“Long Long Road” is the second album in a row for our beloved Beatle Ringo Starr and his all-starr producer T. Bone Burnett.
The first was “Look Up,” which took Ringo into country country, and was a total hit. Burnett proved to Ringo’s best partner since producer Richard Perry fifty years ago.
“Long Long Road” couldn’t be a better follow up. There are 10 songs. Eight of them are written by Burnett, and they’re all swell.
But my two favorite tracks are co-written by Ringo with Bruce Sugar. They are the title track, and “You and I (Wave of Love),” sung with Molly Tuttle, which — like the whole album — can be played many times in a row.
Burnett has found a sweet spot for Ringo in arrangements, placement of his voice, and a purpose. Ringo’s many albums over the years since the pair of Perry hits have been hit or miss. There are one or two good tracks on each one, but no cohesion. Burnett makes these albums sound ‘of a piece.’ You wait for each track like a little gift. Unwrapping them is very rewarding.
This year, maybe someone will submit the album to the Grammys. It deserves some awards, although “Long Long Road” will compete with new albums by Paul McCartney, and by the Rolling Stones.
Quality never fades.
