Customer Reviews

Blast From Your Past

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From 1971 to 1975, Ringo Starr cut a string of seven consecutive Top 10 records, including back-to-back number ones in 1973, and they're all right here!

Led by the twin front-runners, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen", this collection is Ringo at his post-Beatles height. Don't get into a discussion of which of his song's is the best; you'll be in for an argument. Despite the top placement of the two previously mentioned hits, many people will vote for "The No No Song", others for "Oh My My" or "Only You", and still others for my personal favorite "It Don't Come Easy", the first of the solo chart busters.

It really doesn't matter which anyone thinks is best; they're all great. The album itself was released on the Apple/Parlophone label, which makes it sort of a musical historical curiosity. The mastering is excellent and the sound crystal clear.

Ringo's solo success only lasted a brief four years in the early 70s, but it doesn't matter. Thirty years later, these songs still rock the house. This album is truly a "Blast from the Past!" Don't miss it.

This is a fine collection of Ringo Starr's Capitol Records hits. It features all seven of his Top Ten hits, plus the flop single "Beaucoups of Blues", the b-side "Early 1970" and the album track "I'm the Greatest". All the songs here are great, but the album is on the short side. It would have been nice if they had thrown in a few bonus tracks, like the minor hit "It's All Down to Goodnight Vienna". You are almost better off getting Ringo's third album (titled Ringo), which has six of the ten songs here. On second thought, get Ringo and this CD, too.

Ringo Starr has probably been the most overlooked of the Beatles following the band's breakup in 1969. He has been eclipsed by Sir Paul McCartney, who's arguably had the best solo career and most renown of the Fabs, and that of the politically active John Lennon, whose ascent to immortality was cemented by his 8 December 1980 murder.

What many don't realize is that the 1970's also bestowed some sunshine on the former Beatles drummer. It was only on his third album, Ringo, that he finally got into gear. He went back to his roots by covering Johnny Burnette's "You're Sixteen (And You're Mine)," done in a rolling piano boogie style on his 1973 album Ringo, which is probably his best solo album. It's great for a leadoff track. The mid-paced and sad "Photograph," also from Ringo, was a charttopper, and was co-written between him and Harrison. There's a definite Beatles-ish feel to it, in the "Rain" and Abbey Road era, but with a backwash of Phil Spector-like strings, that would have no doubt pleased Paul. With the upbeat piano and horns, and female backup singers in the other Top Ten hit from Ringo, "Oh My My" and the vocal stylings, I can definitely see the influence behind Gene Simmons' "True Confessions" from his first solo album.

From Goodnight To Vienna, his 1974 followup, there was his cover of Hoyt Axton's "The No No Song." One of the aspects of the Sgt Pepper era was drugs, and in the song, Ringo puts aside that part of him, refusing offers of moonshine, coke, and marijuana from various people from different parts of the world. Also from that album was another cover, the Platters' "Only You." Its pop-like arrangement makes it something Paul might cover. "Back Off Boogaloo" with a backing chorus, has a slow churning sound akin to Harrison's "Wah Wah," and the eeriness of "I Am The Walrus."

The jamming "It Don't Come Easy", co-written with George Harrison, was his first chart-topper, while having definite Beatles influences, shows Ringo moving into a sphere of his own. Even the phrases "come together" and "and we will make it better" shows a nod to "Come Together" and "Hey Jude."

"Beaucoups of Blues" is the title song from his 1970 album, which veered more on the country side. It's a laid back forlorn harmonica-laced number longing for yesterday, when one has foolishly thrown away precious things for what was to have been a better today.

Two of the songs tell of his time with the Beatles. The country-tinged amiably humorous "Early 1970" is about John, that "long hair cross legged guitar player", as one can see in the Let It Be film,"with his wife by his side-she's Japanese." Even this soon from the Fabs breakup, there's no ill feeling between he and his ex-bandmates, "and when I go to town I wanna see all three."

The John Lennon-penned "I'm the Greatest" is no, not a song about Muhammad Ali, but about himself in 1972, looking back on his Liverpool days and his time with the Beatles, with a reference to Billy Shears-remember, he sang "With A Little Help From My Friends." With George Harrison on guitars, it was clear that there wasn't a clean break from his bandmates. Like "It Don't Come Easy," this was included on the remaster of the Ringo album.

I've seen Ringo in the two Terry Southern movie adaptations, Candy and Magic Christian, as well in Caveman and Give My Regards to Broad Street, where he starred opposite Paul. But being the Beatles fan that I am, I do feel guilty in not paying due attention to Ringo. A closer look at Mr. Starkey OBE is definitely in the works, not only the albums mentioned here, but his latest album Ringorama with his ode to George, "Never Without You." A must for Beatles fans and those of the other solo Beatles as well.

