Ram on the Run
Overall Album Score: 9.9 out of 10 This is one of the coolest albums EVEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR! I probably could end this review here. That statement absolutely defines this album. But, I won't, because there are probably a few idiots who might misread that info. So, I am going to explain myself for all you over-literate loser-faces. Okay... when I say "This is one of the coolest albums EVEEEEEEEEERRRRRR!" I don't mean that it is currently in a freezer, nor has it had prolonged exposure to an ice cube. Neither is it within the latter end of a penguin's digestive system. Nope. I mean that it is just AWESOME!! And by awesome, I don't mean that you will stand before it, hanging your mouth open, and have spit dribbling out of your mouth. (That is, unless you're weird or something.) Nope. What I mean is that this album is SUPER!! And by super, I don't mean that it puts on underwear over its tights... Well, I think you get the picture. This is SIR Paul McCartney's second solo album (NAWT including his movie soundtrack in 1967) and, depending on who you talk to, it is his best ever. Some other people will go right out and tell you that Band on the Run is Paul's best album ... and that's a valid argument. But I don't agree with them. Yet, others will tell you that his butt is his best album, but I wouldn't pay much attention to them because they've probably lost their minds after going to that Aerosmith concert and they've banged their head against the padded walls enough to scramble their brains. (Oooo! Aerosmith insult! Hear me ROAR!) So, what we gotttttt here is an album that can be summarized in one word: SUPER DUPER! Pauly's really come up with something that will rock your stocks. (*Bill Gates pees pants.* Hah hah! Just kidding, Bill!) Of all my albums, this one is one of the most entertaining and one of the most interesting to listen to. Therefore... this is one of the most Beatles-quality solo albums! Yep! It joins that ranking with Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, George's All Things Must Pass, and his own Band on the Run. These albums are so good that you had might as well just consider it an extension of the Beatles legacy. And what's especially grand about this album (like, at least, George's) is that it takes on a special life of its own! Yep! The album has its own distinct style that doesn't sound anything that came before it, nor ever to be repeated. (I think John was a little jealous, too.) The songs are all light ... and beautiful. The melodies are all pretty primo stuff from our most favorite author of Bealtes tunes. AND, the stuff I said in my McCartney review (that Paul's solo career is like a pea compared to the Beatles' basketball) doesn't apply here quite as starkly. While I'd hesitate quite severely to call this better than any of the Beatles late albums, it is better than Help! (can't say that about too many things, sirreee) and all the Beatles albums that came before that! If the Beatles were to have stayed together, I wouldn't be surprised, in the slightest, that this would be a Fab Four enterprise. It's THAT good! Of course, Linda probably wouldn't have had much to do with it (Oh, I finally figured out who she is... she's his grandmother) whose voice sort of trademarks the album's sound. (I don't think her voice puts a damper on the album at all! Instead, I think it ENHANCES IT!) And also, Denny Siewell plays the drums on here (who would later join Paul in his Wings efforts). I probably should mention that this ain't a Wings album. Paul's next project, the much pale-in-comparison Wild Life, gets that honor. Ooooo! I would like to contest something dastardly the All Music Guide said about the album! It said: "Unfortunately, most of Ram is comprised of filler, and while it's enjoyable filler, it prevents the record from being much more than pleasurable diversion." TURKEY!!!! Filler, at least as I define it, is when an album has obviously been lengthened only to make it longer. Has Paul done this to Ram??? NO! Every moment is utterly necessary, very welcome, and every bit as good as Philadelphia band cream cheese! And I'm sure this album is more than just a pleasurable diversion as the All-Music Guide so turkily put it! The Bee Gees are a "pleasurable diversion" - Paul's music, at least here, is very sophisticated and an innovative masterwork! You MIGHT be able to argue that Ram has SOME filler, but you'd really have to be an All-Music-Guide turkey to really think it matters. I actually wish this album had MORE filler!!!! Drag some of these GREAT tunes out for an hour longer, dude! GGGGGGG!!! Of course, the website gave the album a five-star rating anyway, which makes me even more suspicious that they write these reviews within the confines of padded walls. Overall Album Score: 9.9 out of 10 (Is this a just-under-perfect score I doth hear? 