Delivered during the dawning days of 2012,
Ringo 2012 is a state of the union address from the beloved
Beatle, a brief telegram of all the sounds and sentiments important to
Richard Starkey as he begins his 72nd year.
Ringo walks the line between the past and present, celebrating the former through the spectrum of the latter, producing a crisp, irrepressibly cheerful dose of nostalgia, one where he covers childhood favorites (
Lonnie Donegan's skiffle classic "Rock Island Line" and
Buddy Holly's "Think It Over," a version that popped up on the 2011
Holly tribute
Listen to Me; "Slow Down" is not the
Larry Williams tune
the Beatles covered, it's an original with the same name) and revives two old album tracks from the '70s, "Step Lightly" and "Wings," choosing the latter for the record's first single. Take these four cuts away, and there are only five originals left on this 28:50 album, songs about Liverpool, the Fabs, Sambas, good vibes, and peace & love.
Ringo being
Ringo, he gets by with his high-profile friends --
Glen Ballard,
Van Dyke Parks,
Dave Stewart, and brother-in-law
Joe Walsh all chip in on the collaborations -- so the record doesn't have a note out of place, doesn't have a moment that's unexpected. Such familiarity may be a tad too cozy, but
Ringo has long abandoned the very concept of adventure, preferring to look back through rose-colored granny glasses...and if
Ringo 2012 is slighter than the lighter-than-air 2010
Y Not, it still has enough good cheer to bring a smile to longtime
Beatles lovers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine