Ringo Starr: Ringo's Rotogravure CD Track Listing

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Ringo Starr Ringo's Rotogravure (1976)
Originally Released September 17, 1976\nCD Edition Released August 18, 1992\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The formula that had worked for Ringo and Good Night Vienna was followed again on Ringo Starr's Atlantic Records debut. Arif Mardin replaced Richard Perry in the producer's chair, but he hewed to the bouncy, eclectic pop style Perry had pioneered for Ringo, and the drummer called in such name help as Peter Frampton, Dr. John, Melissa Manchester, the Brecker brothers, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Eric Clapton. The last three all contributed songs, too, as did George Harrison. As usual, there was an oldie, Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby," which came out as a single, as did the leadoff track, "A Dose of Rock 'N' Roll." The latter was the only Top 40 hit, as the times seemed to be passing Ringo's happy-go-lucky style by. Or maybe it was just time for a new formula. -- William Ruhlmann \n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nReleased in 1976, Ringo's Rotogravure shows the former Beatle once again getting by with a little help from his friends, this time including Dr. John, Van Dyke Parks, Levon Helm, Peter Frampton, Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voorman, and Melissa Manchester. Unfortunately, the track listing doesn't quite measure up to the guest list. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon try to help their old mate by penning a song apiece, but none of their efforts are remotely memorable; ditto for "This Be Called a Song," a hand-me-down from Eric Clapton. The plodding "Dose of Rock 'N' Roll" actually made it into the U.S. top 30, which only proves that DJs and consumers alike were still willing to cut an ex-Beatle some slack in 1976. That would all begin to change in another year. --Dan Epstein \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nNot great, but not bad either, April 22, 2004 \nReviewer: Der Kommissar (Las Vegas, NV (USA)) \nRingo's Rotogravure (1976.) Ringo Starr's fifth solo album.\n\nBy the time the mid seventies rolled around, Ringo had finally found his voice as a solo artist. It took him longer than the other former Beatles, no questions asked, but once he found his sound he didn't fail to please. However, it is widely believed that following the release of his greatest hits album, 1975's Blast From Your Past, his formula began to wear thin. Is this accurate? Read on for my review of his fifth solo album, 1976's Ringo's Rotogravure.\n\nThis is NOT a bad album by any means, but it's nowhere near as great as his self-titled 1973 effort. Ringo has a few popular guests on this album, but unlike on that album, they really don't make much of a musical difference here. The most popular track to emerge from the album was his cover of Bruce Channel's Hey Baby. This is an excellent cover, and the usage of horns brings new life into the song. Ringo also tries his hand at country/western again with Cryin' and Brisas. The former tune is Ringo's country-style sound at its very best, while the latter uses some Mexican-style music. Surprisingly, it's a pretty good track. There are a number of good tracks on this album, but there are also some lacking ones. In the end you're left with an album that's not horrible, but not great either. It's an album that falls directly between the two extremes - a three-star album. \n\nShould you buy Ringo's Rotogravure? If you're a big-time Ringo fan or completist, don't hesitate to add this one to your collection; you'll probably enjoy it. If you're anything less, listen before buying. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nUnderrated Ringo, April 4, 2002\nReviewer: J. A Lizon "James Lizon" (Bristol, CT United States) \nAs people overrate the "Ringo" album, many people give short notice to "Rotogravure." I think this is due to the fact that while some of songs and performances are very weak, the good songs don't match the highs of his two prevoius albums-"Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna." However, that said, there are still some songs that make this album worth owning: "Crying," a beautiful country song written by Ringo. With its superb pedal steel guitar playing, this song is easily equal to or better than anything he did on "Beacoups of Blues." "When Every Song Is Sung" is a big ballady production which Ringo pulls off. Written by George Harrison years earlier, this song had a chequered history until Ringo got ahold of it. "This Be Called A Song," is an excellent Eric Clapton penned song that keeps the feet tapping. With Ringo and Jim Keltner setting a funky beat, and steel drums adding carribbean flavor, Eric Clapton lets fly a ripping solo. Probably the best track on the disc and one of the best he's ever done being solo. The Ringo's written "Las Brias," is a welcome surprise as Ringo performs with a marichi band. This pleasant diversion adds even more versatility to this album. I only gave it three stars since some other songs("A Dose of Rock 'n Roll," which is far from it. Its more of a moderato discoid. "Hey Baby," is done like a Phil Spector production on a song that doesn't need it. "You Don't Know Me" is just a simple tune that is buried under orchestration and backing vocals.)drag down the rest of album. Also, there are several songs that one gets the feeling SHOULD be better but are not("Pure Gold," Cookin'," "Lady Gaye") due to the unfocused production. While some of the songs shine just because of the talent present and quality of songs, the whole project has an erractic feel to it--a potentially very good album that's not.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThis be called a bore..., October 6, 2000\nReviewer: "johnny_bacardi" (Horse Cave, KY United States)\nFull of forced fun and inebriated ineptitude, the best thing about Ringo's Rotogravure was the inner sleeve spread which featured snapshots of all of the usual suspects in Ringo's crowd at the time (Harry Nilsson, Van Dyke Parks, Dr. John, Danny Kortchmar, etc.) eating food in various, often imaginative ways. For example, John Lennon is eating take-out Chinese with chopsticks, Nilsson strikes a stautesque pose with a bunch of grapes placed in a strategic position, Kortchmar is shown taking a bite out of Nilsson's then current LP, "...That's The Way It Is", you get the idea... If Rotogravure had been half as much fun as its center spread, then we would have had another "Ringo". However, that was not the case.