'Tis? WOOOHOOO!!! I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!! I LOVE PAUL & LINDA!!!!!! I LOVE GOD'S GREEN EARTH AND ALL THE FURRY LITTLE THINGS!!!!!!!!! I LOOOOVE ALAN GREENSPAN AND THE FEDERAL RESERVE!!!!!!!!!!!! ... If you haven't heard this album yet, I assure you, from the bottommost, blood-filled chamber of my heart, this will be the highlight of your entire week! GET IT!) Average Song Score: 9.8 (Dang, dude! Every song on here scored above a 9 - to received pluses. There is not one bad apple! NOT ONE! Gotta love that Uncle Albert!) Album Tilt: 10 (Yep! Great album! I love every second of it and it leaves me wishing for more! There is not a single moment that drags it down! Utterly splendid.) Artist Tilt: 10 (For his best solo album ... something that even surpasses the early Beatles album, Paul deserves all the kudos I can give him. Great effort! It's a real shame that he never repeated it. He made all these melodies and instrumental innovations seem so EFFORTLESS, too! Perhaps he was just having a really good day.) Track Reviews Too Many People 10/10 Eeeeeee! The first song is great! This is one of those tunes that you can keep in your head and think life couldn't get much better (especially if your life is dull like mine). What's weird is that this ain't even the best track of the album. Not even the second or third best tracks! It's ... well ... I don't know ... just GREAT! Ooh, I suppose I'd better describe the song. It's definitely a song that's 100 percent rock that has a pleasant yet complex melody line in the beginning and ends with something a little more hard. The sitar at the very end, especially, reminds me of the Beatles. (Arrrgh! I know the Fab Four ended a song like this but I can't seem to remember what it is! Grrrr! Oh well. It doesn't matter, I guess.) 3 Legs 9.5/10 Paul goes folky! It's a catchy ditty, almost a pleasant reminder of Dylan, but it has its own distinct style ... most notably interesting studio work with the voices, and some highly unusual sounds. Grrr! I won't even try to describe the sounds ... ya just gotta hear it. (I do hope that you eventually purchase this album ... It's quite worth it, donchaknow!) And then ... my personal favorite part of the song is when it ends with a very unusual and unorthodox coda. Indescribable in any word other than: class, baby. Actually, I'd call this song a big blow in the stomach for those mentally-deprived folks over at the All Music guide who thinks this album is mostly filler. This song could have easily been DOUBLED in time and it'd still be too short! Ram On 9.5/10 A brief, elegant piano chords start off this song that soon evolves into an interesting ukulele tune, that is equipped with a great melody, and also some very interesting Riverdance (!) (Mind you, they're relatively infrequent taps - but that's what they sound like) - sounding drums in the background. Utterly enchanting. This one should have been longer, too! But ah! It's reprised for a minute toward the end of the album! Yippe! Dear Boy 10/10 Full 10, man! You've really got to give the guy credit, here! The melody here is ESPECIALLY Beatles quality and-geez-I don't think they could have done it any better themselves! It's the sweeping backing vocals, however, take the cake on this one ... highly memorable and enjoyable. And clocks in at only two minutes and fifteen seconds. Filler my $*#&#*#! Maybe John, George and Ringo would have persuaded Paul to make it longer ... and OH WHY DID THEY EVER BREAK UP?!?!? Think of what it could have been LIKE? Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey 10plus/10 This song REALLY deserves the plus rating attached to it because ... it's just so excellent! I think most of you probably recognize this one on the radio. But I'll describe it anyway ... It's a very pleasant tune ... the melody is perfect (up to par with "Hey Jude," methinks) and the quirky instrumentals make it even better-the background vocals are just: *gives blank stare of worship*! And then it gracefully changes melody to something faster, melody still great, and I JUST LOVE IT!!!! If you haven't heard this one, then you're a REALLY deprived individual! This is like human catnip, man! Call this filler and I'll have