Ringo Starr
Bad Boy

THE REVIEW

"Bad Boy" is the last album released by Ringo Starr in the '70s. A tired and uninspired Ringo records a cover album, mostly of old rock 'n' roll tracks that he is fond of, but not very well-known, plus two new songs, both forgettable.

After the failure of "Ringo The 4th," the record label forces Starkey to engage in the promotion of his new product and is no longer willing to tolerate lightness in managing his interests from the ex-beatle. Despite everything, the contract with Polydor will not be renewed, and Ringo will find himself without a label until 1980. "Bad Boy" is a mediocre product, lacking real artistic value, there is not even the rich expedient of guests to mask the difficult moment in Starr's artistic life. Songs that pass quickly, lacking energy and recorded with poor spirit make this LP the worst in the drummer's career, it's difficult to find a track that stands out, too anonymous.

Even the title track, already in the early Beatles repertoire, lacks punch. However, something interesting can be found outside the record itself. In fact, to promote the album in the USA, a TV special was created, "Ringo", a sort of modern retelling of the story of "The Prince and the Pauper." This small film features Ringo himself as the protagonist who, tired of his career, leaves everything in the hands of a lookalike, a nerd who sells maps of stars’ homes in LA, dating a young girl (played by Carrie Fisher). The film is cute and shows Ringo Starr with a decent acting flair. 

This promotional mechanism helped to slightly revive sales, which, however, remained very low and scarce compared to Starr's standards.