Y Not

Ringo Starr | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 12, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hip-O Records
• ASIN: B002WBYDJE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,363 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 album from the former Beatle and Rock icon. For the first time in one of popular music's most enduring and illustrious careers, Ringo Starr has decided to take charge and produce himself. The result is perhaps the most personal and impressive album of this Rock legend's entire solo career. The joyous result finds Ringo leading a smaller core group of old and new friends including longtime pal and recent brother-in-law Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart and longtime Roundheads member Steve Dudas on guitar, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on keyboards, Don Was and Mike Bradford on bass. The album also features special guests like Joss Stone, Ben Harper and Richard Marx on vocals, Ann Marie Calhoun on violin and Tina Sugandh on tabla and chanting. Starr's former bandmate and longstanding mate Paul McCartney, who adds a characteristically brilliant bass part to the inspiring 'Peace Dream' and even more notably provides his unmistakably fabulous vocals to 'Walk With You,' an exquisite new composition by Starr and Van Dyke Parks.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ringo rock's 80's style. January 12, 2010

By Landrew

Format:Audio CD

Ringo Starr's new album "Y Not" is probably the most coherant album he has recorded since 1992's "Time Takes Time". This is simple rock and roll at it's best. Ringo's last few albums have been pop oriented but this one has more grit thanks to Joe Walsh's excellent guitar riffs. The first track "Fill In The Blanks" is the best track he has recorded in years. I'm a hardcore Ringo fan and I haven't been this excited about an Ex-Beatles album since the early 80's. Really. Ringo's vocals on tracks like "Mystery Of The Night" and "The Other Side Of Liverpool" actually soar. The entire album feels like it jumped out of 1988 and that's just fine because the sound is really awesome. "Peace Dream" with Paul McCartney is produced so well that you will not be able to get enough of it - not in an annoying way. Kind of like eating really good french fries and wanting more. Ringo has churned out some excellent music in the past ten odd years and this one tops them all. No kidding. I can be a harsh critic, even for my favourite Beatle. So run to your local record store and say "Gimme that record called Y NOT!"

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars irrepressibly good--Ringo can't do it wrong January 12, 2010

By Matthew G. Sherwin HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Ringo Starr's brand new release rocks! Ringo is in excellent form here; and his peers all contribute splendidly to the creation of a very well done album that will stand the test of time. The numbers are memorable with sophisticated musical arrangements and Ringo never sounded better, either! His skill as a songwriter remains superb as well. The quality of the sound on this album is excellent and I like that artwork.

The songs here are all so good that there's really not a single dud in the bunch; Ringo and his buddies have really impressed me! "Fill in the Blanks" has a great beat; and Ringo's excellent diction enhances his performance all the more. "Fill in the Blanks" has a catchy fell to it; once I heard it I kept playing it over and over again; the music fits perfectly with Ringo's vocals and it's all brilliantly done. Joe Walsh also does background vocals, guitar and even bass on "Fill in the Blanks!" "Peace Dream" has some mighty awesome guitar work that combines with percussion, drums and more to make "Peace Dream" shine! Of course, Paul McCartney on bass made this even more special--not that Ringo really needs help making good music; but it all works wonders anyway.

"The Other Side of Liverpool" has a fine rocking beat; Ringo sings this with panache and the key modulations sound great just as the different tempos add to the quality of this tune! "Walk with You" has Ringo front and center, too--which is quite all right by me! "Walk with You" gets a sensitive treatment from Ringo, Paul McCartney and the rest; I really like the way they turned out this song. "Time" also has a terrific sound that features Ringo singing squarely front and center--and that piano arrangement makes the music really wonderful....

"Everyone Wins" has a strong beat while Ringo sings this with heart and soul; this is a fine number and Ringo never lets go of a single superfluous note! "Mystery of the Night" is another rocking tune with a sensitive arrangement at the same time; I marvel at how well Ringo and the others make this music sound so good! "Can't Do It Wrong" has one of the best arrangements on the entire album; this is another major highlight. "Can't Do It Wrong" leaves nothing to be desired--this music is all THAT good! Listen also for Don Was playing upright bass on "Can't Do It Wrong."

"Y Not" is yet another magnificent number that showcases Ringo's superb talent; and the CD ends very well with Ringo, Joss Stone and their peers performing "Who's Your Daddy." "Who's Your Daddy" has so much energy that it can't be easily forgotten--and it also leaves me wanting more.

Ringo Starr possesses a genius that I rarely hear or enjoy; and albums like this one clearly prove he's still performing at the top of his game. Ringo should be touring this year; catch him in concert if you can! I highly recommend this for Ringo's fans; fans of the other artists on this album just might want to get this, too. Read more ›

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Change for Ringo January 12, 2010

By David Cooper

Format:Audio CD

To be honest, I didn't like Ringo's last 2 albums. He just seemed to be repeating the same tired formula over and over. On this album, he goes in a new direction and thankfully has stopped using the same tired formula of writing bridges on every song and using bad Beatle like backing vocals. Is this album great? No, but for the most part it is an enjoyable album with just a few clunkers.

