User:TheWho71/john/ram revisited

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Ram... Revisited
Ram... Revisited cover
Cover album by John Taylor
Genre Pop rock
Producer John Taylor

Ram... Revisited is John Taylor's first solo album, officially credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, and was released in 1971. The only time one of McCartney's efforts received a co-credit with his wife, it was seen by many as a response to John Lennon's many collaborative projects with wife Yoko Ono.

Contents

[edit] 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 in Scotland. It was during this period that Paul, often with Linda's input, composed the songs that would feature on Ram. Deciding to make a change in recording venue, the couple flew to New York City in the fall of 1970 to record their new songs. Denny Seiwell was recruited for drums and Dave Spinozza and Hugh McCracken were tapped for guitar duties. Although it was a collaborative project, Linda's vocal duties were mostly limited to backing Paul, who sang lead throughout. The sessions were very productive, even birthing future songs like "Dear Friend" they released on the debut Wings album Wild Life later in 1971, as well as recording "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" single—McCartney's first after The Beatles—which was released that February and became a worldwide Top 5 hit. In May, Ram was unveiled. The album's tone is one of confidence and high spirits, with McCartney clearly in an assured state.

Still smarting from the demise of The Beatles, he included a few subtle jibes directed at his former collaborator, specifically in "Too Many People". The back cover art includes a picture of one beetle riding the back of another beetle and apparently copulating. This was interpreted as a commentary on the state of affairs between the ex-Beatles at that time. "Three Legs" was also seen as being a jibe at the other Beatles. John Lennon also felt that the character who misses what he's lost in "Dear Boy" and the protagonists who sing "we believe that we can't be wrong" in "The Back Seat of My Car" were directed at himself and Ono. The former song was, in fact, intended as a message to Linda McCartney's ex-husband. Nevertheless, Lennon would respond in kind later in 1971 with the searing "How Do You Sleep?" on his Imagine album.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Paul McCartney.

  1. "Too Many People" – 4:10
  2. "3 Legs" – 2:48
  3. "Ram On" – 2:28
  4. "Dear Boy" – 2:13
  5. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – 4:55
  6. "Smile Away" – 3:53
  7. "Heart of the Country" – 2:22
  8. "Monkberry Moon Delight" – 5:22
  9. "Eat at Home" – 3:20
  10. "Long Haired Lady" – 6:05
  11. "Ram On" – 0:55
  12. "The Back Seat of My Car" – 4:28
  13. "Another Day" – 3:41
  14. "Oh Woman, Oh Why" – 4:36

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Album

Year Country Chart Position Weeks
1971 Norway 1 30[1]
1971 United Kingdom UK Albums Chart 1 24[2]
1971 North America The Billboard Pop Albums 2 37[2]
1971 Australia Go-Set Magazine 2 28[3]
1971 Japan Oricon Weekly Albums Chart 8 24[4]

[edit] Singles

Year Single Chart positions
UK U.S. Norway Japan Switzerland Austria Germany Australia Ireland
1971 "Another Day" 2 5 3 4 7 10 6 1 1
1971 "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" 1 6
1971 "The Back Seat of My Car" 39
1971 "Eat at Home" 8 50 7

[edit] References

  1. ^ norwegiancharts.com Paul McCartney - Ram
  2. ^ a b Paul McCartney UK Albums Chart Archives
  3. ^ Go-Set Australian charts - 29 January 1972
  4. ^ Paul McCartney Japanese Oricon Album Charts Archives

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Paul McCartney
Studio albums
With Wings
Live albums
Compilations
Soundtracks
Experimental albums
Classical albums
Filmography
James Paul McCartney (film) (1973) · One Hand Clapping (unreleased) (1974) · Wings Over the World (1979) · Concert for Kampuchea (1980) · Rockshow (1980) · Back To The Egg (1981) · Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984) · Get Back (1991) · Paul Is Live - The New World Tour (1993) · In The World Tonight (1997) · Live at the Cavern Club (1999) · Wingspan (2001) · Back in the U.S. (2002) · Paul McCartney in Red Square (2003) · Between Chaos and Creation (2005) · Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road (2005) · The Space Within US (2006) · The McCartney Years (2007)
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