Unitron
"Won't you be by my side, on the Hurricane Ride"
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram is not only an excellent album in of itself, but also impressive for just how much of an improvement it is over the mediocre boogie rock album that is Ram Jam's debut. Gone is the boogie and "oh black betty bambalam", and in its place classic heavy metal that kicks some serious ass.
They still have a bit of a southern rock influence, but it really just makes the album sound like a great blend of Molly Hatchet and Judas Priest. Pretty Poison, Wanna Find Love, Just Like Me, Hurricane Ride, and Runaway Runaway are all among the best metal songs of the 70's. Turnpike is as well, though provides a moody contrast to the high octane energy of the other aforementioned tracks.
There are a couple lame moments on the album unfortunately that keep it from reaching fantastic status, The Kid Next Door is just a completely forgettable hard rock song, and Saturday Night is an awful attempt at some melodic rock a la Boston.
It's a shame that they didn't release anything else after this (cashing in on Black Betty doesn't count), because with how great this is they could've been the USA's answer to Judas Priest come the 80's.