Zoom In

Zoom In
EP by
Ringo Starr
Released19 March 2021 (2021-03-19)
Recorded2020
StudioRoccabella West, Beverly Hills, California, USA
GenreRock
Length19:19
LabelUniversal Music Enterprises
Producer
Ringo Starr chronology
What's My Name
(2019) 		Zoom In
(2021) 		Change the World
(2021)
Singles from Zoom In
  1. "Here's to the Nights"
    Released: 16 December 2020 [1]
  2. "Zoom In Zoom Out"
    Released: 12 March 2021

Zoom In is an EP by English singer-songwriter Ringo Starr, released on 19 March 2021 by Universal Music Enterprises. It was produced by Starr and co-produced by Bruce Sugar, except for "Teach Me to Tango" which was produced by Sam Hollander and co-produced by Grant Michaels.[2][3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic53/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
American Songwriter[6]
Classic Rock[7]
The Independent[8]
NME[9]

Zoom In received mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 53, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on five reviews.[4] NME's El Hunt gave the EP three stars, commenting, "for all its flaws, this is a hard record to hate. It’s also nice to hear that, instead of moaning about being caged in a massive mansion, this celebrity is focusing on lifting the rest of us up instead."[10]

In a one-star review for The Independent, Rachel Brodsky described the record as "an overstuffed pillow of an EP" that "seeks to calm all of the world's aches but just ends up sounding schmaltzy and smothering." Brodsky criticized the song "Waiting for the Tide to Turn," calling Starr's interpretation "so cut-and-paste two-dimensional, all good intentions are lost," and lamented that "slapping peace signs on everything is about as helpful as a black Instagram box with PR-approved copy from an advertising agency."[11]

Track listing

Zoom In track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Here's to the Nights"Diane Warren4:05
2."Zoom In Zoom Out"
3:57
3."Teach Me to Tango"
3:07
4."Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Bruce Sugar
  • Starr
3:54
5."Not Enough Love in the World"
4:16
Total length:19:19

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the physical release of Zoom In.[2]

  • Ringo Starr – drums, percussion and vocals on all tracks
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin on "Here's to the Nights"
  • Jacob Braun – cello on "Here's to the Nights"
  • Tony Chen – guitar on "Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Jim Cox – string arrangement and synth strings on "Here's to the Nights"
  • Zelma Davis – backing vocals on "Teach Me to Tango" and "Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Charity Daw – backing vocals on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Candace Devine – backing vocals on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Nathan East – bass on "Here's to the Nights" and "Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Josh Edmondson – guitar on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Sean Gould – guitar on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Sam Hollander – backing vocals on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Amy Keys – backing vocals on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • James King – horns on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Robby Krieger – guitar on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Steve Lukather – guitar on "Here's to the Nights" and "Not Enough Love in the World", backing vocals on "Not Enough Love in the World"
  • Grant Michaels – keyboards on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Kaveh Rastegar – bass on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Hal Rosenfeld – percussion on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Ed Roth – Hammond B3 organ on "Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Jeff Silbar – bass and guitar on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Blair Sinta – drums on "Teach Me to Tango"
  • Bruce Sugar – synth guitar on "Here's to the Nights", keyboards on "Waiting for the Tide to Turn"
  • Benmont Tench – piano on "Here's to the Nights" and "Zoom In Zoom Out", organ on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Windy Wagner – backing vocals on "Zoom In Zoom Out"
  • Joseph Williams – keyboards, backing vocals and arrangement on "Not Enough Love in the World"
  • Guest vocals on "Here's to the Nights": Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Jenny Lewis, Lenny Kravitz, Chris Stapleton, Yola, Ben Harper, Dave Grohl, Finneas O'Connell, Eric Burton and Corinne Bailey Rae

Charts

Chart performance for Zoom In
Chart (2021) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 22
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 14
US Billboard 200[14] 179
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[15] 37

References

  1. ^ "Even in 2020, Ringo Starr Keeps the Peace, Love, and Music Going". Rolling Stone. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b Zoom In (liner notes). Ringo Starr. UMe. 2021. 00602435606316.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Even in 2020, Ringo Starr Keeps the Peace, Love, and Music Going". Rolling Stone. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Zoom In [EP] by Ringo Starr Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  5. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Zoom In - Ringo Starr". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  6. ^ Zimmerman, Lee (19 March 2021). "Review: A Starr Shining, Eagerly as Always". American Songwriter. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Ringo Starr – Zoom In". Classic Rock. May 2021. p. 87.
  8. ^ "Ringo Starr review, Zoom In EP: Artist's connection is unstable on guest-packed project". The Independent. 19 March 2021. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Ringo Starr – 'Zoom In' EP review: Beatle's star-stuffed musical conference call". NME. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  10. ^ Hunt, El (19 March 2021). "Ringo Starr – 'Zoom In' EP review: Beatle's star-stuffed musical conference call". NME. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Ringo Starr's connection is unstable on his guest-packed Zoom In EP – review". The Independent. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ringo Starr – Zoom In" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Ringo Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Ringo Starr Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.