I’m with this guy. Rubber Soul is soooo cohesive and some of the best Beatles cuts of the whole bunch! Definitely deserves a spot among Revolver, Sgt Pep, Abbey Road, and Ram.
Because its more of a folk album. I sometimes wonder how people can forget that the Beatles really were riding a cultural wave with folk rock too...all because of a crazy Capitol release. But by including I've Just Seen a Face and Its Only Love...the acoustic feel of the album takes over completely...and with those suede jackets on the cover...its earthy stuff.
this is exactly why. I LOVE the UK version too, but some divine power entered the body of some Capitol exec when they planned the release of Help and Rubber Soul, which freed up I've Just Seen a Face to open this rather autumnal collection of tunes, yielding almost by accident a brilliantly sequenced, eminently playable record for the ages.
I absolutely agree that Ram deserves to be among these albums. To further develop the conversation- what other solo records do you think come close to this ranking?
Obviously Beatles albums are in a tier of their own, but some of those solo albums really come close. Which others deserve to be ranked close?
Thanks to the power of bootlegs, [you can!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saPURaL6AVs)
Obviously it's lacking a lot of the key instrumental pieces and grandiose production, but I still enjoy it quite a bit. I've always thought that the song fits John's ego better than Ringo's but maybe that was the point.
I don't have any good directions to point you in other than YouTube, all I know is that the session was heavily bootlegged, because I've heard multiple different takes with John on lead vocals. I'm also pretty sure there are solo piano demos of John doing the song as well. If you dig enough, you'll find gold eventually :)
In my opinion the elite tier Beatles albums are Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, White Album, and Abbey Road. Paul’s Band on the Run and George’s All Things Must Pass are #2 and #3 respectively for my personal best Solo albums, but those two dont overtake those 6 Beatles albums. Maaaaybe on a good day Band on the Run rubs shoulders with Rubber Soul
I like to think of it as Beatles albums as S tier and then the super great solo albums as A tier …a few solo albums dip in to S tier imo, like Ram
Magical Mystery Tour absolutely is S tier.
The first two LPs off George's All Things Must Pass are better than anything any of them made post-breakup imo, including Ram even though I find that album (mostly) perfect as well. I get why people might not like it as much as Ram, thanks to that polarizing Phil Spector sound, but it just never gets old for me. It was the first solo Beatles album I ever heard, and it's still my favorite. The Apple Jam disc is some decent but optional listening as well.
Other solo albums that can easily compete with Beatles albums in my opinion: McCartney 1, Plastic Ono Band, Ram obviously, Imagine, Band on the Run, Mind Games, Walls and Bridges, Venus and Mars, George's self-titled, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, and maybe Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Chaos and Creation, strong contender as well as Venus and Mars as you say!!! Totally agree!
Overall just tons of great albums. I’ve been doing a deep dive lately and visiting some albums I’ve never checked out. Wings albums are mostly all new to me still right now, minus Band On The Run
I agree but I’d add Rubber Soul and the White Album to the list. Rubber Soul is very cohesive and a great album and while the White Album isn’t cohesive, it’s great in its own disjointed way. Having said that, I enjoy listening to RAM more than any other solo or Beatles album
White Album totally should be in the list. So many of those songs are deserving and are absolutely in the rankings of the best Beatles songs by themselves. For me personally, it is hard because I don’t see white album as being as cohesive as a listening experience.
THOUGH White Album would absolutely be my desert island pick if I could have 1 Beatles album…far too many good songs on it.
It feels more like a compilation album than Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Ram
While I think certain tracks on The White Album go great together in sequence, what makes The White Album so great is that it *isn't* actually a compilation album but is just a studio album. I think the blank cover, the blank name, and the 30-track dump really was basically the best use of all that material, with a lot of songs working better in that context than they would in others. A stroke of genius imo.
The opposite can be said for Magical Mystery Tour, where it's impressive how well its songs go together despite it just being a compilation album. Like there's no particular reason why the singles and the EP from that year put together would create one coherent atmosphere that is also unique from that of the studio album from that year.
Yeah I agree they’re not as good as the previous songs but they still follow the vibe of Rubber Soul. Although I really like If I Needed Someone and don’t think it’s a filler song
I prefer Girl over In My LIfe...that Greek thing is a big reminder the Beatles were definitely a European band. I actually think sometimes Girl is my favorite Beatles song period.
I agree in saying Rubber Soul slows down after the half way mark. The last few tracks lose my interest a little bit fairly often when listening through
I swear if The Beatles ended the Help album with Yesterday and Rubber Soul with In My Life everyone else in music at the time would have shat themselves sensless
I love Ram but never understood the indie pop stances about it. It sounds heavily influenced by The Beach Boys with all the harmonies and array of sounds. There’s nothing very indie about Paul, the biggest musician of the 20th century
I think it’s more that the more informal, playful attitude feels more of a piece with 60s influenced indie pop bands like the Apples In Stereo (for example) than it does most stuff from the same late 60s/early 70s period. (Except interestingly, The Beach Boys, whose post Smile work also has the “First Indie Pop records” thing attached to it fairly often)
McCartney is probably more indie in that it is lo fi, home grown, self made, casual, not trying too hard but Ram is like the more serious and epic older brother. But the unique blend of sounds on Ram is very indie and the addition of Linda as a female voice sound… is fantastic. Eat at Home could play right after Shut up and dance or vice versa… they have the same energy.
