TORONTO - He'll forever be associated with his mop-top beginnings and the age of flower power, and that's OK with Ringo Starr.
The former Beatle readily admits those sunny cliches of peace and love still ring true for him as he releases his 15th solo studio disc this week. "It's still an era that is very big for me - I love flower power, I love the freedoms," Starr, 67, said Thursday in a conference call from London.
"My mindset is with peace and love.... The dream I have is that one minute, one day, one year, everybody on this planet will go: 'Peace and love!"'
Starr's new disc, "Liverpool 8", is full of such wistful dreams, with syrupy songs like "For Love", "Give It a Try" and "If It's Love," urging an open heart and spirited sing-alongs.
The title track is a sentimental tribute to the Fab Four's modest hometown, with lines like: "Liverpool I left you, but I never let you down," and "When I look back, it sure was cool/For those four boys from Liverpool."
The album's release coincides with a year-long celebration touting the city's cultural heritage.
It's lightweight fodder that rides on Starr's ample charm and famous past, with the drummer openly admitting that his songwriting approach generally centres on references to love, his friends, and even songs from his own past catalogue.
"If I can mention the word love on the track, then we do it," said Starr, who adds that his tunes often germinate as he's exercising.
"The last five albums have been love, love, love. People are getting fed up with me, but it's where I come from."
Despite all the nostalgia, Starr's latest disc marks a leap into the modern age with the material also being released on a USB bracelet in most parts of the world. The bracelet plugs into USB ports as a removable/portable hard drive and is expected to arrive in Canada in four to six weeks.
The device comes pre-loaded with the album, a video message, interview and track commentary from Ringo, ring tunes, photos and behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions.
"I decided to get modern," Starr said of the multimedia release.
"Personally, though, I like to hold something. I'm from that school where I love to hold vinyl, and now a CD. Now it just comes out of nowhere."
Although "Liverpool 8" is also available for digital download, there was no mention of when the Beatles catalogue would be offered by online music services.
Speculation has raged in recent months that Beatle tracks will arrive online in early 2008. The move has most famously been held up by a lengthy trademark dispute with iTunes' owner Apple Inc.
Starr said his latest solo effort marks a break with frequent back-up band The Roundheads and former musical partner Mark Hudson, with whom he performed and recorded for some nine years.
Hudson was the original producer on "Liverpool 8," Starr noted, but when the relationship dissolved, production duties were taken over by the Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.
Starr said he expects to hit the road again this summer, with tour rehearsals expected to take place in Canada. Previous jaunts have started with sessions at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ont., north of Toronto, but Starr said he hadn't yet decided the location of this summer's rehearsals.
In the meantime, Ringo fans can catch the winsome musician in a slew of TV appearances set for the coming weeks, including "Live with Regis & Kelly," A&E's "Private Sessions," CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," and NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
