Welcome to this week’s BROW.
Last Tuesday Ringo Starr’s new CD Y Not was released and after a few listens, I have to say it does not disappoint. Many people have a tendency to judge Ringo by his mediocre releases from the late 1970′s or, dare I say, to be a bit age-prejudiced towards the guy. But my take on this is that his recent output has been good and this CD is probably the best thing he’s put out since, at least, Time Takes Time from way back in 1992. Paul McCartney plays bass on one track (Peace Dream) and duets with Ringo on a tune called Walk With You, which I’ve featured here. Aside from Paul, there is a healthy host of other musicians I’m sure you’ve heard of too, including Edgar Winter, Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Joe Walsh, Billy Squier, Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics guy), Gary Wright, Richard Marx and a few more. And for the first time ever, Ringo has had a hand in the production of the album. He co-produced it with his keyboardist Bruce Sugar.
One of the tracks on the CD is newly-recorded, but not new. Back in 1992, Ringo released a CD single in Germany that was not released in the UK or the US of the song Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go (lifted from his Time Takes Time album). There was a B-side on the single virtually unheard of outside of Germany called Everyone Wins. The song never saw release in the US or UK, and now the German release is also well out of print. A German friend of mine sent me a copy of the CD a few years back and the title is mistakenly listed there as Everybody Wins on the back cover. The new version of this b-side on Y Not features Benmont Tench, Gary Wright and Edgar Winter and is more keyboard-oriented, unlike the original version, which is more guitar-oriented and featured here on this week’s BROW. If you would like to compare with the newer version, pick up a copy of the new CD – Y Not?!
Ringo Starr - Everyone WinsAn aside: Benmont Tench may have also played on this original version of Everyone Wins too but that is not confirmed. It is known that he played on some of the other songs in the Time Takes Time sessions.
Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.
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I did not remember (or may have never known) that Wrack my Brain was written by George -By George! I do know Paul wrote Private Property. I'm listening to Wrack right now and I absolutely hear George - though the solo is uncharacteristic, it's not slide and it sounds like a Telecaster. Too me Stop and Smell the Roses and Sometime in England have always reminded me of each other. I think I bought them both as cut-outs and I know they both came out around the same time. I have always thought that they both outshine McCartney II.
I'll give Y Not more time. There is just too much sheen and irrelevant production (drum loops, samples, Pro Tooly effects and such.) I firmly believe artists should embrace whatever technology is current (if they want to)and continue making music up until the age they no longer wish to create art. In fact, I feel some artists get better and better as they age - how is it that Robert Plant released his first consistent solo album so late in his career? Sometimes however, (and it may be arbitrary)artists make creative moves that are commercially based (or youth targeted) and it seems, too me, misguided. I think there are ways to be commercially motivated and still maintain artistic integrity. For example working with T-Bone Burnett or Rick Rubin would create a lot of interest in the media. Working with those guys just smacks of integrity (for what that's worth.) While I feel both of those producers are great at what they do (particularly with veteran artists)hiring them is a fine way to garner attention (more so than using quasi-techno loops or whatnot.)
Ultimately, I wish that all of my musical heroes continue to put their trust in great, non-sycophantic producers. How good was Chaos and Creation? It was brilliant - because Nigel Godrich was not kowtowing to Paul.
I think Y Not loses the momentum that those Mark Hudson albums and Stewart's contribution to Liverpool 8 had started because the production and songwriting choices were not more closely monitored and edited.
Unfortunately, I think about this stuff far too much.
Lighten up Elliott, you don't sound like a Beatle fan. Don't you like anything?
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