Far be it for anyone to dictate what a Beatle can or can't do, but what's going on with Ringo Starr lately? Since turning 80, he'd seemed happy to ease into semi-retirement: less touring, no more albums and — of course — no more fanmail. Then, seemingly out of nowhere in 2025, he released Look Up — a blindsiding blend of country and Americana (complete with a cowboy hat on the cover), marking his first earnest dalliance with the genre in a half-century.Starr's now backed that up with his second country album in as many years, Long Long Road. How did we end up here? It seemingly boils down to country veteran T Bone Burnett, who produced both albums in a collaboration that's clearly been fruitful. Burnett apparently believes that the Beatle's music "feels like Texas," which, while kind, feels almost as deluded as Timbaland envisioning Chris Cornell as "the first rockstar in the club" back in 2009.Granted, there are moments on Long Long Road where Burnett almost makes his case: the rollicking "Baby Don't Go" is endearing, and Ringo is especially having fun on line dance-ready "Why." Much like Brian Wilson's feature-heavy No Pier Pressure, however, Starr mostly feels like a guest on his own album. An impressive array of stars bring the ten-gallon vision to life, from virtuosos like Billy Strings and Sarah Jarosz to fellow genre outsiders like St. Vincent and Sheryl Crow. However, it's a double-edged sword: you're so busy picking out who's on what, you've almost entirely forgotten about Ringo — who, for the most part, isn't exactly giving you a reason to pay attention to him.It's hard to begrudge Long Long Road entirely, though. Burnett's production gives the affair both refined sheen and rustic charm, and Starr's voice has barely aged since he first sang about being under the sea (both in an octopus's garden and a yellow submarine). That said, it's telling that both of those scenarios feel more believable on record than Sir Ringo being a Texas-sized country star. He's gotten by with a little help from his friends, but just barely.
Wavelength
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