Interesting take on Ringo Starr

[montesquieu]

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/arts...y-to-have-him/

Makes some interesting observations.

[walpurgis]

I disliked McCArtney. Regarded Ringo as 'just a drummer'. Thought of Harrison as talented. But Lennon as a genius!

I grew up listening to this lot!!

[Andrei]

Genius? I have socks with more talent.

[Barry]

Lennon and McCartney were the songwriters; Harrison provided the rhythm and Starr the beat. The Beatles were the sum of the whole.

However after the split, I was only really interested in following the careers of John Lennon and George Harrison.

[Gordon Steadman]

Genius is a somewhat overused term.

I have always thought that Ringo was under rated. Not in the technical sense, if you look at his technique.....well, what technique? However there is a huge difference between mere technical ability and musicianship. It helps to have both obviously but we are not talking deep, meaningful music here, especially not in the early days. He was, as it says in the article, exactly right for the Beatles, providing a solid base and drive. For the same reason, I reckon McCartney was an under rated bass player. There were flashier players out there but listen, really listen to the Beatles and what they are is musical first and foremost. And they wrote some cracking tunes Grommit.

I don't listen to them that much these days but when I do, it brings the times back and I still think they were the bees knees.

[The Black Adder]

A music industry friend said to me once.

If you like Oasis, there is something wrong with you,
If you don't like The Beatles, there is something wrong with you.

As a MASSIVE Beatles fan. Like many things the word, Genius is an over used and misconstrued term. I'm sure Johm, Paul, George and Ringo wouldn't think of themselves as Genius's so why would anyone else?

If I could pin anything on anyone to be remotely near a status of 'genius' it would be George Martin.... without him the whole of the 60's would still have been in beetle crushers dipped in Bry-Cream doing Elvis and Cliff Richard rip-off's which would be very bad indeed.

Another example, I heard someone call Jeremy Clarkson a 'genius' the other day to which completely verifies the term being used out of hand (and to the hilt). Same as the term 'it's a tragedy' for explaining the 'long awaited' demise of said program.

[orbscure]

If you like Oasis, there is something wrong with you,
If you don't like The Beatles, there is something wrong with you.

I loved Oasis, so I always wondered why there was something wrong with me but I do love the Beatles too, so its not all doom and gloom! I always considered them a sum of their parts, very much like the members of Pink Floyd patchy solo material compared to the groups output, but I digress...

[Joe]

If I could pin anything on anyone to be remotely near a status of 'genius' it would be George Martin.... without him the whole of the 60's would still have been in beetle crushers dipped in Bry-Cream doing Elvis and Cliff Richard rip-off's which would be very bad indeed.

A slight exaggeration there. The British were re-discovering black American blues, r 'n b and soul at the time the Beatles emerged (and the Beatles themselves covered several Motown tracks). There was also a burgeoning folk scene. So the '60s would certainly have been different, but I doubt it would have been Elvis and Cliff Richard rip-offs we'd have been listening to.

[Gordon Steadman]

A slight exaggeration there. The British were re-discovering black American blues, r 'n b and soul at the time the Beatles emerged (and the Beatles themselves covered several Motown tracks). There was also a burgeoning folk scene. So the '60s would certainly have been different, but I doubt it would have been Elvis and Cliff Richard rip-offs we'd have been listening to.

The very thought.

The worrying thing is that I realise I have two Cliff tracks in my collection

I can't remember ever playing them so how did they sneak in?

Yikes, I just checked and there are six!!! It must be a conspiracy, perhaps they reproduce asexually (well, it is Cliff)

[Joe]

The very thought.

The worrying thing is that I realise I have two Cliff tracks in my collection

I have two Cliff tracks too. Even more worryingly, one of them is on an LP entitled 'Savile's Time Travels'!