Ringo scores win in Beatles battle of Buddy Holly tributes

Paul McCartney's donation was a raucous version of "It's So Easy," a song he's done before, but never in a version as raw as the one for Fantasy Records' "Rave On: Buddy Holly" (also available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca in Canada). 

 

Recorded with his touring band -- Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray, Paul "Wix" Wickens and Abe Laboriel Jr., McCartney tears into the song and doesn't let up. It's an interesting version that certainly isn't what you'd expect from him. The song was co-produced by McCartney and David Kahne ("Memory Almost Full"). 

 

Meanwhile, Ringo Starr, contributed "Think It Over" to "Listen To Me: Buddy Holly" (also available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca in Canada), produced by Peter Asher and Songmasters for the Verve/Forecast label. It's a very bouncy version of the song and Ringo, as usual, sounds like he's having a lot of fun. The song is produced by Bruce Sugar and features Charlie Hayden on bass, Steve Dudas on guitar, Sugar on keyboards and Richard Page on background vocals. 

 

Between the two albums, "Listen to Me: Buddy Holly" gets the vote for the better tribute. "Listen to Me" sounds more cohesive. The artists involved certainly are intriguing. Besides Ringo, there's Jeff Lynne, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt (with her hit version of "That'll Be the Day"), Brian Wilson, Chris Isaak, Cobra Starship (which includes Peter Asher's daughter Victoria), Natalie Merchant and a funny concluding track by Monty Python's Eric Idle. 

 

"Rave On" also includes Fiona Apple & Jon Brion, Patti Smith, Nick Lowe, Lou Reed, Graham Nash, Kid Rock, John Doe, the Black Keys and She & Him. 

 

Special alert if you're a McCartney fan: You should know that iTunes has an exclusive alternate version of "It's So Easy" by Paul McCartney. The track is available separately, so you don't need to buy the entire album to get it.