\nOn the plus side, it's pretty hard to screw up that party perennial "Hey Baby", and Ringo does a servicable job...Richie's own "Cryin' " wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Beaucoups of Blues" and "Lady Gaye" (a rewrite of a song by schoolteacher Clifford T. Ward that went Top Ten in the UK in 1973) is pleasant enough. But the all-star contributors format that served "Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna" so well really let Ringo down this time. His Beatle buddies in particular should have been ashamed of themselves for turning in the lame efforts they did. "Cookin'" has the distinction of being one of the most ordinary, lackluster songs Lennon ever committed to paper; perhaps if someone with ideas had been on board instead of the efficient but uninspired Arif Mardin, then it could have been saved...Paul's contibution, the doowopish "Pure Gold" (kin to "Oh! Darling" and "Call Me Back Again" in everything except execution) fails to register, and George's "I'll Still Love You" was a hand me down (original title "When Every Song Is Sung") that by the time Cilla Black (twice) and Mary Hopkin had finished with it, was very ragged by the time Ringo got around to it. However, it is nicely arranged, if a bit ponderous, and is the best of the three. Eric Clapton didn't do him any favors, either, with the sluggish "This Be Called A Song" which sounded like a reject from the No Reason To Cry period.\n\nSo if you're thinking about picking this one up, be warned: it's a mostly dismal affair. Nobody sounds like they're on the same page here, and Ringo sounds like he couldn't care less as long as someone pointed him at the mike and handed him a lyric sheet. If the CD version doesn't reproduce the aforementioned center spread, then you can dock this another star and mark off another reason to buy!\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nNot the best album from Ringo, neither the worst, May 14, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nAlthough it sticks to the "all-star" formula, this album is not as good as "Ringo" or "Goodnight Vienna", that's for sure. But it features at least one great song, "I'll Still Love You", written by George Harrison at the end of the 60's but not released until this album. "Pure Gold" by Paul McCartney is also quite enjoyable, "Cryin'" is a nice country song well-suited for Ringo's voice, and I must admit I've got a kind of perverse pleasure listening to "Las Brisas", where Ringo is backed by a mariachi band ! It's certainly not the first Ringo Starr album you've got to buy, but it's not as bad as some might say.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe formula starts to wear thin, March 20, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nAs with the previous "Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna" albums, the plan is to surround Mr. Starr with his highly talented friends to chip in and create a pop masterpiece. However, by this time, the ratio of big names (John, Paul, George, Eric Clapton) to the lesser known (Derek Van Eaton?)is starting to drop. And even the big names aren't kicking in huge hits anymore. Lennon kicks in with a half-finished riff ("Cookin"), McCartney with a trademark soppy love song ("Pure Gold"), and Harrison with an odd little piece called "I'll Still Love You", a Cilla Black retread. \nSurprisingly enough, Clapton shows up with the best tune, "This Be Called A Song". Near the end of the album, the whole project runs out of steam and finishes up with a not-scary-at-all joke sound effect called "Spooky Weirdness". Overall, not a really bad album, but in this case, the third time is not a charm. The back cover of the album (both lp and cd versions), show the highly graffitti'ed front door of the Beatles Apple Records office, (they have since relocated. Rumour has it Lennon had the door as a souvienir). Sadly, this just underscores the dramatic difference from those days to the era of "Rotogravure".\n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nDanny Kortchmar, Contributing Artist\nDr. John, Contributing Artist\nEric Clapton, Contributing Artist\nHarry Nilsson, Contributing Artist\nJohn Lennon, Contributing Artist\nMelissa Manchester, Contributing Artist\nPaul McCartney, Contributing Artist\nPeter Frampton, Contributing Artist\nLew Hahn, Engineer\nArif Mardin, Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Ringo Starr (vocals, drums); Jesse Ed Davis (guitar); "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow (pedal steel guitar); George Young, Michael Brecker, Lou Marini (tenor saxophone); Lewis Delgatto (baritone saxophone); Alan Rubin, Alan Young (trumpet); John Jarvis, Jane Getz (piano, keyboards); Arif Marden (electric piano); George Devens (marimba); Klaus Voorman, Cooker Lo Presti, Will Lee (bass); George Devens (conga); Jim Keltner (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drums); King Errisson (percussion).\n\nBackground vocals: Duitch Helmer, Joe Bean, Vini Poncia, The Mad Mauries, Linda McCartney, David Lasley, Joe Bean, The "Fab" Harry.\n\nAdditional guest artists: Jim Keltner, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker.\n\nFor his Atlantic Records debut, Ringo tried to duplicate the critical and commercial success of RINGO and GOODNIGHT VIENNA by drawing on the talents of many of the same guest musicians who were featured on those albums. There are many highlights, including "Cookin' (In The Kitchen of Love)," an upbeat John Lennon song that features a playful Lennon on piano and backing vocals and "I'll Still Love You," a dark, haunting pop song that was written by George Harrison. Other celebrity guests who drop in to help their old pal Ringo include Paul McCartney, who wrote and performed on the ballad "Pure Gold" and Eric Clapton, who wrote and played on the breezy pop rocker "This Be Called A Song." Lesser known tracks like the thumping, laid-back rocker "Dose of Rock and Roll" and an energetic version of the sixties R&B hit "Hey Baby" ensure that ROTOGRAVURE is entertaining from start to finish.
This rock cd contains 11 tracks and runs 34min 25sec.
Freedb: b9080f0b
Buy: from Amazon.com

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