Peace and Love for Ringo: My Review of "Look Up"

Ringo Starr is not just one of MY favorite drummers, but one of the world’s most beloved drummers, and he has never been better. With his fame from being in the world’s biggest band in the '60s and early '70s, and within his solo career; The Beatles. Ringo recently released his new solo country album on January 10, 2025, called Look Up. In this article, I will be reviewing each song and giving it 1-5 Cyclones. 

1. Breathless- What I get from this song is he is talking about his partner. He finds them breathtaking and when he talks to them he finds himself breathless. The beginning of the song sounds like an old Beatles tune from the 60’s. Even though it is country-inspired. The one that comes to mind for me is She Loves You or I Feel Fine. 

2. Rosetta- This starts out very heavy. You might even think it’s a metal song with how it sounds with the heavy guitar and eerie sounds in the background. He is talking about an ex and how memories with them always come back to him and last. That’s relatable to everyone. This album seems very relatable as I go through it. I love the darkness of this song. You can imagine the pain of all the memories floating back to him. Genius! 

3. You Want Some- As the ninth song on the album, it moves fast. Once you listen to the album you're already at the ninth. It is just that good. I love this one. So many stars. It honestly could be a country Christmas song (maybe about presents), and also a Beatles song at the same time. The Beatles had this repetitiveness to their songs that people love, and he is bringing it out here. 

4. Thankful- This was the song that made me want to listen to the album. It is about how thankful he is for his lover. Completely expressed in the lyrics, you even feel it in the guitars. It is beautiful. 

1. I Live For Your Love- This song is pretty straightforward. He talks about how he is living for his partner, now and forever. I like how simple it is. It starts out with just a light guitar and adds a light drum pattern. It matches the lyrics and it is an easy listen. If there is any song on this album you should listen to, it is definitely this one. 

2. Come Back - Reminds me of an early Elvis song. Elvis’ early music was very country as that is what he grew up on. I suppose Ringo was going for that vibe because the Beatles were also very close with Elvis and thought there was no one greater than him. This is a slower song, and the instrumental of the guitar is consistent, which is something I enjoy hearing in music. 

3. String Theory- I like the theme of this song. It is about how life is about love no matter what. The instruments really go well together. I love the addition of a cowbell and ride cymbals. I haven’t heard that yet. 10.10 on the theme. 

1. Look Up- This song has a very slow beat to it. Drums and guitar. The main theme of this song is that when life is bad you have to look up and keep going. I believe today, is a really good inspiration, because many people suffer from mental illnesses and don’t think it will get better, but Ringo says it will. I love the theme, I think Ringo has always had this aura about him that is always happy and cheerful. He likes to bring up everyone’s mood, and it really shows through this song. 

2. Time On My Hands- I remember listening to this song for the first time as it was originally a single and I loved it. Although it is sort of sad because it is about heartbreak, it sounds like his old breakup tunes. Especially the album “Ringo.” I usually do not like country but Ringo has a way of making any genre great. 

3. Never Let Me Go- This song is so brilliant lyrically. When Ringo said, “Others may have tried to blame you, for something they did themselves,” I really liked that line. It is completely the truth. For friendships and relationships. Forever have people deflected on others for something they did. I think this might be the first time I heard it said truthfully in a song and I really appreciated it. I always appreciate Ringo’s lyrical ability. It is out of this world. 

4. Can you Hear Me Call- This song, again, starts out slow. It seems as if this album has a slow heartbreak/love country theme to it. Something you would hear in a bar. This song is Ringo asking his lover if they know how he feels about them. If they truly know, and he puts that feeling into the song. A lot of that is very relatable to today. I feel like when people are in relationships they don’t feel as if their partner feels the same way. A lot of people will be able to relate to this one. 

I have been a fan of the Beatles since I was 10 years old, and they will always be part of my original music taste. I will forever cherish the music they made and still make and everyone should too, as they are quite literally the most loved and cherished band in music history. 

I rate the entire album: