Ringo Starr - Ringo

As a kid I was enamoured with the movie Yellow Submarine. I don't remember the year I first saw it on our tiny black and white television, it was maybe 1969 or 1970. My parents were having a party and I got to stay up late and as long as I wasn't seen or heard I could do what I wanted. I'm not sure if this was the night I watched Hatori! with John Wayne and Red Buttons (tell me again about the monkeys ...) and Yellow Submarine, but those two movies are intertwined in my memory as a double feature.

I always loved the songs Ringo sang. It was 1973 and Ringo was having his day in the sun. Songs like "Photograph" and "Oh My My" were a big deal. Even though "You're Sixteen" was huge, it was always a little creepy sounding even to my ten year old ears. Go figure.

Over the years I maintained my soft spot for Ringo, although I never got any of his records. I did of course pick up a greatest hits CD, but my fandom never really translated into sales. Sorry Ringo. If it's any consolation, I didn't get albums by the other guys either when I was a kid. Although in the late '70s I did pick up the white album ... an actual white, white album. It was a treasure for many years until it wasn't.

Fifty years later, and I have on the turntable Ringo and it is wonderful. In a way I'm kind of glad I'm discovering this one in its entirety now, because I appreciate it so much more now than I would have even a year ago. The reason for that is really simple: Son of Schmilsson. That's right, without Harry Nilsson's 1972 release I wouldn't have had an appreciation for Richard Perry's production, the bass guitar work of Klaus Voorman or Nicky Hopkins' piano playing.

This was also the album where Ringo managed to enlist John, Paul and George - although not at the same time. Regardless, it remains one of those things that makes this album special. Heck, now that I know it was Paul who played the "mouth sax solo" on "You're Sixteen," I appreciate it a little more, but it's still creepy, and the older I get the more cringy it gets. It's a song you have to be a kid to appreciate.

Not only did his old bandmates appear, they also wrote for him: John Lennon penned "I'm the Greatest" and George Harrison would write or co-write three of the songs, from the hauntingly beautiful "Photograph" to "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" that featured Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of The Band. While "You and Me (Babe)" was co-written by Mal Evans. Paul along with Linda wrote "Six O'Clock." The album was full of really solid tunes. Ringo himself was a surprisingly good collaborator and co-writer. Who knows how much he brought to the table, but his name's in the credits - he did something, and I'm going to assume he had good ideas and just needed help kicking things across the finish line.

I really would have loved to have had "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo" on the record too, but apparently Ringo liked to release non-album singles ... I wonder where he learned that little shitty trick?

The real surprise for me was buried inside the album itself. A 20-page booklet, beautifully illustrated by Klaus Voormann. It's awesome, and frankly, to be able to sit and read the lyrics as the album played was a great experience.

One of my favourite moments is where on the last track, as the music starts to fade, Ringo says his goodbye and thanks those who helped make the record, including engineer Bill Schnee. It's a decidedly Ringoeque moment.

I know Ringo would continue to release solo records, but this one always seemed special, because it was ... and is.

Good night. Thank you for reading.