REVIEW: RINGO STARR - LOOK UP

3.5/5

Country Starr 

A little bit of country from the rock and roll star. The Beatles' legendary drummer Ringo Starr asks you to take a 'Look Up' with his new LP. Just a calendar and change after his 'Rewind Forward' extended play that saw him reunite with Paul McCartney, like the new 'Now and Then' song from the entire Fab Four. This is Sir Richard Starkey's twenty-first solo album, and first full length since 2019's 'What's My Name', on the long and winding road of the eighty-four years young singer/songwriter and skin man for the three other lads from Liverpool.

Yet, going well across The Mersey, Ringo (which here in Japan means, "Apple", like that iconic green logo one, mister) gets by with a little bit of help from his friends in Nashville, Tennessee. Because, forget his 21st for a second, this is Starr's very first country album. Moving swiftly with a tip of the cowboy hat across genres as he truly becomes a country star, with 'Look Up' and the titular lead single to titillate all of those whose Lennon and McCartney is Waylon and Willie. Dear John once joked, that Ringo Starr wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles, when asked if he was the best roller in the world, but now, he's definitely the best country and western singer of the fabulous four. All the way down to the rhinestone black and white album artwork that is instantly iconic like 'Photograph'. Choosing love and peace again, who cares if he sings out of tune? All you need is what he chooses. What else would you do?

Epic, like another record label. Especially with the somebodies like the head of the pack Molly Tuttle (the lead 'Look Up Single', standout statement 'I Live For Your Love', yearning ode 'Can't You Hear Me Call' and 'String Theory' with Larkin Poe), Billy Strings himself (on the 'Breathless' opening, beautiful ballad 'Never Let Me Go' and the stone-cold 'Rosetta' (also with Poe)), Lucius (pleading 'Come Back') and the legendary Alison Krauss, planting the 'Thankful' dedicated closer. Dialled to eleven tracks like Spinal Tap, even when the legend goes it alone with 'Time On My Hands' ("I turned my collar up/Kept my eyes turned down/I walked the empty streets/The blue side of town") and 'You Want Some' in this lavish landscape you really do, as Ringo shows and proves he has another note to him. Just like the time he stepped from the skin to lead the ship with the biggest song pumping out of the 'Yellow Submarine' not named after the oceanic vehicle itself.

Original tracks like the outstanding artist himself is, you'll find no records from the great American country songbook here...even though Starr adds a couple of his own himself. You won't find Ringo taking 'Jolene' from Dolly Parton, like that "b####" that Beyoncé threatened did the '9 to 5' singer's man. As a matter of fact, with a nod to 'Cowboy Carter', this first big name release of the New Year is the best country step since the 'Beyoncé Bowl' of Netflix and the NFL's Christmas Day gridiron games. Lassoing a cymbal crash of a cinematic campfire legend, co-written by the iconic T Bone Burnett, Starr puts the pedal to the metal, as he gazes up above at the stories told by the two sticks he rubs together. Alas, peace, love and understanding are never far from his mind, and what's wrong with that like fellow Liverpudlian Elvis Costello? We can all sing along to the lasting lyrics of, "Look up/In the midnight hour/Look up/Love is the higher power/Keep your eyes on the skies/Don't look down on the shadow town/Look up." Something we can all look up to and towards in 2025. Happy New Year! TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'Look Up (Feat. Molly Tuttle)', 'I Live For Your Love (Feat. Molly Tuttle)', 'Thankful (Feat. Alison Krauss)'.

Spin This: Ringo Starr - 'Rewind Forward (EP)'

REVIEW: REDMAN - MUDDY WATERS TOO

4/5

Still Muddy Waters Run Deep 

Dumb and dumber, too? Nah! Never that. "I flip modes and rampage your zip codes", Redman raps on 'Da F### Goin' On' after his 'MW2 Welcome'. Referencing Busta Rhymes' Flipmode Squad and its Rampage member, as the Funk Doc' goes on his own one to begin the sequel to his 1996 classic named after a blues legend. 'Muddy Waters Too' is Reggie Noble's first album since 2015's 'Mudface' a decade ago. And it really is a noble effort. The best classic sequel, slash comeback album since Busta's (his 'Dragon Season' is upon us) 'ELE 2', AKA 'Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God', in 2020 of all years. Now, sitting at the classic cover's desk again, Redman is not caked in muddy overalls. Instead, that iconic scowl in the room, under the beanie and same sunglasses, is joined by a much better television set and bags of money and papers on the floor. Kicking it under his Timbs, as he leans on that desk with the flower in a pot, like the wallpaper that surrounds him.