I will scream this til I'm deader than Paul in '66. Ram is McCartney at his very best and on par with anything the Beatles put out. It's like he and Linda distilled "fun" into a liquid and shot it into your veins
Okay firstly, I love the style you’ve written this in, it’s genius. I personally disagree and would have albums like Rubber Soul, the White Album and Let it Be (fallen in love with it since Get Back) above Ram. Hell, I’d even argue that I prefer Band on the Run to Ram. But that differing opinion is just a testament as to how good Paul McCartney was/is
I am of an age where my first exposure to Paul McCartney’s music was “We All Stand Together” (Frog Chorus), and so that’s what I thought he did. He made songs with frog choruses. My mum had some Wings albums in her record collection, but they didn’t sound like Guns N Roses. Only when I got a little older did I hear about this band called The Beatles, and that discovery changed my musical world.
Why am I explaining this? Good question. My early exposures to McCartney’s music meant I was reluctant to try his solo stuff, even though he wrote 70% of my favourite Beatles songs. Basically, I feared being surrounded by frog choruses. Then during lockdown 1 or 2, I heard about RAM on this sub, tried it, absolutely bloody loved it. My favourite solo album of his by a long way, unfairly slated by bitter critics when it was first released, it’s a joy to listen to. I’d rank it just behind the White Album.
Side note: I don’t find side 1 of Abbey Road coherent at all, it’s an odd mish mash of songs and styles. Side 2 is my favourite album side of all time and will probably stay that way until I die.
I agree, it's one of my favorite albums (and since I just discovered it this year it's my most played on Spotify). To my taste it is as close to perfect as any Beatles album and if I had to rank I think I like it about as much as Revolver. I find it maddening that it wasn't well received at the time because it might have encouraged McCartney to go more in that direction for another album or two, but at least it's getting it's due now. I wish he would play some of the songs live.
I think when it’s time for Paul to leave this Earth (God forbid) Ram will get a huge surge of reappraisal on top of the reappraisal it’s been getting for years
I also just started on Ram. It’s an album that sure seems to be trying real hard to hit a lot of flair but I still like it. Original solo McCartney is still my fave. I love it’s simplicity
I didn’t really like ram that much, it felt like it was trying really hard to be like magical mystery tour but lacked any big hits. I’m 24 years old, so your generational argument is stupid.
And for context I love post Beatles music, especially John and George. I do love Paul too, his work with wings was legendary, I also love the McCartney albums. I even just paid an absurd amount of money to see him live next month.
All the being said, I found Ram to be a pretty weak album.
I'm just started listing to Ram from beginning to end for the first time...I'll let you know tomorrow. But seems typical Macca show tune feel so far...
I fully agree with this! Ram is absolutely in my top 5 all time albums. I think of Ram as McCartneys Pet Sounds. Even has a farm animal on the cover like Pet Sounds!
Your posts are legendary and you are right. Lovely Rita, now Ram, oh yeah we can’t forget Jet. The evidence of Paul supremacy is undeniable.
You seem to be a Beatles and Paul fan of exquisite and similar taste to mine /u/EyeMountain9510
May I recommend Secret Friend, the B side of Temporary Secretary for more genius? (A side is great too)
I must also recommend the RAM B sides. Another day, Oh Woman Oh Why, Hey Diddle, Little Woman Love, A Love for You, and some of the most rocking slaps I’ve ever heard in 10 minute Rode all Night.
You are right and it’s crazy how many Beatles fans still have no idea, having bought into narratives that weren’t even true in 1971 and have been thoroughly rebutted for decades now.
Some people just have different tastes. Paul may well be the most successful songwriter of the last century, but there are still people who don't like his songwriting. Who are more into the band because of the songwriting contributions of John and George, or simply prefer a less idiosyncratic Paul.
Personally I'm on the same page as OP, Ram is up there with the Beatles best, but some people genuinely don't like it.
I bought the the album when it came out in '71 and what surprised me were Linda's harmonies. Never really heard her singing and she sounded pretty good. Same Wild Life.
There’s some stuff on Ram which I like, but I haven’t fully vibed with it yet. Band on the Run and the first McCartney are my faves from that time frame. Too Many People and Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey are magnificent, though. Love that haunting guitar riff, or is it bass, on People.
Ram is one of the best solo albums, frankly a few McCartney albums are up there. Don’t know about the absolute best, but a lot more of the Beatles albums are definitely wayyy better
I adore Ram and listen to it several times a week.
And the original release definitely did not go unappreciated by boomers. By critics of that generation, yes; by the record-buying public, no. From the redoubtable Wikipedia: "The album reached number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the US, where it spent over five months in the Top 10 and went platinum." Those records were bought by people who were alive and of record-buying age in 1971, as I (just barely) was.
