Customer Reviews

Ringorama

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Ringo Rama Deluxe Edition is an astonishing CD...but its first version, Ringo Rama, was only released a few months before this, minus two discs. I suspect once they discovered they had a highly marketable CD, they gathered up three more songs, an informative radio interview CD (discussing and playing cuts from the CD) and the DVD of the "Making of Ringo Rama" (also a special short version of "Never Without You", and it's filming).
All this is well and good, but those of us who bought the original Ringo Rama feel a bit suckered by this rather tactless marketing move. That being said, this deluxe version is a landmark album for Ringo! What a joy to listen to. Surprisingly reminiscent of past Beatle albums material. Even some background vocals sound nearly identical to Beatles era harmonies. Great stuff! Beatle fans will love this album. Nostalgic? Of course, and with this quality....who can complain about that!
Co-producer Mark Hudson outdoes himself on this project! Ringo's vocals and drumming are top form, as well. Guest appearances by Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Willy Nelson and others only add to the specialness of this CD. This is, frankly, about as close as we're likely to ever get to Beatle's quality music. They weren't one of music histories top acts for nothing.
Don't pass up this CD! You're bound to fall under its spell. Tongue-in-cheek humor abounds, as well. No heavy, down-in-the-dumps lyrics or melodies here. Peace and Love, as Ringo sez. The DVD is a hilarious romp showing the making of the CD, featuring Ringo and his band (the Roundheads) and special guests.
If Ringo could make more CD's of this quality...any future money woes would be highly unlikely on his part. Quality sells! Ringo and Mark...if you're reading this...no more sucker games on your fans, please! We love you, but next time, don't make your fans pay for your "upgrades". We'll forgive ya just this once....

Wow, where did this come from? After being written off as creatively dead for at least 20 years, the Beatles' stickman comes roaring back with his strongest effort since 1973's classic "Ringo". What a pleasant surprise to not only hear Ringo's voice in primo shape, but also to witness his resurgence as one of rock's greatest drummers. Like all of Starr's best work, "Ringorama" features a Hall of Fame supporting cast. Heavyweight guests include Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and David Gilmour. While nearly every track succeeds, Ringo seems especially comfortable with mid-tempo rockabilly/country numbers such as the cleverly titled "Missouri Loves Company" and the plaintive "Memphis in Your Mind". Set opener "Eye to Eye"--the album's heaviest rocker-- grooves on a huge backbeat accented with Ringo's patented splashy hi-hat sound. The emotional George Harrison tribute "Never Without You" has rightfully garnered a ton of press. Ringo has kept himself busy of late, making the rounds of TV talk-shows, performing the touching send-off to his dear friend. While his voice was a bit shaky on the tele, no need to worry as the recorded performance is beautiful. In fact, have no reservations whatsoever about "Ringorama", undoubtedly, the most pleasant surprise of the year. A job well done. Thank you Ringo and welcome back. The whole world is rooting for you.

This CD finds Ringo in fine form. The single "Never Without You", a tribute to George Harrison, is great. Take a strong song about a magical guy, add in inspired lead guitar work by Eric Clapton and you've got a really great track.
Overall, Ringo's vocals here are his best since "Ringo". The songwriting is solid (the songs are co-written by Ringo and his studio co-horts, The Roundheads - which includes his co-producer Mark Hudson), the production is current without being trendy.

"Missouri Loves Company" is another great one. Very hooky, and Dave Gilmour's guitar lines are outstanding! "Instant Amnesia" is way cool and rocks!

The DVD, which shows the "making of", is awesome! Especially for musicians and home recordists, since the majority of the album was recorded in Mark Hudson's and Ringo's home studios. There was no additional cost for the DVD -- a great value! (no wonder it's not on a major label)

Hopefully this album will get some exposure on rock radio!

As a long time Beatles fan, I have always been a bit suspect of the solo Beatle's recordings. They normally don't measure up to the Beatles' records. However, Ringo Rama is a wonderful exception. It is Ringo's best record since 1973's "Ringo". It features his amazing drumming, wonderful songwriting from him, Mark Hudson, and others, well-thought out arrangements, and guest stars galore (Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, David Gilmour, etc...). Ringos' singing is very strong throughout. There is a wonderful tribute to George ("Never Without You"), his tribute to the Queen ("Elizabeth Reigns"), beautiful ballads ("Love First, Ask Questions Later") country flavored material ("Write One for Me") and other genres. Get this record....if you are a Ringo fan, you WILL NOT be disappointed. As my fellow Beatle-fanatic friend Dave told me, "this is the best album Ringo could ever make".

