Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band: The Anthology [Box]

Performer: Ringo Starr
Artist: Dr. John; Joe Walsh; Peter Frampton; Dave Edmunds; Todd Rundgren; Jack Bruce; John Entwistle; Levon Helm
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Personnel includes: Ringo Starr (vocals, drums); Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Dave Edmunds, Nils Lofren, Mark Farner, Randy Bachman (vocals, guitar); Clarence Clemons (vocals, tenor saxophone); Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, Billy Preston, Felix Caviliere, Gary Brooker, Burton Cummings, Eric Carmen (vocals, keyboards); Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Timothy B. Schmidt, Rick Danko (vocals, bass); Levon Helm, Simon Kirke (vocals, drums); Mark Rivera, Timmy Cappello (saxophone, percussion, background vocals); Zak Starkey, Jim Keltner (drums). Recorded live between 1989 and 2000. Includes liner notes by John Lappen. Additional personnel: Peter Frampton (guitar); Clarence Clemons (saxophone); Timmy Cappello, The Third All-Starr Band, The Second All-Starr Band, The Fourth All-Starr Band, The First All-Starr Band, The Fifth All-Starr Band, The Sixth All-Star Band, Dave Edmunds, Dr. John, Eric Carmen, Felix Cavaliere, Gary Brooker, Jim Keltner, Joe Walsh , John Entwistle, Levon Helm, Mark Farner, Nils Lofgren, Randy Bachman, Rick Danko, Simon Kirke, Timothy B. Schmit, Todd Rundgren, Zak Starkey, Jack Bruce, Billy Preston, Mark Rivera, Burton Cummings. Ringo Starr's constantly shifting All-Starr groups had been dusting off and gathering together rock survivors for more than a decade since 1989 -- and this triple-CD package is their most comprehensive testament to date. Starting with the 1989 band, the box takes listeners through the 1992, 1995, 1997, and 2000 editions -- curiously omitting the 1999 band -- with Ringo's jolly renditions of his Beatles-era songs and solo recordings serving as a friendly home base. Alas, the box's 12-page booklet is appallingly mum about the dates, locales, and release status of the recordings, nor is the set in strict chronological or concert order. Of the 47 numbers, 21 are new to CD, while the rest are taken from the Rykodisc albums of the 1989 (Greek Theatre, Los Angeles) and 1992 (Montreux Casino) tours and the limited-edition Blockbuster Music album of the 1995 (Tokyo) tour. The unreleased tunes, originating from outtakes of the Tokyo concert, the 1997 concert at Pine Knob outside Detroit, and the 2000 concert in Milwaukee, are of variable interest. It's nice to have Felix Cavaliere's free, relaxed 1995 rendition of "Groovin'," and Peter Frampton (1997) has the temerity to take up "Norwegian Wood," the only All-Starr to attempt a Beatles song without Ringo. At the same time, one can detect a general drop-off of interest and energy in the 1997 and 2000 concerts, particularly in Gary Brooker's and Eric Carmen's numbers, a sign (since disproved by the 2001 band) that the All-Starr formula was running low on juice. The sound quality of the previously released tracks is virtually unchanged from their earlier incarnations, and there is evidence of haste in the album's final assembly -- there is a two-second dropout just after Dr. John's "Iko Iko," and Mark Farner's "Some Kind of Wonderful" was audibly shoehorned in at the last minute since he was the only All-Starr without a solo number in the package's original lineup. Even so, anyone who wants a souvenir of Ringo's rollicking tours need only get this set, attractively priced at three discs for less than the price of two. ~ Richard S. Ginell Spanning three discs and 47 tracks, The Anthology So Far collects highlights from all of Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band tours, which means it doesn't just have hits from Ringo (basically, all of his solo and Beatles anthems), it also has signature songs from fellow classic rockers like Dr. John, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Joe Walsh, John Entwistle, Dave Edmunds, Timothy B Schmidt, Felix Cavaliere, Randy Bachman, Burton Commings, Peter Frampton, Simon Kirke, Jack Bruce, Eric Carmen, and the great Todd Rundgren. In other words, this is the best of the oldies and, if it's taken for what it is, it's not bad. It's entertaining, well-performed, and filled with songs you know and (if you're listening to this) love. That doesn't make it necessary, of course, but it is a nostalgic good time if that's what you're looking for. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Though Ringo Starr is known to history as the man who drummed (and occasionally sang) with the Beatles, his story doesn't stop with the end of the Fab Four. Starr's natural charisma, humor, and distinctive Liverpudlian voice made him a natural for both films (THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN) and voiceovers (THE POINT, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE). He scored a number of hits with his early solo albums, initially making him the most successful of the solo Beatles. In the 1990s, he started touring with an ever-changing roster of All-Starr bands featuring former members of other famous groups, from Men at Work and Cream to Procol Harum and the Rascals.

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