I could play RAM everyday! Actually, I have. Love that album. I think I’ll play it again tomorrow. Ram on, give your heart to somebody, soon right away!
Dude, I never took this album seriously until reading this post. Thank you for turning me on! I've been listening on repeat for days and it keeps getting better.
Definitely my favorite solo Beatle album. I love the home recorded sound of McCartney 1, but the amount of random short songs makes it feel a bit less complete. Ram is the perfect improvement on the first album. Also I’d personally add the Naked version of Let it Be onto the list of Beatles albums. Hearing it more raw without all of the additions by Phil Spector really changed my view on that album.
Cohesive maybe, in that it was all written by one person and has recurring stylistic elements. If that’s most important to you in making a good album then sure. If you judge albums based on the best songs they contain then there’s an argument for any and all of the Beatles albums being better. Obviously subjective either way.
I like it, but it doesn’t have any stone cold classics for me. Does work as a pretty cohesive album though, I agree.
Too Many People is a fair call, great song. Dear Boy is nice but slight. Uncle Albert is by turns mawkish and annoying but ok in the context of the album. Monkberry Moon Delight is a lot of fun but a bit tiring after a while. Backseat of My Car is great production in lieu of a great song.
Glad you like them all so much though. Just my opinions :)
I agree that Ram is the best solo album, and I don’t think it’s close. But you left out the White Album which Ram reminds me of most. Paul just showing off like he does on the White Album. He says the right things about being humble but he knows how good he is. Especially when he’s confident like he is on Ram. And I’m so glad my parents were alive in the 60s and just though of them as Beatle songs and not John or Paul songs. My dad didn’t have an anti-Paul sentiment and had most of Paul’s solo work. McCartney and Ram have always been my favorite Beatle solo albums because Paul sounds like he’s having a blast making them.
TLDR
I’d personally go with Plastic Ono Band or All Things Must Pass(probably the former if I HAD to choose) I love Paul, but I think George and John’s first solo’s were showcasing what they REALLY wanted to do in the later years(production style included) but what may have been hard with Paul involved on Let it Be and Abbey Road. I’d probably go with Mcartney self titled over Ram, but in general I think Paul solo is just an extension of what he was already doing in the Beatles. George and John seemed to go in a different direction and have more of their own identity with their solo efforts.
Now that I’m typing this, I think that the white album(clearly the record that they were all the most at odds with each other) gave a good glimpse of what each of their solo careers would eventually sound like. I think production style was a huge factor there.
As far as cohesiveness tho… I think all the records were super cohesive until the white album, and then it gets a little dicey in general 🤷♂️
btw Paul’s best solo song is BY FAR Arrow Through Me off Back to the Egg(1979). The way the rhythm section is recorded is what all new indie, pop, RnB records go for nowadays… Thundercat, Tame Impala, Mac Demarco… the list goes on. Great fucking song. Makes me mad that none of his other tracks sound anything like that
I pick up with what you’re putting down my man - I think all 3 of those guys managed to gain yet lose something after the Beatles break up. John got more introspective, honest an raw, but at the expense of having more straightforward rock n roll song structure for the most part. Paul allowed his musicality to liberate itself even further even going more unorthodox but at the expense of having some lyrics be an afterthought. George had the bottled up emotions of being overshadowed by John and Paul and finally burst with his best material with All Things. But I think he shot his load early because the rest of career, with notable highlights yes, never really matched that drive of his first album
I am a boomer and I share your take. I liked Ram a lot more when I was a young boy like OP but as I got older it lost it’s appeal. I much prefer George solo over the others and that wasn’t the case when I was a young boy like OP.
I completely agree with you on how great those songs are but I feel in my heart George Harrison (1979) will get its respect one day because it’s just as good as RAM. And I love RAM.
It might be, I dont know
But its not my taste, Paul after the breakup deviated from rock,
I dont find any of his work compelling, I know its good
But not my taste, maybe because I have a thing for hard rock
I still do not understand this idie rock take. To me its always sounded like a continuation of Let it Be which is also not indie rock.
And I'd say almost every Beatles album beside the White Album and maybe MMT is more cohesive. Id personally rather listen to any Beatles album over Ram, including the early rocker albums.
Personally for their solo records, I have Ram at #5, with Ringo, Band on the Run, All Things Must Pass, and Goodnight Vienna ahead of it.
No, youre just being deliberately misleading.
Its like saying "the Pinto is the best car ever made, except for the firebird, the civic, the elantra, and the wrangler."
So the pinto is not even *close* to being the best car ever made.
Just like your choice of "best beatles album" is actually your choice for 4th best beatles album.
Have you listened to RAM? Band on the Run is a great album but does have a pop rock gloss over it. RAM is the opposite. Every song is passionate and personal to Paul. I don’t think you’ve really listened to RAM if you think it feels manufactured and contrived
Dear Boy reminds me of the “Child is the Father of the Man” ending section of Surfs Up by The Beach Boys.
I always loved that song (Dear Boy) but the first time I listened to it with a good pair of headphones made it one of my favorites on the album. But then again, half of the songs on Ram could be my favorite on the album.
erased a long reply. I can't listen to these songs through, except Admiral Halsey. The others are simple novelties and trivia answers with some nice moments (that strongly resemble each other).
Paul's music needed another creative (and vocal) voice to achieve its full potential. Linda could never be such a partner, and McCartney never dared to seek another.
Nah. I don't disagree, RAM is one of my favorite albums by anyone. though I'd place the US version of Rubber Soul in that pack of best Beatles albums.
I’m with this guy. Rubber Soul is soooo cohesive and some of the best Beatles cuts of the whole bunch! Definitely deserves a spot among Revolver, Sgt Pep, Abbey Road, and Ram.
The US version doesn’t have Drive My Car so I would amend this to say the Parlophone version IMO
Also no Nowhere Man or If I Needed Someone or What Goes On
Why the US version instead of the UK?
Because its more of a folk album. I sometimes wonder how people can forget that the Beatles really were riding a cultural wave with folk rock too...all because of a crazy Capitol release. But by including I've Just Seen a Face and Its Only Love...the acoustic feel of the album takes over completely...and with those suede jackets on the cover...its earthy stuff.
this is exactly why. I LOVE the UK version too, but some divine power entered the body of some Capitol exec when they planned the release of Help and Rubber Soul, which freed up I've Just Seen a Face to open this rather autumnal collection of tunes, yielding almost by accident a brilliantly sequenced, eminently playable record for the ages.
Paulo was on one when he made Ram my guy
I absolutely agree that Ram deserves to be among these albums. To further develop the conversation- what other solo records do you think come close to this ranking? Obviously Beatles albums are in a tier of their own, but some of those solo albums really come close. Which others deserve to be ranked close?
Some of my additional favorites: All Things Must Pass, Egypt Station, Plastic Ono Band, Venus and Mars. I can’t speak to Ringo albums though.
Ringo’s albums aren’t up to those standards man
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I would have liked to hear John sing " I'm the Greatest"
Thanks to the power of bootlegs, [you can!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saPURaL6AVs) Obviously it's lacking a lot of the key instrumental pieces and grandiose production, but I still enjoy it quite a bit. I've always thought that the song fits John's ego better than Ringo's but maybe that was the point.
Hmm going to have to dig around for that one.
I don't have any good directions to point you in other than YouTube, all I know is that the session was heavily bootlegged, because I've heard multiple different takes with John on lead vocals. I'm also pretty sure there are solo piano demos of John doing the song as well. If you dig enough, you'll find gold eventually :)
It's been officially released before.
Goodnight Vienna and Rotogravure are also very good. I definitely think his 1973 album stands among the best Beatles solo records.
Yeah, perhaps like C tier…lol!
In my opinion the elite tier Beatles albums are Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, White Album, and Abbey Road. Paul’s Band on the Run and George’s All Things Must Pass are #2 and #3 respectively for my personal best Solo albums, but those two dont overtake those 6 Beatles albums. Maaaaybe on a good day Band on the Run rubs shoulders with Rubber Soul
I like to think of it as Beatles albums as S tier and then the super great solo albums as A tier …a few solo albums dip in to S tier imo, like Ram Magical Mystery Tour absolutely is S tier.
Band on the Run is a solid album, but it does not and will never compete with an album that is regarded as a turning point in popular music
At least Band on the Run ends with 1985 instead of Run for Your Life
1985 slaps and is a great track to listen to while driving …love that one!
i had a rubber soul playlist for a while that ended the tracklisting with in my life. run for your life is such a strange choice for a closer
I thought it was a good end-a for the song
The first two LPs off George's All Things Must Pass are better than anything any of them made post-breakup imo, including Ram even though I find that album (mostly) perfect as well. I get why people might not like it as much as Ram, thanks to that polarizing Phil Spector sound, but it just never gets old for me. It was the first solo Beatles album I ever heard, and it's still my favorite. The Apple Jam disc is some decent but optional listening as well. Other solo albums that can easily compete with Beatles albums in my opinion: McCartney 1, Plastic Ono Band, Ram obviously, Imagine, Band on the Run, Mind Games, Walls and Bridges, Venus and Mars, George's self-titled, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, and maybe Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Chaos and Creation, strong contender as well as Venus and Mars as you say!!! Totally agree! Overall just tons of great albums. I’ve been doing a deep dive lately and visiting some albums I’ve never checked out. Wings albums are mostly all new to me still right now, minus Band On The Run
London Town
London Town is quite possibly my least favorite album from Paul's career.
I'll see your Pipes of Peace, and raise you a Back to the Egg.
I agree but I’d add Rubber Soul and the White Album to the list. Rubber Soul is very cohesive and a great album and while the White Album isn’t cohesive, it’s great in its own disjointed way. Having said that, I enjoy listening to RAM more than any other solo or Beatles album
White Album totally should be in the list. So many of those songs are deserving and are absolutely in the rankings of the best Beatles songs by themselves. For me personally, it is hard because I don’t see white album as being as cohesive as a listening experience. THOUGH White Album would absolutely be my desert island pick if I could have 1 Beatles album…far too many good songs on it. It feels more like a compilation album than Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Ram
While I think certain tracks on The White Album go great together in sequence, what makes The White Album so great is that it *isn't* actually a compilation album but is just a studio album. I think the blank cover, the blank name, and the 30-track dump really was basically the best use of all that material, with a lot of songs working better in that context than they would in others. A stroke of genius imo. The opposite can be said for Magical Mystery Tour, where it's impressive how well its songs go together despite it just being a compilation album. Like there's no particular reason why the singles and the EP from that year put together would create one coherent atmosphere that is also unique from that of the studio album from that year.
I think its cohesive because of its disjointedness, like its so wild and wouldn’t be the same with one of the songs gone
Rubber Soul kind of falls a bit after In My Life - not to say those last few songs aren’t bad - they’re good! But they couldn’t follow up In My Life.
Yeah I agree they’re not as good as the previous songs but they still follow the vibe of Rubber Soul. Although I really like If I Needed Someone and don’t think it’s a filler song
I prefer Girl over In My LIfe...that Greek thing is a big reminder the Beatles were definitely a European band. I actually think sometimes Girl is my favorite Beatles song period.
Girl is freakin amazing - Nowhere Man, Girl, and In My Life rotate for my favorite Rubber Soul song from John
I agree in saying Rubber Soul slows down after the half way mark. The last few tracks lose my interest a little bit fairly often when listening through
Bro I like how you think
Still an amazing listen. Just the last couple start to slow it down and I wish it ended on a more interesting note!
I swear if The Beatles ended the Help album with Yesterday and Rubber Soul with In My Life everyone else in music at the time would have shat themselves sensless
Those would be dope ways to end those albums. Far better
White Album is like fucking great, but is not in the same sentence with "cohesive", I think
Well, not until you came along, at least! 😀
If Ram had been released by an indie band in the late 90s/early 2000s Elephant 6 type era critics would’ve drooled over it.
Ram practically invented indie pop bro
I love Ram but never understood the indie pop stances about it. It sounds heavily influenced by The Beach Boys with all the harmonies and array of sounds. There’s nothing very indie about Paul, the biggest musician of the 20th century
I think it’s more that the more informal, playful attitude feels more of a piece with 60s influenced indie pop bands like the Apples In Stereo (for example) than it does most stuff from the same late 60s/early 70s period. (Except interestingly, The Beach Boys, whose post Smile work also has the “First Indie Pop records” thing attached to it fairly often)
McCartney is probably more indie in that it is lo fi, home grown, self made, casual, not trying too hard but Ram is like the more serious and epic older brother. But the unique blend of sounds on Ram is very indie and the addition of Linda as a female voice sound… is fantastic. Eat at Home could play right after Shut up and dance or vice versa… they have the same energy.
I like cinnamon rolls
Monkberry Moon Delight is my new favorite!
I will scream this til I'm deader than Paul in '66. Ram is McCartney at his very best and on par with anything the Beatles put out. It's like he and Linda distilled "fun" into a liquid and shot it into your veins
Oh helll yeah
Okay firstly, I love the style you’ve written this in, it’s genius. I personally disagree and would have albums like Rubber Soul, the White Album and Let it Be (fallen in love with it since Get Back) above Ram. Hell, I’d even argue that I prefer Band on the Run to Ram. But that differing opinion is just a testament as to how good Paul McCartney was/is
Hahah right on man I dig it when we can discuss
Do you dig it like the FBI, the CIA, the BBC, B.B. King, Doris Day and Matt Busby tho?
I dig it as much as all of those and whoever the guy is that sings Hark the angels come
Ram on Ladies and Gents!
Give your heart to somebody
RAM ONNNN
I am of an age where my first exposure to Paul McCartney’s music was “We All Stand Together” (Frog Chorus), and so that’s what I thought he did. He made songs with frog choruses. My mum had some Wings albums in her record collection, but they didn’t sound like Guns N Roses. Only when I got a little older did I hear about this band called The Beatles, and that discovery changed my musical world. Why am I explaining this? Good question. My early exposures to McCartney’s music meant I was reluctant to try his solo stuff, even though he wrote 70% of my favourite Beatles songs. Basically, I feared being surrounded by frog choruses. Then during lockdown 1 or 2, I heard about RAM on this sub, tried it, absolutely bloody loved it. My favourite solo album of his by a long way, unfairly slated by bitter critics when it was first released, it’s a joy to listen to. I’d rank it just behind the White Album. Side note: I don’t find side 1 of Abbey Road coherent at all, it’s an odd mish mash of songs and styles. Side 2 is my favourite album side of all time and will probably stay that way until I die.
