Ringo Starr’s aw-shucks persona — all peace-and-love, peace-and-love — often obscures his very real talents as a drummer. Even in the Beatles’ heyday, this was so. Then you hear a song like “Right Side of the Road,” co-written with old All-Starr Band-mate Richard Marx and advancing Ringo Starr’s forthcoming Postcards from Paradise.
On the surface, this fits into the same familiar narrative. After all, Ringo has already released the similarly titled “Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go,” a Jeff Lynne-produced track off 1992’s Time Takes Time. Ringo has his themes, his catch phrases, his way. It’s part of his considerable charm, even if it’s not always new.
Even his choice of collaborators is a comfy one. Richard Marx was, of course, a member of Ringo Starr’s ninth All-Starr Band, touring in 2006 with a group that included Edgar Winter, Rod Argent and Billy Squier. Marx later added some additional thoughts — and sang backing vocals — on the largely completed “Mystery of the Night” from 2010’s Y Not.
But, as Marx has noted, this time was different. He remembers Ringo Starr calling to say, “I love the song we wrote and it was so easy. Do you have time to write another one?” To which Marx, of course, replied: “‘Dude, I’ll make time!’ Then he said, ‘You know, why don’t we just do something from scratch — whatever you think would be good for me to sing.’ So, he sort of gave me carte blanche to come up with some ideas for him.”
All that was left was for Ringo to be Ringo.
As always, he catches this lithe, warm-spirited groove on “Right Side of the Road.” It just lures you in, always, whatever the subject matter. There’s a solace in that too, something that can lull you into forgetting how special Ringo Starr is as a player. “Right Side of the Road” shambles toward its greatness. He plays like he talks — with an understated wit, a laconic ease, a lasting joy. It never gets old.
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