Los Angeles: huge, sprawling, and eclectic, has been likened to microcosm of the country as whole — truly a melting pot of various cultures, ethnicities, tastes and influences. So is her music. With various scenes and sub-scenes, rarely has there been a defining “sound” that marks the overall zeitgeist of what is happening in the city at any one time. In 2008 I set out to create a compilation of a dozen or so L.A. based artists that I felt were creating something both unique and diverse. After some thought I decided that there needed to be a running theme, something to tie the artists together into a cohesive whole, a common bond.
As records tend to do, a revisited appreciation of Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album, RAM, had begun to see a resurgence of sorts within a number of local eastside artists, coming up in conversations and on the turntables of various house parties.
The theme was found. Over the course of the second half of 2008 eleven Angeleno artists individually went in to various studios, rehearsal spaces and apartments to record their take on what is my favorite, and arguably, McCartney’s best solo work…. the end result is RAM On L.A.
Released as a high-quality 320kbps MP3 digital download, the not-for-profit compilation is available free via Aquarium Drunkard. Listeners are encouraged to make donations to No More Landmines, the fantastic cause that “helps and empowers communities around the world by removing the threat of landmines and unexploded weapons.” A cause championed by Sir Paul McCartney himself. Donate here.
Download: RAM On L.A. :: A Los Angeles Music Sampler (Zipped 132 MB)
Tracklisting:
Earlimart :: Too Many People
Frankel :: 3 Legs
The Parson Redheads :: Ram On
Bodies of Water :: Dear Boy
Radar Bros. :: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Naptunes :: Smile Away
Los Baby Fools :: Heart Of The Country
Le Switch :: Monkberry Moon Delight
The Broken West :: Eat At Home
Amnion :: Long Haired Lady
The Parson Redheads :: Ram On (reprise)
Travel by Sea :: The Back Seat Of My Car
Kudos on the coverset — from the album choice (inspired) to the “here and now” community nature of the project, a job well done all around.
May many folks donate to the cause in honor of your curatorship and the fine performances you have solicited.
1 | boyhowdy March 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 amSo so so fabulous, thank you! One of my favorite albums of all time. It’s so great to rediscover these songs through today’s artists.
2 | theOCMD March 2nd, 2009 at 12:41 pm[...] you Justin Gage! Aquarium Drunkard’s label Autumn Tone Records released RAM On L.A. today – a tribute album to Paul McCartney’s classic 1971 solo album RAM (one of my [...]
3 | Paul McCartney RAM Tribute Album - Free Download « the OCMD March 2nd, 2009 at 1:15 pm[...] fine folks over at Aquarium Drunkard have rounded up 11 local Los Angeles bands to cover tunes from Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo record, [...]
4 | When You Awake March 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pmWorst fucking rendition of Monkberry Moon Delight I have
5 | bebop March 2nd, 2009 at 2:50 pmEVER heard.
Overall great job! The Bodies of Water track has to be my favorite
6 | cody March 2nd, 2009 at 3:17 pmSpiral Beach did a cool acoustic cover of Monkberry Moon Delight a couple of years ago in some interview. Like the comp.
7 | Shivar Decrescendo March 2nd, 2009 at 5:04 pmliking this amnion band’s cover of Long Haired Lady
8 | ressell March 2nd, 2009 at 5:28 pmHiya J…
Iwill be making my contribution when I get home.. ta!
9 | harleyblues March 2nd, 2009 at 5:29 pmhb~
Great comp, my favorite was the Aminon, “Long Haired Lady.” They didn’t completely alter it but added their own distinct ideas. Good stuff.
10 | A.J. March 2nd, 2009 at 5:31 pmDamn I’m getting an error message…
“We are unable to play media on this page at this time. Refresh the page and try again”
?????
Idid refresh twice….
11 | harleyblues March 2nd, 2009 at 8:34 pmstill not able to listen ~
sheeesh!~
12 | harleyblues March 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 pmhb~
Really great. Thanks to all the artists for doing this and Justin for roping it all together.
13 | uwmryan March 2nd, 2009 at 8:53 pmgreat stuff. its an honor to be on the comp. nice work justin.
kyle – travel by sea
14 | Kyle March 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 pmWOOBYDOOBYWeEDOOZ aNOTHER one SOMETIME!
15 | Aaron Embry March 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 amILOVEYOU
16 | ZELLA March 3rd, 2009 at 3:01 amThis is fantastic. Bravo on good work well done.
17 | Jamie Mottram March 3rd, 2009 at 9:12 amwow, such a nice cover album… thanks for this! also thanks for posting monkberry moon delight originally, that is how i found out about ram in the first place… immediately went out to buy it on vinyl and loved it. thanks again aqd!