Ringo's VERTICAL MAN released a few years ago was good album, and RINGO RAMA exceeds it. Great songs from top to bottom with some great rockers ("I Think Therefore I Rock N Roll"), nostalgia (" Never Without You"-- a tribute to pal George Harrison), to a couple of great ballads ("What Love Wants To Be"). As with all of Ringo's good albums, he relies with a little help from his friends, and again he uses Mark Hudson as producer. The CD comes with an accompanying DVD that shows the behind-the-scenes making of the recording of the album and a little bit of background of each song. This DVD itself is very much of a surprise and revelation. Ringo and pals seem to have had a lot of fun making the album and even shows Ringo on the drums having a good time with friends from Mark Hudson, Eric Clapton, and even Willie Nelson. Overall an excellent album for those sick of pop divas, rap, heavy metal, and boy bands. Nice to know there's music for a mature audience out there.

I don't know what is wrong with the mainstream Beatles fans who will pay $200 to watch Paul, snap up the (wonderful) Beatles Anthology DVDs and other related product but virtually ignore some great music being released by former members of the most-fabulous pop-rock group ever.
First was George's beautiful, mind-boggling "Brainwashed," which while it did go Gold should have sold many more copies than it did. If you did not yet get hold of that CD, please do yourself a favor and do it now, when you order "Ringo Rama."
To hear that only 9,000 people bought the drummer's latest in the first week was almost cruel. Paul could mumble into the toilet and sell more copies; that's the mindset of the "mainstream" Fab fans. I personally try to support the solo projects from all of the ex-Beatles. And I feel I am greatly rewarded for my loyalty and sense of fairness. "Ringo Rama" didn't immediately grab me the way "Brainwashed" did. But after several listens, I find it immensely enjoyable (except for the noisy 'Instant Amnesia.')
Ringo pounds the drums throughout, and I really love his tribute to George, 'Never Without You.' That song sends shivers down my spine. Also wonderful are the trippy "Elizabeth Reigns," "Missouri Loves Company," "I Think Therefore I Rock and Roll" and his duet with Willie Nelson, "Write One For Me."
So with that in mind, buy one for Ringo. And while you're at it, add George Harrison's "Brainwashed" to your Amazon cart!

Now, I can't wait to see if Paul can actually produce a solo album that approaches the high level we've been treated to with these two recent releases!!!

The next Ringo studio album can't get here soon enough if he keeps on this course. "Time Takes Time" and "Vertical Man" (and even the Christmas album) were surprisingly good solid enjoyable albums. He has been releasing better studio work than Paul has--who would have thought? This one tops them all, I would dare say even better than "Ringo". Of course that one will always have the special topping Beatles reunion aspect, but this one ROCKS like no other. There are still a couple tracks here I don't care for that much style-wise, but that doesn't mean they are bad (and they don't make me cringe like Paul sometimes does). There are several songs here that derserve more than 5 stars. "Ringo Rama" is much, much better than "Driving Rain", "Run Devil Run" and "Flaming Pie". I played it more times in three days than all of Paul's since 1980 combined in the years since they were released. Basically, it's better than, or equal to, all of Paul's releases.

Everyone including Ringo is talking about/pushing "Never Without You" which is a good sentimental song about George, but it isn't even one of the top three best on this collection! What should be released as singles that could actually find rock radio airplay are "Eye To Eye" and one of the best songs recorded EVER--"Instant Amnesia"! I can't stop playing those two, over and over. Talk about inspired drumming too, he hasn't sounded that good since "Rain".

A funny side story, I love "Instant Amnesia" so much I took it into work to play as a "mystery artist" to a group of co-workers in their twenties who all own at least a couple Beatles cds each. Two of them had even mentioned to me earlier in the day of seeing Ringo on TV in the last couple days. Their first consensus guess was King Diamond (yeah, I don't know them either). When I said older person/group than that, they came up with King Crimson, Bowie, and Queen. Bottom line is, they were impressed too, and wanted to hear more of the cd.

But wait, there IS more! The initial pressings also come with a decent length DVD shot durring the recording sessions. Very enjoyable in its own right, it shows just how much fun went into these tracks. The songs sound like a great time was had, but here is the visual proof to go with it. While you are at it, there is an "easter egg" clip hidden under the heart in the upper right of the menu too.