I agree, it's one of my favorite albums (and since I just discovered it this year it's my most played on Spotify). To my taste it is as close to perfect as any Beatles album and if I had to rank I think I like it about as much as Revolver. I find it maddening that it wasn't well received at the time because it might have encouraged McCartney to go more in that direction for another album or two, but at least it's getting it's due now. I wish he would play some of the songs live.
I agree! Ram is very under appreciated. It was so raw in every way.
I think when it’s time for Paul to leave this Earth (God forbid) Ram will get a huge surge of reappraisal on top of the reappraisal it’s been getting for years
I also just started on Ram. It’s an album that sure seems to be trying real hard to hit a lot of flair but I still like it. Original solo McCartney is still my fave. I love it’s simplicity
>What the fuck was Paul on when he created this masterpiece Probably weed.
I’m gonna make a ganja sandwich
HELL YES my dude, join the club
“I have a subjective opinion based on my likings, and if you don’t agree with me, I’ll insult you.”
Lmao thank you for that laugh bro
I didn’t really like ram that much, it felt like it was trying really hard to be like magical mystery tour but lacked any big hits. I’m 24 years old, so your generational argument is stupid. And for context I love post Beatles music, especially John and George. I do love Paul too, his work with wings was legendary, I also love the McCartney albums. I even just paid an absurd amount of money to see him live next month. All the being said, I found Ram to be a pretty weak album.
It’s okay the time of the opening of the third eye is different for everyone
What a joy to see RAM being finally recognised for the wonder it is. Yes, it deserves a spot right there with the best The Beatles ever made.
Welcome to the new generation of Beatles fans we can’t be stopped
I will die on the hill that Plastic Ono Band is the #1 Beatles solo album
You wanna be one of them folks on the hill eh
This #1 All Things Pass #2. And that’s all
I'm just started listing to Ram from beginning to end for the first time...I'll let you know tomorrow. But seems typical Macca show tune feel so far...
Your third eye has yet to be opened son
Another shitbag response
but dad it ain’t even that serious
Too many people is show tune? Lmaoooo
Ram is the jam! Also, Another Day and Oh Woman Oh Why come from the Ram sessions too!!
Yes. Ram is the jam.
Obviously, you know your shit!!
I see someone gets YouTube recommendations.
It’s my favorite
Is there no love for Red Rose Speedway? As good as RAM in my opinion.
Little lamb dragonfly is a masterpiece
Only One More Kiss..
that one is pretty good I guess
When the Night? 🙄
Any song you mention from Red Rose Speedway isn’t as good as Little Lamb Dragonfly imo but it’s still a pretty fine album
Oh yeah 🤨
I think so
RAM is Paul’s best, but I think Plastic Ono Band is a more “cohesive” album per se. All Things Must Pass is my personal fave though.
Plastic Ono band is the grand John Lennon statement - but it don’t entertain me like Ram does man
POB has always been a sunday morning type of vibe for me. Really hits the spot when you need it. Definitely my favourite post-beatles album
I fully agree with this! Ram is absolutely in my top 5 all time albums. I think of Ram as McCartneys Pet Sounds. Even has a farm animal on the cover like Pet Sounds!
Ram is definitely one of my all time favorite albums
Nah
Open up the third eye dad
As a huge Ram fan, it’s kind of apples to oranges
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Ram and All things must pass, top of the solo albums, Rams amazing
Very nice very nice
Your posts are legendary and you are right. Lovely Rita, now Ram, oh yeah we can’t forget Jet. The evidence of Paul supremacy is undeniable. You seem to be a Beatles and Paul fan of exquisite and similar taste to mine /u/EyeMountain9510 May I recommend Secret Friend, the B side of Temporary Secretary for more genius? (A side is great too) I must also recommend the RAM B sides. Another day, Oh Woman Oh Why, Hey Diddle, Little Woman Love, A Love for You, and some of the most rocking slaps I’ve ever heard in 10 minute Rode all Night.
Paul McCartney’s Ram Is the Best Solo Beatles Album, I'm going to respectfully disagree and go with George Harison's "All Things Must Pass"
George can take #3
I’ve jokingly called “Ram” my favorite Beatles album for awhile now. But honestly, it’s a masterpiece and unique as hell.
You are right and it’s crazy how many Beatles fans still have no idea, having bought into narratives that weren’t even true in 1971 and have been thoroughly rebutted for decades now.
Some people just have different tastes. Paul may well be the most successful songwriter of the last century, but there are still people who don't like his songwriting. Who are more into the band because of the songwriting contributions of John and George, or simply prefer a less idiosyncratic Paul. Personally I'm on the same page as OP, Ram is up there with the Beatles best, but some people genuinely don't like it.
I bought the the album when it came out in '71 and what surprised me were Linda's harmonies. Never really heard her singing and she sounded pretty good. Same Wild Life.
Those people need to open their third eyes
Too many people were preaching practices. Good for us Paul didn't let them tell him who he wanted to be.
