Discord & Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Discord and Rhyme is a podcast where we discuss the albums we love, song by song.

071: Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram (1971)

"Ram represents the nadir in the decomposition of '60s rock thus far."

Jon Landau, Rolling Stone

As we’ve discussed on this show before, rock critics are sometimes terribly, terribly wrong. When Paul and Linda McCartney released Ram in 1971, not only was everyone still mad about the Beatles breaking up, but the album was just innovative and groundbreaking enough that plenty of the tastemakers of the time just didn’t get it. Fortunately, the general public has known for quite a long time that Ram is amazing, and there’s recently been a big critical re-assessment of it. We’re here to help that process along. It’s an excellent album, containing some of McCartney’s best work, and we’re doing our best to convince anyone who is still in doubt. 

Miscellany

  • After holding out for three years, Amanda has finally covered an album from the 70s.

  • In “3 Legs,” Paul was presumably referencing Thomas Hardy’s novel Far From the Madding Crowd, or Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” but he didn’t do it right.

  • One thing we forgot to mention about “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” is that prog rock had already started to happen, in which songs could have multiple sections. Paul took that format and made it silly, which was apparently not allowed at the time, and we love it. 

  • We hope it goes without saying that Yoko Ono did not actually break up the Beatles.

  • “Hey Jude” was released as a single in August 1968 and “The Boxer” in March 1969. Simon and Garfunkel did not waste any time jumping on the “extended coda” train.

  • This is the only album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney. 

  • There is a tribute album called Ram On coming out in May!

  • Plus a 50th anniversary special edition of Ram!  

Other links 

Discord & Rhyme Roll Call 

  • Amanda Rodgers (host)

  • Ben Marlin (moderator)

  • Mike DeFabio

  • John McFerrin 

Ram tracklist 

  1. Too Many People

  2. 3 Legs

  3. Ram On

  4. Dear Boy

  5. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

  6. Smile Away

  7. Heart of the Country

  8. Monkberry Moon Delight

  9. Eat at Home

  10. Long Haired Lady

  11. Ram On

  12. The Back Seat of My Car

  13. (Bonus) Another Day 

Other clips used 

Paul McCartney/Wings:

  • Helen Wheels

  • Jet

  • Maybe I’m Amazed

  • Every Night

  • Dance Tonight

  • Band On the Run

  • Temporary Secretary

  • The Song We Were Singing

  • Riding to Vanity Fair

  • Listen to What the Man Said

  • Ever Present Past

  • My Love 

Others:

  • XTC - The Wheel and the Maypole

  • Canned Heat - Going Up the Country

  • The Beatles - And I Love Her

  • The Beatles - She’s a Woman

  • The Beatles - Lady Madonna

  • Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - Monkberry Moon Delight

  • Big Star - When My Baby’s Beside Me

  • Simon and Garfunkel - The Boxer

  • Donovan - Atlantis

  • Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill

  • The Kinks - Oklahoma U.S.A.

  • Percy “Thrills” Thrillington - Too Many People

  • Percy “Thrills” Thrillington - Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

Band/album personnel 

  • Paul McCartney – lead, harmony and backing vocals, bass, piano, keyboards, guitars, ukulele

  • Linda McCartney – harmony and backing vocals

  • David Spinozza – guitar 

  • Hugh McCracken – guitar

  • Denny Seiwell – drums

  • Heather McCartney – backing vocals on "Monkberry Moon Delight"

  • Marvin Stamm – flugelhorn on "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"

  • New York Philharmonic on "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" and "The Back Seat of My Car"

Credits 

“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of: 

  • Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf

  • Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste

  • The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...

  • Faith No More - Midlife Crisis

  • Herbie Hancock - Hornets

  • Kraftwerk - Autobahn

  • Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen

  • Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram On (this episode only) 

You can buy or stream Ram and other albums by Paul and/or Linda McCartney and/or Wings at paulmccartney.com, your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and be ever wonderful.

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