Ringo Starr might have been the "funny Beatle" but in the first five years of his solo career he had seven Top 10 singles including a pair of #1 hits in 1973 with "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen." True, Ringo was still getting by with a little help from his friends: he co-wrote "Photograph" with George Harrison," who sang the harmony vocals, Paul McCartney played the kazoo on "You're Sixteen," and John Lennon contributed "I'm the Greatest" for one of the three new songs that gets "Blast From Your Past" to ten total tracks. The only real complaint with this 1975 release is that the five best songs were the "A" side of the album with the "No No Song," "It Don't Come Easy," and "Back off Boogaloo" to the aforementioned pair of hits. That makes the "B" side (keep in mind that this was originally released as a real vinyl record album way back when) look weak in comparison. But all ten of these tracks are totally in keeping with Ringo's strengths, which is essentially the pure joy of making music. Ringo had a few hits after this album (e.g., "Snookeroo"), but none of them are better than what is on this album so "Blast From Your Past" is a nice little hits collection from a former Beatle in his solo stage, even if the ten tracks add up to a bit more than a half hour of music.

This is an actual post-Beatles collection of greatest hits from Sir Richard Starkey, MBE. If you are going to own a collection of tunes from the Beatles' drummer, than this is the CD to own.

Unlike George Harrison's Greatest Hits collection, which was half fulled with songs he recorded with the Beatles; Ringo's greatest hits collection doesn't contain any of his Beatles songs -- such as "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Octopus's Garden." Instead, "Blast From Your Past" focuses on Ringo's post-Beatles career.

This is a wonderful CD. First, you are treated to his most popular post Beatles hit, "It Don't Come Easy."

Four of the ten tracks on this CD covers Ringo's greatest hits off his most popular LP, Ringo. Keep in mind, on "Ringo," the three other Beatles contributed lyrics and music to help Sir Richard produce a quality LP. Well, the old Beatles magic was definitely working because the Ringo LP produced some of Ringo's best post-Beatles tunes. This CD includes "Photograph" (co-written and co-performed with Beatlemate, L'Angelo Mysterioso), "Oh My My," "You're Sixteen," and "I'm the Greatest" (written by and featuring the music of Sir Winston O'Boogie).

This CD also includes "cutesy" numbers such as the "No No Song" and Ringo's "anti-Paul" tune "Back Off Boogaloo."

I am glad that this collection of greatest hits also includes "Early 1970." This B-side to "It Don't Come Easy" addresses Ringo's confusion about the future of the Beatles. Ringo wonders if his former band mates would ever play with him again.

This is a worthwhile CD. The music on this CD is just as good today as when it was first recorded. My only complaint is that Capital/Apple/EMI should have added bonus tracks to this CD, such as "Blindman" and "Goodnight Vienna,"

This is Ringo's best and it shows. Unless you are a die-hard Ringo fan and don't mind all the fodder on other albums, this one is what you want to buy.

Ringo Starr over the years has released some good songs and has had a few hit songs as well.
Ringo grew up listening to songs from the 50's, so we get You're 16 and Only You.
Photograph and It Dont Come Easy were both co-written with the late George Harrison. These two songs in my mind are his best ever.
This is what Ringo is good at, just great music sung the way only Ringo can sing it................

This Ringo Starr CD is indeed an excellent collection of his hit songs from the first half of the 1970s. Ringo's work is enhanced by the contributions of Paul, George and John, but his work even without his former band mates is outstanding.

The CD starts out very strong with the highly upbeat song "You're Sixteen." Other great songs include the "No No Song, "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," and "Only You." The set of songs ends with the triumphant "I'm The Greatest," contributed by John; this is again very strong.

The sound quality is excellent; and the liner notes include the lyrics--a nice plus. We also get some great head shot photographs of Ringo! GRIN

Some reviewers have said that this album (here on CD, obviously) is too short; and they have a point. Yet I agree with the reviewer who writes that it is an excellent CD anyway and so I highly recommend this for any Beatles fan as well as Ringo fans. The songs on this CD are some of the best you could ever ask for in music history!

This album really rocks. No rip. No message. No hype. Just music. Good album.

It's great to hear Ringo's 70s hits every now and then - very singalong and good fun. Pity the collection barely stretches beyond 30 minutes. I thought record companies no longer milked the public like that. ...