|
 RINGO
CHOOSES LOVE FOR HIS NEWEST CD
Choose Love
is the latest offering from Ringo Starr (Koch Entertainment),
a new CD produced by Ringo Starr and Mark Hudson (or
Mark Hudson and Ringo Starr depending on what part of the
CD you read). Hudson, a self commited Beatlemaniac, has been
along to play on and produce Ringo's last four CDs, including
"Storytellers", "Ringo Rama", Verticle
Man and the sadly underpromoted, "I Wanna Be Santa Clause",
the latter being the only solo Beatle disc that's a full album
of Christmas songs.
Choose Love
has many nods to those Beatle Boys. The opening track, "Fading
In Fading Out" might be a residual tribute to George,
who passed aways some 4 years ago. "Fading In, Fading
Out, isn't that what life's about. First your here, then you're
gone. Still the world goes on and on," is sung with nice
choral harmony by Ringo, Mark, and Gary Burr. It's
a final resolution to his long lost friend.
But the song that's the most Beatlesque is the title track,
Choose Love.
From its opening riff, reminiscent of Paul's lead guitar on
Taxman, to the (not so) subtle references to "those boys"
in lyrics that read, "The Long and Winding Road is more
than a song. Tomorrow Never Knows What Goes On" is the
obvious Beatle lift, and even lyrics like "You've got
to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues" take
us back to Ringo's early solo years, all saying that "no
matter who you choose, choose love". The song is mixed
heavy with overdubbed guiars, saxophone and multi-layered
vocals. Hudson tells Beatle Brunch that the album was recorded
"the old fashioned way", the guys in a room, jamming
around a riff that eventually becomes a song for the album.
 "Ringo
wanted to do a 'crunchy Rubber Soul", says co-Producer
Hudson, who admittedly didn't know what that was. "What
Ringo loved about Rubber Soul is that it was very acoustic
by nature, but the electric guitars still were driving it."
After four albums with The Roundheads, Ringo told Hudson he
finally feels he's in a band again. "This record, Choose
Love, sounds like a band", gloats Hudson.
And what a band it is this time. While this CD doesn't boast
the DNA of some of Ringo's past (Harrison, McCartney, Petty,
Wilson, Clapton), it does include some searing new talent
and several old friends. Robert Randolph plays lead
guitar on "Oh, My Lord",
a choral number so reminiscent of "My Sweet Lord",
that it also includes Billy
Preston on Piano and B3 organ and the dramatic Rose
Stone Choir. Randolph most recentlly gained credibility
with the applause and support Eric Clapton gave him when he
opened for Eric on the last U.S. tour and is no slouch on
this song, either.
 Billy
Preston is in fine form as well, on Hard
to Be True, which opens like The Temptation's
"My Girl" and has a moment that sounds like The
Four Seasons are about to burst through with "Rag Doll"
and ends up like The Doors, "People Are Strange".
The song must have originally been called "Time After
Time" as an ITunes search turned up that one for track
four.
Give Me Back the Beat
is pure Ringo doing what he does best. "We just did some
major rock and roll, where Ringo goes, 'I would love to just
play drums again', in fact, he did drum overdubs for the first
time since then, where he's playing 2 different drum kits
2 different ways on the same song", recalls Hudson. "Really,
the songs started to write themselves on this".
Other guests on the CD include The Pretender's Chrissy
Hynde, who turns up on "Don't
Hang Up", which pays homage to Lennon's
"I Am the Walrus" in its opening lyrics and spacey
vocal mix with broad stereo separation.
 Since
splitting with his mates some 25 years ago, Ringo has not
had the confidence to do a solo tour to support a new LP or
CD, but that may change with Choose Love, says Hudson. "The
material is great. You can tell Ringo is having a blast, and
I think maybe this time, if we all say our prayers, he might
do a Roundhead tour", (hoping to promote the new album
with the current lineup of musicians and friends, rather than
superstars from previous bands, ala All Starrs). "If
that happens, I know I'll be happy and I'm sure the listening
audience will be equally as happy," says Mark.
And if you're into listening, then listen close to Choose
Love. "We're a band", said Hudson,
"In fact, if ever you could hear the albums with headphones,
you can actually hear us yelling at each other like, "Hey
Gary, it's a B Minor', or Ringo, "Is it the bridge yet?",
and we're like yelling. We're a band!" Listen for Barbara
Starkey's voice creeping in on The
Turnaround.
The CD is being offered in
two formats by Koch Entertainment, the regular packaged CD,
12 songs, 44:36, and the Dual Disc, with the CD of songs on
one side, and a "behind the scenes" DVD on the other.
Ringo offered a "making of" DVD in his last CD,
"Ringo Rama", which was a fun "fly on the wall"
experience for fans. In the spirit of The Beatles, Ringo always
gives fans the most, just check his oft-updated website, www.ringostarr.com,
complete with home movies and commentary by Richie.
|
