Ringo Starr- Look Up
Label: UME
Producers: T-Bone Burnett, Daniel Tashian, Bruce Sugar
The notion of Ringo Starr recording a country record is really not the foreign concept that it may seem to casual fans of The Beatles, or those that rarely expand their listening realm beyond that of contemporary country radio. After all, The Fab Four indulged in C&W flavors on scattered occasions throughout their epic catalog, and when they did, it was usually Starr that was behind the mic (see: their covers of “Act Naturally” and “Honey Don’t”, “Don’t Pass Me By”). Most prominently, Starr’s sophomore solo album, , 1970’s Beaucoups of Blues was a pure country album, and an underground gem that is worth seeking out. Given all of that, Starr’s decision to go the country-leaning route on this, his twenty-first studio album, is truly a return to one of the core sounds at the heart of his entire catalog. With that said, Look Up doesn’t necessarily honky or twang it up as forcefully as those previously mentioned younger moments in Starr’s artistic story. If anything, this album is probably best labeled as more of a roots or Americana release.
Matter does it not what genre it’s classified as though; this record is best described as a cozy and treasured gem from one of popular music’s most beloved characters. His signature amiable vocals are as warm, friendly and resonant as ever at the tender age of 84, packing all of the classic personality that always endeared him to listeners in a more personal and intimate way than any of his rock-star contemporaries. This is spotlighted tremendously by a laid-back and primarily acoustic soundscape, and a solid, sage-like body of songs mostly composed by lead producer and roots giant, T-Bone Burnett. The instrumentation is splendidly crisp and seamlessly stellar, no surprise given the bevy of roots-virtuosos who show up, including Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Paul Franklin, Greg Leisz, and Mickey Raphael, to name a lot. (And of course, the percussion is always on point.) The highlights are plenty, but ultimately they truly do abound when Starr leans harder into the country-influences, while still balancing the comfy “warm-blanket” feel of the overall album: his charming call & response with Tuttle on “Can You Hear Me Call”, the marvelously loping cowboy vibes with Lucius on “Come Back”, and finally the gorgeous lead-single and steel-tinged solo performance of “Time On My Hands”, a bittersweet reflection from a man in the twilight stages of a charmed life lived.
A rewarding late-career joy, Look Up is one of those comforting musical delights, primed to carry listeners through the chill of the mid-winter doldrums with a smile primed for spring’s eventual bloom. Ringo Starr remains one of the most joy-inducing musical performances of any generation.
Track Listing:
- “Breathless” featuring Billy Strings (T-Bone Burnett)
- “Look Up” featuring Molly Tuttle (Burnett, Daniel Tashian)
- “Time On My Hands” (Burnett, Tashian, Paul Kennerley)
- “Never Let Me Go” featuring Billy Strings (Burnett)
- “I Live For Your Love” featuring Molly Tuttle (Burnett, Bill Swan)
- “Come Back” featuring Lucius (Burnett)
- “Can You Hear Me Call” featuring Molly Tuttle (Burnett)
- “Rosetta” featuring Billy Strings, Joe Walsh & Larkin Poe (Burnett)
- “You Want Some” (Swan)
- “String Theory” featuring Molly Tuttle & Larkin Poe (Burnett, Tashian)
- “Thankful” featuring Alison Krauss (Ringo Starr, Bruce Sugar)
The 706 
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