Great album, solid tracks. Interestingly each song "donated" works perfectly for Ringo but would not have suited its writer. That ol' Beatle mojo in full swing. I'd dare say this album deserves to be included on a shortlist of great Beatle solo albums, surpassing many efforts by his fellow Beatles. Returning to the well never really produced the same results, it's lesser cousin, Stop and Smell the Roses comes close. If John had participated it might be a different story.
That's Jerry Reed counting off "$15 Draw" and clawin' up a storm on acoustic guitar. Although Reed had a half dozen Top 20 C&W singles already under his belt when he did the Ringo session, by February 1971 "Amos Moses" would cross over into the Top Ten on the pop chart. Ringo even exclaims, "When you're hot, you're hot!," which he may have heard African American comedian Flip Wilson say in character as the sassy Geraldine Jones, during "$15 Draw's" closing vamp. Reed's second and final Top Ten pop entry was—get ready—"When You're Hot, You're Hot," which he wrote and recorded on December 23, 1970. Makes you wonder if Ringo's nonchalant penchant for inspiring hit song titles was still active.
Ringo (1973) It's considered the classic Ringo album and I'm quite sure it always will be. That's partly to do with the quality of the record itself, but I think far more to do with the time at which it was made. It was Ringo's first real pop/rock album and it was still a novelty to hear that voice, ex-Beatle Ringo, performing some great songs written by his former band mates and a stellar cast of other notables. I think he's made better albums in more recent years but for the general public, the novelty has long since worn off and of course, the time long since gone. Ringo must take much of the blame. He tested the patience of everyone... too many dreadful albums released in 'Ringo's wake, seemingly made with the arrogance of someone who thought his ex-Beatle status would guarantee success despite the mediocrity of the music. Of course, alcohol will do that to you. But that's all to come. Back in the fall of '73, Ringo was king. The album spawned two big hit singles in the UK and his album was outselling John's Mind Games. If ever Apple records needed to afford a proper re-mastered cd release - nay, box set - to one of their albums, it's this one. Paul, George and John's best selling works have all received (multiple) re-releases but 'Ringo' is conspicuously still absent. The sound of the original cd release is quite dull and does not do justice at all to the beautiful original packaging, which featured so many fabulous drawings by Klaus Voorman.
11 pages spread between SJ and BOB and nary a peep from any of you when we get to Ringo! Don't make us post Goodnight Vienna tomorrow! I kid, I kid. No rush. A curious thing . . . I must have seen copies of Ringo for sale in used shops and yard sales dozens of times over the years. But they are all beat to hell like they've been through the war and back. Does anyone have a really nice copy of this? I eventually found a so-so one for a few bucks. What else do you all have of Ringo's on vinyl? I have: Ringo Goodnight Vienna Ringo's Rotogravure Bad Boy Old Wave Stop And Smell The Roses RR, BB and OW are only on vinyl for me. I've never even seen a CD in person on those.
Quick ranking of the songs on the album: 10) "Have You Seen My Baby?" 09) "Oh My My" 08) "Devil Woman" 07) "Step Lightly" 06) "I'm The Greatest" 05) "Photograph" 04) "You and Me (Babe)" 03) "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)" 02) "You're Sixteen" 01) "Six O'Clock" Ringo's Rotogravure and Stop and Smell The Roses. I picked up Roses still sealed in the early 80's, and a used Rotogravure around the same time.
This is what I have on vinyl (and CD): Sentimental Journey (LP/CD) Beaucoups Of Blues (LP/CD) Ringo (LP/CD) Goodnight Vienna (LP/CD) Blast From Your Past (LP/CD) Ringo's Rotogravure (LP/CD) Ringo The 4th (LP/CD) Scouse The Mouse (LP) Bad Boy (LP/CD) Stop And Smell The Roses (LP/CD) Old Wave (LP/CD) Starr Struck: Best Of Ringo Starr, Vol. 2 (LP/CD) Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band (LP/CD) ...after that only CDs, DVDs (including DVD-A [Ringo 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection]), and USB wristband [Liverpool 8].
