Ringo Starr - Long Long Road
by Kevin Wierzbicki
As with last year's
Look Up album, Starr works here again with vaunted producer T Bone Burnett who has the former Beatle sounding great on a collection of songs mostly performed in an Americana vein. Ringo's voice remains strong and instantly recognizable, and begins the album with the bucolic "Returning Without Tears," a Burnett co-write with Joe Henry where Molly Tuttle plays acoustic guitar and adds sweet harmony vocals. Most of the cuts are relationship songs, the extremely catchy "Baby Don't Go" among them; songwriter Burnett contributes electric guitar parts too, but it is Billy Strings who shines with acoustic guitar, including with an outstanding mid-song solo. "I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore" is old-style Country & Western, reminiscent of the kind of music the great stars of the late 1950s and 1960s would do. Sarah Jarosz and Tuttle both provide vocals on the twangy "It's Been Too Long;" the cut is another of the effort's hooky, easy to sing-along to cuts. "Why" sounds inspired by the Everly Brothers while "You and I (Wave of Love)" finds Ringo in a joyful romantic situation, portraying a man who is more satisfied with his relationship than many of the other cuts do; Tuttle again guests on vocals, sharing the lead and adding harmonies. Starr departs from the album's main sound with the very interesting cut "Choose Love" which has, with synthesized flute parts and cleverly-played pedal steel creating a trippy vibe, a psychedelic bent. The song's lyrics look back to days gone by too, utilizing titles of Beatles songs "The Long and Winding Road" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" in the lyrics, and also including "Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues" from Starr's own big hit "It Don't Come Easy." Of course, the sentiment of the song is an extension of Ringo's longtime catchphrase and way of life, "peace and love." "She's Gone" comes near the end of the album; obviously the pleading of "Baby Don't Go" didn't stick. The album closes with the title track, a wistful look at how life is a marathon not a sprint. Set to a gently swaying country beat and featuring nice pedal steel from Paul Franklin and harmony vocals from Sheryl Crow, the song is a bit of a pep talk for those who might be, for whatever reason, on the verge of giving up. With the quality of his recent work, hopefully Starr's road will go on for a long time yet to come.
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