Ringo Starr Albums (21)
'Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band Live 2006'
Release Date 7/8/2008
Tracks 18
Label Koch
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What The Critics Say
Koch's 2007 release Live at Soundstage is a CD release of a show originally performed at Waukegan, IL's Genessee Theater in August 2005 and first broadcast that year as part of PBS' Soundstage program. It's not quite a complete representation of the concert -- it's a tight 14 tracks, trimmed of the songs Colin Hay sang with Ringo Starr's Roundheads band, so it just features the songs where Starr sang lead, a minor compromise that will likely only bother completists. It could be argued that completists may be the only audience interested in a latter-day live album from Starr, not because that's the only audience he attracts these days, but because there are so many live albums in his discography at this point -- a whopping six albums have been released since 1990, roughly one after the completion of every All-Starr Band tour -- that only those who listen to each and every one could bother finding the differences between them, as Starr rarely deviates from arrangements or set lists. Cynics may raise these concerns as they question the need for another live album, but Live at Soundstage might win them over as Starr and the Roundheads, led by Mark Hudson, are in fit form here, playing the greatest hits (they're all the songs you know by heart, plus a couple of good new ones, like his George Harrison tribute "Never Without You") like old pros who never get sick of playing, because that's what they are, after all. Starr plays these year in and year out and if he doesn't find new wrinkles within them (it's possible to call the spare piano opening to "Don't Pass Me By" a variation, but it's very slight), he nevertheless still sounds charming as he runs through "Octopus's Garden," "Photograph," "Act Naturally," and "With a Little Help from My Friends" once again. It's not a live album that's visceral or compelling, but one that's friendly and engaging, guaranteed to raise a smile for any lifelong Ringo fan -- and that's all that Starr and his band intend to do with these kinds of concerts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Ringo Starr and Friends'
Release Date 8/7/2006
Tracks 14
Label Disky
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What The Critics Say
There's nothing surprising, or even all that different, about Choose Love, Ringo Starr's 13th studio album: it's firmly in the tradition of his 1992 return to recording, Time Takes Time, which itself was an attempt to recreate the breezy, good-natured vibe of Starr's biggest and best album, 1973's Ringo. But where that album and the two records that followed it -- 1998's Vertical Man and 2003's Ringorama -- were star-studded affairs, the only guests here are Robert Randolph and Chrissie Hynde, who stops in for a duet on "Don't Hang Up." That means Ringo relies on his longtime collaborators Mark Hudson (who is also the record's co-producer), Gary Burr, and Steve Dudas, who form the core of his touring and recording band, as well as function as his co-writers, and by this point, they've been together nearly a decade. This is a relaxed, comfortable group, but that familiarity pays off here. Instead of sounding lazy, Starr sounds assured and confident, and he has a strong set of tunes that know how to make the best of his endearingly limited vocal range and lovable personality. The music here is well within his comfort zone -- partway between the amiable yet splashy Richard Perry productions of the early '70s and classic mid-period Beatles (the title track has plenty of direct allusions, from the "Taxman"-styled riff to a quote from "Dizzy Miss Lizzy") -- but it all works, largely because it never sounds like Ringo and the lads are straining to capture that vibe: it just seems to come naturally to them now. It also helps that Choose Love has a warm, rich sound that is far removed from the digital brightness of its two predecessors: it helps give the album a friendly aura that's hard to resist if you've ever loved Ringo. And if you've ever loved Ringo, take comfort that this album will be one of the few records of his that you can play without guilt and enjoy from start to finish. It's not just a good record for Ringo, it's just a flat-out good record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's hard to judge Ringorama, Ringo Starr's 12th proper studio album, by most standard critical criteria. Even comparing the record to his previous solo work doesn't quite work, since so many of his albums are so driven by his persona -- a combination of his actual personality and what his team of collaborators (always including a bevy of guest stars, of course) perceive his persona to be. Apart from 1973's towering Ringo, and its good follow-up, Goodnight Vienna, Starr was never consistent, partially because of his decadence in the '70s, but also because he never relaxed -- he was always shooting for the charts and shifting his collaborators seemingly haphazardly. It wasn't until the '90s, after he settled into his regular All-Starr summer tours -- and after he had made a well-received comeback with 1992's Time Takes Time -- that he relaxed with a regular band and set of collaborators, led by producer Mark Hudson; all return for 2003's Ringorama. Prior to the record's release, Hudson stated that he wanted the record to have a harder edge than its predecessor, Vertical Man, which it often does, at least in that it has very bright, rock-oriented productions, and is given a hard surface sheen via Pro Tools. Not exactly the intended edge; but it does mean that it's brassier than recent Ringo efforts, which isn't necessarily a plus. What is a plus is that it's likeable, particularly because everybody concerned -- from Ringo's regular band to such guests as Eric Clapton; David Gilmour; Timothy B. Schmit; and