The post-Beatles, pre-Wings Paul McCartney is a curious musician. Freed from the creative partnership with John Lennon and, notably, George Martin, Paul turns in a blustery hodge-podge of beauty ("Junk") and throwaway jams ("Kreen-Akore") on his first solo album, the Beatles-splintering McCartney. His second solo album, Ram, has the heart of this freedom, but more focus on really adhering to what would become the McCartney melieu, that being a collection of songs with wildly inventive song construction paired with an assortment of beautiful melodies, and the occasional Paul McCartney being Paul McCartney at his "jazz hands"-iest toss off number.
No solo McCartney song more defines what he wanted to break from in his partnership with the Beatles than "Ram On." Led by a simple ukelele melody, both lilting and sad, and conveying a simple, very Beatles esque message ("Give your heart to somebody, soon...right away"), "Ram On" is one of the prettiest songs ever written by a rock and roll singer. It's lack of complication, a trait that Sir Paul can either embrace or eschew, is it's greatest strength. This song is the benchmark for an album full of rock and roll classics and underappreciated McCartney jems. Whether you view "Uncle Albert - Admiral Halsey" as a stopping point in between the Abbey Road song cycle and the classic Wings set of "Jet" and "Band On The Run," it's gotta be argued that "Uncle Albert" might be the best of his stoner/mathy song constructions. And, yeah, Sir Paul in 1972 was definitely at the height of his stoner songwriting dominion.
Songs like "3 Legs," a jammy blues served with a side of McCartney Ham AND Cheese accentuate the reefer cloud floating over Ram. Stoner Paul is pretty good with the home recorder, and no slouch with basically every instrument he touches (as he plays all the instruments on Ram), and the playful songwriting that happens as a result of whatever Thai sticks he & Linda were burning can be a whole lot of fun. "Monkberry Moon Delight" pairs Paul the lyricist at his most absurd & playful ("KETCHUP! Soup and Puree, don't get left behind") with a rollicking circular piano/guitar riff that ranks among the best in the McCartney song book, and "Dear Boy" gives Paul a chance to take a crack at doing a very Pet Sounds-Beach Boys-esque take on one of his own jams (McCartney is a very vocal fan of Brian Wilson).
Ram is, and forgive the oversight, the only solo album McCartney put out that wasn't truly a solo album. Credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, maybe because of his feud at the time with John Lennon & his attempt at one-upsmanship of his former partner, who had been dropping off quite a few projects with his new wife (her name escapes me); or it could be to possibly credit Linda's invaluable contributions to Ram. Her slightly off-key vocals on "Uncle Albert - Admiral Halsey" are what make the song so endearing. Don't think so? Ok, whose favorite part about singing along to that song ISN'T trying to duplicate Linda's monotone on her refrain of "Water" after Paul's shreiked out "HAAANNNDDDSSS across the water"? Those vocal contributions are certainly key, but it could also be the spiritual contributions that got her a shared headline with the man who is so egotistical he has tried to change his songwriting credit on Beatles songs to McCartney/Lennon, an inverse of the iconic Lennon/McCartney moniker that continues to define rock and roll music. Songs like "Long Haired Lady" and "The Back Seat of My Car" are clearly the direct influence of Linda, and her husband's gushing affection for his wife. It's hard to say that the absence of that editorial voice, be it from within on Wings records, or from external voices, i.e. the other Beatles, are necessarily a bad thing for Paul McCartney. A direct look into the mind of Paul is a curious thing, and a rare chance an artist of his fame & calibre usually doesn't take when he's at the height of his powers.
So, there's the Good, the Great and the In-CREDIBLY Corny contained within, but Ram is a record that endures, both in it's longevity and in it's power to stay with the listener. And you know what they say about a classic stoner-rock album. You don't have to be high...but it helps.
