Not long enough, Starr man. Ringo Starr’s solid work on previous country album, Look Up, prompted another out of The Beatles veteran. We are not worthy. It’s Been Too Long, the lead single of his upcoming Long Long Road, feels like an apt single. Starr had sworn off releasing any more studio albums after the abysmal What’s My Name?, and instead opted for short-form extended plays. Less music, still the same carnage. But for the first time in decades, Starr is releasing work worth listening to. Look Up was heavy on collaboration, but heavy too on charm. It’s Been Too Long rinses that out of the Goodnight Vienna superstar, and provides another quality country-themed hit. It’s a long, long road back to Beaucoup of Blues but it’s clear Starr seems to think that’s among his best work. Why else would he return to country music? Because he loves it, and it, be it from officially released studio works or bootlegs with Bob Dylan, is clearly what he does best.
He’s made it clear in interviews (including the one with Cult Following – yes, we’re flexing our muscles there) that country means the world to him, and so it’s only appropriate that he moves worlds to give back to the genre. It’s Been Too Long isn’t going to reinvent the fundamentals of country, nor is it going to rest on those comforts for all too long. Starr brings with him T. Bone Burnett, the producer behind Look Up. It’s effectively a continuation. If you liked the work of his 2025 album, then you’ll likely enjoy this too. Molly Tuttle is back, Burnett is writing more material, and Starr seems happy to lend his voice to whatever lands on the music stand. There may be a bit of rough vocal manipulation on Starr’s voice, but at the very least, it’s decent lyrical work. Adapting his peace and love image into a song worthy of carrying such a message isn’t all that difficult. Positivity and connection, that’s what Starr calls for, and it’s a charming success on It’s Been Too Long.
A little light for the message to work completely, but the clangs and whirrs of a different style of country instrumental are what make it all work. Starr must be taken at face value on songs like It’s Been Too Long. You can fill in the few gaps he leaves on this track, and you’ll feel no more different than if he’d left off the message, so plain it is. Starr aims for niceness across his music and hits the sweet spot here, but it means he can’t quite elevate the material any further than the lyrics allow. A shame, too, given the instrumental quality here. Tuttle provides a solid backing vocal to Starr’s lead single. What will follow is likely a half hour of the same material, a similar sound and successful adaptation of what is, effectively, the goodwill Starr has for his audience.
Nothing new there, then, but for those who enjoy his take on country, then this will slot right into place. Some strong guitar work is what keeps It’s Been Too Long alive. Dare to dream and dip back into it a few hours after your first listen, and you may come to appreciate the surprisingly out-there sound from Starr. It’s not as though he’s making his own Metal Machine Music, but there are a few choices within which scream out for a fundamental shift in genre expectations. Appropriate country music from Starr is what he wanted to make, and so he does with It’s Been Too Long. Whether the upcoming Long Long Road will feature anything more exciting than this, who knows, but the bar is higher than expected. Instrumentally, that is. It’s been too long since we had a real heavy hitter from Starr, but he may have one more surprise left in him.
