I'm just starting to write reviews on this page, but I'm going to focus in this particular album because I bought it only this year and it was the biggest surprise I've had since. I have all the Beatles' studio albums, and when I first heard "Ram", it just didn't sound quite like them...  The first impression I had from "Ram" came when I heard "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" on the radio, and I didn't understand it as a complete unity. Then I thought the complete context of that infectious "hands across the water, heads across the sky" chorus must have been on the album, so when I first got the chance to buy it (at an extremely low price, I must say), I did. And what I found was even more different and complex than what I'd thought before... I think most of us have built the mental image of Paul McCartney being a brilliant melody/hits constructor, which he demonstrated perfectly during his Beatle period (think about "Michelle", "Yesterday", "Let It Be", "The Long And Winding Road", etc.) and, of course, during his posterior Wings period ("Silly Love Songs", "My Love", etc.). But when I first heard the complete "Ram" album, I was getting quite different stuff: strong and complex musical arrangements with lyrics that made me ask to myself "hands across the water... what is he SAYING?", and with melodies and tunes unusually dense and deep for the average pop record. (And that's true not only for 1971, but also for today's standards!) Because of all that, I can say this album helps to change that public image of Sir James Paul McCartney, and stands out (maybe along  with "Band On The Run") as his most important solo effort. He has enough talent and taste to put out all those best-selling records (I mean he obviously knows what people like), like he would eventually do later with Wings, but he can also put together a good set of songs and make them sound well arranged and performed, with little help from Linda the wife and musician, like he did in "Ram". The strange lyrics that he presents to us here can only make you think. But if you want to figure out what's he singing about, you may get to strange conclussions (John Lennon understood the mesagges to him like "too many people preaching practices/don't let'em tell you what you wanna be") or just get a smile in your face and don't worry about them. You can simply enjoy the complexity of the chord variations, the orchestral production and the instrumental arrangements and find those little gems that can make you spend a good afternoon (or night, or morning, whatever) full of relaxation and great music. This album has production gems and excellent vocal performances by Paul and Linda, and a lot of weird sounds (the ukelele on "Ram On", the scat singing on "Heart Of The Country", etc.) that can make you go through this album over and over and always find something new to put attention to. Specially recommended are "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" (a huge hit that, in my opinion, hides a deep meaning -the role that the relationship between Paul and Linda plays in front of the world-, behind somewhat silly lyrics like "we haven't done a bloody thing all day"...); "Monkberry Moon Delight" (a delicious throat symphony by Paul with shining harmony vocals by Linda); "Long Haired Lady"; "Heart Of The Country"; "Eat At Home"; "Too Many People" (with hidden messagges to John & Yoko and outstanding guitar solos, which I suppose to be from Paul) and the best of all: "Dear Boy", which is a hidden jewel in the McCartney discography: here you can find the richest vocal arrangements ever made by Paul and Linda, perfectly managed to fit into the pure and sincere lyrics and the piano, bass & guitar basis. Buy this album. Enjoy it without great hopes (because it's not as good as the Beatles albums or as deep and sincere as the John Lennon solo albums: I mean, if you want to see the bad side of it, you will probably find it), but with a good disposition to smile and find out what a great pop songwriter, singer and instrumentist Paul McCartney is. (P.S.:If you can, get the "imported" version of this, that also has "Another Day" and "Oh Woman Oh Why" as bonus tracks. It is the standard version sold out here in Chile, and I think it adds two great songs to the other twelve and the remastering helps the whole album too).