run joe, run wrote:

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:It's probably as much Spector's doing as Starr's, but Ringo's drumming on Plastic Ono Band is fucking stellar.

I don't think Spector drummed on that or any other record did he? I could be wrong.

I meant that the excellent drum sound blows me away as much as the drumming itself. Which is not to say that I don't love Ringo Starr's drumming--because I do.

Ringo plays like a musician instead of some asshole with sticks popping wheelies all the time. N/C just not fancy.

japmn wrote:Ringo plays like a musician instead of some asshole with sticks popping wheelies all the time.

WORD

WORD IS BOND

If you have access to Anthology 2, listen to the version of "I Am The Walrus". It's just the basic track without all the overdubs - mainly just John on electric piano and Ringo on drums. The guy's drum fills are poetic.

trilonaut wrote:i'm curious what things would've been like with pete best.

Listen to the original audition of "Love Me Do" that they did for George Martin - it's on Anthology 1. Pete Best plays drums on this session.
It's not to hard to understand why Martin originally took a pass on them, just as every other label did. They sound like shit.
The only hope for the band was to ditch Pete Best and get someone who could actually play drums.

Man, I wish more drummers played with the taste and restraint that Ringo does. His drumming defines SOLID. I could list millions of examples but I'm sure you guys will all know what I'm talking about already.

Actually one I must mention is a 1963 Swedish TV appearance in Episode 2 (I think) of the Anthology series were they're playing Long Tall Sally. Ringo goes into a cool fill at the end that just rocks. It's nothing elaborate but it's just perfect.

Also to expand on an earlier point Paul also played drums on Ballad Of John And Yoko as George and Ringo weren't available for the session. He does a respectable job but it just ain't Ringo!

NOT CRAP

I pretty much love Ringo, both as a drummer, and as much of his public persona that I know.

Ben Adrian

Ringo has so many Not Craps on his CV.

The sample used for the "Tomorrow Never Knows" loop.
The drumming on "I'm A Loser", "Baby's In Black", and "Money (That's What I Want)"
Octopus' Garden, which was the best Beatles novelty.
Plastic Ono Band
Being the only Beatle that I've never wanted to strangle.

Ringo's solo career is pretty crap.

But he:

wrote "Octopus's Garden" (which is a brilliant, and, to me, a really sad song)
drummed on Beatles albums
drummed on Plastic Ono Band (and was a big part of why it was great)

big_dave wrote:The sample used for the "Tomorrow Never Knows" loop.

That was a loop? Are you sure? I know a lot of other things on that track were looped (and used pencils to spool off of) but I don't think that heavily compressed/limited and brilliant drumming was.

I am 99% sure that it was the first "drum loop".

Edd Tastyhead wrote:His drumming defines SOLID.

This is true, and it's my biggest problem with him. He's always SOLID, but sometimes the song doesn't call for SOLID.

I can think of a few later-period songs that would've benefited from an approach that was less SOLID. "Stawberry Fields"- really like that song, hate the drumming. Very literal drums on an abstract song. This song did not need the SOLID from Ringo. No wonder Lennon was never happy with it.