18 | Ujn Hunter March 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 amNice work for a good cause. Looking forward to listening to it…
19 | Blackraptor. March 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 amBOMB!!!! It’s pouring rain in San Francisco and this is sounding incredible…good work on this, Justin Gage.
20 | stillgroove March 3rd, 2009 at 11:01 am[...] a great album, but did we miss the 27th anniversary party or something? Either way, both WFMU and Aquarium Drunkard have managed to recreate some of Paul McCartney’s best solo work with the help of some of [...]
21 | Aquarium Drunkard And WFMU Release Ram Covers Compliation | The Tripwire March 3rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm[...] can download the entire album for free at Aquarium Drunkard. Listeners are encouraged to make a donation to No More Land Mines, which it’s nice to see Paul [...]
22 | Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » Aquarium Drunkard Presents Ram on L.A. March 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 pmScreamin’ Jay Hawkins’ version of Monkberry Moon Delight is perfect because he was completely insane (which is kind of required for the song):
http://www.amazon.com/Monkberry-Moon-Delight/dp/B000QO2TP4
Yes, he’s the “I Put a Spell on You” guy who emerged from a coffin at each show a full decade before Alice Cooper.
Thanks for this compilation. I’m a huge Beatle/McCartney fan and Ram is my favorite McCartney solo album hands down.
23 | Chip March 3rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm[...] Click here to go to AD to check their cover compilation of Paul McCartney’s “Ram” album. Lots of great covers…all they ask for in return for the free downloads is consideration for a donation to the charity “No More Landmines”. Worthy cause…small price for some killer tunes. Check it! [...]
24 | Paul McCartney’s “RAM” Ablum Get’s Covered For a Great Cause. Free Download…Please Donate « Rock God Cred March 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 pmThanks for this, could be an addictive album.
25 | Josh Waller March 4th, 2009 at 8:57 amI may be a bit biased–but that disclaimer aside—the cover of Monkberry Moon Delight is without doubt one of the best on this compilation–the “calypso” sounds and raspsy vocals are a sweet combination. BIG thanks for putting together one historic comp!
26 | Luanna March 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am[...] album features each band’s take on a song from Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album RAM. The album is free to download, but The Drunkard is suggesting that you say thanks by donating to his favorite charity No More [...]
27 | RAM On L.A. | Austin Town Hall March 4th, 2009 at 11:23 amshould’ve had Nazcar Nation and/or Les Blanks contribute.
28 | craigertiger March 4th, 2009 at 4:14 pm[...] RAM On L.A. - A Los Angeles Music Sampler [...]
29 | Secretly Belgian » Downloads van de week (06/03/09) March 6th, 2009 at 1:45 am[...] completely free download of Paul McCartney’s Ram, as covered by L.A.-area indie artists. Go here to get the download and think about tossing a few coins in the pot for their charity: No More [...]
30 | Cool Covers « 30 Days Out March 9th, 2009 at 7:55 am[...] mention here goes to Aquarium Drunkard’s wonderfully-produced collection RAM On L.A., which pays track-by-track tribute to Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album RAM; the album, which [...]
31 | Tributaries: On Influence and Coverage (New and Upcoming Tribute Albums from the Folkworld and Beyond) — Cover Lay Down March 14th, 2009 at 11:36 pm[...] Aquarium Drunkard is promoting a benefit project of Los Angeles bands covering Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album, RAM. The whole album is free, and chock full of good tunes, but if you provide donations, AD promises that “Every penny of donations from listeners will go directly to No More Landmines.” If you’re not convinced yet, I’ll just tell you that the roster includes Earlimart, Radar Bros., and The Broken West, among others. [...]
32 | Berkeley Place » HELP SAVE THE WORLD AND GET COVERS OF PAUL MCCARTNEY TUNES! March 17th, 2009 at 3:03 ami can’t believe that i went 15 days without knowing this was posted. i learned how to love music growing up with this album. so fucking stoked you put this together.
i love you, aquarium drunkard.
33 | deepconcentration March 17th, 2009 at 8:37 pmAll of these covers prove just how great the original recordings are simply because none of these covers is as good as the original! Listen to the real Ram with good headphones to hear the vast array of sounds and music and harmonies swirling around the backgrounds and throughout this McCartney masterpiece!!
34 | Duddy Kravitz March 20th, 2009 at 11:34 am[...] de Paul McCArtney, ha reunido a alguno de sus grupos favoritos de Los Angeles para realizar este recopilatorio gratuito, RAM in LA, que recrea las canciones del álbum, y que ha contado con el consentimiento del [...]
35 | Ram: el disco y el homenaje | especiales | AltaFidelidad.org March 22nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm[...] de Paul McCArtney, ha reunido a alguno de sus grupos favoritos de Los Angeles para realizar este recopilatorio gratuito, RAM in LA, que recrea las canciones del álbum, y que ha contado con el consentimiento del [...]
