The deluxe version of
Ram offers a wealth of riches: a second side containing non-LP singles and B-sides plus outtakes, the very rare mono mix of the album, the
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington instrumental version of the album, and a DVD, all housed in a handsome hardcover book. There is also a two-disc reissue containing just the non-LP bonus material, which includes not only the "Another Day"/"Oh Woman Oh Why" single and the B-side "Little Woman Love" but also these unreleased cuts: the terrific little pop tune "A Love for You," the charming ditty "Hey Diddle," the ramshackle blues instrumental "Great Cock and Seagull Race," the pummeling hard rocker "Rode All Night" that stretches out for eight minutes, and the pretty instrumental "Sunshine Sometime." Hardcore fans will definitely find the big set to be a worthwhile investment, though: the
Thrillington album may be little more than a curiosity but it's fun enough and the mono mix is a delight, a punchier version of the familiar tunes with a few minor variations in the mixes. These extras, combined with the gorgeous book and DVD, do make this a necessary indulgence for fanatics. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine