Blast From Your Past
Just possibly the luckiest pop musician in history (replacing haplessPete Bestin theBeatleson the eve of their EMI signing and the unprecedented fame that followed), Ringo Starr wasted no time carving out his own comfortable--and surprisingly successful--post-Fabs career in the early 1970s. This concise greatest-hits package (ostensibly a contractual-filling farewell to his longtime label) compiles all of the drummer's top 10 hits, including the evergreen smashes "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen," as well as the hit singles "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo." The charming B-side "Early 1970" (chronicling the contemporary lives of three of Starr's suspiciously familiar musician friends) is also included. It may shortchange Ringo's lovingly quirky early country & western and Tin Pan Alley collections (Beaucoups of BluesandSentimental Journey, respectively), but it's still a great choice for hit-hungry fans.--Jerry McCulley