Postcards from Paradise

Postcards from Paradise
Studio album by Ringo Starr
Released	31 March 2015
Recorded	2014–15, Roccabella West, Los Angeles and Rydenhurst, UK
Genre	Pop rock[1]
Length	43:57
Label	UM^e, Universal Music Group International
Producer	Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr chronology
Icon (2014) Postcards from Paradise (2015)
Singles from Postcards from Paradise
"Postcards from Paradise" Released: 3 March 2015

Postcards from Paradise is the 18th studio album by Ringo Starr. It was released on 31 March 2015.^[2]

Development

Several album titles were considered, including "Let Love Lead". The song "Island in the Sun" was co-written by every member of Starr's current All-Starr Band. The album was produced completely by Starr himself, and engineered by longtime collaborator Bruce Sugar. Starr worked with many of his regular songwriting and recording colleagues on "Postcards from Paradise", including Van Dyke Parks, Dave Stewart, and Gary Burr. As with his previous albums, Starr maintains a philosophy of "If you show up at my house and you can play, you're on the record".

Promotion and release

Starr first revealed the album's title through a Twitter post in January 2015. Three tracks, "Postcards from Paradise", "Right Side of the Road" and "Not Looking Back", became available for purchase in early March 2015. A lyric video for "Postcards from Paradise" was released on 5 March via Yahoo.com. "Confirmation", "Bamboula" and "Touch and Go" were released during the week preceding the album's release. The album was issued a few weeks before Starr's second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	61/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Blogcritics	[1]
Classic Rock	5/10[5]
PopMatters	[6]
Q	[7]
Record Collector	[8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
Slant Magazine	[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rory and the Hurricanes"	Richard Starkey, Dave Stewart	4:09
2.	"You Bring the Party Down"	Starkey, Steve Lukather	3:41
3.	"Bridges"	Starkey, Joe Walsh	5:01
4.	"Postcards from Paradise"	Starkey, Todd Rundgren	5:18
5.	"Right Side of the Road"	Starkey, Richard Marx	3:12
6.	"Not Looking Back"	Starkey, Marx	3:50
7.	"Bamboula"	Starkey, Van Dyke Parks	3:20
8.	"Island in the Sun"	Starkey, Rundgren, Richard Page, Lukather, Gregg Rolie, Warren Ham, Gregg Bissonette	4:02
9.	"Touch and Go"	Starkey, Gary Burr	3:36
10.	"Confirmation"	Starkey, Glen Ballard	3:37
11.	"Let Love Lead"	Starkey, Gary Nicholson	4:11

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.^[11]

Musicians Ringo Starr – lead and backing vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, reggae guitar, string arrangement Dave Stewart – guitars Steve Lukather – guitar, synth bass, backing vocals Joe Walsh – guitars Peter Frampton – guitar Richard Marx – backing vocals, guitars Steve Dudas – guitar Gary Nicholson – guitars Michael Bradford – bass guitar Nathan East – bass guitar Richard Page – backing vocals, bass guitar Jason Borger – keyboards Bruce Sugar – sitar synth, keyboards, piano, synth, string arrangement Ann-Marie Simpson – violin, string arrangement Van Dyke Parks– piano, accordion, synth, horn arrangement Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet Gregg Bissonette – percussion, trumpet, steel drums, backing vocals Gregg Rolie – organ Warren Ham – saxophone, keyboard, backing vocals Jimmy Z – harmonica, saxophone Glen Ballard – piano Benmont Tench – organ, piano Double Treble – backing vocals Amy Keys – backing vocals Kari Kimmel – backing vocals Todd Rundgren – backing vocals Windy Wagner – backing vocals

Production Ringo Starr – producer, mixing Bruce Sugar – recording, mixing, keyboard programming Chris Bellman – mastering Ned Douglas – additional engineer Sean Rolie – B3 organ engineering Vartan – art direction Masaki, Meire Murakani – design Rob Shanahan – cover photo Scott Ritchie – back cover photo

Chart positions

Chart (2015)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12]	146
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13]	114
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[14]	95
Italian Albums (FIMI)[15]	91
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[16]	88
US Billboard 200[17]	99
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[18]	21
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[19]	15
UK (OCC)[20]	157

References

1. Lipp, Chaz ("The Other Chad") (23 April 2015). "Music Review: Ringo Starr – 'Postcards from Paradise'". Blogcritics. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
2. Grow, Kory (29 January 2015). "Ringo Starr Slates 'Postcards From Paradise' Weeks Before Hall of Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
3. "Reviews for Postcards from Paradise by Ringo Starr". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (30 March 2015). "Ringo Starr Postcards from Paradise". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
5. Flys, Phoebe (May 2015). "Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise". Classic Rock. p. 107.
6. Zimmerman, Lee (1 April 2015). "Ringo Starr: Postcards From Paradise". PopMatters. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
7. Snow, Mat (May 2015). "Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise". Q. p. 112.
8. Heatley, Michael (May 2015). "Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise". Record Collector. p. 106. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
9. Sheffield, Rob (31 March 2015). "Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
10. Winograd, Jeremy (28 March 2015). "Ringo Starr: Postcards from Paradise". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
11. Postcards from Paradise (Booklet). Ringo Starr. UM^e/Universal Music Group International. 2015. 00602547236449.
12. "Ultratop.be – Ringo Starr – Postcards from Paradise" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
13. "Ultratop.be – Ringo Starr – Postcards from Paradise" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ringo Starr – Postcards from Paradise" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
15. "Italiancharts.com – Ringo Starr – Postcards from Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
16. "Spanishcharts.com – Ringo Starr – Postcards from Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
17. "Ringo Starr – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Ringo Starr. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
18. "Ringo Starr – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Ringo Starr. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
19. "Ringo Starr – Chart history" Billboard Top Tastemaker Albums for Ringo Starr. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
20. "CHART: CLUK Update 11.04.2015 (wk14)". zobbel.de. Retrieved 15 May 2015.