Ringo Starr - Liverpool 8 (whole album)

[Paul_Fan]

I like the Liverpool 8 the track. Thats about it..

[thehud]

Ringo is great and so is this album! Much better than 50 cent or t-pain or riahnna or whatever the crap is they are paying to have the radio play. It's simply rock and roll and for that no apologies needed !!!!!!!

[Lazarus_2]

Strange, I just got the USB dongle in the mail.

And this USB-mix sounds completely different from the Internet-Download I'd got ages ago...

[linclink]

Just a public pronouncement and apology to Ringo for having misjudged and underrated this one. I had heard it through on VH1 and an earlier post here gives my good rating to it. I stand corrected this IS as good as the other works from the post 1992 renaissance of all things Ringo (with the exception of "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" which was very hit and miss at best)....meaning only the "Ringo" album proper, from '73, rates above it in any serious way (technically I prefer "Time Takes Time" next and then "Liverpool 8" joins the logjam at the #3 spot with "Vertical Man", Ringo Rama" & "Choose Love")...and dare I say, with time, this may emerge at the head of the aforementioned logjam. I love the single/title track, but my absolute fave is "Love Is", which I think is as great a song as he's been party to. As a matter of fact only there isn't a track I don't at least like here, and only a couple that I kind of like less. "If It's Love That You Want", "For Love", "Harry's Song", "Pasodobles", "Give It A Try", and "R U Ready" are all just amazing. I also really like, "Tuff Love", and "Think About You", and to a lesser extent, "Now That She's Gone Away", and "Gone Are The Days".
Ringo has really been one late, but really truly great bloomer. "Ringo" was, of course amazing, and I certainly dig "Beacoups Of Blues", and "Goodnight Vienna" quite a bit, but he has found his writing/co-writing voice in a major way. While I do agree that he leans on Beatle references quite a bit, to be fair those things are his reference points...beyond those occasional lapses, he is able to retain a true sense of wonder, hope, & joy in a world that mistakes being cynical for being wise. Sad to the point of being pathetic, really, and deserving of equal parts great compassion, and utter avoidance. Ringo rises above this and gets called old-fashioned or better yet, naive by these very jaded hipsters...incredible. I know Mark Hudson still had a strong hand in this, but whatever Dave Stewart did feels pretty seamless, so let's all hope for the best for old Ringo's future. He's comeback from such depths to phoenix himself in ways I'd have never thought possible, so who knows where he'll go from here. There are those who are pretty condescending when reviewing him, but IMHO this isn't just a "pretty good album for a Ringo record"...it is just, plain and simple, a terrific record. Blessings!!!

[Lazarus_2]

Just a public pronouncement and apology to Ringo for having misjudged and underrated this one. I had heard it through on VH1 and an earlier post here gives my good rating to it. I stand corrected this IS as good as the other works from the post 1992 renaissance of all things Ringo (with the exception of "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" which was very hit and miss at best)....meaning only the "Ringo" album proper, from '73, rates above it in any serious way (technically I prefer "Time Takes Time" next and then "Liverpool 8" joins the logjam at the #3 spot with "Vertical Man", Ringo Rama" & "Choose Love")...and dare I say, with time, this may emerge at the head of the aforementioned logjam. I love the single/title track, but my absolute fave is "Love Is", which I think is as great a song as he's been party to. As a matter of fact only there isn't a track I don't at least like here, and only a couple that I kind of like less. "If It's Love That You Want", "For Love", "Harry's Song", "Pasodobles", "Give It A Try", and "R U Ready" are all just amazing. I also really like, "Tuff Love", and "Think About You", and to a lesser extent, "Now That She's Gone Away", and "Gone Are The Days".
Ringo has really been one late, but really truly great bloomer. "Ringo" was, of course amazing, and I certainly dig "Beacoups Of Blues", and "Goodnight Vienna" quite a bit, but he has found his writing/co-writing voice in a major way. While I do agree that he leans on Beatle references quite a bit, to be fair those things are his reference points...beyond those occasional lapses, he is able to retain a true sense of wonder, hope, & joy in a world that mistakes being cynical for being wise. Sad to the point of being pathetic, really, and deserving of equal parts great compassion, and utter avoidance. Ringo rises above this and gets called old-fashioned or better yet, naive by these very jaded hipsters...incredible. I know Mark Hudson still had a strong hand in this, but whatever Dave Stewart did feels pretty seamless, so let's all hope for the best for old Ringo's future. He's comeback from such depths to phoenix himself in ways I'd have never thought possible, so who knows where he'll go from here. There are those who are pretty condescending when reviewing him, but IMHO this isn't just a "pretty good album for a Ringo record"...it is just, plain and simple, a terrific record. Blessings!!!

I like Liverpool 8 better than MAF...

[EddieV]

