The Beatles: LOVE CD (Kirjaston poistolevy)

Levyssä reilusti naarmua. Kuuntelin itse levyn häiriöttä läpi, mutta jos sinulla on herkkä soitin niin en suosittele huutamaan tätä.

2 cd:tä samoilla postikuluilla, 4 cd:tä 6,6 euron postikuluilla. 5 tai useampi 6,9 euron postikuluilla. Olen kuunnellut kaikki levyt alusta loppuun ja kaikki ovat pyörineet häiriöttä Pioneer PD-M6-soittimessa. Jos levy on alkanut jumittamaan tai skipannut, en ole laittanut sitä myyntiin.

1 Because (LOVE Version)
2 Get Back (LOVE Version)
3 Glass Onion (LOVE Version)
4 Eleanor Rigby/Julia (LOVE Version)
5 I Am The Walrus (LOVE Version)
6 I Want To Hold Your Hand (LOVE Version)
7 Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing (LOVE Version)
8 Gnik Nus (LOVE Version)
9 Something/Blue Jay Way (LOVE Version)
10 Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter (LOVE Version)
11 Help! (LOVE Version)
12 Blackbird/Yesterday (LOVE Version)
13 Strawberry Fields Forever (LOVE Version)
14 Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows (LOVE Version)
15 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (LOVE Version)
16 Octopus's Garden (LOVE Version)
17 Lady Madonna (LOVE Version)
18 Here Comes The Sun/The Inner Light (LOVE Version)
19 Come Together/Dear Prudence/Cry Baby Cry (LOVE Version)
20 Revolution (LOVE Version)
21 Back In The U.S.S.R (LOVE Version)
22 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (LOVE Version)
23 A Day In The Life (LOVE Version)
24 Hey Jude (LOVE Version)
25 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (LOVE Version)
26 All You Need Is Love (LOVE Version)

LOVE is a fascinating reworking of numerous classic Beatles recordings by the band's original producer, Sir George Martin and his son Giles. LOVE is also the title of the highly successful Cirque de Soleil show, a co-produciton with Apple Corps featuring the music of The Beatles, currently wowing audiences in Las Vegas. Tracks include "Beacuse," "Get Back" "I Am the Walrus" and more.

It begins with a twittering of birdsong lifted from "Across The Universe". And once the triple-tracked a capella harmonies of "Because" enter, followed by snatches from "A Hard Day's Night" and "The End", leading into a fired-up "Get Back", it becomes obvious that this is far more than just another Beatles compilation.

This is "Love", conceived by the Fabs' former producer George Martin and son Giles as a stageshow soundtrack to Cirque de Soleil's Las Vegas spectacular of the same name, but appears to have taken on a life of its own. Where The Beatles' last release 1 delivered the (over?) familiar hits in a nice simple package, this is a mélange of the familiar and obscure, all literally mixed together in one 78-minute audio collage which succeeds in reminding the listener just why The Beatles truly are, as Lennon put it "toppermost of the poppermost". There's no new Beatles material per se, but the songs are all approached differently--some are cut together in a flawlessly mixed medley (check out the "Mr Kite/I Want You/Helter Skelter" moment), some reassemble different backing tracks and vocal performances to create new spins on old classics, but all the songs are revitalized considerably. Even in its weakest moments (which probably work better in the context of the show itself), it's still a formidable prospect, and one has to admire Martin's willingness to go out on a limb with such a project.

While purists may complain that the cut'n'paste nature of the project is simply tampering with perfection, at the very least it'll make them reach for the originals and enjoy them all over again. For newcomers and everyone else, it makes a fine listen, both in its sonic clarity (the actual tracks are the best they've sounded on CD) and audacious nature.--Thom Allott

Review

While there are those who probably feel that remixing the Fab Four is an act of desecration comparable to sticking a moustache on the Mona Lisa, it's fair to say that this album has become one of the most anticipated releases of the year. It's taken two years to produce, and it shows; this is less a remix album than a very sophisticated mash-up.

George Martin's approach to the recording studio was always an experimental one, and neither age or working with Celine Dion seem to have mellowed him. Together with his son Giles, he's taken full advantage of digital technology to create something genuinely challenging and often very moving.

Bits of songs are cleverly grafted together; the opening of "Get Back" features the briefest of snippets from "A Hard Day's Night"; "Strawberry Fields Forever" is built from a combination of demo versions and the finished full recording. "Sun King" is played backwards. The most diehard Beatles obsessive will be kept happy for hours working out how it was all put together.

For the rest of us, this album is a clever and heartfelt tribute to the most influential and best loved band of them all.

A labour of Love indeed. --Peter Marsh