Ringo - Starr, Ringo (CD 1996)

That's right folks, way back in the Summer of 1973; The Beatles had all appeared on one album. This album is called Ringo. They all written and contributed songs, they are all on the front cover artwork; this is a Beatles reunion in almost every sense of the word.
To be a true Beatles reunion, you need one very small but important event to take place, Paul & John on the same track. Is that present here? Well...no, but it does contain Beatles magic. The sales figures show this to be true. Ringo went gold within a week, and then sold a couple of a million copies. The album went #2 in the pop album charts in the States.

I'm The Greatest, contributed by John Lennon, starts off the CD. This song is where the reunion comes closest. On drums and lead vocal we have Ringo. On guitars, we have George Harrison; on piano and background vocals is John Lennon. On organ is Billy Preston, who supplied the organ on The Beatles Let It Be. This music sounds like the usual Lennon honky tonk that was very present on his own recordings in 1973. George's guitar work gives it a bit of the Beatle flair that was missed on Lennon's mid-70s solo recordings. Ringo delivers a nice vocal which rivals Lennon's, when we hear the Lennon version on his Anthology boxset. Klaus Voorman plays bass on the track, and he is also part of Beatle history from very early on.

Have You Seen My Baby is continuing that same honky tonk sound as I'm The Greatest. Is it possible that Ringo requested these types of songs from people writing for him? This track is written by Randy Newman. Ringo's new friend Marc Bolan supplies guitar for this track. Ringo's first #1 single was written by George Harrison and himself. Photograph is such a beautiful number, due in part to the perfect harmony vocal and guitars by George. There is a rare version of George Harrison's demo of this song, and it's just as good. You have to search the file sharing community for this. This song served as a fitting and touching tribute sung by Ringo at George's Memorial Concert.

One of my favorites here is George s contribution Sunshine Life For Me. This has an American Midwestern feel, with fiddles, mandolins, accordions, upright bass, banjo, and plenty of guitars. It's so laid back and fun. Ringo's voice has that perfect tone for a song like this.
Good news for Ringo, another #1 single. You're Sixteen is a remake of Johnny Burnette's hit from 1960. Ringo's rendition is a much better version than the original. Here is where Paul McCartney makes his first appearance on Ringo's album. He is credited here for just supplying a kazoo sax solo, but it really sounds like he is singing background vocals as well.

Ringo had another top twenty single with Oh My My. This is not one of the better songs on his album, penned by himself and Vini Poncia. I first heard of Vini Poncia through KISS album credits. He first appeared on Peter Criss's solo album. Now that it is many years later, looking back on rock and roll history, I would gather that Vini Poncia was a drinking buddy to Ringo, since we know Ringo and Peter Criss were both using substances to alter consciousness. Or maybe Vini was just took a liking to drummers. Step Lightly is Ringo's first and only solo writing credit he receives on this album. This song has its charm, it's catchy and flowing. Even when the sounds of Ringo doing a tap dance start emanating from the speakers, it only gets a little corny.

My favorite here is, by far, Six O clock in The Morning. This song was contributed by Paul and Linda McCartney at a time when McCartney music was a product which lingered at a steady height for about six years. 1973 was the year when McCartney released two of my favorites; Band On The Run and Red Rose Speedway. This song would fit nicely on Red Rose Speedway, yet I must say, these are some of the greatest and heartfelt lyrics ever written by McCartney.
"I don't treat you, like I'd like to treat you
Every diamond in the sky
Is in your eyes,
But I don't treat you like I
No I don't treat you like I
No I don't treat you like I should"

A huge embarrassment on this album is the horrible Devil Woman. Probably written by a very drunk Ringo and Vini Poncia, this could be the dumbest song ever written, you never know. I may have to blame producer Vini Poncia who has written the song. The song has a fast 2/4 beat with such childish lyrics.
"Your eyes are green and your legs are long
And if I'm gonna get you, well I gotta be strong
You re like the devil with horns in your head
The only way I'll get you is to get you in bed"
Okay, nuff said.

The bonus tracks are select singles released from 1970 and 1973. It Don't Come Easy was another #1 single for Ringo. I think at this point he may have had more #1s than the other three Beatles. I don't know if that's true. This song is credited to just Ringo. If that's true, that must be a huge boost to the ego to write a #1 by yourself after the Beatles. But since George is present on this track, I'm a little suspicious of Ringo's writing credit. This song can probably be heard on the oldies radio station every day still. It's a great song, one of the better Beatles solo songs ever.

Early 1970 is an OK song. It could have been a lot worse, but luckily Ringo had the good sense to leave it at a running time of only 2:24. It does have a certain charm, because it tells a story of The Beatles and the relationship between Ringo and the other three after the breakup. Ringo knows he could hang out with John or George, but as the song says he has his doubts with Paul. Well, since Paul showed up for more than one song here, I guess Ringo's mind is put at rest. Also credited to Ringo alone. Down And Out is so terrible, but at the same time since it's such a rarity, it's nice that it is included. It's almost as bad as Devil Woman.

The CD, included with these rare tracks, play flowingly and consistent, even with the two clunkers.
Also, with this Gold Disc edition, the CD sounds great, and the booklet covers are a high gloss. It's real nice, except they seem to get fingerprinted pretty easily.
Also included is the original album artwork that obviously stole an idea from Elton's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released the same year. Each song has an accompanying artwork next to the lyrics. Ringo's illustrations (by Beatle long time buddy Klaus Vorman, who also contributed the artwork from the Anthology CD covers) are a lot more imaginative and interesting.

CD Rating - 4 stars
Stereo Rating - 5 stars


the songs

1. I'm the Greatest
2. Have You Seen My Baby
3. Photograph
4. Sunshine Life For Me
5. You're Sixteen
6. Oh My My
7. Step Lightly
8. Six O'Clock In The Morning
9. Devil Woman
10. You and Me (Babe)
11. It Don't Come Easy (bonus track)
12. Early 1970 (bonus track)
13. Down and Out (bonus track)


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~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Beatles~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please Please Me
A Hard Day's Night
Help!
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The White Album
Abbey Road
Real Love (CD Single)
Free As A Bird (CD Single)
Tropical Tribute To The Beatles
Bach On Abbey Road
Love


~~~~~~~~~~~Paul McCartney~~~~~~~~~~

McCartney
RAM
Red Rose Speedway
Band On The Run
Venus And Mars
Wings At The Speed Of Sound
Should Paul McCartney Go Back On Drugs?
The Walrus Was Paul
Top 20 Favorite SOLO Beatles Songs W/O


~~~~~~~~~~~~Ringo Starr~~~~~~~~~~~

Ringo
Goodnight Vienna
Blast From The Past
Rotogravure
VH1 Storytellers


~~~~~~~~~~~~John Lennon~~~~~~~~~~~

Plastic Ono Band
Imagine


~~~~~~~~~~George Harrison~~~~~~~~~

All Things Must Pass