It don't come easy (Ringo Starr) (LP 3929 - 3933)

Ringo Starr  Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band (Cassette, EMI Records, 1990) ***

Ringo Starr  Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Volume 2: Live from Montreux (CD, Rykodisc Records, 1993) *** 

Ringo Starr  VH1 Storytellers (CD, Mercury Records, 1998) **** 

Ringo Starr  Live at Soundstage  (CD, Koch Records, 2007) **** 

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band  Live 2006 (CD, Koch Records, 2008) **

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Music shop in Nelson, Real Groovy Records, JB Hi Fi.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Back Off Boogaloo (Live at Soundstage)

Gear costume: Never Without You (Live at Soundstage)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: I can't say that I'm a very keen collector of Ringo's live albums. There are a few of The All-Starr Band live albums that I don't own and I haven't put them on my wants list. A few are fun to have, but how many times do I need to have live versions of Yellow Submarine and Boys? Not that many!

I do have the first All-Starr Band album on cassette and that one is a lot of fun. The All-Starr Band at this early stage was pretty incredible with Dr. John, Joe Walsh, Billy Preston, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons, and session drummer Jim Keltner. 

Next up - Volume 2: Live from Montreux and there were a couple of familiar faces retained from the first incarnation of the All Starr Band (like The Plastic Ono Band it was never the intention to be a fixed group of the same band members) namely Joe Walsh and Nils Lofgren. They were joined by newcomers Timothy B. Schmit, Dave Edmunds, Todd Rundgren, Burton Cummings, and Zak Starkey, on drums.

Ringo is not on top form - he sounds a tad tired and his vocals are up and down (and out) during the concert.

The VH1 Storytellers set is much better. Ringo is in an intimate setting, the sound is superb and The Roundheads are a great band. Tight as a...erm...drum.

Ringo sings well throughout, appears in enthusiastic mood and the stories add a lot to the atmosphere. Ringo is, of course, just naturally hilarious!

Live at Soundstage also has Ringo and The Roundheads (still in great form). The usual songs make the setlist (it's a great setlist) along with some tracks off the latest album at the time (Choose Love), and his tribute to George - Never Without You.

The final live album in this list is back to the All-Starr Band. This iteration is from 2006. The All-Starr Band for this outing included Richard Marx, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, Rod Argent, Hamish Stuart, and Sheila E. Yep - aside from Rod Argent and Edgar, a pretty average kind of line-up. This one gets a low rating because of the meh songs by some meh artists.

Where do they all belong? If you only want a taste of Ringo live I suggest you go for VH1 or Live at Soundstage.