In the beginning, going solo was not easy for Paul McCartney.

His first album was a raw homemade affair that got trashed by critics who were shocked that a Beatle – especially Paul – would release something only half-baked, so he decided to revise his methods for the next album, hoping to meet the expectations of his audience.

Instead of doing it all by himself, he hired a band, rehearsed and used a proper studio, and waited for acknowledgment. Instead, the critics howled even louder, calling “Ram” ‘insipid’, ‘spineless’, ‘monumentally irrelevant’ and quite simply, ‘a bad record’.

Little did we know at the time that this would be the best we would ever get from him again. Either the critics were ‘monumentally’ cruel, or time forced a radical change in perspective, because after a few years “Ram” started to sound really good, especially in comparison to everything else, especially if you include Paul’s subsequent work.

For better or worse, this is McCartney’s magnum opus, or at least among his solo top three. What a difference a few decades make.

Featured tracks include:

Too Many People

3 Legs

Ram Om

Dear Boy

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

Smile Away

Heart of the Country

Monkberry Moon Delight

Eat at Home

Long Haired Lady

Ram On (reprise)

The Back Seat of My Car

May 1971 - Billboard Charted #2