Review: Ringo Starr - 'Long Long Road'

Here's my track-by-track, first listen review of Ringo's new LP, out today. 

As with 2025, this one is produced by T Bone Burnett and features many of the same players and guests. Molly Tuttle is Ringo's right-hand woman with Billy Strings, also again, provided great support. 

I need to listen to it more, but on first impression, I think this one may actually be a bit better than the last one. And it's certainly one of Ringo's strongest LPs, which is saying a lot for a guy who's 85! 

If it's a contest, Paul's upcoming Boys from Dungeon Lane will need to be really damn good to beat this one.

Returning Without Tears 

Written by Joe Henry & T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Molly Tuttle
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Acoustic Guitar - Molly Tuttle
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffmann
• Steel Guitar - Paul Franklin
• Violin - David Mansfield
• Keyboards - Patrick Warren

This one sets the album off with a great start: A bluegrassy ballad with lovely harmonies between Ringo and Tuttle. Nice tune by Henry and Burnett.

Baby Don’t Go

Written by T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Billy Strings
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Tambourine - Mike Stankiewicz
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Electric Guitar - T Bone Burnett
• Acoustic Guitar - Billy Strings
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren

This one is less country apart from Strings' twangy guitar fills and soloing. There's a heavy, minor-key feel. If it was taken a bit faster, with harmonies from John and Paul, it sound like something that might've been included on Help! or Rubber Soul. Another nice tune.

I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore

Written by Bennie Benjamin & GD (George David) Weiss

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Vocal Choruses - Daniel Tashian
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Electric Guitar - Colin Linden
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffman
• Steel Guitar - Paul Franklin
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren

Also very nice, this is pure Nashville countrypolitan. Fun retro harmonies overdubbed by Tashian and strings. Nice steel parts from Franklin. 

It’s Been Too Long

Written by Daniel Tashian & T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Daniel Tashian
• Background Vocals - Sarah Jarosz and Molly Tuttle
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Claps - David Mansfield
• Tambourine - Mike Stankiewicz
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Electric Guitar - David Mansfield
• 12 String Guitar - David Mansfield
• Electric Guitar - Daniel Tashian
• Electric and Acoustic Guitars - T Bone Burnett
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffman
• Farfisa - David Mansfield
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren

The album's first "single" shared several weeks back. Ringo sounds so great backed with female harmonies. Like "Baby Don't Go," it has that 1965 feel. 

Why

Written by T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal  - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Billy Strings
• Background Vocals- Daniel Tashian
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Claps  - Michael Piersante
• Percussion - Michael Stankiewicz
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Acoustic Guitar- Molly Tuttle
• Acoustic Guitar - Billy Strings
• Electric Guitar - Daniel Mansfield
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren

Oh wow, this sounds like a lost Everly Brothers track! Nice harmonies with Ringo sounding warm and confident. You can tell he digs the song. Awesome back-and-forth guitar soloing from Strings and Tuttle. A gem.

You and I (Wave of Love)

Written by Richard Starkey and Bruce Sugar

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Lead and Harmony Vocals - Molly Tuttle
• Vocal Choruses - Daniel Tashian 
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Tambourine - Michael Piersante
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Acoustic Guitar - David Mansfield
• Electric Guitar - Daniel Tashian
• Mandolin - Daniel Tashian
• Steel Guitar - Paul Franklin
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffman
• Strings - David Mansfield

Things flag a little bit with this one. Tuttle sounds a bit tentative duetting with Ringo. Cheesy lyrics. The Starr-Sugar songwriting duo is no match for Burnett. Not terrible, but not great. It harkens back to the long batch of LP Ringo was putting out before T Bone arrived to perk things up and provide some much-needed quality control.

My Baby Don’t Want Nothing

Written by T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal  - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Billy Strings
• Vocal Chorus- Daniel Tashian
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Tambourine - Mike Stankiewicz
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Acoustic Guitar - T Bone Burnett
• Electric Guitar - Colin Linden
• Electric Guitar - Daniel Tashian
• Electric Guitar- Billy Strings
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren

Back on track. Very slow and could be a bit livelier, but Ringo sounds nice with Strings' harmonies. Betting this is a grower. Not as immediately as some of the early tunes on the LP, but I can imagine getting  to like it more with some familiarity.

Choose Love

Written by Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Gary Burr

1. Ringo Starr – Lead Vocal
2. St. Vincent (Annie Clark) – Vocal Harmonies
3. Drums - Ringo Starr
4. String Bass- Dennis Crouch
5. Acoustic Guitar - David Mansfield
6. Dobro, Electric Guitar - Colin Linden
7. Electric Guitar -T Bone Burnett
8. Pedal Steel Guitar -Paul Franklin
9. CryptoClav-Rory Hoffman
10. Chamberlain, Organ, Strings - Patrick Warren

A remake of Ringo's 2005 track featuring St. Vincent's harmonies. It has a gently psych feel with Linden's dobro subbing for sitar. Cheesy allusions to a "long and winding road" and paying your dues if you're singing the blues that come across as Ringo coasting by on, rather than celebrating his storied past. Not terrible/not great.

She’s Gone

Written by Paul Kennerley, Daniel Tashian & T Bone Burnett

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Molly Tuttle
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Percussion - Ringo Starr
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• Classical Acoustic Guitar - Todd Lombardo
• Acoustic Guitar - David Mansfield
• Fiddle - David Mansfield
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffman
• Strings - David Mansfield

Much better. A slow heartbreak ballad. Tuttle's harmonies soar. Lombardo's soloing is tender, giving the track a folky feel. Lovely.

Long Long Road

Written by Richard Starkey and Bruce Sugar

• Lead Vocal - Ringo Starr
• Harmony Vocal - Sheryl Crow
• Vocal Chorus- Daniel Tashian
• Drums - Ringo Starr
• Bass - Dennis Crouch
• 12 String Mandolin - T Bone Burnett
• Steel Guitar - Paul Franklin
• Crypto Clav - Rory Hoffman
• Keyboards and Orchestration - Patrick Warren
• Viola - David Mansfield

Opens with brief Beach Boys harmonies overdubbed by Tashian. Reassuring lyrics. A cheesy-but-lovable spoken word section from Ringo. Nobody else on the planet could get away with hit. Much better than the earlier Starr-Sugar track. Nice harmonies from Crow. A fine conclusion to a short, sweet, solid album.