It is a huge travesty that radio, and people in general, will quickly pass this over because of the lingering stigma of that long ago 15 year stretch of lousy Ringo albums. It is a huge travesty that Paul CDs out-sell this too. Maybe if Ringo did a few Roundhead tours instead of All-Starr tours it would help overcome the has-been perception with the public.

If "Ringo Rama" only had "Instant Amnesia" and "Eye to Eye" it would be well worth owning, but it also has a whole bunch of great songs besides those. "Ringo Rama" goes way beyond the loyal Beatle fan crowd, this is a great cd for anyone. Keep it up Ringo, let's have lots more like this!

Given their Olympian status in the 1960's and their well-deserved place in music history, the solo careers of each of the individual Beatles has been rather dismaying in stretches. The general consensus now is The Beatles were greater than the sum of their parts-a judgment I think is pretty much correct. Entire paper mills have had to be built to supply the sheets to hold the copy revolving around the theme *Why Did Paul (John, George or Ringo) Abandon His Beatle Muse To Give Us This Drivel?* *He had so much talent in the old day*, so the story went, *where did all that talent go?*

The truth was that if you went back to Paul's (just to pick one) Beatle material, you could easily find the presence of his latter proclivities toward schmaltz, hamming it up toward the crowd, and his love of the English Music Hall tradition. It is the same in their own ways for George and John. Ringo, however, was damn lucky to be there. Ringo himself has shouted this from the rooftops himself dozens of times. Perhaps John, George and Paul would have gone on to some degree of stardom by themselves if there had never been The Beatles. But without the Beatles, Ringo may very well have wound up running a grocery store or working for the city in Liverpool as so many of his musician friends eventually had done.

This would have been a tragedy in that the world would have not heard Ringo's innovations in drumming (as with all the Beatles, Ringo was not a technically great musician. But he was a great, inventive musician.). But songwriting has never been one of Ringo's top five talents. Maybe Ringo would not have amounted to much if he hadn't been in The Beatles; but he was in The Beatles and he was lucky. For this Ringo makes no apologies and for his part The Beatles couldn't have been what they were without him. What Starr lacks as singer/songwriter he makes up for in charm and his likeable persona.

It is for this reason Ringo is able to trade on his Beatles background in a way the other three could not. Ringo never tried to distance himself from The Beatles and he never tried to *put down* The Beatles of the past as the others had at one time or another. Ringo always loved The Beatles much the same way we did. In this way, we share something with Ringo we don't share with the others. With John, Paul and George, you never got the sense they really understood what The Beatles meant to all those kids and teenagers around the world; but Ringo understood exactly and you knew he felt it himself. Most of us could identify more easily with John, Paul or George, but all of us liked Ringo.

Thus with RINGO RAMA we are presented with the Ringo we have all come to love and expect. Ringo comes out to us and *sells* himself. There are frequent references to the *peace and love* philosophy of The Beatles. There is ample use of wordplay and humor in the lyrics (Missouri Loves Company, I Think, Therefore I Rock And Roll). And (as had been increasing done in his last few albums) free use of *Beatle-isms* in the style of music. Ringo resisted *Beatle sounds* and *Beatle turns of musical phrases* for years until one of his longest friends pointed out that everyone else uses them with impunity so why should he deny them for himself. The result has been more consistent and better albums.

As with his other records, Ringo has a few friends drop in to lend a lick or two (Eric Clapton, Dave Gilmore, Shawn Colvin, Charlie Hayden and Willie Nelson) but their presence never intrude. What we have is another hour plus visit with a rock icon who loves his fans, has fun, tells a few jokes and wears his heart on his sleeve. I don't know about you, but I can use a few of those visits every now and then. A GOOD TIME FOR ONE AND ALL.

I just wanted to balance some so-so reviews. If you have followed Ringo's solo career and have enjoyed it, you will love this album. It's a damn good listen and the fun of it all comes through loud and clear. If you don't get the cheeky little guy, and are way too serious, then you are missing something.

Ringo Rama is a wonderful release. This limited edition is required for Beatle fans. Not only do you get the documentary that came with the regular release...now the video for Never Without You and a 'making of' have been added! Also included is a Ringo Radio Hour interview, and a few extra songs are added to the album as well. Elizabeth Reigns is by far my favorite, but there isn't a bad song here. Treat yourself. Ringo still has it, and the documentary is a blast to watch.