36 | Ram: el disco y el homenaje | especiales | AltaFidelidad.org March 22nd, 2009 at 6:32 pmLos felicito !, y gracias, un hermoso homenaje a este disco espectacular
37 | AID March 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm[...] Various Artists – Ram on L.A. Cover albums can be a tricky proposition, an artistic attempt studded with the landmines of creative missteps, awkward new versions and flat-out misguided covers of classic music—a great swath of the best and most powerful rock albums (though not all—I’m looking at you, Bee Thousand) often contain some kind of conceptual through-line or sustained mood that holds them together, and it’s exactly that sense of cohesion that is lost in translation when an individual artist’s POV is splintered into ten or twelve separate and distinct voices under a covers umbrella. [...]
38 | Album Reviews: The Best Music of 2009 - Part One (January - March) : web in front [dot] net | L.A. music news, reviews and interviews April 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am[...] West contributed covers of songs from Paul McCartney’s RAM for Aquarium Drunkard’s RAM on LA: A Los Angeles Music Sampler. Radar Bros. chose “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey” and The Broken West give their take [...]
39 | Merge Records April 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am[...] entidad mas allá del disco homenajeado. Está disponible para descarga gratuita en calidad 320 AQUÍ y los autores solo piden que si quieres hagas una pequeña donación a la organización anti minas [...]
40 | RAM on LA | Desde El Arroyo June 18th, 2009 at 11:26 am[...] compilation of cover songs from Paul McCartney’s 1971 RAM album is available free via aquariumdrunkard.com. Listeners are encouraged to make donations to No More Landmines, the fantastic cause that [...]
41 | Art Vandal » Blog Archive » RAM On L.A. :: A Los Angeles Music Sampler September 18th, 2009 at 1:00 pm[...] Kostenloser Download “Ram On L.A.” (12 MP3s) [...]
42 | 7 Cover-Alben zum kostenlosen Download: Von Björk bis Radiohead - LoadBlog - Tipps und Downloads für Windows, Mac und Mobile November 29th, 2009 at 2:58 am[...] Various Artists – Ram on L.A. [...]
43 | Album Reviews: Web in Front’s Best Local Albums of 2009 : web in front [dot] net | L.A. music news, reviews and interviews December 1st, 2009 at 1:28 pm[...] – Ram On LA – [Autumn [...]
44 | Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » The Best Reissues & Compilations of 2009 (New Testament) December 15th, 2009 at 2:01 am[...] Spring Aquarium Drunkard is releasing the follow-up to last year’s RAM On L.A. compilation. Details per album choice and artists to follow. Stay tuned. In the meantime I’m [...]
45 | Aquarium Drunkard » RAM On L.A. :: Redux February 3rd, 2010 at 2:34 pm[...] little over a year ago, the blog Aquarium Drunkard released a record called Ram On LA, a “Los Angeles Music Sampler” that featured bands like Earlimart, the Parson Redheads, [...]
46 | FAST RAM, or “Ram” on 45 « Geoff's website April 28th, 2010 at 11:45 am[...] you give us your connection? Aquarium Drunkard: The first LA sampler I produced was 2009′s RAM On LA which consisted of 11 artists each covering a track off Paul McCartney‘s RAM album. The [...]
47 | Aquarium Drunkard Presents- L’Aventure « Harmon Drive June 12th, 2010 at 11:58 am[...] year Aquarium Drunkard released RAM On L.A. — a local music compilation featuring eleven Los Angeles artists each covering a track off [...]
48 | Aquarium Drunkard » L’Aventure :: A Los Angeles Music Sampler – 2010 June 22nd, 2010 at 2:50 am[...] year, Aquarium Drunkard released Ram on L.A., a mix that featured 12 prominent up and coming Los Angeles acts offering their take on Paul [...]
49 | Aquarium Drunkard Drops L’Aventure :: A Los Angeles Music Sampler | Neon Musical Insight June 22nd, 2010 at 10:30 am[...] Drunkard has done it again. Following last year’s song-for-song tribute to McCartney’s Ram, he’s teamed with some of LA’s finest to cover Television’s second album [...]
50 | Aquarium Drunkard & LA friends take on Television (for a good cause) « Some Velvet Blog June 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm[...] a follow-up of sorts to last year’s stellar Ram on L.A. compilation, Aquarium Drunkard has curated a tribute comp for Television’s overlooked 1978 [...]
51 | l’aventure | GORILLA VS. BEAR June 29th, 2010 at 1:15 am[...] to name but a few. The results are well worth some attention and can be downloaded for nowt from here if you’re a skinflint, though you are politely encouraged to make a donation to No More [...]
