Ken Tucker

Freed from the demands of rock and roll volume when singing with the Beatles, Ringo's crooning possesses the kind of relaxed authority that usually only a genius like Willie Nelson or Ray Charles can make sound so easy.

Freed from the demands of rock and roll volume when singing with the Beatles, Ringo's crooning possesses the kind of relaxed authority that usually only a genius like Willie Nelson or Ray Charles can make sound so easy.

Ringo spent a good chunk of his post-Beatle career fronting a series of what he calls his all-star bands with a rotating cast of rock stars.

Ringo spent a good chunk of his post-Beatle career fronting a series of what he calls his all-star bands with a rotating cast of rock stars.

Ringo spent a good chunk of his post-Beatle career fronting a series of what he calls his all-star bands with a rotating cast of rock stars.

The 11 songs on Look Up feature less glitzy but no less strong support from Nashville vets like bassist Dennis Crouch, pedal steel player Paul Franklin, and younger budding stars like guitarist-singer Molly Tuttle and bluegrass guitar phenomenon Billy Strings. Strings' most recent album, released late last year, Highway Prayers, has brought him a larger audience than Bluegrass usually attracts.

The 11 songs on Look Up feature less glitzy but no less strong support from Nashville vets like bassist Dennis Crouch, pedal steel player Paul Franklin, and younger budding stars like guitarist-singer Molly Tuttle and bluegrass guitar phenomenon Billy Strings. Strings' most recent album, released late last year, Highway Prayers, has brought him a larger audience than Bluegrass usually attracts.

The 11 songs on Look Up feature less glitzy but no less strong support from Nashville vets like bassist Dennis Crouch, pedal steel player Paul Franklin, and younger budding stars like guitarist-singer Molly Tuttle and bluegrass guitar phenomenon Billy Strings. Strings' most recent album, released late last year, Highway Prayers, has brought him a larger audience than Bluegrass usually attracts.

The biggest guest star on this album is Alison Krauss, with whom Ringo hits an emotional peak on this collection called Thankful.

The biggest guest star on this album is Alison Krauss, with whom Ringo hits an emotional peak on this collection called Thankful.

The biggest guest star on this album is Alison Krauss, with whom Ringo hits an emotional peak on this collection called Thankful.

The gratitude that Ringo expresses on Thankful is what has made him such a beloved figure. He always came across as the most modest Beatle, grateful he'd lucked into being a member of the most influential rock band in history.

The gratitude that Ringo expresses on Thankful is what has made him such a beloved figure. He always came across as the most modest Beatle, grateful he'd lucked into being a member of the most influential rock band in history.

The gratitude that Ringo expresses on Thankful is what has made him such a beloved figure. He always came across as the most modest Beatle, grateful he'd lucked into being a member of the most influential rock band in history.

But his underrated talent, his quietly persistent hard work over the years, it's all contributed to the strength of this collection, in which Ringo Starr emphasizes the value of simple, straightforward sincerity.

But his underrated talent, his quietly persistent hard work over the years, it's all contributed to the strength of this collection, in which Ringo Starr emphasizes the value of simple, straightforward sincerity.

But his underrated talent, his quietly persistent hard work over the years, it's all contributed to the strength of this collection, in which Ringo Starr emphasizes the value of simple, straightforward sincerity.

The year in pop music 2024 pivoted around a trio of women, hitmakers whose various successes hinged upon assertions of creative ambition and admissions of romantic weakness. Foremost among them is the British songwriter Charli XCX.

The year in pop music 2024 pivoted around a trio of women, hitmakers whose various successes hinged upon assertions of creative ambition and admissions of romantic weakness. Foremost among them is the British songwriter Charli XCX.

The year in pop music 2024 pivoted around a trio of women, hitmakers whose various successes hinged upon assertions of creative ambition and admissions of romantic weakness. Foremost among them is the British songwriter Charli XCX.