What's My Name (2019)


 

  1. Gotta Get Up To Get Down
  2. It's Not Love That You Want
  3. Grow Old With Me
  4. Magic
  5. Money
  6. Better Days
  7. Life Is Good
  8. Thank God For Music
  9. Send Love Spread Peace
  10.What's My Name

 

Nobody in the history of popular music receives quite the same treatment as Ringo Starr. And perhaps that's to be expected. He was, after all, one quarter of the most famous group of the 20th century. As a drummer, he was more than serviceable—often great. But as a songwriter? Even his most ardent fans would concede he was never in the same league as his bandmates. That said, he's been granted the privilege of a solo career that’s lasted decades—not necessarily because of the strength of the music, but because of the name on the label.

His post-Beatles output has long flown under the radar. No one, not even Ringo himself, seems to expect much. Still, among the flotsam and footnotes, there have been surprises—albums that caught even the faithful off guard. What’s My Name, for instance, lands in that rarified space of being… surprisingly pleasant. Yes, it’s another “happy” Ringo album—one where everything feels light, celebratory, and soaked in peace, love, God, and a healthy dose of Ringo himself. The difference this time is that the songs don’t get buried beneath his usual kitsch. There’s a focused energy here, and it works in the album’s favor.

That’s not to say there aren’t moments where his usual habits peek through. The title track, What’s My Name, features a call-and-response section where the “audience” answers “Ringo!” each time he sings the line. It’s corny. But then again, this is Ringo. Corny comes with the territory. Thankfully, he resists the urge to overplay the nostalgia card.

As ever, a host of guest musicians turn up. Most stay respectfully in the background—though Joe Walsh makes a more obvious appearance on Gotta Get Up to Get Down, which he co-wrote and delivers in a sort of sing-speak. The track, with its funky backbone, feels like it wants to morph into Don Henley’s Dirty Laundry—but somehow avoids plagiarism and ends up as one of the album’s standout tracks.

Ringo also takes a surprising turn by covering Grow Old With Me, one of John Lennon’s lesser-known posthumous ballads. It’s the emotional heart of the record and handled with unexpected care. There’s even a brief nod to the 60s rocker Money—yes, that Money—and somehow, even that cover manages to land without upsetting the album’s good-natured mood.

There are no real surprises here, but no misfires either. At this point in his life, Ringo has nothing to prove—and What’s My Name doesn’t try to. What it does offer is a cheerful, reasonably polished record from a man who, nearly 80 years old, still wants to spread a little joy. And that’s no small thing.


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