Album Review: Ringo Starr, Long Long Road

Who knew that as an octogenarian, Beatles drummer and all-round legend Ringo Starr (who turns 86 this July) would reinvent himself as a country singer?

Apparently, renowned country musician and producer T Bone Burnett always heard him as a Texan artist, and when the duo discussed working together, Burnett put the Scouser in touch with some of the hottest young musicians Nashville had to offer. The result was Look Up, released in January last year, which proved so successful they’ve gone and done it again.

It’s rooted squarely in country music, with a nod to Americana, including sideways shuffles into honky-tonk (‘Baby Don’t Go’), pop ‘(‘Why’), and doo-wop in the shape of ‘I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore’, a Carl Perkins song Ringo had never heard before – The Beatles recorded many of Perkins’ songs in their heyday, so there’s a sense of coming full circle.

Co-written and produced by Burnett, the 10-song album also includes collaborations with Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow and St Vincent. Crow joins him on the title track, while ‘Choose Love’ is a wonderful orchestral pop affair, where Ringo and St Vincent pay tribute to his past: “’The Long and Winding Road’ is more than a song / ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ what goes on”.

If anyone has a right to sound Beatles-ish, it’s Ringo, and ‘It’s Been Too Long’ tips its cap to the fab four, while he sounds like mid-period Neil Young on ‘You And I (Wave Of Love)’. In fact, the only slightly bum note is the country-by-numbers of ‘My Baby Don’t Want Nothing’, which falls a little flat by comparison to the rest of this assured, fun collection.

• Out now.