Wow. I seriously cannot believe that we have made it to a hundred posts. I did not think I would have the patience to keep this thing going, but due to your support and readership it has pushed me to expose new bands and classic artists on a pretty regular basis. Here's to another hundred posts and many more to come!
As a result of this milestone in this site's history I am here to introduce to you a new on-going segment here on the site. In addition to "Needs to Stop" and "Late Discoveries" we are now going to add "Hall of Fame" in which each post will be an expose on albums that matter to us, they may or may not not be considered classics in the eyes of the critics but in our hearts they are extremely important.
Kicking off this series is Paul McCartney's 1971 sophomore solo album Ram.
Commercially, this album did very well, it reached #1 on the U.K. Charts and #2 on the U.S. Billboard as well. However, over the long ongoing solo career that Macca has had this album has sadly been tucked towards the rear of his immense and diverse catalogue.
First off, The Beatles of course were and still are one of the the most influential artists in history. They have literally effected every single form of art. There are very few people who can say they have done that. So, when The Beatles broke up and began their own respective solo careers the public began choosing sides as to who was the best Beatle. I am of the belief that it is impossible to determine the definite Beatle because each Paul George John and Ringo brought their own unique aspects and originality to the table, and are completely irreplaceable.
However, when they broke up and began to create their own records, it was interesting to see just what aspect of the Beatles they each represented. After carefully listening to all of their catalogues, I find myself a bigger McCartney fan than the rest. Ram is the perfect example of my reasoning for liking Paul, because it sounds like a lost Beatles album. More than any of the other members I believe that McCartney represented the sound of The Beatles, that diverse yet fairly simple pop sound that they invented. Granted some of the tracks on this album are in a sense Beatles songs."Backseat of My Car" was in fact a leftover from the Let It Be sessions. Take for example the track "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey," the way McCartney is able to add distinct characterization to his vocals seems like it would have perfectly fit into Sgt. Pepper or Magical Mystery Tour.
I am in no way trying to discredit the other members work, Lennon's Imagine and Harrison's All Things Must Pass are absolute staples in Rock and Roll. However, if you are trying to get into the post Beatles solo careers, and are looking for an album that has that familiar Beatlesque sound to it, try Ram first. Even though some critics might suggest that Paul McCartney & Wings' Band On The Run is more essential, I respectfully disagree. Every single track on this classic album is solid memorable and distinct. Its integrity, in my book, places it up in the ranks of The White Album or Rubber Soul, which for any other artist would be a huge achievement, but Paul McCartney he makes it look easy. For further proof of my claims check out "Monkberry Moon Delight" a song that almost became the title of this blog, and a true underrated gem in Paul's vast discography.
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