Ram
Studio album by Paul and Linda McCartney
Released 28 May 1971 (UK), 17 May 1971 (US)
Recorded New York: A&R Studios, January Ð March 1971
Genre Rock
Length 43:15 (original), 51:44 (1993 reissue)
Label Apple, EMI
Producer Paul and Linda McCartney
Professional reviews
* Allmusic 5/5 stars link
* Musichound (3.5/5 Bones) link
* Robert Christgau (C+) link
* Rolling Stone (Mixed) link
Ram is an album by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, released in 1971, the only album credited to the pair.
Recording and structure
After the release of the successful debut McCartney, Paul and Linda went on a lengthy holiday and spent much time on their farm on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. It was during this period that Paul, often with Linda's input, composed the songs that would feature on Ram. The couple flew to New York City in the fall of 1970 to record their new songs. Denny Seiwell was recruited for drums, David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken were tapped for guitar duties, and Marvin Stamm was featured on flugel horn on Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. Although it was a collaborative project, Linda's vocal duties were mostly limited to backing Paul, who sang lead throughout. The sessions also birthed future songs like "Dear Friend," released on the debut Wings album Wild Life later in 1971, as well as "Get On The Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly", both of which would be finished for 1973's Red Rose Speedway.
By early 1971, the project was completed with the non-album "Another Day"/"Oh Woman, Oh Why" singleÑMcCartney's first after The BeatlesÑwhich was released that February and became a worldwide Top 5 hit. In May, Ram was unveiled. Despite the phase-out of monaural albums by the late 1960s, Ram was released in mono (MAS 3375) with unique mixes which differ from the common stereo album (SMAS 3375). These were pressed in a limited quantity and are among the most valuable and sought-after of Paul McCartney's solo records.
Lennon - McCartney feud
The back cover
According to Peter Brown, John Lennon believed that songs on Ram included jibes at him in the lyrics, including "Too Many People" and "Dear Boy". Brown also described the picture of two beetles copulating on the back cover as a description of how McCartney felt the other Beatles were treating him. McCartney later said that only two lines in "Too Many People" were directed at Lennon. "In one song, I wrote, 'Too many people preaching practices,' I think is the line. I mean, that was a little dig at John and Yoko. There wasn't anything else on [Ram] that was about them. Oh, there was 'You took your lucky break and broke it in two.'"
Lennon's response was the song "How Do You Sleep?" on his Imagine album. Early editions of Imagine included a postcard of Lennon pulling the ears of a pig in a parody of Ram's cover photograph of McCartney straddling a ram.
Release and reception
"The Back Seat of My Car" was excerpted as a UK single from Ram that August, only reaching #39, but the US release of the ambitious "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" would prove much more successful, giving McCartney his first #1 single after The Beatles. The album reached #1 in the UK and #2 in the US, where it spent over five months in the Top 10 and went platinum.
In 1977, McCartney supervised the release of an instrumental interpretation of Ram (recorded in June 1971 and arranged by Richard Hewson) with the release of Thrillington under the pseudonym of Percy "Thrills" Thrillington.
In 1993, Ram was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with "Another Day" and "Oh Woman, Oh Why" as bonus tracks.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Paul and Linda McCartney, except where noted.
Side One
1. "Too Many People" - 4:10
2. "3 Legs" (Paul McCartney) - 2:44
3. "Ram On" (Paul McCartney) - 2:26
4. "Dear Boy" - 2:12
5. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - 4:49
6. "Smile Away" (Paul McCartney) - 3:51
Side Two
1. "Heart of the Country" - 2:21
2. "Monkberry Moon Delight" - 5:21
3. "Eat at Home" - 3:18
4. "Long Haired Lady" - 5:54
5. "Ram On" (A continuation of the first version; shares the same audio during the fades.) (Paul McCartney) - 0:52
6. "The Back Seat of My Car" (Paul McCartney) - 4:26
Singles from Ram
1. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"
Released: 2 August 1971 (US only)
2. "The Back Seat of My Car"
Released: 13 August 1971 (UK only)
3. "Eat at Home"
Released: 1971
Bonus tracks on 1993 reissue
1. "Another Day" (Paul McCartney) - 3:41
2. "Oh Woman, Oh Why" 4:36
Chart positions
Album
Year Country Chart Position Weeks
1971 Norway VG-lista Albums Chart 1 30
1971 United Kingdom UK Albums Chart 1 24
1971 North America The Billboard Pop Albums 2 37
1971 Australia Go-Set Magazine 2 28
1971 Japan Oricon Weekly LP Chart 8 24
Singles
Year Single Chart positions
UK U.S. Norway Japan Switzerland Austria Germany Australia Ireland
1971 "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" 1 6
1971 "The Back Seat of My Car" 39
1971 "Eat at Home" 8 50 7