Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971) 4/7/22

There' was no middle ground on today's "Great Song of the '70s."

Cashbox Magazine said the song was "bursting with fine melodies and interesting musical changes certain to please both AM and underground programmers."

On the other hand, Rolling Stone called it "the worst piece of light music Paul McCartney has ever done."

1971's Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (from the album "Ram") by Paul & Linda McCartney was a #1 hit in the US, Canada and New Zealand, and reached #3 in Mexico and #5 in Australia. It became Paul's first gold record after the Beatles broke up, selling well over a million copies.

In addition, it won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists--an award usually given to choral or classical pieces.

So obviously, a lot of people loved it, regardless of its many detractors.

The song itself was stitched together modularly from bits and pieces of songs Paul had been working on, and ended up being a cross between an apology to Paul's favorite uncle, Albert Kendall, for the apparent laziness of the current generation...and a slam on America's Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, who was known for being stubborn (hence the nickname) and authoritative.

It also features what are probably Linda McCartney's best vocals.

Taken as a whole, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is at the very least...interesting...And a "Great Song of 1971!"

Paul & Linda McCartney: