Tour 2003

Rating:
Summary: What's up with the negative reviews?
Review: Hey guys, yes, John Waite is no John Entwistle on the bass and Collin Haye is no Joe Walsh on lead guitar, but what this 2003 lineup did have over previous lineups is the fact that this is the best vocal lineup that Ringo's had yet. I love Simon Kirke (I'm a huge fan of Free and early Bad Co.) from a previous All-Starr lineup, but you have to admit, Sheila E. is a better drummer overall. The comraderie and genuine affection this latest lineup has for each other and for Ringo are awesome. Ringo doesn't look tired, by the way, as some review claimed below. He always looks like that when he plays the drums, be it in 1964 on TV, in the "Let It Be" movie or the promo videos and concert footage we've seen after The Beatles.
I'm a bassist, and Ringo's 2003 lineup on this DVD is far from shabby. Most bands would love to have this kind of "first night," which is the band's first show as seen on the DVD. I can't believe people nitpick about Collin's solos and stuff. Collin's a fine guitarist, and a great singer and writer, by the way.

Rating:
Summary: Can We See The End Of Tour Performance?
Review: If only this film could have been captured at the end of the tour instead of the beginning.

Ringo is his usual self throughout this DVD. Ever wisecracking and self-effacing, he is as charming as ever. Anyone who had a radio in the 80s would easily recognize Colin Hay, Paul Carrack and John Waite. Even Sheila E. can stand on her own as an 80s icon. Together, they make up Ringo Starr's latest All-Starr Band and, for the most part, they make for an intriguing combo. Each artist has a chance to lead the band in their own respective hits as well as ably backing Ringo on a few of his own. Individually, each performer brings skill and talent to the mix - all are competent musicians and one really gets a chance to appreciate their talents on this DVD.

While I enjoyed this DVD for its concert footage, I was mildly disappointed in the somewhat flat performances from the band. While Mark Rivera shines as the band's leader (he's an amazingly talented musician and he displays a multi-instrumental aptitude on this disc), I couldn't help but feel the band had not worked out all the kinks of their set yet. The 5.1 mix does nothing to convince me otherwise too. The band does mention how much it loves Canada throughout the concert segments and the tour started in Toronto so it is easy to conclude that the polish of repeated playing had not yet taken off the rough edges of their show. And that, to me, is a shame.

I'm afraid I enjoyed the between-song interview segments more than the concert footage in spots. In one piece just prior to Sheila E.'s "Glamorous Life," the cameras focuses in on Sheila and Paul as they try to nail down what parts to sing in the harmonies for the chorus. As they work through their parts, Colin and Mark join in and, briefly - oh so briefly - one gets a glimpse of what true talent can do to transform ordinary into extraordinary. Cut to the actual concert footage of the song and one can barely hear the harmonies that sounded so rich and vibrant moments earlier.

Had this concert been filmed at the middle or the end of the tour, I'm confident Ringo and his All-Starr Band would have nailed their performances. Off stage, the band members seemed to really enjoy each other's company. No doubt that later on the playing would have been tighter, the mix a little more spot on and the whole package would have been a little more polished. Still, Ringo and his band pulled the show off despite this and the concert does have a loose quality that evokes a friendly good-natured jam session. Far be it from Ringo to deprive us of enjoying a group of good friends who love to play music together.

Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining but not Ringo's best DVD.
Review: Ringo Starr Tour 2003 marks the third recent Ringo tour DVD. Ringo's various All-Starr tours are always very entertaining and feature unique line-ups of talented performers. The 2003 line-up was no exception and offers up many classic songs performed by the original singers. Highlights include Ringo's usual hits (this time adding lively renditions of "Don't Pass Me By," "Honey Don't," and "Memphis on Your Mind") and other standouts like Colin Hay's "Land Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?" Paul Carrack's "How Long?" and "The Living Years," and John Waite's "When I See You Smile."

However, although the vocal talents of this particular All-Starr group (John Waite, Colin Hay, Sheila E., Mark Rivera, Paul Carrack) are very impressive on all the songs, it was not quite as strong musically as some of Ringo's other groupings. Some of these same songs are featured on Ringo's 2001 release ("Ringo and his New All-Starr Band") and quite frankly are performed better there with a higher energy level (particularly when comparing Waite's rudimentary bass playing on the funky Sheila E. numbers like "Glamorous Life" with ELP's Greg Lake's stand-out earlier work on the 2001 DVD or with the work of other former All-Starr bassists such as the Who's John Entwistle or Cream's Jack Bruce.) Colin Hay's lead guitar work also could have used a supplement from the stellar line-up of guitarists (Peter Frampton, Nils Lofgren, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, Randy Bachman, Mark Farner) from other Ringo tours featured on "The Best of the All-Starr Band So Far" DVD.