Willie Nelson -- seems to be having a good time. In another set of hands, such songs as "I Think Therefore I Rock N Roll" would be too silly, but here it's easy to accept; as are his frequent dips into self-references, since it's just Ringo being Ringo. Which brings us back to the point that his albums are sold as much by who Ringo Starr is, as they are by what his mood is. Though there is more care and consideration on Ringorama than on Ringo the 4th, the linch pin in the whole affair is his persona, and whether he has a comfortable, suitable platform or not; and, even if he does, it's likely not to play outside of those that really, really love Ringo. Fortunately, he's relaxed enough now not to care about the wider audience, so he's now making records that are fun and relaxed, even if the production doesn't quite work or if the songs are a little silly. So, Ringorama winds up as a good, enjoyable Ringo Starr album -- not as warm or rich as Time Takes Time; and a little more uneven than Vertical Man, but still good; which means this is first string of three good records in a row since the early '70s. And that does count for something. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'I Wanna Be Santa Claus'
Release Date 10/19/1999
Tracks 12
Label Polygram
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What The Critics Say
The Beatles never quite made a commercially released Christmas album, though they put together special singles for their fan club every year from 1963 to 1969, then compiled them as The Beatles Christmas Album, also just for the fan club, in 1970. These recordings were more spoken-word than musical, though there was a song, "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)," heard in excerpts on the 1967 record. It has been left to Ringo Starr to release the first full-length Christmas album from a Beatle, and I Wanna Be a Santa Claus is very much in the group's spirit. Since he returned to recording in 1992, Starr has made a point of making music reminiscent of the Beatles, hooking up in 1998 with a group led by Mark Hudson dubbed the Roundheads. Hudson is everywhere on I Wanna Be a Santa Claus, co-writing the half-dozen originals with Starr and others, co-producing with Starr, and handling a variety of instruments. He and keyboard player/arranger Jim Cox clearly are steeped in the Beatles, and they have effectively recreated a Beatles sound on the record, in some cases aping specific songs. The Roundheads are also good at showcasing Starr's drumming, which is always high in the mix. If none of the new songs are likely to become classics, they are respectable efforts that Starr handles well. On the standards, Starr is his usual good-natured self, and the standout track is the cover of "Christmas Time Is Here Again." There are precious few lyrics besides the title, but it deserves to be added to the ranks of Christmas standards. So, Ringo Starr is well-served by his supporting musicians on I Wanna Be Santa Claus, and his typically cheery manner is so well-suited to the holiday spirit that it's only a shame he waited so long to make his seasonal recording. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Just as MTV's Unplugged series started out as a great idea -- get musicians to reimagine their material in stripped-down arrangements -- then was reduced by the record business to a gimmick for a new kind of live album, which is to say, yet another way to re-sell the same material, VH1's Storytellers series has quickly traced the same decline. After all, not everybody is as eloquent, or as well-prepared, as Ray Davies, who did the first show. And as any music journalist can tell you, a musician's idea of a great story about how he came to write a song may not be anybody else's. But the format would seem perfect for bon vivant Ringo Starr, and even if he has been as guilty of padding his catalog as any veteran, he does tell short, entertaining anecdotes about the collection of Beatles favorites and solo hits included (most of which haven't been circulated widely before), which makes it forgivable that he also sneaks in four Beatlesque songs from his recently released Vertical Man album. His backup band, the Roundheads, is actually more supportive than the various editions of the All-Starr Band he used to tour with, and it's good to have a Ringo Starr live album with so much Ringo on it. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Early in his career, Ringo Starr realized that he couldn't quite carry an entire album by himself, so he established the practice of the "all-star" (or "All-Starr," as he later dubbed it) album, drafting in his musician buddies to help him make an album. The first time he did this was also the best -- 1973's Ringo remains one of the best Beatles solo albums, possibly the only one that is simply, unabashedly fun. The approach also enlivened his 1992 comeback album Time Takes Time, but it fails to deliver on that record's follow-up, Vertical Man. Ringo remains loyal to such longtime friends as Joe Walsh and Tom Petty, as well as Paul and George, but he also brings in such young guns as Alanis Morissette and Scott Weiland, hoping that some of their hipness will transfer to him. Of course, that doesn't happen, but you wouldn't want it to anyway -- Ringo is at his best when he's Ringo, warbling amiable ditties with his charming, slightly off-key voice. Vertical Man has that in spades. The overall quality of the songs isn't as strong as Time Takes Time, but there are some neat moments, from a cover of Dobie Gray's timeless "Drift Away" to ingratiating new numbers like "One" and "I'll Be Fine Anywhere." It's a slight album -- most of Ringo's albums are -- but it's an entertaining one, and that's only true of a handful of his records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Live from Montreux, Vol. 2'
Release Date 9/14/1993
Tracks 15
Label Rykodisc
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