52 | Cover up / Selection Box Show 144 | BCB Radios Music Blog - Untitled Noise August 16th, 2010 at 9:28 am[...] to name but a few. The results are well worth some attention and can be downloaded for nowt from here if you’re a skinflint, though you are politely encouraged to make a donation to No More [...]
53 | Cover up / Selection Box Show 144 « The Taking of Pelham Road August 17th, 2010 at 6:59 am[...] at Aquarium Drunkard compiled a track-for-track tribute to the LP from various L.A. artists titled RAM On L.A.; it’s a free download. tweetmeme_style = "compact";ShareTags: Paul McCartney, The Morning [...]
54 | the morning benders – “Ram On” (Paul McCartney Cover) & Echomix2 Download - Stereogum September 15th, 2010 at 8:36 amYay! I’ve been waiting for indie artist to get on a cover of Ram. If no one else had stepped up I was going to start my own band called Ram of God and play it live. Thank you for saving me from that since I don’t really play or sing well enough.
55 | Stacia September 17th, 2010 at 2:26 pm[...] you missed this in June…. Last year Aquarium Drunkard released RAM On L.A. — a local music compilation featuring eleven Los Angeles artists each covering a track off [...]
56 | L’Aventure :: Television’s Adventure Reimagined « the hip pop October 5th, 2010 at 1:19 pm[...] you missed this in June…. Last year Aquarium Drunkard released RAM On L.A. — a local music compilation featuring eleven Los Angeles artists each covering a track off [...]
57 | Aquarium Drunkard » L’Aventure :: Television’s Adventure Reimagined October 31st, 2010 at 12:54 am[...] entitled—wait for it—L’Aventure. Like the L.A. take on McCartney’s RAM the year before, L’Aventure is a study in not only the reinterpretation of material, but of the diversity of [...]
58 | Aquarium Drunkard » Aquarium Drunkard :: Year In Review 2010 December 6th, 2010 at 3:28 pmnice job, fellas. RAM is my favorite macca solo.
59 | glauber guimarães December 8th, 2010 at 10:39 am[...] “Los Angeles: huge, sprawling, and eclectic, has been likened to microcosm of the country as whole — truly a melting pot of various cultures, ethnicities, tastes and influences. So is her music. With various scenes and sub-scenes, rarely has there been a defining “sound” that marks the overall zeitgeist of what is happening in the city at any one time. In 2008 I set out to create a compilation of a dozen or so L.A. based artists that I felt were creating something both unique and diverse. After some thought I decided that there needed to be a running theme, something to tie the artists together into a cohesive whole, a common bond. As records tend to do, a revisited appreciation of Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album, RAM, had begun to see a resurgence of sorts within a number of local Eastside artists, coming up in conversations and on the turntables of various house parties. The theme was found. Over the course of the second half of 2008 eleven Angeleno artists individually went in to various studios, rehearsal spaces and apartments to record their take on what is my favorite, and arguably, McCartney’s best solo work…. the end result is RAM On L.A. Released as a high-quality 320kbps MP3 digital download, the not-for-profit compilation is available free via aquariumdrunkard.com. Listeners are encouraged to make donations to No More Landmines, the fantastic cause that “helps and empowers communities around the world by removing the threat of landmines and unexploded weapons.” A cause championed by Sir Paul McCartney himself. Donate here. With a truly diverse lineup, comprised of both Los Angeles stalwarts and new faces alike, listeners get to sample a slice of the present “sound” of Los Angeles, while revisiting one of, if not, the best solo effort by one of the greatest artists of the last five decades. Every penny of donations from listeners will go directly to No More Landmines. Many, many thanks to all the artists involved for their time and talent (aquariumdrunkard.com) [...]
60 | VV.AA.: Ram on L.A. (2010) « The JangleBox December 17th, 2010 at 11:09 pm[...] in a string of new bands fiddling with well-spoken Rockabilly. An elocution nut’s nirvana.V/A – RAM on LA charity album(from Aquarium Drunkard)Impressive sampler of new LA music collated by the team behind Aquarium [...]
61 | New music on Wednesday | wrongmog March 7th, 2011 at 7:58 am[...] In 2008 I put together a not for profit RAM tribute compilation entitled RAM On LA. Released in 2009, the comp focused wholly on Los Angeles artists each taking on one of the [...]
62 | Aquarium Drunkard » Paul McCartney :: RAM – 2012 ‘Special Edition’ May 27th, 2012 at 1:52 pmRam definitely is one of my favorite albums.
The interpretations by the LA artists are just great! Probably the one that I liked the most was ‘My Long Haired Lady’.
63 | quicoju July 21st, 2012 at 10:11 am