but this one especially. It’s only two minutes long, but it has more melodic ideas than any 12-minute Yes song in existence… Heck, it even has better development and more emotion than any Yes song. Yes, I like Paul McCartney! The vocals are wonderful! You have Paul singing his wonderful melody and then back-up singers (consisting of Paul and Linda) singing something completely different in the background. Amazing work.
Uncle Albert / Admiral HalseyA+
And none of those previous songs were hits! Here’s the song that I hear very frequently on the radio. I do receive a number of flame letters, so I feel perfectly justified for flaming anyone who doesn’t like this song: u suK, donky ballZz!!!!!!!! I’m sure you all know this thing by heart whether you like it or not… The melody is an utterly wonderful, whistleable tune, and the arrangements are an utter triumph! Anyone else love that tuba during the “Admiral Halsey” section?!!?!?!?? … Sorry, I’m droning on like a mind-numbed fan. Actually, I am one. Need to stop.
Smile AwayA
Not inappropriately, Paul decides to deliver a bit o’ hard rock. (Well, “hard rock” in McCartney’s terms… meaning that there’s a driving rhythm and electric guitars.) Again, his melody is excellent, and I do love the guitars. More proof that McCartney’s a fantastic vocalist here… he can belt out his lyrics in a bluesy manner better than any of ‘em, I believe. More of that wonderful development here… this isn’t your ordinary R&B song. The arrangements aren’t as impressive as, say “Uncle Albert” or “Ram On,” but tons more creative than any Led Zeppelin song I’ve heard. Seriously, anyone who can’t appreciate this guy can’t appreciate life.
The Heart of the CountryA+
I love this song, too! Again, the melody serves as more proof that this guy is one of the greatest songwriters on the planet. Ever. This is more of a folksy tune featuring just McCartney singing with lightly strummed guitar, light drumming and bass. Don’t you love his singing voice? So light and airy… Geez, Paul McCartney had it all! He makes this sort of thing look too easy (probably the principle reason some critics don’t like him) … I’ve heard enough perfectly nice Joan Baez compositions that are utter %&$! comparatively.
Monkberry Moon DelightA+
The most fun, most inventive song on the album. Probably correctly identified as the album’s most Beatles-esque track, it revisits the psychedelic era. McCartney sounds like he’s singing at the top of his lungs (though not quite as much as he did on “Helter Skelter”). The melody is catchy, the development is flawless and I love the arrangements! (Geez, these track reviews aren’t being too helpful, are they? This is really a drawback from spending so much time listening to this album.) Some might also consider this Ram’s least fillery song, though I hope you all realized by now that nothing on this album is filler. It’s very distinctive, though, and it’s a highlight among the highlights.
Eat at HomeA+
Help! I’m being bombarded by too much perfection! This one’s with a bit of a country twang without actually resorting to real country-rock (thank god). The bass guitar is as bouncy as can be, and the guitar crunches follow suit wonderfully. Again, the melody is excellent, and the song development is amazing. YAY!
Long Haired LadyA+
Can you ask for anything more? Can I say anything in this track review that I haven’t already said about the other songs??? Everything’s perfect, as usual. I suppose I could try describing it for you, though I urge you to pick up the album and hear it for yourself! This is a six-minute tune and never grows tiring. Not even a little bit. It probably could have gone for longer, and I wouldn’t have cared. The melody is very whistleable and the arrangements are sweet and intricate. More of that excellent vocal work with a beautiful duet between Paul and Linda… The last two minutes repeat the same hook over and over, but Paul keeps layering on instrumentals… Excellent!
Ram on (Reprise)A
Anyone with the “filler” argument might have a point with this… There was really no reason to bring this song up again. Back in their face, though, it’s only a minute long… All that said, it’s really nice to hear it again.
The Back Seat of My CarA+
Proof that McCartney was interested in creating a fully congruent album and Ram is far from inconsequential. It’s actually an extremely well-planned album. This is a perfect “conclusive” song… Specifically designed to be the album closer. McCartney delivers a sentimental tune, and you get to hear him belt out lyrics in a bluesy fashion at the end. Again, the development is wildly varied and interesting (at one point even sounding like a cinema soundtrack). You just wish your favorite rock star was this good of a composer… no wonder so many people resent Ram.
BONUS TRACKS:
Another DayA+
There are bonus tracks, apparently! … Thanks to Rhapsody, I get to hear them. The version of this album I’m always playing on my car stereo simply ends with “Back Seat of My Car.” I do know this song very well, though. My first solo McCartney experience was the then-new greatest hits compilation Wingspan, and this was one of my favorite bits from it. It would’ve fit perfectly well with Ram. The melody is up to his usual standard, and the instrumentation is nice and modest. Very very good.
Oh Woman, Oh WhyB+
Lesser though still likable… I haven’t heard much of this song before this point, but I’m glad I finally get to hear it! Unlike “Another Day,” this wouldn’t have fit too nicely in Ram, and I guess I’m grateful that my version of the album is without these bonus tracks. More of a bluesy song with heavy electric guitars and McCartney delivering a sloppy though still spirited vocal performance. Problem is that the melody doesn’t do it for me… this is predominantly why it doesn’t fit with Ram. It also seems like a parody, which is fine in other contexts. You know, I still actually prefer listening to this than Eric Clapton!!! It’s much more playful. That just goes to show you about my taste in music, I guess.
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