He's not just another drummer

It may be easy to some to dismiss Ringo Starr as simply the drummer of the Beatles, nothing more. Over the years, his critics have questioned his talents and his place in history. Some have referred to him as an ordinary musician who happened to get very lucky. He was a guy who was in the right place at the right time, stepping into a perfect situation and quickly reaping the benefits. I’m here to say that these theories are not just inaccurate, they are downright ridiculous.

As time has passed, many have finally discovered Ringo’s critical role in the Beatles and his place in musical history and there is no denying that his accomplishments are more significant than initially thought. His abilities as a drummer have been acknowledged by the likes of George Martin, Max Weinberg, Phil Collins and many, many more. His innovative techniques and rock solid timekeeping were qualities that added much to the Beatles music. Ringo also had a one of a kind “sound”. It’s my opinion that one of the qualities of an excellent musician is the ability to sound totally unique...to have a sound that can been recognized without hesitation. That’s Ringo Starr, drummer! But, I am not a musician, so I won’t (and can’t) go into lengthy discussions over the technical aspects of Ringo’s drumming. I want to look at the whole picture - not only Ringo Starr the drummer, but Ringo Starr, the complete musician. Yes, that means singing, writing, performing and being able to stand on his own.

You can make the argument that Ringo was, to some extent, a rock and roll trendsetter! Upon the Beatles’ breakup, one could have assumed that in order to make some sort of individual artistic statement, to give some sort of indication that he could survive on his own as a solo artist, Ringo would have to create a safe, straight ahead, pop record. After all, of all four of the Beatles, he had the most to prove, right? That is exactly what Ringo did not do. He didn’t play it safe. He didn’t make his first solo release a predictable effort. Instead, he opted to do an all covers album of standards that were favorites of his parents and other family members! The album, Sentimental Journey, was very unusual for its time (1970), but seeing that albums of covers of pop and jazz standards has become very trendy and popular these days (hello Rod Stewart!), you could say that Ringo was well ahead of his time!

Then, for a follow up, Ringo decided to indulge in another pleasure of his - country music! Recorded in Nashville with legendary pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake and some of Nashville’s best musicians and songwriters, Ringo released solo album number two, Beaucoups Of Blues, a mere six months after Sentimental Journey. A full blown country album from a former Beatle? Again, Ringo was clearly not interested in doing the predictable.

The timing of this post is the result of three different releases that provide solid evidence of Ringo Starr’s place in music as an artist...a successful artist, not just a lucky guy who happened to stumble into the perfect situation. Back in August 2007, Capitol / Apple Records released Photograph  The Very Best Of Ringo, a new compilation album that spans most of his solo career. Twenty songs from the years 1970 through 2005 are collected. There is also a deluxe “collectors” edition that includes a DVD with various music videos. More recently, Koch Records released Live At Soundstage, only the second live album from Ringo without his live All Starr Band. Live At Soundstage documents Ringo’s 2005 performance with his former backing band the Roundheads for the PBS program “Soundstage”. Just released this week on Capitol  is Liverpool 8, Ringo’s all new studio album. It’s the fifteenth studio album from Ringo (including his Christmas album).

Photograph  The Very Best Of Ringo does a great job of demonstrating the fact that Ringo was much more than just the drummer in the band. If he was, he would have disappeared off the music landscape after a couple of half baked attempts at something resembling a solo career. Instead, Ringo stood on his feet and achieved a great deal of commercial success. He did this with the odds heavily staked against him. He was never considered much of a singer and he had only received a handful of co-songwriting credits with the Beatles. As a solo composer, he contributed only two songs to the Beatles canon (”Don’t Pass Me By” and “Octopus’s Garden”). These facts make his accomplishments as a solo performer even more amazing. Realize that from 1971 through 1975, Ringo scored seven consecutive top ten hit singles (”It Don’t Come Easy”, “Back Off Boogaloo”, “Photograph”, “You’re Sixteen”, “Oh My My”, “Only You (And You Alone)”, “No No Song”). From 1971 through 1976, Ringo scored nine consecutive top forty hits (those seven plus “(It’s All Da Da Down To) Goodnight Vienna” and “A Dose Of Rock ‘N’ Roll”). Two of those hits were back to back number ones (”Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen”)! Talentless hacks don’t achieve this sort of success!

Commercial success did dry up after 1976. Ringo will be the first one to say that drink and drugs did a lot too ruin his solo career. Also, like a lot of veteran artists, Ringo was a victim to the changing trends in music, as punk, new wave and disco overtook the musical landscape. But Ringo, now clean and sober, made his triumphant comeback in 1989 with his first ever concert tour! Fulfilling his desire to play the drums in a band and knowing that he was not a full fledged frontman, Ringo created the All Starr Band live concept - put together a band of friends who have had some degree of success and allow everyone to take center stage in a round robin style. Ringo would get to come out front and do his own material and go back behind the drums and play with the other All Starrs. The concept worked perfectly and has resulted in nine different lineups and tours between 1989 and 2006.

While Ringo has been unable to generate much in the way of commercial success, Ringo’s artistic triumphs since his career rebirth include a series of albums that easily stand up with his best work. Starting with 1992’s Time Takes Time (at the time, his first studio album of new material in nine years) to his new album, Liverpool 8, Ringo has settled into a groove that emphasizes his strenghths as a solo artist. The albums feature well written songs that focus on Ringo’s fun nature, performed by a tight band of seasoned studio vets, with the occasional special guest. The recent songs often have a retro feel, reminding us of Ringo’s past glories with the Beatles. Most importantly, the songs are just plain old fun, exactly what you would expect from Ringo. It’s great to see that Ringo has settled into a groove of producing consistantly enjoyable albums, and tours, and that at 67 years of age, he shows absolutely no signs of slowing down!

(As Ringo would say...) Peace and love,

Darren