Ringo Starr
Postcards from Paradise (Universal Music Enterprises)
Three stars
Forty-five years after The Beatles called it quits (and about a decade more since he left the band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes to make musical history), Starr's Postcards from Paradise comes with plenty of lyrical and musical blasts from the past to remind listeners of his role in music legend. It's fitting timing, as the world's most-famous musical time-keeper is about to become the last of the solo Beatles to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some nods are obvious, such as the Beatles-eque mid-tempo shuffle of the title track, in which dozens of Beatles (and solo) tunes get name-checked: "I ain't goin' nowhere man, because I want to hold your hand." Others are subtle, such as the guitar-drum interplay on Bridges that calls to mind the bond between Starr and the late George Harrison. Overall, Postcards entertains as it reminisces, but doesn't break any new musical ground. Still, it's a mostly fun ride that's musically strengthened by the All-Starr Band, a top-notch group of rock journeymen, and tailor-made for touring.