your teeth! Best track of the album. Smile Away 9/10 Oh! What happened to Uncle Albert? Pooooooey! No matter how much I want to dock it major points for not being that song, I still have to give it a nice high score! This one is a very interesting sounding (though the melody isn't quite as complex) hard rocker. Great use of synthesizer that I bet most bands WISH they could think of! I like the song much better when it gets to the end! Love it! Heart of the Country 9/10 This bouncy, relatively simple song with Paul basically singing with less-prominent acoustic instruments, is still quite enjoyable. Probably the most "conventional" of the album. The All-Music Guide REALLY messed up when it called this track and the previous one among the best of the album. Don't get me wrong, they're still great tunes! But HOW CAN THEY NEGLECT THE NEXT TWO TRACKS?!?!?!... Monkberry Moon Delight 10/10 MONKBERRY MOON DELIGHT!! Love the title! And I REALLY love the song! This one actually gets the prestige of being one of the first McCartney solo songs that I ever became addicted to. Because it's a great song! Really quirky and ... well ... I love it! Paul's vocals here (he screams the lyrics) are FUNNY! A weird little conversation at the end ' never fails to crack me up (kind of like the Beatles' "Hey Bulldog"). Eat at Home 10/10 This is a bouncy tune that's exactly what 70's pop should look like! The melodies are utterly PERFECT and the instruments, again, are PERFECTLY PLAYED! Not particularly weird on the instrumental front ... it's still among the best songs of the album. And I love the beeeeejezuz out of it! If I can't 'xpress it enough ... it's WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! Long Haired Lady 10/10 How many 10's out of 10's can I award?! Well, the goods keep on coming! Though I could be on an acid trip inspired by "Monkberry Moon Delight" ... because THESE SONGS ARE BETTER THAN ANY ONE ALBUM DESERVES TO HAVE! Enchanting ... great tune ... and everything! Classic, baby! Garsh! Too bad Paul's other albums don't stand up to this! Actually, this would be the spot where you could conceivably argue has filler... but you'd lose because YOU'D DIE!! GRRRRRR!! Well, this song is above six minutes ... and is exactly what I wish Paul would extend some of his other songs into becoming. Geez! I love the ending best of all! (What's it with Paul's endings? I never remember liking the ENDINGS of songs as much as this.) OH PAUL! I EVEN WORSHIP THY FOOT ODORS! Ram On 9.5/10 A fifty-five second reprise of "Ram On" from earlier in the album ... in all its glorious splendor. It does add a string of vocals that wasn't present in the first section. Still great! Back Seat of My Car 10/10 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! This one is close to an Abbey Road tune, I'd definitely say in all my expertise, know-it-all tone of voice. Definitely an engaging piece of work! It's more traditional in the sense of instrumentals ... it uses an authentic sounding orchestration. Geez! I'm going to quite writing and listen to the sucker! ------------------------- Oooo! That verry brief ending could have easily been a song on its own, but Paul doesn't do it because HE'S GOT THE STUFF, MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?! It's over?!?!?! I'm so sad. Eh... no it's not. I can listen to it over again. YAY! Ram ooooooooooooooon and leave me a comment about Raaaaaaaaaaam here, you sheepdog, you! palacerevolution2000@yahoo.com (Chelsea) received April 21, 2007 The only problem I see with "Ram" is the Paul's biggest weakness period: the lyrics. I think that's why AMG was calling them "filler" and why much of this album still has that fluffy feel to it. I agree with you that this is by far Paul's best, ranks with Beatles material, that the music is tops. If Paul could only sing ABOUT something that mattered in any way to anyone. There's always the relatives: "Uncle so and so, and Auntie something coming over", or the message tunes that don't mean nothing "too many people sleeping late". "Man I can smell your feet a mile away". Great to have fun. I hate pompous overblown lyrics, but his words are nothing that you can have passion about. James Brown might sing about only the "one upbeat" but he is insanely passionete about it, and makes me crazy about it too. Paul knows it is all silly and what can his audience do but smile, and focus on the wonderful music. That would be so much stronger if it had some words as powerful aS! the sounds. |
All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. Woof!