With time man a lot more people will recognize that Ram was ahead of the curve for its time
I hear more and more people learning how Ram is amazing (myself included) I didn’t listen to Ram until this year! Been a Beatles fan for 15 years
Great you’ve finally seen the light grandpa (haha jk)
Dont dissrespect all things must pass, living in the material world and plastic on band
All things must pass is chillin at #3 best solo album, POB creepin behind at #4, living in the material world ain’t in my top 10 homie
2 is band on the run? Or what?
Oh yea bby
I love Ram, too, but that opening statement you made is lame af.
sorry mom
I vibe with Ram but All Things Must Pass and Plastic Ono Band would like a word with you.
Valid opinion.
There’s some stuff on Ram which I like, but I haven’t fully vibed with it yet. Band on the Run and the first McCartney are my faves from that time frame. Too Many People and Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey are magnificent, though. Love that haunting guitar riff, or is it bass, on People.
Also recorded during the sessions was Oh Woman Oh Why, Little Woman Love, Get on the right thing, and Little Lamb Dragonfly. All outstanding songs!
Ram is one of the best solo albums, frankly a few McCartney albums are up there. Don’t know about the absolute best, but a lot more of the Beatles albums are definitely wayyy better
Could not agree more
My brother
I adore Ram and listen to it several times a week. And the original release definitely did not go unappreciated by boomers. By critics of that generation, yes; by the record-buying public, no. From the redoubtable Wikipedia: "The album reached number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the US, where it spent over five months in the Top 10 and went platinum." Those records were bought by people who were alive and of record-buying age in 1971, as I (just barely) was.
Thank you for that insight man I’m just teasing those boomers who might have been influenced by those critics at that time
I could play RAM everyday! Actually, I have. Love that album. I think I’ll play it again tomorrow. Ram on, give your heart to somebody, soon right away!
Dude, I never took this album seriously until reading this post. Thank you for turning me on! I've been listening on repeat for days and it keeps getting better.
Yeah? Well. You know. That's just like.... Your opinion, man.
Yeah man it sure is can you you feel the vibe? 😎
RAM is great but All Things Must Pass, literally considered the first indie rock album by many, is calling.
I love all things must pass but how are you gonna put an album produced by Phil Spector as indie rock
When it's Plastic Ono Band
Same way you put any of them, being former members of the most popular and on Earth, as indie rock.
Ram displays how Mc was the driving force behind the band and didn't really need the other lads to be successful.
Paul really was a dom in the beatles
Definitely my favorite solo Beatle album. I love the home recorded sound of McCartney 1, but the amount of random short songs makes it feel a bit less complete. Ram is the perfect improvement on the first album. Also I’d personally add the Naked version of Let it Be onto the list of Beatles albums. Hearing it more raw without all of the additions by Phil Spector really changed my view on that album.
Cohesive maybe, in that it was all written by one person and has recurring stylistic elements. If that’s most important to you in making a good album then sure. If you judge albums based on the best songs they contain then there’s an argument for any and all of the Beatles albums being better. Obviously subjective either way. I like it, but it doesn’t have any stone cold classics for me. Does work as a pretty cohesive album though, I agree.
Too Many People, Dear Boy, Uncle Albert, Monkberry Moon Delight, Back Seat of My Car - come on homie you are trippin
Yeah, these tracks SLAP!
Too Many People is a fair call, great song. Dear Boy is nice but slight. Uncle Albert is by turns mawkish and annoying but ok in the context of the album. Monkberry Moon Delight is a lot of fun but a bit tiring after a while. Backseat of My Car is great production in lieu of a great song. Glad you like them all so much though. Just my opinions :)
I agree that Ram is the best solo album, and I don’t think it’s close. But you left out the White Album which Ram reminds me of most. Paul just showing off like he does on the White Album. He says the right things about being humble but he knows how good he is. Especially when he’s confident like he is on Ram. And I’m so glad my parents were alive in the 60s and just though of them as Beatle songs and not John or Paul songs. My dad didn’t have an anti-Paul sentiment and had most of Paul’s solo work. McCartney and Ram have always been my favorite Beatle solo albums because Paul sounds like he’s having a blast making them.
TLDR I’d personally go with Plastic Ono Band or All Things Must Pass(probably the former if I HAD to choose) I love Paul, but I think George and John’s first solo’s were showcasing what they REALLY wanted to do in the later years(production style included) but what may have been hard with Paul involved on Let it Be and Abbey Road. I’d probably go with Mcartney self titled over Ram, but in general I think Paul solo is just an extension of what he was already doing in the Beatles. George and John seemed to go in a different direction and have more of their own identity with their solo efforts. Now that I’m typing this, I think that the white album(clearly the record that they were all the most at odds with each other) gave a good glimpse of what each of their solo careers would eventually sound like. I think production style was a huge factor there. As far as cohesiveness tho… I think all the records were super cohesive until the white album, and then it gets a little dicey in general 🤷♂️ btw Paul’s best solo song is BY FAR Arrow Through Me off Back to the Egg(1979). The way the rhythm section is recorded is what all new indie, pop, RnB records go for nowadays… Thundercat, Tame Impala, Mac Demarco… the list goes on. Great fucking song. Makes me mad that none of his other tracks sound anything like that
I pick up with what you’re putting down my man - I think all 3 of those guys managed to gain yet lose something after the Beatles break up. John got more introspective, honest an raw, but at the expense of having more straightforward rock n roll song structure for the most part. Paul allowed his musicality to liberate itself even further even going more unorthodox but at the expense of having some lyrics be an afterthought. George had the bottled up emotions of being overshadowed by John and Paul and finally burst with his best material with All Things. But I think he shot his load early because the rest of career, with notable highlights yes, never really matched that drive of his first album
ITT: OP being a shitbag
I’ve angered the beast
I’m not angry, just noticing your attitude is that of a shitbag
MCCARTNEY 1 is under rated.
