We’re on the road again with the skiffle band king, Ringo Starr. The busiest of all Beatles is out with his 19th solo album, “Give More Love,” featuring a who’s-who of rock greats as supporting cast.
Starr says he has more energy now than he did 25 years ago. It shows out of the gate with “We’re On The Road Again,” a fun track with Sir Paul McCartney holding court on bass while an energized Starr sings about gigging and moving on down the road. Toto’s Steve Lukather delivers the real punch here with some tight guitar work.
“Laughable,” is another solid track. Peter Frampton co-wrote it and folds in his signature soaring guitar. “Electricity” also is one of the top songs on the 14-track “Give more Love.” It’s a medium paced bluesy jaunt, co-written by hit machine Glen Ballard and starring Joe Walsh on guitar and Don Was of Was (Not Was) on bass. Dare I say Starr is the weak link on this one?
Starr is mostly metronome-like in vocal delivery. He can sing passably, but it’s not the component that really moves the needle. It’s the surrounding ensemble of famed musicians that brings things together.
— Ron Harris, Associated Press
Yusuf/Cat Stevens, “The Laughing Apple”: The artist now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens did more than borrow from his own catalog for his latest album. He also reunited with the producer and acoustic guitarist who worked on his seminal hits from the 1970s, resulting in a new album that sounds like old Cat Stevens with even more light and wisdom than before.
Fifty years after Cat Stevens’ debut album, “The Laughing Apple” blends reimagined songs from 1967 with new compositions and newly completed 50-year-old unfinished tracks.
Yet with Alun Davies’ sparkling guitars and Paul Samwell-Smith’s crisp production, the 11 songs sound like a cohesive set of tunes that always belonged together, and carry through themes of so much of Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ music love and the joy of childhood.
Two new tracks stand out for their instant timelessness. “See What Love Did to Me,” the bright and cheery single, extols the life-changing power of love. It also boasts the most rocking bridge on the album.
“You Can Do (Whatever)!” is reminiscent of the beloved hit “Wild World,” in both tone and message. “You can ride a tiger or walk the dog,” he sings. “Anything you wish can be true.”
The 69-year-old grandfather of eight also updated a song that first appeared on his 2000 greatest hits anthology. “Grandsons,” about the many delights a grandfather derives from his grandkids, is like a bookend to his 1970 hit “Father and Son.”
— Sandy Cohen, Associated Press
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