18. Paul McCartney - Ram (1971)
That's right, there's a Paul McCartney album here. I'd say why, but let's have a tiny bit of back-story first. Following the breakup of the Beatles, fans could be forgiven for expecting sweeping artistic statements from each one of them (alright, three of them). Lennon delivered the superb
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Harrison the epic
All Things Must Pass. McCartney on the other hand didn't; his first solo record being the slap-dash collection of demos
McCartney. Here's where he starts to take things a bit more seriously, by writing an album's-worth of material with his wife Linda. Although
Ram still has that ramshackle feel, the production sounds a lot fuller and more considered than
McCartney. It's easy to dismiss
Ram as an album of hastily-composed songs thrown together on one LP, but on the other hand it's just as easy to see it as album which, as a result of the lack of a stylistic blend between songs, becomes greater than the sum of its parts. It's hardly the most abrasive record ever made, but it remains a glorious, melody-driven pop album, with a few harder rock 'n' roll numbers like the gorgeously noisy
Smile Away and the playful
Monkberry Moon Delight to spice things up a little. Probably the most intriguing part of the album would be the
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey medley - to some ears five minutes of cheesy noise, to others a masterpiece of a collage of differing melodies and structures. Either way, it's one of McCartney's most experimental solo tracks, and one of the high-points on a very diverse and endlessly fascinating record.
Ram is basically the sound of McCartney doing what he was good at; writing great pop songs with terrific melodies and harmonies to make it all work. Ambitious yet unpretentious = classic album.
The best bits: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,
Ram On,
Monkberry Moon Delight