Ringo Starr
Photograph: The Very Best Of Ringo

THE REVIEW

Good humor, charm, lightness, and lots of irony have always been the indispensable characteristics of Ringo Starr's controversial solo career. Traits that we find in full force in this finally complete greatest hits, which gathers the most successful musical vignettes of his post-Beatles journey.

An artistic endeavor made up of records that highlighted a particular taste in the choice of kitschy, light, absolutely pop songs devoid of creative ambitions. Nevertheless, during the early seventies, Ringo did not lack chart-topping successes, often surprising and unexpected with singles like "It Don't Come Easy" and "Photograph", and with the album "Ringo" from 1973, his most successful work ever. Honest and pleasant works that had the only flaw of selling far beyond their merits but, nonetheless, were always meticulously crafted compositionally thanks to tracks specifically written for Ringo by top-notch authors. Ringo was never an outstanding composer, and his vocal abilities have always been limited. However, throughout his incredible human journey, humor and the ability not to take himself too seriously were never absent, thanks to his innate and intelligent irony, always a fundamental ingredient even in the history of the Beatles. A strong sense of humor that always allowed him to sing, record albums, act in questionable films, and above all to have fun without having to think of emulating the bothersome ghosts of his fabulous past.

Within the collection, we find the brilliant "Photograph" composed by George Harrison, the raucous single "Back Off Boogaloo" inspired by Marc Bolan, the famous "It Don't Come Easy" with Stephen Stills on guitar, and unpretentious renditions of classics like "Only You" and "Hey Baby". The Beatlesque and sly "I'm The Greatest" and "Goodnight Vienna" are gifts from John Lennon, "Snookeroo" is a fun track by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, while "Early 1970" is a bitter account of the Beatles' last days. All harmless tracks but always created with notable technical competence thanks to this charming big nose's skill in involving great musicians during recording. It's just unfortunate to note the absence of "Pure Gold" in the tracklist, a pop gem composed by Paul McCartney for the 1976 album "Ringo's Rotogravure". Among the most significant tracks of recent years, it is worth recalling the melancholic "Weight Of The World", rich in sixties nuances, and the heartfelt tribute to friend George Harrison in the touching "Never Without You" featuring Eric Clapton. Finally, it should be noted the impressive number of guests and musicians present in the tracks or who have helped Ringo in the recording studio over the years.

Tracks still pleasant and not at all cliché today, produced with the sole purpose of providing his listeners with moments of pure relaxation, always without too many pretenses.