scapp70's Full Review: Ringo's Rotogravure by Ringo Starr
The prospect of obtaining Ringo’s solo venture from 1976 consumed me once I learned that all of the Beatles were once again performing and/or contributed songs to fill up Ringo’s album. I love the Ringo album from 1973 where they were all on the disc and contributed one or more songs. That album turned out great. It didn’t matter that I would never pronounce Rotogravure faultlessly proper, I needed to own and listen. I found a pretty good deal from the Amazon.com Marketplace, I bought it for $8 plus shipping.
I wasn’t too impressed with the generic rock and roll of the first track, A Dose Of Rock and Roll. The song is not bad, and actually the label (Atlantic) decided to release it as one of the singles. The single climbed to number 26 on the US pop charts surprisingly. The song starts like we walked in on the middle of a jam of a fast paced number and then slows to the usual pace you would expect from Ringo. The song features a lukewarm solo from Peter Frampton and also backing vocals by Melissa Manchester. I would guess that this song needed star power as well as Beatle power since this is Ringo’s first record for a new label and contract. The Apple Records contract ran out in the first month of that year.
The 1962 Bruce Channel song Hey Baby is covered by Ringo here. This song fits his vocal style perfectly. Ringo delivers a faithful and rocking rendition that sounds as if a party is happening in the background. The song was another single that climbed to number 27 in the US pop charts. Funny choices that Atlantic chose to release two cover songs for singles, but maybe they thought Ringo would reclaim the success of 1973’s cover of You’re Sixteen.
Paul McCartney gave Ringo the song Pure Gold a year before, and thankfully finally gotten around to recording it for this disc. This song again harkens back to the early days of rock and roll. It’s a schmaltzy ballad that you would dance to at the sock hop I suppose. Paul and Linda provide background vocals and unfortunately that’s all. This song is a highlight from this collection. I love that McCartney gives Ringo great material to work with, unlike some of the other Beatles.
Another song that stands out as a highlight is Cryin’. Finally a song is credited to Ringo on this disc, as well as friend/songwriter Vini Poncia. This is an authentic country and western tune, with C & W type lyrics. The song shines because of its authenticity. Then you have a slow disco song that follows You Don’t Know Me At All which is at best OK, but surprisingly, this song was a third single that was only released in Europe. Although, the beat is somewhat danceable, it keeps to the underlying nod to early rock and roll with the ”Shoo be doo dum dum” sung in the background.
John Lennon’s contract had expired as well, and he has retired. But, for old Beatle buddy Ringo, he emerges out of retirement and writes a mediocre song for his old friend. The song Cookin (In The Kitchen of Love) features John Lennon on piano as well as Melissa Manchester providing background vocals again. The song may be the worst or one of the worst from this CD, but it still is special. Special because it’s John, and it’s also John’s last contribution to a Ringo album.
George Harrison’s contribution is next with I Still Love You. This song is full of drama and would have shown it had George sung it. With Ringo, it kind of loses its dramatic charm. Yet, this song is one of the best here. It certainly outshines John’s song that we just heard last song. That’s another thing, Ringo usually spaces the Beatles songs pretty well, and here they are almost one top of each other. Unfortunately, George does not perform on this song. The song is very George, and I guess you would classify it a rock ballad. The lead guitar fills throughout the song sound very George, and even the background vocals sound as if George were singing.
The star power does not take a break as we have an Eric Clapton contribution immediately following George. Eric’s This Be Called A Song has a Caribbean feel to it, and again the song sounds very authentic. The song is very Clapton and could have easily fit on the Derrick and the Dominoes LP. Eric plays guitar on the track as well.
By the way, speaking of authenticity, my favorite song here Las Brisas oozes of it. To prove my point, Ringo instituted a mariachi band, Los Galleros providing the music for the entire song. It figures that my favorite song from this CD was written by (amazingly) Ringo and his then girlfriend Nancy Andrews. Ringo said that they wrote the song when they were vacationing in Mexico. It was Ringo’s idea to hire a mariachi band, and he found one in a restaurant in LA. Lady Gaye is a great song to close the CD. It’s generic rock with a tropical feel. This is another song credited to Ringo along with Vini Poncia and someone named Clifford T. Ward. The last track called Spooky Weirdness is a minute and a half of Ringo attempting avant-gardism, it’s entertaining and strange. Maybe it’s a little spooky. I am not sure if any of these songs are bonus tracks, the CD doesn’t comment, but since there only 10 songs plus Spooky Weirdness I doubt it.
This CD credits Ringo with drums to all of the songs (except Las Brisas) along with another drummer Jim ‘Lightnin’ Keltner. Why couldn’t Ringo, one of pop music’s greatest drummers, perform the drums by his Ringo self? You would figure if he could please perfectionist Paul McCartney he could please producer Arif Madrin. Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because it makes me more than a little suspicious of Ringo’s health in 1976. He admits to heavy alcoholism and the like, and I am wondering if it compromised his talents as a drummer. Well, at least his voice still sounds in fine form on this CD, it has always been a strong and powerful singing voice and so recognizable as well. When I ordered this CD, I surely didn’t expect it to be another album as good as Ringo, and it’s not, but I didn’t expect it to be very good either and it is. In fact, even though some of the tracks on Ringo were a lot stronger than this one, Rotogravure is more consistently good. I never had the original vinyl, so I don’t know if this is the original artwork contained in the CD booklet, but looking at the pictures I’d say it’s a safe bet. Ringo is striking some poses here that make it seem like one peculiar photo shoot.
This album has an overall feel of a good time had by all, and especially Ringo. This album did not do too well, and I think if the right singles were released it could have had some more success. This album is good, and I can't really go into how it relates to all Ringo albums, because including this CD I only have two other Ringo CDs. I like it a lot though, all of the songs (except Cookin) are consistently good.
I give this CD 3 1/2 stars.
the songs
1. A Dose Of Rock 'N' Roll
2. Hey Baby
3. Pure Gold
4. Cryin'
5. You Don't Know Me At All
6. Cookin (In The Kitchen Of Love)
7. I'll Still Love You
8. This Be Called A Song
9. Las Brisas
10. Lady Gaye
11. Spooky Weirdness
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦More Beatles-related Epinions from Scapp70♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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