I'm just going to leave this here ...

People will be ragging on Ringo and his talent or supposed lack thereof until there's no longer an internet upon which to leave posts. But I think that the article brings up a very valid point: The Beatles as we know them were those four blokes. How they worked and played together, at the midst of the birth of the rock and roll media mania machine, made the group what it was and is.

We could, in much the same way, bag on Kurt Cobain's guitar skills, or Bob Dylan's voice. But their legacy is much more than those qualities.

It's telling to say that as successful as each of them has been since leaving the group, none of them has been as big or as successful as when they were together.
 
I've never met a pro who didn't get Ringo.

'nuff said.
 
One of the bands I'm in is a Beatles tribute band. All we play is Beatle music.
Most of the songs sound easy to play, until you try to play them.


.
 
His hi hat playing in Roll Over "Beat"hoven is i'm sure where Bonham got the intro to Rock ' Roll from.
 
Talk'n about the slosh really but yeah there really isn't anything new is there?
 
Love the guy. By far the most appealing member of the Beatles for me. Always saw him as the grounded guy when the maelstrom was happening around him.

And, ironically, despite all the great songs written, Octopuss's Garden is my favourite one of the lot. It's a wonderful song. And whenever I hear it, it brings a massive lump to my throat because I used to sing it in the first band I was in back when I was 14. Sang it to my kids in the car when they were little. Sing it to my grand daughter. Great memories. It's timeless.
 
No storm. The guy was the drummer in the most famous and influential pop/rock band in history. He needs no introduction or ego massage because his recordings stand as a measure of his playing.
 
An interesting word in that article, "composed".
Something that seems to be missed or even glossed over is the contribution that all band members make to the composition of a song. If someone is bringing a fully formed song (vocals, vocal melody, chords, solo, bass line, keyboards, rhythm, tempo, drum fills etc) to the table then they can claim that song as 100% their own. But the reality is that what is brought to a band is often a chord structure and/or lyrics and vocal melody. The song can take shape and even change entirely due to what the other members then play never mind ideas they might bring for intros, outros and structure. It's my guess that while Lennon and McCartney brought the bulk of the songs to the table, the songs became what they are because of the interactions of all 4 Beatles and George Martin.
 
It seems like a cyclical thing. Every year some article comes out about Ringo, or Nick Mason, or Charlie Watts, or any other drummer who they consider not to have been a chop merchant, and its "Was this guy actually any good?".

The answer is, If they were not any good, or hadnt been just right for the band they were in, they would not have lasted and been replaced PDQ. Next.
 
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SquadLeader said:
And, ironically, despite all the great songs written, Octopuss's Garden is my favourite one of the lot. It's a wonderful song. And whenever I hear it, it brings a massive lump to my throat because I used to sing it in the first band I was in back when I was 14. Sang it to my kids in the car when they were little. Sing it to my grand daughter.
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Aww. That's awesome. I hope Ringo knows how deeply he has touched fans like you.
 
paradiddle pete said:
His hi hat playing in Roll Over "Beat"hoven is i'm sure where Bonham got the intro to Rock ' Roll from.
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No, Bonham lifted that from the intro to You Keep 'A Knockin' by Little Richard.

Ringo's the man. He has a feel all his own that is very hard to accurately duplicate.
 
mikel said:
It seems like a cyclical thing. Every year some article comes out about Ringo, or Nick Mason, or Charlie Watts, or any other drummer who they consider not to have been a chop merchant, and its "Was this guy actually any good?".

The answer is, If they were not any good, or hadnt been just right for the band they were in, they would not have lasted and been replaced PDQ. Next.
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Exactly. If they didn't study with Joe Morello or use the Moeller technique then they have no skills. Their producer was a stickler for detail and Ringo would not have been around long if he couldn't play the drums.
 
After many years playing covers of Beatles tunes in various incarnations of wedding bands etc. I now really appreciate Ringo for the parts he came up with and played. 20-25 years ago when I was in my teens and early 20s I was caught up in the Weckl, Portnoy, etc. technique game and asked to define what a good drummer was I probably would have thrown out one of those names, and I wouldn't be wrong per se, just depends on perspective.

But Ringo as a musician is really quite impressive. He played for their songs, created very different feels from one song to the next and when covering a Beatles tune, you really do have to play close to what he played or people kinda get offended unless it is an entirely different interpretation of the song (ie. Come Together etc.)

He wasn't as large an influence on me as a drummer as say Bonham was but.....the guy was a monster as far as leaving his stamp on Rock n roll.
 
I always liked Ringo because he has a big nose-just like me.
 
If someone doesn't "get" Ringo and they're a musician, let alone a drummer, I don't trust or respect them. His musicality supersedes anyone's poor taste or ignorance.

I consider myself lucky that I was raised by parents who love the Beatles, and in particular a drumming father who was one of the millions of kids inspired to play music because they saw the Beatles on Sullivan. I loved Ringo from the start as a kid, and as I got older I learned why that was. I respect him, I admire him and I'm still in awe of him.
 
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