Ringo Starr Chose love Fading in fading out Give me back the beat Oh my Lord Hard to be true Some people Wrong all the time Don't hang up Chose love Me and you Satisfied The turnaround Free drinks BONUS DVD: All songs in enhanced stereo Documentary Album lyrics Biography and song-by-song analysis

Ringo comes back in 2005 with a new effort with the Roundheads, who's been playing with him since 1998 landmark Vertical Man. I think this is becoming more of a band work, and we can already notice developments in the Roundheads sound. "Vertical man" was so great, "Storytellers" showed a competent, confident, strong live playing band, and "Santa Claus" was a lot of fun. "Ringo rama" was great too, but I have always felt that it suffered with "Never without you", because it was such a great song that somehow shadowed the other ones. Also, the sound there was a little too intense at times. But "Chose love" sounds like a fitting balance of all those tendencies. It's still a powerful sound, but it's drier than "Ringo rama" and as a result listening is even more enjoyable. Quality of the tracks is more constant, and I'd say in general the band was more inspired when writing these ones. Some of them are really briliant. The opening track is very emotional and is one of the highlights. "Some people" and "Satisfied", with its 12-string sound, are very inspired an denjoyable, being my favourite tracks so far, along with "Fading in and fading out". "Give me back the beat" updated the "Drumming is my madness" theme to a more abstract level, therefore becoming the best Ringo "drumming" song, maybe. "Oh my Lord" and "Wrong all the time" bring good old Billy Preston to scene, and the latter offers a very well-suceeded mood. "Don't hung up", with Cryssie Hynde, "Chose love" and "The turnaround" are straight rock'n'roll tunes, which, if aren't destined to be rembered by History books, at least don't ttack Ringo's reputation and are respectable pieces of enjoyment. "Me and you" is a typical sgtpepperlesque Ringo song, and "Hard to be true" is a fine song, with mood changes and catching chorus.

The DVD side of the dual disc is a nice item. The documentary features some band performing and some publicity interviews. There's also the enhanced stereo version of the album, which sound a bit brighter but appearently loses some bass. The weakest point is "Free drinks", a strange tune, that appearently imitates some "Eurythmics- meets- 80s- poser- heavy- metal- band- and- plays- Abba- cover- with- surf- guitar- on- a- gay- nightclub" feel. Still his strange mixture of musical tendencies result in an original arrangement, which deserves a listen. Aside from that, I'd say the main cover design is another weak point. Since "Vertical man" Ringo just hasn't been worring about that. Thinking better, I think Ringo never payed much attention to that. I think Ringo don't want to make a musical revolution anymore and is in peace with this decision. "Chose love" is unpretentious in the sense that it doesn't bring any attempt at breaking new grounds. It's just a little band playing some rock'n'roll, offering pleasant tunes. Nad you know what; I think it's just fine that someone's doing it. After all, that's what get us all in the love in the first place.

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