The Smiley Smile Message Board

I read somewhere a few years ago, an observation that Paul and Linda McCartney's Ram could be seen as a tribute to Brian Wilson in songwriting and production style. I haven't been able to track down the site online yet, but I'm still working on it.

While I can't see it as a straight forward tribute, I can definitely see where the reviewer was coming from. I'm just curious what the opinions of other posters on here are.

Also, just learned tonight of a promo only mono mix of this album that, in my opinion, is superior to its original release.

I wouldn't say it's a tribute, just that Brian's music was a strong influence.

Can't add anything factual, but I remember listening to the album for the first time long after I became a BW fanatic, and being really struck by how much the ambience of the album reminded me of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey.

How'd my favorite McCartney album come up on here?

I'd say a lot of tracks on Ram are Beach Boys influenced. (Back Seat of My Car and Uncle Albert especially)

It's definitely got that Friends like down to earth, country-like mentality.

http://www.last.fm/music/Go+Home+Productions/The+Allen+Dean+Project/I+Just+Wasn't+Made+for+the+Backseat+of+my+Car+(The+Beach+Boys+vs.+Wings)

The deluxe Ram was the *other* release I was really looking forward to this holiday season... hopefully Paul will release it in the first half of 2012.

Is it possible that Smiley Smile inspired a back to basics homemade swerve of Get Back, Ram and other back to basics homemadey albums that followed?

Smiley and Wild Honey certainly set the tone for McCartneys first solo album but Ram is a step up production wise. If you love Ram give the Thrillington album a listen, great instrumental versions of the Ram tracks!

Right, I said Ram but I was really thinking of McCartney [if that was the first's title].

All great points here!


Exactly! This is more so the phrasing I was after! Just couldn't think of exactly how to say it.




Agree here, as well. I picked up on the "hominess" of the record, similar in feel to both Smiley Smile and Wild Honey. Especially on "Eat At Home," which (at least on the surface) feels somewhat like Brian's domestically themed songs of Friends.

I'd been reading about Paul's The Love We Make, which got me thinking about Ram and the possible Brian connection - and here we are. Haha.

Ram is my favorite of Paul's output as well, followed by Back To The Egg and Venus and Mars. I, too hope the deluxe edition is released soon. It would be nice if the mono mix was released also. But, its probably not much more likely than the mono mixes of early Beach Boys' albums being released.  >:(




I think its too big of a coincidence that The Beatles moved in the same direction Brian did at the same time (though slightly after). Magical Mystery Tour is kind of a misnomer because many of those songs had been recorded or at least started around the time of Sgt. Pepper. The home "grown-ness" of many of the songs on The Beatles (aka White Album) and the entire original Get Back project clearly echo much of Brian's work on Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, and Friends. The intent of the similarities can be debated, but I believe after Pet Sounds, "Good Vibrations", and "Heroes and Villains", Brian was looked at as a trendsetter, musically.

And I agree about Thrillington!!! I found it surprisingly enjoyable.

Ram, Back to the Egg and Chaos & Creation, all superb. I was surprised to find someone else rated BTTE so highly. BW fans have taste!

Ironic, given the date (dec 8) but John Lennon saw Ram as being full of subtle insults towards him and Yoko.

I think John was being a little thin skinned there.  "Too many people preaching practices" isn't exactly a damning indictment (plus the picture of one beetle screwing another).  But I've always found John's How Do You Sleep? to be a scathing and unpleasant counter-attack.  Too Many People can be enjoyed on its own terms without knowing those particulars, but HDYS just beats you over the head.

I always thought that "Dear Boy" was Paul's tribute to Brian, musically and harmony wise anyway.

Tristero, I believe it was specifically the line about "you took your lucky break and broke it in two" as well as the song "3 Legs" he took offense to.

The actual track 'Ram On' is the one where it could literally be a BB's offcut with Paul singing, it's SO late 1960's BB's.

A Beach Boys recording of 'Back Seat Of My Car' would have been something to behold.

Back Seat is an open, obvious tribute to Brian Wilson. The rest of it is only Brian-influenced in the sense that most of his music has that influence, in varying degrees, from 1966 on.

Yes, I think "Dear Boy" is a clearly BW influenced track.

I'm not a big Beatles fan at all but I can relate to some of McCartney's solo work because it's so "Brian-like". McCartney II is a particular favorite of mine, even though I sometimes feel like I might be the only person who thoroughly enjoys that album. It's pretty close to Love You in both spirit and execution I think.

I NEED A TEMPORARY SECRETARY

TEMPORARY


SECRETARY

:rock :rock :rock

"I know how hard it is for young girls these days, in the face of everything, to stay on the right track." :smokin

Ram is one of the greatest albums of all time.

There is (or was) a clip of Paul fooling with Back Seat of my Car during the Get Back sessions and John makes reference to it being "a Beach Boys style song"

I love that album. The new deluxe version is superb as it has lots of the experimental synth stuff on there. Definitely the odd nod to Love You. Some of that stuff is way ahead of it's time. Temporary Secretary, Check My Machine, Mr H Atom, all brilliant. The experimental McCartney albums are out there and fascinating listening. The three Fireman albums are all excellent.

I didn't know about a new deluxe version, think I'm gonna get my hands on this thing very soon!
I agree it was way ahead of its time. Come to think of it, "Front Parlour" could have come out on a late-90s indietronica album and wouldn't have been out of place.

Haven't heard any of the Firemen albums yet, maybe I should change that.

Back To The Egg is a wonderful, and incredibly underated album.

Hell, even my least favorite Macca album (Press to Play) has at least one incredible song ("Only Love Remains" which I had played at my wedding). I have total respect for the guy. As far as him paying tribute to Brian, I would include these songs: "Dear Boy", "Promise To You Girl", "Feet In The Clouds", "I Lie Around" and "Summer's Day Song". And that is probably just scratching the surface. The wifey and I saw him in Dallas in 2002 and it still is one of the best shows I have ever seen by anybody. Jaw dropping and teary eyed.

Fantastic song!, I prefer the mix on the 12" single, but both are great!  :)