People associate Ringo first with the Beatles, then as a solo star, and finally as a person. But it’s the person that shines through in all his music. That is, all that he’s written or done on his own. And Liverpool 8 is no exception. His quick wit, his openness, his general humanness, all are very easily discernible.
Ringo was also the most entrenched of all the Beatles in good ole rock and roll. Ringo could play anything, any style, any tempo, any volume, any genre, and make them all sound good. Just look at the Beatles’ repertoire and you can’t disagree. He was never one for the solo, for the breakout, for the “Hey, look at me!” antics and moves. His job was a drummer first, a singer second, and the point man for the group, and he performed them all superbly, every time. Nothing more, nothing less.
Most people never heard of any of the four Beatles until shortly before their Ed Sullivan appearance in 1964. Something that most people don’t realize about Ringo is that he was a local British music star well before the Beatles. Something else that most aren’t aware of is that Ringo was the first ex-Beatle to tally seven consecutive Top 10 singles.
Ringo co-wrote all 12 of the tunes on this CD with a revolving crew of six other writers. Totaling over 45 minutes, it’s a fun, rocking CD. In the years since the demise of the Beatles, he’s also surrounded himself with a troupe of musicians who comprised his various All Starr permutations that would make any record label swoon. He’s played with a host of stellar musicians including Joe Walsh, Clarence Clemons, Nils Lofgren, Todd Rundgren, John Entwistle, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, Randy Bachman, Gary Brooker, Pete Frampton, Jack Bruce, Sheila E, Greg Lake, Ian Hunter, Colin Hay, Dave Stewart, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, and Gary Wright. Not bad for a kid who, at age six, was not expected to live, and who never finished school.
Before and during his early association with the Beatles, Ringo was with a pub rock group that was well known over most of England, Germany, and France. Ringo occasionally sat in with the then lesser known Beatles, and was friendly with all of them, especially George Harrison. He officially joined the Beatles less than three weeks prior to their scheduled EMI recording session. After a slightly rocky start of the relationship, Ringo became the rock on whom the other three Beatles anchored. The rest is well documented in the news archives in every country in the world.
On this CD, Ringo’s anchoring becomes evident from the beginning. It’s Ringo’s group, one that he personally put together, and every one of them gets the opportunity to excel throughout the recording. He’s still the glue that keeps them all together.
This is a good fun CD, relaxing without the inherent visceral tension that insinuates itself into so many recordings. Especially memorable were the title tune, “Harry’s Song,” and “Love Is.” Ringo is touring in support of this new CD. Don’t miss him. Ringo’s not a glam rocker, but he’s been one of the solid, mainstay rockers in the world’s collective memory for the past almost fifty years. This may be your last opportunity. He’s got to hang up his sticks eventually, even though he hasn’t lost a step.
Article comments
1 - Pacmusic
The title track for this album is a rather powerful song that, as I recently moved away from my home town to pursue a carer, made my rather nostalgic about my home town. It didn't matter that he was singing about Liverpool, the lyrics were vague enough for me to apply it to my own situation. This made the effect that this song had on me, much greater.
The rest of the album pales in comparison. While they are solid and fun, they lack the real sparkle contained within this first track.