Paul may have been the most beloved Beatle in the public eye, but he was in the critical gutter in 1971 - his first solo album came just one week after The Beatles' split was known, and critics lambasted McCartney for its unfinished-sounding state, with many also blaming him for the dissolving of The Beatles. This happened all while John was getting favorable praise for Plastic Ono Band and the universal adoration of George's masterpiece, All Things Must Pass - The Beatles' leading pop genius was falling behind critically. In the wake of this criticism, he took the criticism to heart when making Ram, which was recorded with his loving wife Linda by his side, helping him write songs and backup singing throughout most of the record. Even with the greater polish following visits to New York, Ram was lampooned by critics and even by his former bandmates (Ringo said that "I don't think there's one good tune on it,"). To me, it's nothing short of baffling, because Ram is quintessential McCartney, jumping around styles and ideas with an undeniable charm and love. Gentle ballads, heavy rockers, soaring baroque pop, as well as elements of pure zany creativity, Ram is filled with so many ideas that it'll make your head spin - it will make your feet tap, too.
One thing is incredibly obvious when listening to Ram, and it's that Paul refused to be tethered on this album, and it shows through his performances - perhaps some of it has to do with his new set of backing musicians. Thanks to the likes of guitarists Hugh McCracken and David Spinozza, as well as drummer Danny Seiwell, the resulting music sounds much more full than the one man band that made up all of McCartney - not that McCartney can't drum or anything like that, but getting people that are much better at that thing probably did the album a little of a favor. This allows McCartney's imagination to run wild, and resulting moments like the jabbing "Too Many People" or the thumping "Smile Away" give McCartney ample time to rock out, and he does just that. In between those moments, he can be seen churning out pop genius on moments like "Dear Boy," whose layered production and rich vocal harmonies can easily be likened to a Beach Boys song - I wonder if he was inspired at all. We also get the random side of McCartney on "Monkberry Moon Delight," a nonsense song so distinct and catchy that it could give "I Am the Walrus" a run for its money.
McCartney has never sounded better, and the same can easily be said for Linda - while it may not be talked about as much, I think that Linda's presence is a key factor in the album's brilliance. She brings a real warmth to the album with Paul that I think builds on his themes of home, family, and love from his debut - songs like "Eat at Home" or the pop brilliance of "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" would simply be incomplete without Linda's vocals. Her most significant part is easily on the penultimate "Long Haired Lady," a building six-minute magnum opus that moves through three different melodic sections - Paul's own "Good Vibrations," although that tile could also easily go to "Uncle Albert" or album closer "The Back Seat of My Car." Outside of massively brilliant pop songs, there's also more lo-fi moments that stray closer to McCartney material, such as the simple "Ram On" that effectively bookends the album, the sublime "Heart of the Country," or the thumping blues of "3 Legs," albeit the latter is still one song that benefits from McCartney's entourage of session players.
With more and more hindsight, Ram steadily grows and rises in acclaim - today, you'll see people calling it the birth of indie pop along with Paul's debut. Ram is a defining moment in Paul's career; it's proof of his ability to masterfully craft anything he can put his mind to, be it rockers or number one hits. Every outfit he tries on succedes with flying colors, and it established his wife as his primary collaborator for many years. With Ram, we get a fuller image of Paul McCartney, and perhaps the world is better for it. Easily one of the best solo albums from any Beatle - hell, it's up there with the best albums from The Fab Four.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to Ram.
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