Taking Sides: Andrew Ridgeley Vs. Ringo Starr

I mean, obviously Ringo Starr will walk this. He is actually a very talented drummer that even had some impact on the sound of The Beatles whereas Andrew Ridgeley was just a pretty face and nothing more. But still, if it hadn't been for the fact that he ended up in a band with three of the most gifted musical geniuses on Earth, then who would have known him at all?

Lucky in what sense? money? cos i'm sure Coldplay's bass player (who i can't even picture) could be any late 90s bass playing studenty type. at least ridgely dressed up.

At least he plays bass, but surely yes, there are some "Ringos" behind Chris Martin in Coldplay too.

Two notable Wikipedia facts about Ridgely that make him superior:

He was given the nickname "Osama bin Laden" by his golfing friends.[2]

He works with the UK charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

Uh, Ringo plays drums.
xpost

He does do something.

if by ringo being "lucky" you mean "was highly sought-after for his utterly unique and powerful inventiveness, much as elvin jones was sought out by john coltrane," then yeah, ringo was lucky.

"lucky" makes it sound like he was harrison's sister's boyfriend and they let him join as a favor. yeesh. as an instrumentalist, ringo was far beyond lennon and harrison, and neck-and-neck with mccartney.

You've just incited a Hongro.

yeesh. as an instrumentalist, ringo was far beyond lennon and harrison, and neck-and-neck with mccartney.

Obviously it wasn't as instrumentalists that Beatles have secured them selves the place in history that they have.

I would rank George Harrison ahead of McCartney as an instrumentalist though. McCartney's instrument is the easier one. Playing guitar (or keyboard) demands more musicality than being part of the rhythm section.

But of course McCartney showed off his phenomenal musicality as a songwriter anyway.

You don't arf talk a lot of bol about the Beatles, geir.

I don't recall Harrison ever playing keyboards.

No, I just used that as an example of another instrument that requires more musicality. The keyboard parts in The Beatles were mostly done by either McCartney (so, surely a plus for him as an instrumentalist) or George Martin.

So, you rank Harrison ahead of McCartney in musicality, if you discount that Macca played the keyboards, drums occasionally, Bass, and Fred's Kazoo....

I rank songwriting ability ahead of instrumental ability in musicality, really. McCartney's musicality is really something special, but choosing bass as his instrument doesn't show it off that much.

Now, he did of course play solo guitar on some tracks too.

And because of songwriting, I would rank John ahead of George in musicality too. Although instrumentally he did nothing much more than play the chords.

The bass is not easier to play well than the guitar.

The real answer is Adam Clayton

Guitar is a doddle to play, it's piss easy, so are keyboards

I like Adam Clayton's style. The bass shouldn't dominate too much. It is the bass and shouldn't take attention away from the lead singer.

i voted for ridgeley, cos i thought you were lucking for the 'luckiest'. if it's straight choice between them, then ringo.

oasis' bassist used to be sent down the shop for fags while noel played his parts, if that counts.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

oasis' bassist used to be sent down the shop for fags while noel played his parts, if that counts.

Back then, you mean? Oasis' current bassist used to be the leader and singer/main songwriter in Ride and Hurricane #1. :)

Good for him

bez

Oasis' current bassist used to be the leader and singer/main songwriter in Ride and Hurricane #1. :)

Was he leader and singer/main songwriter in Ride? Wasn't he just the guitarist?

FUCK Ringo's a good drummer. Listening to the White Album, the Paul on drums songs really miss him, and man he's great on (eg) Long Long Long.

There are so many good drummers. They aren't essential though. The songwriter is always the most essential member of the band.

And the few songs Ringo Starr wrote were usually boring three chord country songs sounding like the three other members never happened.

There aren't that many good drummers

Gier there are SO FEW really good drummers. Some of us want more than timekeeping ok?

Geir no understand

What? I was having too good a time slamming my head against a wall to notice what you were saying

And the few songs Ringo Starr wrote were usually boring three chord country songs sounding like the three other members never happened.

OK, there are three songs in the Beatles canon fully or partially credited to Starr: "Flying," "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden." Only one of those is a "three chord country song," and it's hardly boring.

lol @ people arguing about the importance of drums with someone who hates them

You missed out "What goes on" there.

For someone who's supposed to know a lot, Geir doesn't half make a lot of elementary blunders

You're right, Mark. And that song is also not boring. Plus, per Wikipedia: "Starr contributed to the lyrics, his first-ever composing credit on a Beatles song. However, when asked what his contribution was to the song, Starr jokingly stated, "About five words, and I haven't done a thing since."[3] "

I would love, love, love to hear Oasis cover Andrew Ridgeley's "Shake":

I can't even get past the fact that these two are in a poll together. Reality is stranger than fiction, sometimes.

RealityGeir is stranger than fictionmost things

I'm glad he's around though.

xpost - Shake has a pretty good beat!

Hearing "Shake" for the first time in 18 or so years made me realize that Andrew Ridgeley was just about four years ahead of his time. That would've been a No. 1 and a major comeback if it had come out in the mid-90s.

"What Goes On" and "Don't Pass Me By" are both extremely boring songs that sound way too American for their own good.

"Octopus' Garden" has its moment, namely some great backing vocals by the other members.

Ringo was probably a better drummer than Pet Best, so technically The Beatles were improved when they traded places. But The Beatles were all about three of the biggest musican geniuses that have ever existed, with the biggest (McCartney) being the biggest musical genius since Mozart, no less. Ringo was very lucky to be associated with them.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

It is the bass and shouldn't take attention away from the lead singer.

Geir, have you ever worked as a soundman on the toilet circuit?

Ringo Starr to stop signing autographs.

But finds time to "peace and love" y'all.

I wonder how many requests he gets, probably loads.

Well, hell, he's probably signed more autogs than anyone else over the past 45 years.

Oh bollox, I see you were much quicker on the ball (as ever it was)
Ringo is not signing anymore!
Sorry!

Poll results say Andrew Ridgeley almost as talented as Ringo Starr.....

is that what they say?

ringo starr was the perfect drummer for the beatles - solid as a rock, but capable of delivering creative little flourishes when the song called for it. and you have to admit he and paul on bass had a definite rhythm section chemistry - everyone remembers their later stuff as being the high water mark of the beatles canon, but they never would have had the success they had if they hadn't started out making such bouncey, danceable pop tunes, thanks in no small part to ringo's huge beats.

also, bear in mind the beatles popularity owed almost as much to the appeal their group image as to their music, which was undoubtably rounded out with ringo being sort of the loveable goofy counterpoint to, say, lennon's caustic wit. not the most glamourous of roles, but a neccesary one that ringo seemed born for. maybe someone else could have done it, but really, in the end it's hard to imagine the beatles without ringo.

i'm not even sure what ridgely DID in wham. play all the instruments? stand in the backgound and dance? it doesn't even say on his wiki page.

This is better than I remember.