Ringo Starr Beaucoups Of Blues CD

Personnel: Ringo Starr (vocals, drums, percussion); Ringo Starr (acoustic guitar); Vini Poncia (vocals, guitar); Jeannie Kendall (vocals); Jerry Kennedy, Jerry Shook (guitar); Pete Drake (steel guitar, pedal steel guitar); Ben Keith (pedal steel guitar); Jim Buchanan (fiddle, strings); George Richey, Grover Lavender (fiddle); Roy Huskey Jr., Buddy Harman (bass instrument); The Jordanaires (background vocals); Chuck Howard, Dave Kirby, Jerry Reed, Sorrells Pickard, Charlie Daniels (guitar); Charlie McCoy (harmonica); D.J. Fontana (drums).
Liner Note Authors: Steffan Olander; Staffan Olander.
Photographer: Marshall Fallwell.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Ringo Starr; Charlie Daniels; Dave Kirby; Chuck Howard; Sorrells Pickard; Jerry Shook; Jerry Kennedy; Ben Keith; Buddy Harman; Charlie McCoy ; George Richey; Grover Lavender; Jim Buchanan; D.J. Fontana; Roy M. "Junior" Husky; Four Jordanaires; Jeannie Kendal; Buddy Harmon.
Ringo Starr had a demonstrated affinity for country music, as heard on such Beatles recordings as "Act Naturally," and he sounded as modestly comfortable on this Nashville-recorded session as in any other musical context. The cream of the city's session players backed up the former Beatle on a set of newly written songs, and the result was a typical country effort, pleasant as long as you didn't expect too much. Of course, this was the second straight genre exercise for Starr, following his pop standards album Sentimental Journey, and now he had tackled two styles that depend on vocal stylists for much of their appeal. On both, Ringo was Ringo. But with the Beatles fading into history, his suddenly front-burner solo career was starting to look like a series of dabblings rather than a coherent follow-up to the group's success. What could be next, an album of Motown songs? Wisely, he returned to Beatles-style pop/rock in subsequent releases. [Beaucoups of Blues was reissued on August 1, 1995, by Captiol with two bonus tracks, "Coochy Coochy," which had been released as the B-side of the single "Beaucoups of Blues," and the six-and-a-half-minute impromptu instrumental "Nashville Jam," which was previously unreleased.] ~ William Ruhlmann
Released in September 1970, BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES was a huge improvement over Ringo Starr's somewhat awkward solo debut, SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY. Though the pure country music on BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES was presumably quite foreign to most Beatles fans in 1970, in hindsight, this is a fine country-rock album. While Ringo's deadpan voice seemed limited when compared to the voices of his fellow Beatles, it is perfectly suited to the simple melodies and down-to-earth lyrical concerns of the rock-oriented country songs he performs on this album.
Backed by top Nashville musicians like pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake, Charlie Daniels, and several members of Elvis Presley's band, Ringo wrings every ounce of emotion out of such compelling country noir narratives as "Love Don't Last Long" and the Vietnam-era heartbreaker "Silent Homecoming." With BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES, Ringo made a raw, real country-rock album that fits alongside anything Gram Parsons and Mike Nesmith were doing at that time. It remains one of Ringo's finest solo albums.Rolling Stone (10/29/70, p.40) - "...Coming from the lips of Ringo Starr, the songs sound terrific...a thoroughly enjoyable album, the kind you play repeatedly."
Q (7/95, p.147) - 3 Stars - Good - "...it's a collection of contemporary country songs, delivered by Ringo Starr in a languidly melancholic style curiously reminiscent of Michael Nesmith....always likable and original."
Mojo (Publisher) (7/95, p.113) - "...BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES saw Ringo in Nashville with a stellar cast of country players....The songs were new, supplied by local writers, and the groove is loose and fluent..."