Here is my analysis of the songs:

1) Fill in the Blanks - 6/10 - I didn't care for much for the opening song, which is a basic average rock song and quite forgetable.

2) Peace Dream - 7.5/10 - This is a much better song than the opener. It may grow on me more, but from one listen I can tell you it is positive, uplifting, sung well and the backing singers are a nice touch and not overdone. The chorus is just not as catchy as great peace songs like Imagine & Give Peace a Chance and the song is a bit repetitive. Mentioning John in the song is a nice tribute to him by Ringo.

3) Other Side Of Liverpool - 8/10 - This song is darker and grittier than anything I have heard from Ringo before and it is a refreshing change. And thankfully he resists his formula writing style and doesn't write a bridge, for the song doesn't need one. The backing singer is good.

4) Walk With You - 8.5/10 - Best song on the cd. The intro is simply gorgeous and Paul's vocals make it simply magic.

5) Time - 6.5/10 - Good guitar work, but the song is pretty average at best.

6) Everyone Wins - 7/10 The guitar work is very good and the song isn't bad, but I don't like the use of the hip hop beat in the beginning and throughout. Thankfully he employs this sound just once on this album.

7) Mystery of the Night - 8/10 - This is a very good song.... It has a very catchy chorus and good lyrics. It is one of the highlights of the cd.

8) Can't Do Wrong - 5/10 - One of the weakest songs on the cd. This song just isn't very good and dressing it up with horns and guitar solos doesn't make it make better.

9) Y Not - 4/10 - This song is bad. Not interesting musically or lyrically and rates up there with some of his worst songs. The additional of the Indian music to me sounds out of place and just throw in for effect and really doesn't flow with the song in my view. Too bad he kept it, for he can do much better. Rather he kept the album title and dropped the song like Roger McGuinn did with Back to Rio.

10 Who's Your Daddy - 8/10 - To be honest I have never heard of Joss Stone before and didn't even know Joss was a woman. Someone said this song doesn't fit with the rest of the songs, but I strongly disagree. This song is very good because of Joss Stone. The woman can really sing and Ringo made a wise decision letting her losse. She does most of the vocals on it. The horns on it are a nice touch too.

I rate this 4 stars for despite 3 or 4 weak songs, most of it is enjoyable to hear and a much better effort than the sub par Liverpool 8. Read more ›

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Ringo keeps churning 'em out January 12, 2010

By Tnahpellee

Format:Audio CD

While most of his contemporaries (many of whom are younger) haven't put out a record in years or are floundering around forever releasing live albums but only putting out a studio album once every five to ten years, Ringo Starr, in the year he turns 70 (!) churns out his fifth full studio album in twelve years (not including the Christmas album 'I wanna be Santa Claus') and somehow keeps his music energetic and of a high quality. IF you include "Santa Claus" that averages an album every two years!

After a falling out with long-time producer and song-writer Mark Hudson during the last album "Liverpool 8", Ringo decided to produce this one himself and every song features Ringo as one of two songwriters. Each song has a different co-writer. This album is also a return of the Starr-studded cast of his Seventies albums, rathar than just relying on the Roundheads.

So what's different? Well the ever-present Beatles-imitating backing vocals of the last few albums are towned down, and sometimes there are female backing vocals. Ringo varies the arrangements with more instruments being employed in the mix, for example violins and saxaphones, and Ringo's production to try and emphasise these instuments, rather than let them sit dormant in the background somewhere. In fact Ringo's producing is fine, which makes me wonder why he always employs other people to help him so much.

Despite the changes, this album is more or less a continuation of the theme of his most recent albums, like "Choose Love", with the same rock and pop oriented songs, with a sometimes folk edge, and up-beat lyrics that both look towards the future as well as reminisce on the past....

For the songs, 'Fill in the blanks' is a good solid rocker to open the album, 'The other side of Liverpool' seems like a negative angle on his roots so dearly spoken of on the title track of the last album. One track 'Everyone wins' feautres a modern, tehcno like beat showing Ringo is not afriad of modern music. The title track (Y Not) is my favourite track on the album, very catchy piece that features some incorporations of other styles, like Indian, to keep things fresh. I also like the slow country-rock shuffle Can't do it wrong. There's a really good ballad called 'Time' which fuses together a few styles, and features a good 'jam' at the end.

Overall, Y Not is a solid, enjoyable and diverse album with the same optimistic pop-rock sound that is associated with Ringo these days and is sure to be a pleasant listening experience for anyone who enjoys his music. Read more ›