To be fair, the filmed concert on the new DVD was the FIRST of the band's entire tour, meaning the group hadn't really jelled as it would after weeks of touring. On most songs the performances are top rate nonetheless. As the DVD reveals, Sheila E. was also nursing an unfortunate knee injury that particular evening (yet still amazes as a drummer, singer, and the ultimate gamer) which may have affected the band's carefree chemistry on that night only--especially during her physically challenging solo numbers.

The photography of the concert itself is quite well done. The interspersed documentary footage is wonderfully entertaining due to the upbeat personalities of the talented musicians but also interrupts the flow of the concert songs. Unfortunately there is not a "play songs only" mode to play the just the concert. In addition, unlike Ringo's other DVD's, there is no DTS sound option (only 5.1 surround). Although Ringo seems more fun to hang around with than Paul McCartney on his "Back in the US" disk (no offense to Sir Paul--Ringo is just a classic lovable guy with a stellar sense of humor), some might prefer just watching the concert's momentum unfold as on the tour. In addition, some standout songs (Hay's "Overkill," Carrack's "Tempted") performed on the tour have been left off the disk. Even the tour's emotional highpoint, a moving tribute to George Harrison, is left out of the regular documentary and is shown only in an added bonus rehearsal version.

Overall, I would recommend this disk for Ringo completists and fans of the individual 2003 All-Starrs. However, I would recommend Ringo's other DVDs if you are shopping for your first Ringo disk or prefer your concerts uninterrupted by documentary footage.


Rating:
Summary: You Can Skip This Performance
Review: Ringo Starr's other concert DVD's are fine performances, but this one fails to deliver. The cast of John Waite, Colin Hay, Paul Carrack, Sheila E. and Mark Rivera seems to lack the magic. Sure, "Glamorous Life" was OK, and "The Living Years", "Down Under" and "How Long" were fairly good. But you get only a few Ringo songs; "Honey Don't", "Boys" and "Yellow Submarine" and these were so lackluster (as if Ringo was very, very tired) that they were painful. You don't get to hear, "Back Off Boogaloo", You're Sixteen" or even "Photograph". That is quite a disappointment. Instead, half of the footage is Ringo and the gang mugging the camera between songs and concerts. Sheila E. on the floor playing with a bass guitar was just awful nonsense. I recommend the other two DVD's, but this one is junk and a terrible waste when it could have been so much more.

Rating:
Summary: For completists only
Review: Ringo's latest incarnation of the All Starr Band is, sad to say, his weakest yet. Colin Hay, though a brilliant songwriter, is not a strong enough guitar player to handle all the leads. Sheila E. returns on drums and proves she is one of the best female percussionists on the planet. John Waite on bass just seems out of place. I never was one of his biggest fans. Paul Carrack is a welcome addition on keyboards, though sadly, one of his best numbers during the show, "Tempted" is not included here. Without the steadfast Mark Riveira to fill in all the gaps, I'm afraid this outfit would fall rather flat. I'm not sure how much longer Ringo can keep up this All Starr format, because it's getting spread rather thin.
Overall sound and video quality is excellent, though I found the 5.1 mix to be rather flat and subdued with hardly any audience noise. There are few extras aside from some backstage banter and comment from each member as to their Beatle memories. As I mentioned earlier, several numbers were not included, such as "Tempted", the excellent acoustic version of "Here Comes the Sun", and Ringo's tribute to George "Never Without You", and I'm not sure why.
Like I said, this one is for the die-hard fan only and those collectors, like myself, who have to have EVERYTHING.

Rating:
Summary: Ringo's Fan from Venezuela
Review: The DVD looks and sound great, but as somebody said, this is not the best All Starr Band line up that Ringo puts on the road. The documentary is good, I'd enjoy watching the jokes, coments, backstage, rehearsing, etc. I'm a completist trying to get all the All Starr Bands on videos, the 3th All Starr was good, but hard to find on video, just bootleg video (lucky me, i got it), but was a great line up. The idea on this DVD showing a documentary between songs is ok.
If you love Ringo, buy this one. The two clasics songs of "men at works" like "who can it be now" and "down under" are great ! Mark Rivera is so great!! also Sheila E on drums, I didn't know nothing about John Wait until this DVD, weak on the bass, also Colin Hay on the guitar parts, mostly the solos!
Unfortunatelly Ringo includes once again the same songs as Yellow Submarine, I wanna be your man and Honey Don't, its much better can see playing the songs of the current album with the tour, like "RingoRama" in this case, or other Beatle Ringo's songs like Octopus Garden, he did that on the VH1 Storyteller's show, singing more songs from "vertical Man" CD. I hope can see a better line up and songs on the "aparently" 2005 tour!