SOUNDS FAMILIAR By BABY GIL
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Purists may howl that this is not the way the Beatles intended these songs to be heard. But nobody really knows that for sure and Martin is probably the closest we can get to knowing how those boys felt about their music.
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The Philippine Star
Two years ago the famous performing troupe, The Cirque du Soleil decided to come up with a show using the music of the Beatles. Fine. Might make something interesting on stage with Lucy sailing through the sky with diamonds and dancers traipsing through an octopus garden. But no great shakes really. Everybody uses Beatles these days and we have the authentic, the bootleg and the horrendous like The Beatles Go Reggae available in the market. But the Cirque, in keeping with its top-notch reputation, wanted something truly special and called in George Martin to work on the old recorded tracks of the Beatles and come up with a soundtrack.
Now Martin is no ordinary producer. Way back in the mod ’60s, he was the guy who helped John, Paul, George and Ringo put together their famous albums. Martin helped shape Beatles music and we all know nothing was ever the same again. I do not know how long it has been since he tinkered with Beatles tracks in the studio. Probably 40 years or more. But it must have felt like Christmas morning when he got the offer from the Cirque du Soleil. He was given access to all the original Beatles tracks and clearance to do what he wanted with them. Wow!
The show entitled Love opened last June in Las Vegas. Lucky you if you caught the show at the Mirage. Those who did not, even the big Beatles fans just wrote off Love as something too way off their reach. Then something extraordinary happened. Somebody listened to the Love soundtrack made by Martin and his son Giles and told friends about their incredible experience. Those friends told others and others.
The combination of the familiar melodies, the sound of the Beatles and the work Martin did to rearrange, remix, cut, strip, splice and meld the old tracks has resulted in something incredibly exciting. Love became a must for all Beatles fans, music lovers and those interested in recording technology. Junk the Cirque du Soleil! All you need now is the CD, a player and your imagination.
Love is one case where you have to bless technology, both old and new. The old one because it wonderfully preserved the Beatles recordings. The crisp vocals, the energy of a young band and the feel of genius at work, daring conventions and breaking down limitations are all there. And this is despite the fact that most of those songs were recorded live on a single track.
As for the new, the unique takes on these old songs would never have been possible without the latest equipment. Martin probably had the time of his life creating a mind-blowing medley of For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, I Want You and Helter Skelter, using Blackbird to put a new spin to Tuesday or Julia for Eleanor Rigby or simply enhancing the originals.
Purists may howl that this is not the way the Beatles intended these songs to be heard. But nobody really knows that for sure and Martin is probably the closest we can get to knowing how those boys felt about their music. I’ve listened to Love several times and I love the fact that everything sounds new again. I am also happy to find proof for what I have always believed, that George is every bit as great a songwriter as John and Paul. His Something and While My Guitar Gently Weeps are two of the best cuts in the album. As for Ringo, Martin made full use of his drums from start to finish and he is very good.
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