For those 30 million mugs who lapped up that pointless Beatles Number Ones collection, here’s a chance to waste your cash all over again. ‘Love’ is the soundtrack to Cirque du Soleil’s new Beatles-themed Las Vegas show, and producer George Martin and his son Giles have been given free rein to plunder the Fab Four’s back catalogue, mixing familiar tracks with out-takes, Indian tambura drones, unused string arrangements and snatches of more obscure Beatles relics.
Played to Her Majesty’s Music Press at a fancy playback at Abbey Road Studios – in perfect Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound on huge B&W speakers each worth more than the average London house – it sounded utterly remarkable, but it’s debatable as to how much of this sonic workmanship will be audible on the average hi-fi or computer that most of us use to hear music. Indeed, much of it just sounds like a Beatles album played by a hyperactive store assistant at a high-end Tottenham Court Road hi-fi outlet.
The most interesting tracks see Martin doing a Danger Mouse-style bootleg job: the galloping breakbeat from ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ is looped over the raga-rock of ‘Within You Without You’ to thrilling effect and is worth the entrance fee alone. Elsewhere Martin unearths the endearingly clunky demo versions of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and slowly orchestrates them using discarded string sections and psychedelic breakbeats. The subtle remixes of ‘Hey Jude’ (where all the instruments drop out one by one in the breakdown, ‘Memphis Soul Stew’-style) and ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ shed light on the originals, and ‘Lady Madonna’ is stripped back to sound eerily like Joe Meek’s 1956 production job on Humphrey Lyttelton’s ‘Bad Penny Blues’, which is what McCartney based the song on in the first place. But generally it’s all a little too respectful, subtly tweaking at songs rather than ripping them apart, sounding at times like a ‘Stars On 45’ mixtape. One wonders why EMI didn’t get in a more seditious bootlegger to really plunder the archive.
A pity.
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15 comments
The comments of one "DJ DP" say it all -- "I haven't heard the cd yet but i'm sure it will be great as the beatles are the daddies". He then goes on to attack Mr Lewis as being one of "too many knowitalls in media and radio whom know nothing". Err, hello! At least Lewis has heard the album and made a series of well-informed comments and constructive criticisms about a very dubious project. Lewis is right -- the album has a few intersting tracks but is dripping with cynicism.
I saw the show in Vegas & it was fantastic. The songs envelop you and the experience brought tears to my eyes. I didn't expect such an emotional response! This CD brought that feeling back for me -6 stars plus!!
5 stars!!!!...maybe 6!!! I've seen the show in Vegas twice...amazing!!! Chiils, goosebumps, the clarity is unbelievable....Drive My Car/What You're Doing/The Word...extremely clever!
yes 5 stars great songs given an extra special touch by the martins,shame it is like a soundtrack to a show though as i would have really loved proper remixes lasting well over 5 mins on most tracks.the originals are short i know but the beatles sound has that trippy feel and i would have loved them to last longer and take us all out there for real.Great stuff though shame it is a bit of a tease like a 2 min long promo track-Much monies have been made over the years i think they could had sold the cd for less than a fiver-a big thank you to all the fans-i'm sure mr lennon would agree!!
It is a British critics' job to be as negative and whiny as possible as often as possible. If there's a thought out there that "Love" will open the door for other musical artists to similarly plunder and remix and remake the original tracks from their own catalogue, forget it. Only the true rarified greatness on the level of the Beatles' songwriting could justify the sort of imaginative playfulness that exists throughout this album. Tow things to keep in mind - what's been done here is entirely appropriate to and driven by the Cirque Du Soleil production and it's audience (the sole and entire reason this came into being)... last, the remixes and mashes have the proper resonance only for those who know these songs inside and out - and especially for those old enough to have grown up withem all being new releases during the years 1963 to 1969.
DVDA - breaks down the classics but just when you accept it as a cleaner bigger brighter version it turns and twists your expectation without distorting the greatness of the originals - now we will all want a 5.1 version of the originals........ and Paul said that remixing the masters was NOT going to happen. Remastered at 96khz it leaps out of the speaker s and yeah knocks most of todays dullards into a cocked hat !!!
I'm listening to LOVE all over again for the 100th time... it's wonderful! Mr Martin senior and jr did a great job... maybe it's even too short, In my opinion many other songs could have been added to this fantastic album! Yes, it's absolutely worth 5 stars!
who the hell is john lewis when he's at home?bah!
bring on the originators of today-where are they hiding-the beatles knock all the crap so called indie bands of today for six!madchester forever bin all razorlight,dirty pretty crap, the feeling,the .. etc. it ain't r'n'r too me,don't belive the hype!!ainty heros all of them unlike mr lennon who was a big man!
I haven't heard the cd yet but i'm sure it will be great as the beatles are the daddies!too many knowitalls in media and radio whom know nothing,lacking opionions and follow eachother like sheep-lauren lavene and c4 get out!!
I own every recording of the Beatles. This CD is absolutely fantastic!
I agree with the review but the mix of Tomorrow never knows with Within you Without you is fanatastic and worth the price of the album alone.
I agree with John Lewis. I feel it promised so much, yet delivers nothing more than a hot hits re hash. I am diiapointed at this missed chance to create something outstanding. Don't waste your money.
I've never had more goosebumps per buck. 5 stars and then some, beautiful!
I disagree with 3 stars, it should be 5 stars!!