Y Not

Spare a thought for former Beatle, Ringo Starr. An average singer and an average drummer, he has been forever in the shadow of his genius band-mates; no wonder that, for readers who are roughly the same age as this writer, he’s better remembered for being the voice of Thomas the Tank Engine than for his musical achievements. Still, undeterred, the 69-year-old Scouser continues to plug away, and his 16th studio album Y Not sounds a lot better than it has any right to. ‘Peace Dream’ name-drops various Beatles songs, ‘Walk With You’ features a slightly soppy (but also quite touching) duet with Paul McCartney, and the old school rock vibe of ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ isn’t completely ruined by the presence of warbler Joss Stone. This album won’t turn the music world on its head, but for readers of a certain vintage it’ll probably provide a welcome stroll down memory lane.