With the eagerly awaited big time rock concert for young Ringo and his All Starrs at the Beacon Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a closer at the setlist, a lot of Ringo (including two newbies), plus Rundgren and, ahem, Toto songs. Here is this years line up: Ringo Starr – drums, keyboards, percussion, vocal, Steve Lukather (Toto) – guitar, vocals, Gregg Rolie (Santana and Journey) – organ, keyboards, vocals, Todd Rundgren (Nazz, Utopia and The New Cars) – guitar, harmonica, bass, percussion, keyboards, vocals, Richard Page (Mr. Mister) – bass, acoustic guitar, vocals, Warren Ham (Bloodrock and AD) – saxophone, keyboards, vocals , and Gregg Bissonette – drums, percussion, vocals.
In other words: Todd, Todd and Todd is joining Ringo. PS: I have the best seats I’ve ever had for a Beatle: 14 th row!!!
So, here we go with the act you’ve known for all these years:
1. Matchbox (Carl Perkins cover) – The classic blue suede shoes rockabilly King and a big Ringo fave, absolute delirium especially the bit where that sand is all over her feet- A
2. – It Don’t Come Easy – Written by Ringo, produced by George Beatle, the horns seem placed where you expect the guitars and the song is so Ringo: it seems to exude his personality even as it outsold all three of his fellow Beatles at the time – A
3. Wings – Not all there rocker – C
4. I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren cover) – A power pop masterstroke, I bet Alex Chilton knew it well – A
5. Evil Ways (Willie Bobo cover) – The classic Santana, back when I was a wee pup, it would instantly feel the Beirut nightclub Venus dance floor – A
6. Rosanna (Toto cover) – Written for Rosanna Arquette and nobody any the better for the situation – C-
7. Kyrie (Mr. Mister cover) – Star? Of what? Dreaful – D+
8. Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren cover) – Off 1983’s The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect, this is one of the greatest odes to doing nothing known to mankind. After Toto and Mr. Mister (Mr Mister???) boring everybody to tears it will stop the show – A
9. Boys (The Shirelles cover) – Ringo recorded it with the Beatles, who knew a thing or two about girl group sounds – A
10. Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles cover) – As Beatle songs go, this Buck Owens wannabe doesn’t quite cut it – B+
11. Yellow Submarine (The Beatles cover) – The only band in the Universe, ever and for all time who could have released this on the only album, their greatest? Second greatest? Album of all time Revolver – A
12.Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (Santana cover) – A huge song for Santana, it remains a classic in the field – A
13. Honey Don’t (Carl Perkins cover) – “You say you will when you won’t uh huh…” – A
14. Anthem – Look at it this way: what do you think you’ll be doing when you’re 73? Ot’s tons better than Mr. Mister – C+
15.You Are Mine (Richard Page cover) – As old fashioned rock ballads go, it’s an old fashioned rock ballad – C
16. Africa (Toto cover) – I don’t know how this song could be any less interesting: anyone who complains about EDM should be forced to listen to the flute solo – D
17. Oye como va (Tito Puente cover) – A humongous song for him and a rhythmic triumph – A+
18. Love Is the Answer (Utopia cover) – I know the Naz, I’ve listened to the Naz, and you, Utopia, are no Naz – B
19. I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles cover) – Also the Rolling Stones covered it – A
20. Broken Wings (Mr. Mister cover) – This will be painful three quarters of the way through the set. Just not such a great idea at all – D+
21. Hold the Line (Toto cover) – I guess Ringo is doing this so “Photograph” will sound even better – D
22. Photograph – But the song doesn’t need any help. Co-written with George, off his finest moment, the Ringo album, is a stunningly powerful heartbreaker . PS? He followed it with “You’re Sixteen” – A
23. Act Naturally (Buck Owens cover) – This is what the Beatles failed to do with “Don’t Pass Me By”, a honking country sad sack of a song – A
24. With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles cover) – Drug intake and love at first sight on the second track of the first side of the biggest album ever recorded – A+
25. Give Peace a Chance (The Plastic Ono Band cover) – This song is so simple and so complete, it is a worldwide peace anthem via nursery rhyme song sung blue. It is a bigger work than “Imagine” – A+
