Ten snapshots from Ringo’s recordings
In the wake of the Beatles’ 1970 breakup, Ringo Starr hit the ground running, with a few instantly gratifying solo singles and a couple of hit albums. Nothing in his catalogue, however, could be called a commercial success after the 1974 LP Goodnight Vienna, which went gold in the U. S.
Starr’s latest disc, Postcards From Paradise, is his 18th solo album. Like all the others, it has its share of overlooked gems. So among these 10 highlights from Starr’s 53- year studio career, it seems only fair to have every decade represented.
1. A Day in the Life ( the Beatles; 1967).
Who else would have had the creative chops to find such an inspired path into the Lennon- McCartney masterpiece?
2. Happiness Is a Warm Gun ( the Beatles; 1968).
Fans are still trying to keep track of how the time shifts work in John Lennon’s frenetic suite. At one point, it even sounds like the rest of the group shifts into a waltz while Starr sticks with a common-time backbeat. Are your ears playing tricks on you? In his interview with the Montreal Gazette, Starr said a parting of the ways on time signatures was the only trick the Fabs ever used.
3. It Don’t Come Easy ( 1971).
Starr’s first solo hit single was exhilarating, taking flight with a superb George Harrison guitar solo that soared over some spirited background vocals.
4. Early 1970 ( 1971).
The flip side of It Don’t Come Easy was a coy but touching love note to Starr’s former bandmates — even Paul McCartney, who was in conflict with the other three at the time.
5. Photograph ( 1973).
Co- written with Harrison, this song ’s irresistible chorus, and a memorable tenor sax solo by Bobby Keys, helped make it one of Starr’s greatest solo records.
6. Private Property ( 1981).
Penned by McCartney, this bouncy bit of ear candy showed off Starr’s infallible backbeat and some great sax work by Howie Casey. Should have been a hit.
7. I Don’t Believe You ( 1992).
Sounding like a long- lost Rutles track, this joyous piece of sunshine pop, with its handclaps and exuberant, tightly arranged background vocals, was one of several terrific songs on one of Starr’s most underrated albums, Time Takes Time.
8. I Think Therefore I Rock and Roll ( 2003).
When the Ringo Rama album was released, Little Steven, on his Underground Garage radio show, was all over this foot- stomping rocker. Its wall of sound, industrial- strength chorus and galloping acoustic guitar yank you from your seat. In a perfect world, fans would know this little anthem well enough for Starr to close shows with it.
9. Walk With You ( 2010).
Although the Y Not album was not among Starr’s best, this duet with McCartney, co- written by Starr and Van Dyke Parks, stood out with its sweet melody. With Sir Paul’s voice soaring in the chorus and a killer middle- eight, it’s hard not to grin for the duration.
10. Rory and the Hurricanes ( 2015).
The most recent of Starr’s autobiographical songs celebrates his pre- Beatles band with a simple but wonderful pop melody that just won’t quit. A post- Rory trip to London with “you know who,” as the lyrics would have it, found him on his life’s mission: “I played the drums like I always do,” he sings.