VH1 Story Tellers (1998)
1. With a Little Help From My Friends 2. It Don't Come Easy 3. I Was Walkin' 4. Don't Pass Me By 5. Back Off Boogaloo 6. King of Broken Hearts 7. Octopus's Garden 8. Photograph 9. La De Da 10.What in the...World 11.Love Me Do 12.With a Little Help From My Friends (Reprise) 13.I've Got Blisters... 14.The End
The Storytellers format, made modestly popular by VH1 in the late '90s, was intended to place iconic musicians in small, intimate venues where they could not only perform familiar material but also offer reflections, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation of their songs. In theory, it’s a setup tailor-made for Ringo Starr—a man whose fame far outweighs his solo discography, and who has made a second career out of affable reminiscence.
Indeed, few artists are as naturally suited to casual storytelling. Ringo has always been the Beatles' resident everyman—modest, cheerful, and never shy about spinning the same yarns from his Liverpool days with charming repetition. But while the setting may be perfect, the execution on VH1 Storytellers is only halfway there. The storytelling component—ostensibly the raison d’être of the whole enterprise—is notably sparse. Whether this is due to editing, pacing, or simply the fact that Ringo hasn’t a surplus of iconic songs to unpack is anyone’s guess.
From the Beatles period, we’re given his lone self-penned contributions—Don’t Pass Me By and Octopus’s Garden—alongside With a Little Help From My Friends, his de facto anthem, and Love Me Do, a cover that also appears on his then-current studio album Vertical Man. These are the obvious selections, and while warmly received, they don’t necessarily offer new insight.
The early solo years are represented, though with a curious emphasis on tracks that were once hits but have since slipped into mild obscurity. The bulk of the setlist is drawn from Vertical Man—a strong album in its own right, but one unfamiliar to most in the audience at the time. To his credit, Ringo chooses the standout tracks, and they hold up well in a live setting. But these newer songs arrive with little to no storytelling—no charming studio anecdotes, no glimpses into their creation—just the songs, delivered plainly.
The show features eleven full performances, with the final three tracks amounting to brief conversational snippets—pleasant, if slight. Yet despite the filler, the album remains an enjoyable listen. The real strength here is the performance. Ringo, now decades into his role as bandleader and musical diplomat, sounds energized and focused. Freed from the rotating cavalcade of the All-Starr Band, he takes center stage alone (for once), and the result is surprisingly refreshing.
This is not a revelatory release, nor is it a definitive career statement. But as a snapshot of Ringo in relaxed, post-Vertical Man form, it succeeds nicely. Whether or not many other Storytellers performances warranted an official audio release is debatable, but in this case, it feels justified. The stories may be few, but the charm is fully intact.