Ringo Starr - Gone Are The Days

“Sometimes you lose yourself, nobody’s there when you cry for help.” The song title may make you think this is a nostalgia song, but that’s just a ruse. Musically this is 2008, and rocking with a feeling! Sure, there’s fun along the way, wouldn’t be Ringo if it weren’t fun. Let’s face it, you can’t be 67 years old traveling from town to town singing for a bunch of folks who think you’re still a Beatle 38 years after they split up if you don’t have a wry sense of humor. Like the folks who still don’t accept Ron as a Rolling Stone. Weird people, fans.

Anyway, the music is hot, and there’s a sly reference to one of his earliest 70’s hits – “I know you will believe me when I say ‘It Won’t Come Easy.’ ” Another song references Choose Love, his album from 2005. The album makes me smile the same way all Ringo albums do. He wasn’t shy to attack standards in 1970, now even Rod Stewart does that, with no sense of irony. He talked C&W next, then pop & rock of all flavors, from Back Off Boogaloo to Photograph. He never shies away from a genre, just puts it out there, acting naturally. On this album he & his mates wrote all the songs, but they’re willing to tackle jazz flavors, gospel flavors (with a twist in the lyric), and pop, along with some burning rock. A fulfilling album. Shoutouts for Now That She’s Gone Away & For Love.

Ringo Starr