Greetings everyone. @RingoHendrix and I have teamed up to bring you the ultimate in SHMF entertainment. We are cohosting a Ringo Starr Album By Album thread. Please join us to discuss Ringo’s discography. The ground rules are simple. This is a Ringo music thread. Please stay away as much as possible from turning this into a Paul or John or George thread. Yes they are all linked forever and all three appear on Ringo albums, but let's keep the focus ON RINGO. Below is the order that we will be presenting the albums. At this time, no greatest hits comps are in the discussion list. If there is any of those or anything else you thing should be worth discussion, let us know and we can pencil it in. We will be posting an album every few days. Aside from a few key or interesting releases, all live albums will be grouped at the end for general discussion. Sentimental Journey 1970 Beaucoups of Blues 1970 Ringo 1973 Goodnight Vienna 1974 Ringo's Rotogravure 1976 Ringo the 4th 1977 Scouse The Mouse 1977 Bad Boy 1978 Stop and Smell the Roses 1981 Old Wave 1983 Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band 1990 (live) Time Takes Time 1992 Vertical Man 1998 VH1 Storytellers 1998 (live) I Wanna Be Santa Claus 1999 Ringo Rama 2003 Choose Love 2005 Ringo Starr: Live at Soundstage 2007 (live) Liverpool 8 2008 Y Not 2010 Ringo 2012 Postcards from Paradise 2015 Give More Love 2017 all other live: RS and His All Star Band v2: Live from Montreux 1993 RS and His Third All-Starr Band - v1 1997 King Biscuit presents RS and his New All Starr Band 2002 Extended Versions 2003 Tour 2003 2004 RS and Friends 2006 RS and his all Star Band Live 2006 2008 Live at the Greek Theatre 2008 2010 So without further ado . . . Sentimental Journey From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia" Sentimental Journey is the debut studio album by English rock musician and former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, released in 1970, as the band was splintering apart. Although Starr was the third member of the group to issue solo work (after George Harrison and John Lennon), Sentimental Journey is the first non-avant-garde studio album by a member of the band, in light of the experimental, soundtrack or live releases his aforementioned bandmates had already released. Paul McCartney's debut, McCartney, would follow three weeks after Sentimental Journey's release. Recording of the album was completed in early March 1970, with Sentimental Journey being rushed out a few weeks later to avoid clashing in the shops with the Beatles' impending final album Let It Be in May. The idea for a solo album first came from the rest of the Beatles, who said that Starr should do a solo record, despite his minimal songwriting abilities,[1] and later from his mother Elsie Starkey and step-dad Harry during one day at their Liverpool home.[1][2] His mother said that Starr had good vocals.[1] The plan was to create an album of standards that would reflect his mother's favourite songs,[3] even asking them and other members of his family to choose the tracks. Starr engaged the services of Beatles producer George Martin to helm his solo debut,[4] shortly after the Beatles' Abbey Road (1969) came out.[2] My thoughts: I like this album like I would a William Shatner album. Honestly coming off The Beatles and not nailing down the songwriting chops yet, this album was the smart play by Ringo. Ringo seems to do better on some of the more up tempo songs. At times with the lavishly beautiful jazz band-style playing, my mind almost at times thinks I’m hearing some honest music here. The double tracking also helps in spots. Highlight: "Night And Day" Lowlights: “Sentimental Journey” (song) and scat at the end of “Blue, Turning Grey Over You”
I would include a discussion of the Ringo TV special which includes a lot of otherwise unreleased performances and recordings.
Music for his mother, aunties - and for me. Sadly not all the arrangements work, and his voice isn't a good fit for all the songs. But I (do) like Sentimental Journey, Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing, and Whispering Grass
I think that this was a clever choice for Ringo to start out with, and he was ahead of the curve when it came to rockstars releasing cover albums of the old American standards. He worked with some major talent for this album, and the instrumentation is often wonderful, even if sadly Ringo's vocals sometimes don't suit the material. I really enjoy hearing him tackle 'Stardust', which somehow works, and I am also a fan of his 'Bye Bye Blackbird' and the title track. As a whole even the songs I don't think he pulls off are still interesting background music to listen to when I am working or cooking.
I think this has aged quite well actually (or maybe I have!) - not all the songs would be my first choice, but on balance I like it. I remember in my early teenage collector days trying without luck to find a copy (before ebay and discogs) - It was the 1995 Apple CD that introduced me to it eventually. Interesting there were no singles to promote it (at least in UK/US).
We're in for good times and bad times. You're also in for some insane ranting from me on of these albums, but I won't spoil which one it is. Sentimental Journey is one of Ringo's lesser albums simply because the material isn't really suited to his personality. It feels forced. Albeit, there are a few key numbers on here which I enjoy, making it better than some of his other LPs. Highlights: "Dream", "Stardust", "Bye Bye Blackbird" here I go, singing low: I. Sentimental Journey > [tbd]
Yes, yes, yes! Someone else agrees with me "Night And Day," kicks heinie over everything else on the album. The album on Spotify sounds the best I've ever heard it! I was surprised how much I enjoyed the album. Here it is on Spotify: Sentimental Journey Here is what people voted as their top five favs from the album. "Sentimental Journey" 25 vote(s) 59.5% * "Night and Day" 22 vote(s) 52.4% * "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" 17 vote(s) 40.5% "Bye Bye Blackbird" 25 vote(s) 59.5% "Stardust" 26 vote(s) 61.9%
As I’ve gotten older I’ve grown to appreciate this album more. Yes, Ringo is no Sinatra or Dean Martin, but he obviously has a love for this music as much as he does for Rock & Roll. Over the years I’ve also learned to greatly appreciate Easy Listening and Swing music and artists like Sinatra, Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, etc. I guess buying ‘Sentimental Journey’ was the first time I purchased this type of music, and while I didn’t ‘get it’ at first, now I happily do. It’s a fun album to just listen to and enjoy.
