Ram by Paul and Linda McCartney (Vinyl record album review)

Album name: Ram

Artist name: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

Year: 1971

Number of discs: one

Label: Apple Records

Collection: Selman

Distinguishing characteristics:

Sticker on lower left of album cover: “M” (for McCartney)

Scratched into side one of LP: 5MAS-1-3375-Z1 #5 EW/N

Scratched into side two of LP: 5MAS-2-3375-F16 #2

Buy it on Amazon: $36.13

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never listened to this record before, but it will be sixth post-Beatles McCartney record that I’ve reviewed (chronologically the second):

McCartney by Paul McCartney (1970): 3/5

Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and Wings (1973): 3/5

Venus and Mars by Wings (1975): 3/5

Wings at the Speed of Sound by Wings (1976): 2/5

Tug of War by Paul McCartney (1982): 2/5

What I expected

I have not been particularly impressed with what McCartney has done after 1969, but there does seem to be a trend that I’ve liked his work in the first few years after the Beatles broke up more than what he did later.

What it was actually like

I didn’t hate this at all! It was nowhere near as bad as it could have been and, while I wouldn’t listen again, I do think it was fine to listen once, and it certainly has redeeming value. I did not care at all for the backing vocals, though.

The worst song was probably Long Haired Lady, a classic case of Fauls’s granny shit, as was Heart of the Country.

Monkberry Moon Delight was quite Oompa Loompa and had some weird vocals, but was not that bad.

Dear Boy was the most Beatles-sounding of the songs, but would have been one of the worst Beatles songs. Smile Away also sounded like it could have been one of the worst songs on, probably, Abbey Road, and used an electric wall sound effect.

On the subject of sound effects, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey was full of them and they were pretty dumb, but the second part was way better than the first.

I liked the electric guitar solo on Too Many People, and the blues rock song 3 Legs was the best on the record.