Y Not By Ringo Starr

You can’t help but love Ringo Starr. He’s never been much of a high-flyer or one to blaze a solo trail musically or vocally, but he and his tunes are so full of love and good vibes that it’s a challenge not to enjoy his sporadic album releases. Indeed, most people might be surprised to learn that he’s just released his fifteenth post-Beatles solo album, Y Not. True to Ringo form, listening to it is like taking a mellow stroll with a best friend – relaxed, happy and something you’d like to do many times.

The album opens with “Fill In The Blanks,” a tune that does well to set the whole album at ease because it sounds more like a blues jam during a band rehearsal than a stressed and polished track. Which is not to say that it’s not good – it’s great, and much of this is thanks to Joe Walsh’s (of The Eagles) coruscating guitar playing. It’s the first of the album’s many excellent collaborations.

Ringo goes on to show what a good guy he is on tracks like “Peace Dream” and “Everybody Wins” – he just wants everyone to be singing happy tunes and spreading peace amongst their peers. Is their any better topic to be singing about?

Perhaps the biggest reason this new album has been in the news recently is not because it comes from Ringo, but because on its first single, “Walk With You,” it reunites Ringo with his former band mate, Sir Paul McCartney. Macca plays bass and comes in vocally on the chorus. While you might want to applaud it for this collaboration alone, as a song about friends and loved ones making everything alright in your world, it makes you want to link arms with the person next to you and spread the love, in true Beatles style.

It’s great to hear how much blues Ringo has incorporated onto the album too – tracks like “The Other Side Of Liverpool” and “Who’s Your Daddy” (a collaboration with soul singer Joss Stone) are just oozing with its influence.

Y Not is by no means a lyrically or musically advanced album, and it does only have ten tracks, but it’s great fun to listen to Ringo having fun on his own record as he brings us so much musical love. Get it if you’re a fan.