Paul McCartney‘s solo career got off to a rocky start. His first few albums weren’t instant hits, and, when compared to his unfailing excellence with the Beatles, fans started to grow worried that he would never measure up without his bandmates. In hindsight, those albums that were once despised are now recognized as forward-thinking masterpieces. Although McCartney has been vindicated in many ways, it doesn’t erase the nasty comments he received from his fans and fellow musicians in the 1970s, including Ringo Starr. Starr, the most amiable Beatle, was uncharacteristically brutal in his review of Ram.
The Paul McCartney Masterpiece Ringo Starr Was Wrong About
Ram is an off-kilter, DIY style album that didn’t sound like anything else at the time of its release. Moreover, McCartney was inspired by many genres, leading to a sound that was hard to pin down, and we all know listeners love to be able to put things in a box. It was ahead of its time and was thus deemed a dud. Many people spoke poorly of Ram, but we have to think that a bad review from a former bandmate would be the hardest to stomach.
“I feel sad about Paul’s albums,” Star once said. “I don’t think there’s one tune on the last one, Ram…he seems to be going strange.”
Though it isn’t the rudest way he could’ve said that McCartney was failing in his solo career, it certainly would’ve been a slap in the face to Macca. Starr was the Beatle who remained friends with everyone after their breakup. With this comment, he decided to drop his usually cordial attitude. We’d be hurt if the person who never came to blows with anyone suddenly aimed at us…
Paul McCartney on Ram
McCartney had a specific vision for Ram. Up until that point, McCartney’s solo work had been notably sparse and underproduced. With Ram, McCartney aimed to return to the polished production he had achieved with the Beatles.
“We were on holiday in France and thinking about making another album,” McCartney once said. “I’d written a few new songs and we thought that for a change we’d go to New York to record. It’s a good place, with a lot of great musicians and would give us a different slant. We’d tried the amateur bit with McCartney, going back to square one; now we wanted to get a bit more professional.”
McCartney’s change of scenery certainly impacted the sound of this record. It sounded like nothing he had ever done before, and was never replicated by him again. When you create a record as bold as this, you’re liable to get a few negative comments. But you also prime yourself for significant rewards. Ram has undoubtedly proved to be rewarding for McCartney.
(Photo by Scott Robert Ritchie)