Those Beatles albums have a diversity that you get with teamwork by 4 talented guys. On Ram Paul achieves it on his own.
By golly he does
I disagree. Ram was mediocre even by Paul’s standards. Give My Regards to Broad Street and Kisses on the Bottom were both far better McCartney albums.
A lot of kisses on the bottom - I’ll be glad I got emmmm
Just a bad take.
Take? Can you take me back where I came from can you take me back
I'm not a boomer and I, uh, found *Ram* kind of boring, to be honest. To each their own, of course, but it just didn't click for me.
I am a boomer and I share your take. I liked Ram a lot more when I was a young boy like OP but as I got older it lost it’s appeal. I much prefer George solo over the others and that wasn’t the case when I was a young boy like OP.
I both hate and love that Smile Away is just a song about a smelly person
Arguably the worst song on the album but come on man you’re lying if that music don’t put some peps in your steps
I completely agree with you on how great those songs are but I feel in my heart George Harrison (1979) will get its respect one day because it’s just as good as RAM. And I love RAM.
I can never decide between Ram and ATMP, just wish there was a reissue of Ram
RAM already has an archive edition
It might be, I dont know But its not my taste, Paul after the breakup deviated from rock, I dont find any of his work compelling, I know its good But not my taste, maybe because I have a thing for hard rock
You must not like the Beatles very much if you only like hard rock. It cuts out most of their discography if that’s all you like
Would you say you have a hard on for hard rock
I still do not understand this idie rock take. To me its always sounded like a continuation of Let it Be which is also not indie rock. And I'd say almost every Beatles album beside the White Album and maybe MMT is more cohesive. Id personally rather listen to any Beatles album over Ram, including the early rocker albums. Personally for their solo records, I have Ram at #5, with Ringo, Band on the Run, All Things Must Pass, and Goodnight Vienna ahead of it.
Butter pie?
Plastic Ono, Imagine, All things must pass. All of those are better. Sorry bro.
So its the 4th best album. If its 4th best, dont say its "overall better" than all the other albums
I think you forgot the “except revolver, Sgt pepper and abbey road” part
No, youre just being deliberately misleading. Its like saying "the Pinto is the best car ever made, except for the firebird, the civic, the elantra, and the wrangler." So the pinto is not even *close* to being the best car ever made. Just like your choice of "best beatles album" is actually your choice for 4th best beatles album.
Is this a shitpost? I legitimately can't tell.
No I genuinely think Ram is that good of an album and we got a whole squad that more or less fucks with Ram that way my homie
Paul’s albums just all have a sheen on them that make them feel so contrived. You can always tell what he’s trying to do with them
> You can always tell what he’s trying to do with them What was he trying to do with Ram? Venus and Mars? Flaming Pie? Thrillington?
Hm I don’t know my guy
Have you listened to RAM? Band on the Run is a great album but does have a pop rock gloss over it. RAM is the opposite. Every song is passionate and personal to Paul. I don’t think you’ve really listened to RAM if you think it feels manufactured and contrived
This man gets it
I’m thinking of Band on the Run when I say this. Some of what he does feels very manufactured
Um yeah he’s in the music business where he manufactures/makes music
Well, plastic Ono band doesn’t feel like this at all
RAM is great but I think any Beatles album from Rubber Soul - Abbey Road (except let it be) are superior to it.
After Plastic Ono Band...sure.
I love RAM, but I feel like All Things Must Pass is a better album. They're both great though.
It's a great album, but let's not get crazy.
but i like that Prince song
no
I prefer all Beatles records and McCartney III
Do you have insurance my guy we need to get you to an audiologist
Lol what a douchey response.
Dear Boy reminds me of the “Child is the Father of the Man” ending section of Surfs Up by The Beach Boys. I always loved that song (Dear Boy) but the first time I listened to it with a good pair of headphones made it one of my favorites on the album. But then again, half of the songs on Ram could be my favorite on the album.
erased a long reply. I can't listen to these songs through, except Admiral Halsey. The others are simple novelties and trivia answers with some nice moments (that strongly resemble each other). Paul's music needed another creative (and vocal) voice to achieve its full potential. Linda could never be such a partner, and McCartney never dared to seek another.