On his new Country album Look Up, Ringo Starr is wearing a white hat, and we know it’s the good guys who wear those.
Pretty much everyone likes Ringo, but it seemed that in 1964 he was an outlaw.
The same year The Beatles broke big in America, the star of the TV Western Bonanza, Lorne Greene, released his #1 Country song about the outlaw Ringo. Of course he wasn’t referring to the Liverpool lad, but that same year Ringo also recorded a Country song, the Carl Perkins hit “Honey Don’t”. The following year, Ringo covered the Buck Owens hit “Act Naturally”. He and the rest of The Beatles were fond of Country & Western music from the time they were kids.
When The Beatles split in 1970, Ringo Starr released a Country album, Beaucoups Of Blues. There were some great Nashville session players on the album, but it only made it to #65 on the album chart. Fifty-five years later, Ringo has released his second Country album, Look Up.
This time, Ringo enlisted the help of producer T Bone Burnett, famous for Country & Americana music, and again there are excellent Nashville musicians adding a real Country feel.
Burnett, shown here with Ringo, co-wrote 9 of the 11 songs. Artist Billy Swan wrote one song, and Ringo co-wrote the song “Thankful” with Bruce Sugar.
Even at the age of 84, Ringo’s voice sounds a lot like it always has. The album is getting mostly positive reviews, so Ringo fans should at least give it a listen on streaming services, or wherever the songs are available online. The best track is the Country ballad “Time On My Hands”. It has the typical feel of a sad song about losing the one you love. The melody is strong, and the steel guitar playing is a definite highlight of the album. It sounds like it could have been a hit for George Jones (the “She Thinks I Still Care” singer). Ringo’s “Thankful” is also a good effort that fits well with other songs he’s co-written.
The sound of the record is really good with such a talented producer as Burnett, but his writing the bulk of the songs may have limited the album. It might have been better if Ringo could have obtained a greater variety of songs from more of Nashville’s big pool of songwriters.
This Spring, CBS will air Ringo & Friends at the Ryman. It’ll be performances from two shows at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, recording January 14th & 15th. The concert has many Country Music guests, and will feature Beatles songs, as well as tracks from the new album. Some proceeds from the shows are being donated to the Red Cross to help victims of the California wildfires. The TV special will also include interviews. No air date has been announced.
Ringo’s long career then continues in June of 2025 with his All Starr Band touring the East Coast.