Ram

by Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

Overview

After the breakup, Beatles fans expected major statements from the three chief songwriters in the Fab Four. John and George fulfilled those expectations -- Lennon with his lacerating, confessional John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Harrison with his triple-LP All Things Must Pass -- but Paul McCartney certainly didn't, turning toward the modest charms of McCartney, and then crediting his wife Linda as a full-fledged collaborator on its 1971 follow-up, Ram. Where McCartney was homemade, sounding deliberately ragged in parts, Ram had a fuller production yet retained that ramshackle feel, sounding as if it were recorded in a shack out back, not far from the farm where the cover photo of Paul holding the ram by the horns was taken. It's filled with songs that feel tossed off, filled with songs that are cheerfully, incessantly melodic; it turns the monumental symphonic sweep of Abbey Road into a cheeky slice of whimsy on the two-part suite "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." All this made Ram an object of scorn and derision upon its release (and for years afterward, in fact), but in retrospect it looks like nothing so much as the first indie pop album, a record that celebrates small pleasures with big melodies, a record that's guileless and unembarrassed to be cutesy. But McCartney never was quite the sap of his reputation, and even here, on possibly his most precious record, there's some ripping rock & roll in the mock-apocalyptic goof "Monkberry Moon Delight," the joyfully noisy "Smile Away," where his feet can be smelled a mile away, and "Eat at Home," a rollicking, winking sex song. All three of these are songs filled with good humor, and their foundation in old-time rock & roll makes it easy to overlook how inventive these productions are, but on the more obviously tuneful and gentle numbers -- the ones that are more quintessentially McCartney-esque -- it's plain to see how imaginative and gorgeous the arrangements are, especially on the sad, soaring finale, "Back Seat of My Car," but even on its humble opposite, the sweet "Heart of the Country." These songs may not be self-styled major statements, but they are endearing and enduring, as is Ram itself, which seems like a more unique, exquisite pleasure with each passing year. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2017
Label:	Capitol / Virgin Emi
UPC:	0602557567656
Rank:	2885

Tracks

1. Too Many People
2. 3 Legs
3. Ram On
4. Dear Boy
5. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile Away
7. Heart of the Country
8. Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat at Home
10. Long Haired Lady
11. Ram On
12. The Back Seat of My Car

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul McCartney   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Bass,Piano,Ukulele,Xylophone,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Linda McCartney   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards,Lead Vocals
David Spinozza   Primary Artist,Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Denny Seiwell   Primary Artist,Drums,Percussion
Hugh McCracken   Primary Artist,Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Henry McCullough   Primary Artist
Denny Laine   Primary Artist
Paul Beaver   Synthesizer
Snooky Young   Bass
David Nadien   Violin
Mel Davis   Brass
Marvin Stamm   Flugelhorn
New York Philharmonic   Orchestra
Richard Hewson   Conductor
Raymond Crisara   Brass
Aaron Rosand   Violin
Jim Guercio   Vocals (Background)
Ben Ib   Director
Heather McCartney   Vocals (Background)
Philip Davis   Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Linda McCartney   Audio Production,Composer,Producer,Performer,Photography
Paul McCartney   Audio Production,Artwork,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Performer
Tony Clark   Mixing,Engineer
Steve Hoffman   Remastering
Geoff Emerick   Overdubs
Percy Thrillington   Producer
Jon Kelly   Mixing,Overdubs
Matt Butler   Assistant
Tim Geelan   Mixing,Engineer
George Martin   Orchestration,Orchestral Arrangements
Ted Brosnan   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Richard Hewson   Arranger,Orchestration
Dixon Van Winkle   Mixing,Engineer
Eirik the Norwegian   Mixing
Roy Benson   Video Director
Ben Ib   Animation
Phil Hignett   Editing