Ringo Starr - Beaucoups of Blues

Of all the ex-Beatles, it was drummer Ringo Starr who seemed to have the most fun with the period of artistic liberty inspired by the band's remarkable post-breakup afterglow. Initially covering an odd album of Tin Pan Alley standards (1970's Sentimental Journey), Starr next turned to his longtime love, country & western. Proving that those Buck Owens affectations on the Beatles' cover of "Act Naturally" were hardly tongue-in-cheek, Starr gathered a stellar group of Nashville musicians (including Jerry Reed, Pete Drake, and Charlie Daniels on guitar and Elvis Presley drummer D.J. Fontana) to cut an album of straightforward country ballads. While earnest and a bit laid-back, Starr's modest vocal efforts here sometimes can't match his obvious affection for the genre and material. Noble and obviously heartfelt, it's an album that might have benefited from a duet (or three) with some of country's more accomplished vocal stylists. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Give it a chance

I have to start off saying that unlike most people, I looked forward to getting this album and expected it to be really good. I have always thought that Ringo's voice would sound great for country (based on a few of the Beatles songs that he sang). I really do enjoy all of his albums but most of them are pretty goofy are really just great because of Ringo's sense of humor and energy, but this one is different. It is extremely good. Its simple, honest, and sincere. It has a really nice country feel to it but doesnt sound like a Beatle trying to do country, but in fact is really genuine and natural. Ringo's voice has never sounded better and the writers on the album penned some great and memorable songs. I dont like to pick each part of albums apart by rating each song, I think they are all very good, some better than others. Its not a ground breaking album and it probably wont change your life after you hear it, but it is, in my opinion, Ringo at his best, no matter what that means. May 5, 2006

My favorite Ringo

This is my favorite Ringo album. I've always liked his country tinged Beatle songs such as Don't Pass Me By, Act Naturally, and What Goes On. His mellow voice and heart on his sleeve demeanor are well suited for sad country songs of heart-breaking women, and this album is well done with good songs and lyrics, and musicianship. In my opinion this album is a nice addition to the Beatle catalog and makes for a nice set with other Beatle efforts from 1970: McCartney, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and All Things Must Pass. September 29, 2005

Ringo's 2nd solo outing.

Ringo's second attempt at a solo outing isn't nearly as bad as his first simply because it's a field near and dear to his heart: Country music. And, by nature, country songs needn't require too much demands on its singer.
The problem with this project is that it's a fish out of water no matter which way you look at it. The rock fans who witnessed the breakup of The Beatles expected something of the same from Ringo, so there's no way they would accept a country disc, no matter how good it is, from our hero. The country fans meanwhile, wouldn't accept it as a "true" country record since it was done by a pop star as a one-off project. Therefore, time had to be the true judge for a project such as this. Ultimately the verdict comes down on the postive side for "Beaucoups of Blues." Ringo effortly handles such country songs as "I'd Be Talking All Time" with fun and ease. His voice really cradles "Waiting" and his somber reading of "Silent Homecoming" make it one of the strongest anti-war songs of it's time. Also the production is top notch with much kudos going to Pete Drake who produced this disc (he also handled all steel guitar chores as well). The vocal group, The Four Jordanires, who backed Elvis show up to do the same for Ringo. The legendary drummer, DJ Fontana who also worked with Elvis takes turns on the stool with Ringo. Jerry Reed and Charlie Daniels also appear as session players. There are things that don't work however, and one is Ringo's duet with Jeanne Kendall on a song called "I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way." The voices just don't blend. Also, the paint by numbers approach with the songs hurts the disc. As the songs were specifically written for Ringo by a crop of Nashville writers, they seem to have said, "Okay, now we gotta have a broken heart song. Now we gotta have a hooker with a heart of gold song. Etc, etc, etc"
If you're expecting a good solid country disc, you won't be dissappointed. If you're expecting pop music......
March 6, 2005

When you're hot, you're hot

Ringo's second album was a country album. Unlike every other country album recorded by a rock star, this album doesn't feature any cover versions of classic country songs. Instead, a batch of original songs were written for Ringo by some top country songwriters. Ringo traveled to Nashville and recorded the album with top Nashville session musicians. The album ended up sounding pretty much like a typical country album from 1970. Except sung by Ringo Starr. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's a decent enough album, if you are into this sort of thing. The CD features two bonus tracks. "Coochy Coochy" was the b-side of "Beaucoups of Blues". I guess it was left off the album because it's not really a country song. "Nashville Jam" is a jam session, obviously. This album isn't for everybody, but if you are a Beatles fan that also enjoys country music, you will probably like it. July 8, 2004

Good, but not for the Ringo novice

Beaucoups Of Blues (1970.) Ringo Starr's second solo album.

As everyone knows, when the sixties drew to a close, The Beatles were no longer a functional unit and they soon disbanded. However, like many other members of the group, drummer Ringo Starr wanted to create as solo album. He wanted to do so even before the band broke up, and now that they had done so, there would be no better time than the present to release one. In 1970, Ringo Starr released his first studio album as a solo artist - Sentimental Journey. It was an odd album, in that it wasn't rock or pop, but rather covers of old tunes from the thirties and forties. Later in that year, he released another strange album - Beaucoups Of Blues. This one consisted of nothing but country/western songs! Was this a good move? Read on for my review of this album.

The first thing I need to tell you about this album is that it is NOT the Ringo Starr you know and love. If you're looking for tunes like Octopus's Garden and It Don't Come Easy, this album is going to disappoint you. However, if you've got an open mind, you may find it to be pretty interesting. Ringo was the oldest member of The Beatles, and accordingly he had a pretty diverse musical interest. He really enjoyed country/western, and for quite some time, he wanted to do an album of nothing but songs of that styling. For this album, he teamed up with an all-star line-up of musicians, including the legendary Charlie Daniels, and even The Four Jordanaires, a group famous for backing Elvis Presley. The album serves up twelve country/western tunes, all of which are very similar, but each one manages to be unique enough to maintain its appeal. This CD reissue of the album is VERY nice for one major reason - You get two ultra-rare bonus cuts! They are Coochy Coochy, which was the B-Side to one of the album's singles, and Nashville Jam, a track which was previously unreleased in any shape or form. However, this is NOT an album to start with if you're new to Ringo's solo material. To fully enjoy this release, you need an OPEN MIND.

Overall, Beaucoups Of Blues is a good second solo effort by Ringo Starr the solo artist. However, it wouldn't be until 1973's Ringo (that's the name of the album) that he would truly find his voice as a solo artist. Final verdict? Only get Sentimental Journey and/or Beaucoups Of Blues if you're a Ringo Starr completist, or if you're a die-hard fan that just can't get enough Ringo. Though these albums were certainly an interesting progression attempt, they aren't going to impress fans who are seeking a Beatles-esque album. December 13, 2003

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