Goodnight Vienna (1974)
1. (It's All Down to) Goodnight Vienna 2. Occapella 3. Oo-Wee 4. Husbands and Wives 5. Snookeroo 6. All By Myself 7. Call Me 8. The No No Song 9. Only You (And You Alone) 10.Easy For Me 11.(It's All Down to) Goodnight Vienna (Reprise) 12.Back of Boogaloo 13.Blind Man 14.Six O'Clock (Extended Version)
Ringo’s follow-up to the wildly successful Ringo album finds him, wisely, trying to replicate the winning formula that brought him back into popular favor just a year earlier. But like most sequels, this one doesn’t quite pack the same punch. The ingredients are still present—guest stars, borrowed material, and Ringo’s signature affability—but somehow the whole affair feels a little more subdued, a little less inspired.
With Goodnight Vienna, Starr once again calls upon the talents of his friends, and while he brings the same guest-heavy approach as before, the results this time are more uneven. Lennon, the sole ex-Beatle appearing here, supplies the title track and even lends his voice. It’s a solid number on paper—melodically strong and very much within the Lennonesque style—but the execution falters. Ringo’s delivery, filled with forced whimsy and awkward pauses, chops the rhythm to pieces and distracts from what might have otherwise been a standout.
Other guests leave their mark with more success. Harry Nilsson’s brief but haunting Easy for Me is a melancholy beauty that vanishes far too quickly, while the Elton John–Bernie Taupin contribution Snookeroo brings some much-needed fire to the proceedings. Elton’s piano work here is nothing short of exhilarating and nearly steals the show.
The album’s biggest commercial moment came with Only You (And You Alone)—a decent hit, though curiously lacking. It’s a perfectly serviceable cover, but the choice of song begs the question: why keep handing Ringo ballads that require a robust vocal? His limitations are all too apparent, and what could have been a tender centerpiece ends up feeling more like a missed opportunity.
Then there’s The No-No Song, a novelty from Hoyt Axton that plays for laughs but lands awkwardly in hindsight. It’s hard to chuckle at lighthearted drug confessions when the artist in question had very real struggles in that arena. Today, it feels less like satire and more like an unfortunate misstep.
The remainder of the album flickers between charming and forgettable. The production is a touch more restrained than Ringo, and the arrangements lack that polished, celebratory vibe that made the previous record feel like an event. Yet, for all its shortcomings, Goodnight Vienna remains a bright spot in Starr’s solo catalog—a spirited, if slightly weary, continuation of a brief period when Ringo was more than just the guy behind the drum kit. He was a star again, and for a little while, people believed it.