Ringo really owes no apologies here. As someone not known for his singing chops, it's respectable. I'm the interest of full disclosure, I am a big fan of the crooners and American Songbook. The reason being, like others who aren't gifted with a great voice, Ringo exudes personality and the tracks that succeed do so because they're fun and great arrangements. True to being a Beatle, he anticipates this trend (though by about 25 years, so maybe he got lucky) and ends up not nearly as cringeworthy as some of his rock peers' efforts! Highlights for me are Sentimental Journey, Night and Day, Bye Bye Blackbird and Dream. As I've said elsewhere on this forum, Ringo absolutely, unequivocally puts Macca to shame on Bye Bye Blackbird.
Just arrived at the Philadelphia airport. Put on Ringo's album and danced myself through the airport to his renditions of the American Songbook! I can think of worse ways to spend your time! Thank you, Ringo.
I really liked the album when it came out. Don't have it now, but it stands out in my memory as enjoyable listen. It turned me on to the Great American Songbook and sent me off to discover other artists from the genre, which was a good thing. I always got a chuckle out of his quip in the fadeout of the title track ("Maybe I'd better go by train...") and his kind of rave-up vocal at the end of Blackbird.
Let us know how your TSA session went. I'll look for you on the nightly news for the 'maniac detained for questioning at the airport' story.
There's something ab0ut Sentimental Journey that really works for me. It's not a go-to album or anything -- that style of music isn't really my thing as a rule. However, I'm on board for a 1970 album with technically-still-in-The-Beatles Ringo -- with George Martin, Paul McCartney, Klaus Voorman, Maurice Gibb, Quincy Jones, Richard Perry, Elmer Bernstein, etc. contributing -- doing Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, and Johnny Mercer songs. Throw an Apple label on it and stick it into the same time period as McCartney and Let It Be -- it's tough for me to really be all that critical. It's certainly a better listen than Electronic Sound, Two Virgins, Life With The Lions, or The Wedding Album. Ringo wasn't gonna turn in a Plastic Ono Band, an All Things Must Pass, or a McCartney. He wasn't much of a songwriter and his voice, though unique, wasn't anything to write home about, so doing something like this made all the sense in the world. It was the Great American Songbook before it was hip for rockers to do.
I am embarrassed to admit as a Beatle fanatic, that I have never heard Ringo's first two albums. I'm enjoying reading your opinions.
Just my two cents, but I think Blast From Your Past deserves some attention come 1975, as it includes a number of non-LP singles and hangs together as an excellent compilation.
The title track track doesn't do much for me. I wonder how the album would have done if they titled it Night and Day and had a cooler cover with Ringo featured on it more prominently.
Totally with you, Doc. I felt like SJ was probably the worst track on the album. Ringo does look totally cool in that photo.
its about time this thread started as an far as this album goes its a good start for someone who is solely credited with writing only two songs
We’ll keep it on Ringo, but are we allowed to talk about references to the other Beatles, and other Beatles songs? Without that, it could be a really short thread. . I kid, I kid!
Never heard this album, but I have hears a few tracks on Breakfast With The Beatles. Actually, apart from the hits and the Ringo album, almost all of the solo Ringo I know comes from play on BWTB. I like the songs from SJ alright, I guess. Really should hear it all before I give an opinion though. The NEXT album though, I picked up recently thanks, again, to a song Chris Carter plays fairly often on BWTB. Love that one, but I’ll save it until we get there.
Somewhat of a novelty album, but ahead of the curve as to rock stars singing The Great American Songbook. Beat ole Rod by about 25 years or so.
I appreciate it more than I did upon first listen. I liked it then, but loved 'B.O.B' more and this one got pushed away. BTW- another vote for 'Blast'. I believe it to be one of the fabs better comps.
This remains my favorite Ringo album, because whether you cotton to these songs or not, George Martin at that point was the only producer who knew how to record his voice. So his singing - even thought it's Ringo - is magnificent. Think of the best songs here - maybe "Night and Day," "Whispering Grass," "You Always Hurt the One You Love," "Stardust" - next to "Good Night" or even "Octopus' Garden." They fit. It's a beautiful album that still has that Beatles-era pixie dust all over it. I always liked it because it never tried to be anything more than it was. "Beaucoups of Blues" is just an awful mess, and the Richard Perry stuff, to me, reeks of commercial calculation and trying too hard. His singing has never been better than this album, and the different arrangements make it an adventuresome listen, too.
I’ve always enjoyed this album. And not sure what it is about the album cover but it works perfectly. I wonder more how much this album was an influence on Harry Nilsson’s A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night considering his and Ringo’s friendship.