Christmas may have come late, this New Year, with this review of an album that came out on the night before Christmas, when everyone else was worrying about Eve's festive photo (I was killing it, watching 'Squid Game 2'), but the sequel to 'Muddy Waters' has plenty to unwrap like your Spotify playlist and dig up. Even feeling like the diirty 'Malpractice' that really smashed something, with the way these intros and short tracks give way to skits (a hilarious Barack Obama impression by Affion Crockett ("FACTS!") replacing his 'Jerry Swinger Stickup') and the best superhero alive. The dualling parts to 'Soopaman Lover 7' featuring Mélanie Rutherford and a fictional Michelle Obama becoming his Lois Lane. This 32-track affair also features some of the biggest names in the business. Putting the heart paddles to hip-hop when the genre sorely needs it. Reuniting with 'How High' partner Method Man, after their own 'Blackout! 2' sequel, for one of the best tracks and samples on the album, 'Lalala'. Not to mention the best posse cut you've heard in years, and MC Lyte's own return had a monster one, last year, on 'Lite It Up'.

Smoking with fellow rap legends Naughty By Nature and sweet sixteen's from Artifacts, Channel Live, Heather B., Lady Luck, Lords of the Underground, Nikki D and Flipmode's own Rah Digga. Not to mention the return of the queen and great 'Equalizer', Queen Latifah, and NBA, Los Angeles Lakers legend, who can actually rap (and that wasn't a slight at the late, great Kobe Bryant), Shaquille O'Neal, still carrying on his own beef with fellow Superman, Dwight Howard, tugging his cape on what was Twitter. Legendary DJ Kid Capri and the one and only Faith Evans help Red become a 'Hoodstar'. Whilst the Boogie Down Productions of the iconic KRS-One say 'Looka Here'. Elsewhere, a 'Dynomite', like J.J. (word to Chappelle, and a cool Rhymefest shout out), Sheek Louch locks it down. And Snoop Dogg, on his own classic comeback this Christmas with the Dr. Dre 'Missionary' (no, not like that) condom wrapper (seriously), rolls up 'Kush' with the Diggy Doc, like the Doggfather and Dre's own single with Akon.

Oran "Juice" Jones II lights up both 'Whuts Hot', 'Gheddo Motivation' and more need for Grammarly than my reviews demselves. And Ke Turner gets just as 'Goofy' until '1 O'Clock'. Mr. Cream and Runt Dawg also show up on 'Why U Mad'. For an album from an outcast that is so fresh and so clean, going hard all the way to the epic end of 'Smoke With Me', with no tail-off as it clears. All for the man defying age at 54. Coming out of the gates for Brick City, with straight smash singles like 'Jersey', 'Don't Wanna C Me Rich', in bathtubs of moolah, and the new anthem 'I'm On Dat Bullsh!t' in all its exclamation. New Jersey's best boss since Springsteen, is in the hood house like his classic episode of MTV Cribs (which he references), has a vendetta, like his classic video game character, with all these def jams. 'Ignant', 'Uncle Quilly' and 'Pop Da Trunk'. 'Don't You Miss' him? 'Aye!'. The old 'Wave' is back as new rappers mumble on stranger things like the Diddy case. And all of those punks are now 'Stung' like Redman's classic hidden camera prank show with Method Man (we still can't forget how they frog marched Ludacris). Lick a 'Booyaka Shot' for the man who raps "Sawed off shotgun, now you see 'em havin' a blast" over Rockwilder beats, like his hands were still on the pump, puffing on a blunt. 'Wudeytauknbout', Willis? A sequel to a classic that feels like one itself. Get back in the mud. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'Da F### Goin' On', 'Lalala (Feat. Method Man),' 'I'm On Dat Bullsh!t'.

Spin This: Redman - 'Muddy Waters'