Hey man, I suffered through Rotogravure, The Fourth and Bad Boy!! I earned my Ringo-critical eardom. By the time Stop And Smell came out I was in severe Ringo-fatigue... and I never saw a copy of Old Wave in the wild.. so... I tend to give his newer material a listen, but it has never [imho] been as good as his albums from the early-to-mid 70's...
It's true. Being in the USA, it managed to completely fly under my radar... Oh, sure, I had heard rumors of such a beast, but there are also those who claim they have seen Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster.... John Lennon even claimed that he saw a UFO once...
Sentimental - 2 US Apple LPs - one still sealed Beaucoups - 2 US Apple LPs - one still sealed Ringo - 2 US Apple LPs - one still sealed Vienna - 2 US Apple LPs - one still sealed Blast - 2 US Apple LPs - one still sealed Rotogravure - 2 US LPs - one still sealed 4th - 2 US LPs - one still sealed Scouse - UK LP Bad Boy - 2 US LPs - one still sealed Roses - 2 US LPs - one still sealed Old Wave 2 Canada LPs - one still sealed Starrstruck - 2 US LPs - one still sealed Time - original German LP All Starr Band - 2 US LPs - one still sealed Y Not - original US LP [originals weren’t truly “sealed”] 2012 - original US LP [originals weren’t truly “sealed] Postcards 2 US LPs - one still sealed Give More - 2 US LPs - one still sealed PLUS Reissues (*sealed): *Ringo (2017) *Vienna (2017) *Bad Boy (blue vinyl) Time (*red vinyl; unsealed green vinyl) Santa Claus - 2 LPs - one still sealed [there was no original vinyl release] Remarkably, I did not get the yellow vinyl Time Takes Time reissue or Bad Boy in either the Champagne vinyl or blue-black swirl! How do I compare with my favorite fellow completist, @Wiserforthetime here?
I think that 1974 would have been the perfect time for The Beatles to reunite if they were ever going to; John was being much more positive in the press about them and said he would reunite if the others arranged it, and his commercial fortunes were dipping, George's fortunes also dropped dramatically and his solo tour wasn't a big success, Paul had proved himself commercially but also critically due to the release of 'BOTR', and with 'Ringo', Ringo had also proven beyond doubt that he could be a big solo success, managing two US no.1 songs from the album. In an alternative universe, had they reunited in 1974, John would never have had to sign the dissolution papers ending the group, and had they toured they would have been able to have solo spots for each Beatle, knowing that each could hold their own. Had they performed songs from 'Revolver' onwards, and added solo songs, Ringo could easily hold his own with 'Back Off Boogaloo', 'I'm The Greatest', 'Photograph', 'It Don't Come Easy', etc.
I have: sentimental journey, Beaucoups, Ringo, goodnight Vienna, blast, rotogravure, 4th, bad boy, roses, starrstruck, all starr band, y not, 2012, postcards, give more love ...all US. I have doubles of Ringo, Vienna, blast, roses (but none sealed) My old wave is the German issue. I also have: time takes time in both red and green and the santa Claus. And I got the bad boy in blue and champagne. Haven't gotten the blue/black bad boy or the yellow time.
I had a cassette of Beaucoups Of Blues when I was a kid. So I am familiar with it and have a soft spot for it. I don't listen very frequently but enjoy it when I do. Having said that, I'm sure if I heard it for the first time today, I would completely dismiss it.
I expect I would have been far less into it as a kid than I was when I got it on CD. Ditto Sentinental Journey. My appreciation of both Country and Standards has definitely increased.
Something that rings so true with Ringo is that he never apparently had a big enough argument with any of the other Beatles that he couldn't be friends enough to record with them after the breakup. Imagine if he mouthed off to Paul one day. Or locked Yoko in the "loo" as a joke. Or gave George some bad karma. Absolutely NOTHING about Ringo's career would have happened post-Beatles. Who knows if he'd even make it passed his substance abuse if he didn't have that support from his "brothers". Ringo's attitude towards life and his loyalty to his friends are the reason Ringo happened and the reason he's had a 50 year solo career. It's all peace and love as he likes to say.
Old Wave ain't that bad, its comparable to Y Not with a couple of great songs, mostly bland songs and 1 or 2 bad songs
