Ringo Rama (2002)
1. Eye to Eye 2. Missouri Loves Company 3. Instant Amnesia 4. Memphis in Your Mind 5. Never Without You 6. Imagine Me There 7. I Think Therefore I Rock 'N' Roll 8. Trippin' On My Own Tears 9. Write One For Me 10.What Love Wants To Be 11.Love First, Ask Questions Later 12.Elizabeth Reigns 13.English Garden
By the time Ringo Rama was released in 2003, Ringo Starr had quietly spent the better part of a decade putting together the most consistently enjoyable string of albums in his post-Beatles career. Chart impact? Virtually nonexistent. Public recognition? Minimal at best. But then again, even some of the so-called heavyweights were being met with commercial indifference in the new millennium. What mattered more was that Ringo had finally carved out a niche for himself—one that played to his strengths, embraced his past, and left little room for pretension.
At its best, Ringo Rama continues in the same spirit as its immediate predecessors—particularly Vertical Man—offering up a handful of songs that channel the melodic, mid-period Beatles aesthetic with surprising fidelity. It’s cheerful, tuneful, and—when it allows itself to be—a genuinely rewarding listen. Ringo earns co-writing credit on the bulk of the tracks, further solidifying his role as more than just the affable frontman.
However, there’s always been a tendency in Ringo’s solo work to undercut sincerity with kitsch. It’s as if some lingering insecurity compels him to slip into jokes, winks, and musical slapstick—an instinct that might have been endearing in small doses, but becomes downright intrusive here. His between-song asides and in-song comments—reminiscent of the VH1 Storytellers performance—are scattered throughout this record like confetti at a wedding no one RSVP’d to. While the intent is presumably self-deprecating charm, the effect is unfortunately closer to self-sabotage.
Which is a shame, because when Ringo drops the act and just delivers the songs, he does so with admirable poise. Never Without You, a moving tribute to the late George Harrison, stands as one of the strongest tracks he’s released since the '70s. The inclusion of Eric Clapton on lead guitar is a masterstroke, adding texture and emotional weight that feels almost ghostly in its precision—one could easily imagine Harrison nodding along in approval. Other highlights include the twangy Missouri Loves Company and the charmingly British Elizabeth Reigns, both of which manage to toe the line between sentiment and satire without tipping over.
There are a few other near-misses that lean toward tribute: Imagine Me There flirts with Lennon-esque psychedelia, while I Think, Therefore I Rock and Roll is the kind of whimsical oddity that only Ringo could get away with. They’re imperfect, but they come from the right place—and they work more often than not.
The trouble, as usual, lies with the filler. Instant Amnesia, in particular, is an absolute wreck of a track—meandering, awkwardly structured, and seemingly unsure whether it wants to be a song or a sketch. Its multiple false endings are less artistic than aggravating. English Garden could have been a lovely throwback if not for the intrusive banter that clutters an otherwise graceful melody. And Write One for Me, a duet with Willie Nelson, feels more like a good idea over drinks than something that should have made the final tracklist.
Still, there’s more to admire than to dismiss. Ringo no longer has expectations to meet, and that freedom seems to suit him. When he focuses purely on the music—and refrains from undermining himself in the process—he shows that he still has something to offer. Ringo Rama may not be the comeback some hoped for, but it’s an earnest, likeable entry in a late-career catalogue that continues to surprise.