April 11, 2005 -- Beatlefan
Here's a preview of Ringo Starr's "Choose Love" album from Tom Frangione
We were able to get an advance listen to Ringo's upcoming "Choose Love" album at the NJ Beatlefest. Here's a recap of the latest effort from Ringo and his current recording band, The Roundheads. Please note: as no recording information was available, the titles are unconfirmed. Overall, it's another strong effort, with producer Mark Hudson providing vocal arrangements tailor-made for Ringo. The album has a strong rockabilly / acoustic / folk flavor, with departures into ballads, blues and rockers.
1. FADING IN / FADING OUT: a strong rockabilly flavored opening number. Sets the tone for the record with the over-the-top beatle nod with "all we really need is love" backing vocals.
2. GIVE ME BACK THE BEAT: nice wordplay for our drummer (back - beat, get it ?). A playful number with funky, biting guitar riffs. Lest anyone think this an All-Starr band outing, Ringo does some name-dropping (Gary, Mark, Steve), in a nice tribute to his current working band, the Roundheads.
3. OH MY LORD: this album's nod to George, it's a close cousin to "My Sweet Lord", not just in spiritual homage, but also featuring some tasty slide guitar.
4. TIME AFTER TIME: slowing things down a bit after the three upbeat opening tunes, Ringo laments "am I a record that's been broken" (will younger listeners even know what that means?)
5. I DO: a return to the upbeat rock flavor that opened the album.
6. ALL THE TIME: slowing things down a bit again, this one's done in traditional country ballad style.
7. DON'T HANG UP: perhaps the rockiest number on the disc, made even more infectious by incorporating additional female lead vocals.
8. CHOOSE LOVE: easy to see why this was chosen as the title track. After the acoustic / rockabilly / folk flavor that opened the disc, the band continues it's rockier side with this solid number. Call it producer Mark Hudson's Beatle-trip, this one is just LOADED with nods to the past, as Ringo sings "gotta pay your dues if you want to sing the blues", and name-drops "The Long and Winding Road" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "What Goes On". It's message, nod to his Beatle past and OH YEAH great guitar playing would make for a GREAT single.
9. JUST ME AND YOU: a mid-tempo acoustic ballad, sung nicely by Ringo.
10. SATISFIED: a return to the acoustic based form from earlier in the album.
11. SOMEWHERE OUT THERE: A bluesy flavored number, and a bit more stripped down arrangement than found on most of the album's tracks.
12. FREE DRINKS: A minor key dance flavored number, and a good time party number to close the album. Just a bit peculiar, given Ringo's openness about his past drinking. Good to see him let his guard down a bit. Ringo and the band are slated to do promotional appearances for "Choose Love", including the David Letterman Show, as well as one or more of the morning show concert series outings (either Good Morning America or the Today Show). In addition, there's some talk about possible NYC club dates (as previously done at The Bottom Line), perhaps at B.B. King's. I want to be there when the band is belting out the chorus of the closing number, "Free Drinks".
|
