This Is The Thread Where We Praise And Canonize Paul McCartney's "Ram"

Lennon asked Spector, who had produced Lennon's hit "Instant Karma!" earlier that year,[4] to co-produce the album. Spector played piano on "Love",[5] but Lennon and Ono produced the album largely on their own, as Spector was unavailable during most of the recording sessions. Spector mixed the album for three days towards the end of October.[2]

yeah that's discussed in the Spector productions thread

although fwiw I don't consider mixing "hardly involved", mixing is a big deal

true

I get the sense that some of the critical hate for this album came from a general disillusionment with the 60s ideal that McCartney represented. Lennon was more in tune with the creeping cynicism and "aren't the 70s a drag" vibe, while McCartney was still spinning out whimsy. It made some listeners question if his music was ever as serious as they had believed, like somehow the tossed off Uncle Albert medley cheapened the medley on Abbey Road.

I love this album; had no idea McCartney had so much Beatle-juice left in him. I always imagine Dear Boy would be a fun one to bash out on a baby grand in some hotel lobby.

Ram [Apple, 1971]

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a major annoyance. I tolerated McCartney's crotchets with the Beatles because his mates balanced them out; I enjoyed them mildly on McCartney because their scale was so modest; I enjoy them actively on "Monkberry Moon Delight" because it rocks and on "Smile Away" because it's vulgar and funny. But though nothing else here approaches the willful rhythm shifts and above-it-all silliness of the single, most of the songs are so lightweight they float away even as Paulie layers them down with caprices. If you're going to be eccentric, for goodness sake don't be pretentious about it. C+

Ram On came on my Discover Weekly Spotify playlist this morning and I'd forgotten how great even some of the tossed off bits on that record are.

Ram On is the eye of the duck of that album. So sweet

The vocal harmonies all over this record are really lovely... you can really tell Paul worshipped The Beach Boys.

I dislike the album, even after giving the reissue a few years ago several chances (and I loathe "Uncle Albert," for me the worst major solo Beatles single). But "Eat at Home" is still a good cunnilingus song.

as cunnilingus songs go

he's got a few

"Eat at Home" vs. "She's My Baby"

It's a bonus track on the Special Edition of Ram, but anyway I was previously unaware of Little Woman Love vs. TVC15. I'm pretty sure there's a common ancestor, but I don't know what it is.

The vocal harmonies all over this record are really lovely...

there's some grating stuff though. "Long Haired Lady" would be the worst song on any album it appeared on. sometimes if I'm in the right mood the twee charmingness of it is okay but if it was on a Beatles album i would say yeah the Beatles suck.

i've come to really love both of mccartney's first two albums a lot -- the self-titled one has a genuinely melancholy feel, even the instrumentals feel laconic and lonely, like paul's sitting in a room by himself, picking up one instrument after another and messing about with it, trying to cheer himself up. whereas this one is bursting with fun and playfulness, maybe a bit too much ("uncle albert" is at once dazzling and empty, like the abbey road medley without the emotion), but lots of it is on par with paul's late beatles work ("smile away" could have fit onto abbey road, i can easily imagine a great lennon backing vocal for it). and yeah like someone said upthread i wish this album had gotten better reviews so paul had kept making records like this instead of starting wings.

"Long Haired Lady" would be the worst song on any album it appeared on.

whaa?

The "Bees are buzzing" bit with the phased, space echoed acoustic guitars is just all kinds of amazing and totally worthy of the Beatles.

"I get the sense that some of the critical hate for this album came from a general disillusionment with the 60s ideal that McCartney represented. Lennon was more in tune with the creeping cynicism and "aren't the 70s a drag" vibe, while McCartney was still spinning out whimsy."

Yeah, but it's not really psychedelic whimsy per se. I don't see McCartney from "Lady Madonna" on as being particularly of "the '60s."

I absolutely adore "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," by the way. It's "You Know My Name (Look up the Number)" made into a number one hit.

Yes.

The 'long haired lady' hate is about the intro, yeah?

I'm less keen on 'Monkberry', its too long really.

how come no one talks about the backseat of my car? it's better than the long and winding road. dang it's one of the best songs ever written!

Long Haired Lady is great wtf? I think 'Eat At Home' is the only weak point, sounds like a b-side, but even that has its charm.

xpost oh yeah when that intro comes in it's like "A day in the life" as in "OK, last track you guys, but you ain't heard nothing yet.."

was introduced to this album through the instrumental bootleg (believe it was officially released as part of the deluxe reissue) which I'm sure is mentioned upthread since it's very very good - also a great album with vocals (even if Macca may be exaggerating a bit on Monkberry...)

any thoughts on the shared credits Paul/Linda - similar working relationship as Lennon/McCartney, pro forma, smth in btween?

Lennon/Macca didn't work together, mostly, sometimes did.

I would guess that Paul and Linda did work together on things, they were quite close, even though the publishers were all "You just want to keep 50% of the publishing you swines"

i love the long outro on 'long haired lady'

Did you ever hear the remix?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWp80UZx64U

Ha, wow, that's actually not too bad -- and yes, the coda is pretty great.

Weird we're having this conversation at all -- I love this song pretty much unconditionally.

'The Back Seat of My Car' is probably the best song on the record!

CANTAWTAAAAAAAA

Cantawtaw!. what a great album.

Steen was I, from the drive
Of the enemy's HOOS

Heart of the Country is better than some Beatles songs

the moment in Three Legs where he sings "and he can run" and the beat starts is my favorite moment on the album.

The terrible sound of TO MAH TO

“Heart of the Country” is the life I keep trying to aspire to.

Also, Thrillington...

wah wah wheeeeeeeeee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhEU7Z7HPH0

clicked through that, rather slavish recreations but quite nice in places.

theres yet another reissue of this imminent, a half speed mastered version. I love this album as much as anyone but I don't know why this album needs to be reissued every other year

I figured it was so that people could keep making money off of something in perpetuity

I just sprung stupid (comparatively) money for a copy of the 2012 mono Ram. I have Hoffman-level Beatles obsession rn and I feel both icky and (I feel) fine about it.

caught up in my first ever real beatles phase, i listened to this for the first time in ages this week (had only listened once before & didn't get it at all) & i'm really astounded

paul really really loved the beach boys huh

One of the best 420 albums ever if you are in a mindset where you can tolerate all the Paulness.

A Paul-esque mix of the good and unbearable.

paul can have extremely bizarre and bad instincts at times but i don't think he really indulges those at all here, the paul quirks on display here are the most compelling ones

you’re talking to people who hate “uncle albert”

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaands across the water

The budder wouldn’t melt, so I puddit it the pie.

I like all but one song here, but there's something off about the production on the whole thing, like everything in the mix is at the wrong level or in the wrong place. The mix sounds amateur even for 1971, even compared to Emmitt Rhodes. I had always assumed Ram was mostly home recordings, and I was startled to learn it was cut in New York with a bunch of professionals.