Ringo Starr - Liverpool 8

When John Lennon was asked whether or not Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, John replied with "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles!" Poor Ringo, never gets any respect. This is why I feel compelled to review his latest CD, even though this blog generally features the unknown indie artists that dwell among us. Yes, he may have been a member of the biggest band of all time, but that doesn't mean his solo releases are ever met with any overwhelming enthusiasm. However, in this case, that really isn't fair because 'Liverpool 8' is actually quite good. And if you've heard former bandmate McCartney's release last year (*shudder), that statement is definitely a cause for genuine surprise.

The album does take a little while to get going. It opens with the title track and first single which is catchy, but a little bit silly in its attempt to make us all nostalgic and stuff. The next two songs sound like every song I've ever heard by old timers releasing new material (i.e. the Steve Millers, Eric Claptons and (ack!) Paul McCartneys among us.) But by the time we get to "Gone Are The Days," we actually have some very solid pop fare, that is among the best material Ringo has ever recorded. That one starts all dreamy and such before the Beatle-esque harmonies take over. "Harry's Song" is a delightful little 30's throwback, but done the way Apples in Stereo might have done it. "Pasodobles" has a Spanish jazz groove going on, which actually suits Ringo's voice very well. Some more great pop songs follow that are never very deep, but all very entertaining. The album ends with "R U Ready," which, despite the Prince-like phonetics, actually sounds like it could have been an outtake from George Harrison's Traveling Wilburys project in the 80's. It wraps up the album nicely.

I've always considered John to be the deep Beatle with the best material, Paul to be the cheesy Beatle who put out some great songs in the past but has been mostly mailing it in for the last two decades, and George was the most consistent one, never releasing a lot of material but hardly ever hitting a overly sour note. Ringo was the one that I just never really thought about that much. However, with 'Liverpool 8,' I'm wondering if he could simply be the underrated one.

Myspace: Ringo Starr
Purchase: Liverpool 8 on Amazon.com
Video: Liverpool 8 on youtube