Just a public pronouncement and apology to Ringo for having misjudged and underrated this one. I had heard it through on VH1 and an earlier post here gives my good rating to it. I stand corrected this IS as good as the other works from the post 1992 renaissance of all things Ringo (with the exception of "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" which was very hit and miss at best)....meaning only the "Ringo" album proper, from '73, rates above it in any serious way (technically I prefer "Time Takes Time" next and then "Liverpool 8" joins the logjam at the #3 spot with "Vertical Man", Ringo Rama" & "Choose Love")...and dare I say, with time, this may emerge at the head of the aforementioned logjam. I love the single/title track, but my absolute fave is "Love Is", which I think is as great a song as he's been party to. As a matter of fact only there isn't a track I don't at least like here, and only a couple that I kind of like less. "If It's Love That You Want", "For Love", "Harry's Song", "Pasodobles", "Give It A Try", and "R U Ready" are all just amazing. I also really like, "Tuff Love", and "Think About You", and to a lesser extent, "Now That She's Gone Away", and "Gone Are The Days".
Ringo has really been one late, but really truly great bloomer. "Ringo" was, of course amazing, and I certainly dig "Beacoups Of Blues", and "Goodnight Vienna" quite a bit, but he has found his writing/co-writing voice in a major way. While I do agree that he leans on Beatle references quite a bit, to be fair those things are his reference points...beyond those occasional lapses, he is able to retain a true sense of wonder, hope, & joy in a world that mistakes being cynical for being wise. Sad to the point of being pathetic, really, and deserving of equal parts great compassion, and utter avoidance. Ringo rises above this and gets called old-fashioned or better yet, naive by these very jaded hipsters...incredible. I know Mark Hudson still had a strong hand in this, but whatever Dave Stewart did feels pretty seamless, so let's all hope for the best for old Ringo's future. He's comeback from such depths to phoenix himself in ways I'd have never thought possible, so who knows where he'll go from here. There are those who are pretty condescending when reviewing him, but IMHO this isn't just a "pretty good album for a Ringo record"...it is just, plain and simple, a terrific record. Blessings!!!

I like Liverpool 8 better than MAF...

No surprise, Laz

[linclink]

Laz: While I personally prefer MAF (in my top 6 Macca albums), I have to say that "LIverpool 8" is not far behind. A lot of folks have a real attitude about Ringo. I'll tell you what I am far from a knee-jerk pushover for Beatles solo stuff (especially Ringo & Paul- who've both had long streaks of real sub-par material- so much so that I wrote them both off in the late 80's-early 90's and just came back a couple of years ago to hear the 15+ years of music I'd missed) but if I was hearing these albums from "Time Takes Time" onwards and had no knowledge of Ringo I'd say I was hearing one amazingly terrific artist. He's really a great later bloomer, but what a blossoming it continues to be. Blessings!!

[Harrythebannister]

Laz: While I personally prefer MAF (in my top 6 Macca albums), I have to say that "LIverpool 8" is not far behind. A lot of folks have a real attitude about Ringo. I'll tell you what I am far from a knee-jerk pushover for Beatles solo stuff (especially Ringo & Paul- who've both had long streaks of real sub-par material- so much so that I wrote them both off in the late 80's-early 90's and just came back a couple of years ago to hear the 15+ years of music I'd missed) but if I was hearing these albums from "Time Takes Time" onwards and had no knowledge of Ringo I'd say I was hearing one amazingly terrific artist. He's really a great later bloomer, but what a blossoming it continues to be. Blessings!!

Well put. Those are exactly my thoughts.
If you take Ringo's albums released around the same time as Macca's since the 90's, he really give's him a run for his money! For example :

Time Takes Time is better than Off The Ground

Vertical Man is as good as Flaming Pie (if not better!)

Ringorama is better than Driving Rain.

It's only since Chaos that Macca has come back to form and there's no way Choose Love & Liverpool 8 (as good as they are) can compete with Chaos & MAF.

[theDingle]

I don't think Ringo is about heavyweight recorded material. He is very much about a LIVE act and a LIVE vibe not to be missed. I also think he is way more interesting when interviewed than Paul is--Paul is a good interview, but Ringo is exceptional.

[linclink]

Laz: While I personally prefer MAF (in my top 6 Macca albums), I have to say that "LIverpool 8" is not far behind. A lot of folks have a real attitude about Ringo. I'll tell you what I am far from a knee-jerk pushover for Beatles solo stuff (especially Ringo & Paul- who've both had long streaks of real sub-par material- so much so that I wrote them both off in the late 80's-early 90's and just came back a couple of years ago to hear the 15+ years of music I'd missed) but if I was hearing these albums from "Time Takes Time" onwards and had no knowledge of Ringo I'd say I was hearing one amazingly terrific artist. He's really a great later bloomer, but what a blossoming it continues to be. Blessings!!

Well put. Those are exactly my thoughts.
If you take Ringo's albums released around the same time as Macca's since the 90's, he really give's him a run for his money! For example :

Time Takes Time is better than Off The Ground

Vertical Man is as good as Flaming Pie (if not better!)

Ringorama is better than Driving Rain.

It's only since Chaos that Macca has come back to form and there's no way Choose Love & Liverpool 8 (as good as they are) can compete with Chaos & MAF.

You know Harry while I certainly do not agree with you here (I think all those Macca albums are a notch above the Ringo ones)...I must say that I appreciate how much credit you are willing to give to our dear underrated Ringo!!! I've always been more of a John & George guy...but...after having Paul & Ringo somewhere in the 80's...I'd heard & liked part of FITD, but was headed in such different directions, and had really despised most of his 80's output (TOW being the exception), so Paul was let slide, until Chaos & Creation (I'd sample to odd 30 second clip here & there but was unmoved by the occasional peak into his stuff)...Ringo's slide was even further...I think I bought it all on reduced price vinyl, but honestly hadn't cared for much (save for a couple tracks here & there) after Goodnight Vienna. After Chaos & Creation, I decided to give the Ringo material a shot...WOW!! Paul- From FITD on, just amazing. What an Autumnal Renaissance!!! Ringo- From Time Takes Time onwards, almost more shocking, considering how far he'd fallen, and again what a great late bloomer he has become. I LOVE those Ringo albums, and not that much less than the Macca ones as well. Who wudda' thunk it?!? I was totally unprepared to be a happy and satisfied Beatle fiend being able to actually be proud of, & excited about, new McCartney & Starr solo works. What an amazing gift to have given these guys a chance and been so wonderfully rewarded. Blessings!!!