Ringo Starr

What?!?!? You say, Ringo Star?!?!?!?! So the question is this, Creative Genius or just a good 4-4 Drummer??

Music is a lot like politics and religion, hot debates, conflicting opinions and hurt feelings. If you are a regular reader you know my musical tastes start and end with Canadian Power Trio Rush. I am however a lover of music and music history. So when the Brian Wilson story/Smile was on Showtime I DVRed it and soaked it up like a sponge. The Beach Boys are to my Dad as Rush is to me and I remember growing up listening to Beach Boy records all the time. Sure he liked the Beatles, Elvis and those sock hop glory day singers but it was always the Beach Boys. So I had an appreciation for their music and as I got older for their genius. I always felt that the Boy, mostly Brian, suffered from a lack of respect for their music because of its theme, Surf Music. However if you listen to the early albums (before Brian went crazy and Dennis died) you can see/hear the seed that early pioneers had sown actually flower and create the foundation of rock and roll today. During this Smile special they interviewed many industry mainstays and experts including the producer for the Beatles. John and Paul heard the break through album PetSounds and copied that, developed on it and created Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. At the same time Brian Wilson was working on the follow up Smile, it never happened as the Beach Boys wanted to go in a different direction. 30 some odd years later Smile was released to much fan fare and critical awareness. Paul McCartney said of Smile, if it was released when intended we (the Beatles) would never had done Sgt. Pepper's, it is that good. So here we have one of the creative forces behind the most influential band on today's music saying that there was one who did it first, and his name is Brian Wilson. General appearances can be deceiving, and opinions incorrect. Let one's work speak for itself and you would be amazed at the doors opened.......

PS 4-4 drummer, have you ever seen his All-Stars.