scapp70's Full Review: VH1 Storytellers by Ringo Starr
I belonged to the BMG music CD club last year. It's the one where you pay for one and keep 12. Nice deal, but they don't have the greatest of selections. Earlier this year while I was beginning my Ringo kick, they could only offer one selection, this one; Ringo Starr - VH1 Storytellers.
I bought it, no big deal. The CD was pretty good.
It starts off with a quickie introduction for Ringo Starr and The Roundheads. The band quickly begin their performance of the classic Beatles song from 1967's Sgt Pepper, called With A Little Help From My Friends. The band sounds great, as they stay faithful to the 1978 Bee Gees version from the movie, which wasn't a bad version of the song to begin with. Immediately after, Ringo tells the old story about how he wouldn't approve of the original lyrics brought to him by Paul McCartney. The crowd roared with laughter and applause.
Ringo admits that he wrote the next song with George Harrison despite the solo credit to Starr. He begins It Don't Come Easy with the story behind it. He remembers sitting down with George as they decided to both write a new song. Ringo had to talk George out of the 'holy' subject that George wanted to write the lyrics about. It's a classic rock number with a bit of swing. The band sounds tight with Simon Kirk behind the kit.
Ringo then performs a song from his then new album, Vertical Man, called I Was Walkin'. The song is passable, even with lyrics like ♫I look-a mirror♫ emanating from my speakers.
Ringo and the Roundheads head quickly back into The Beatles with Don't Pass Me By. Ringo quickly tells a story about although this is the first Beatles song credited to Starkey alone; he was ambitious enough to constantly attempt writing songs since the early days. John and Paul wouldn't use them because they sounded so much like old rock and roll classics. Ringo sits behind the piano for the first part of the song and performs the first verse by himself before the band kicks in. The Roundheads add a nice touch by adding a harmonica courtesy of Scott Gordon instead of the fiddle that was present on the original recording of this country style song.
His story for Back Off Boogaloo tells us that the title was first inspired by Marc Bolan, and then the melody came to him as he was bout to fall asleep. He couldn't find a working tape recorder to record his melody, and he had to steal batteries from the kids’ toys. That was certainly close, the world almost did not have a Ringo song named Back Off Boogaloo, what a tragedy (sarcasm). Seriously though, the song is not bad, and it actually sounds pretty good here on this CD. In my opinion, the original studio version has too much reverb, and it sounds too messy. The Roundheads deliver a coherent version here.
King Of Broken Hearts is another song off the Vertical Man CD. This song is much better than I Was Walkin. It has a country and western feel, with a laid back beat and swampy melody line. Someone from The Roundheads is doing his best Paul McCartney impression singing backup vocals here as well.
Octopus's Garden is Ringo's greatest songwriting accomplishment within The Beatles catalog. He tells the story of the inspiration he had received from a story he was told about how an octopus would gather shiny stones and place them in and around their underwater cave. The version here is so faithful even down to where you would hear Ringo double tracked on the original recording from Abbey Road, he has someone sing along with him here at those parts. They even include the little bubble noises.
Photograph from Ringo's early solo days starts without any introduction or story, and I suppose it doesn't need any since it's played on the radio somewhere probably every day.
He then goes right into his first single off of the then new CD Vertical Man, called La De Da. I like this song, it sounds like it could have fit snuggly aside the songs on one of his mid 70s solo efforts. Ringo knows the kind of songs that work for him. This song is no different, it has the jangle piano, the blues/country groove and the lush background vocals.
The Beatles classic, Love Me Do, seems to have been included here because Ringo had an interesting story to tell. They really take their artistic liberties here as they re-arrange the song a bit to sound more like a barroom sing-a-long. Ringo tells the story of how George Martin didn't allow him to play on this track, The Beatles very first single. As the song ends, the band segue into a reprise of With A Little Help From My Friendsas Ringo thanks the audience and shouts out credits. Then
Ringo then randomly answers questions here from the audience, the one featured on this CD was pertaining to The Beatles White Album. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but the answer is Ringo.
The Songs
1. With A Little Help From My Friends
2. It Don't Come Easy
3. I Was Walkin'
4. Don't Pass Me By
5. Back Off Boogaloo
6. King Of Broken Hearts
7. Octopus's Garden
8. Photograph
9. La De Da
10. What In The...World
11. Love Me Do
12. With A Little Help From My Friends (Reprise)
13. I've Got Blisters...
14. The End
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦More Beatles-related Epinions from Scapp70♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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