The Beatles

Love - 2006

Well the two Martins have decided to release a new Beatles compilation (since their last new material dates back to the 70's). Giving the tracks a makeover, Sir George and his son Giles treat the hallowed Abbey Road master tapes like family jewels in this 50-odd-song line-up.

Why is this album worth a listen, and even a careful one ? Because of the Martins' intimate relation of the source material and their lifelong affinity with the wonderful wit and experimental ambitions of its players. Dig the shrewd thematic unity, for example, of putting Tomorrow Never Knows next to the Indian drone of Within You Without You; the desolate snatch of Julia enhancing the loneliness of Eleanor Rigby; the distant sound of Blue Jay Way and Nowhere Man getting lost together; and the piccolo trumpet of Penny Lane echoing across Strawberry Fields.

The disc runs at almost an hour and twenty minutes, and spans most of the Fab Four's career. While certain tracks are distinctly upgraded (such as the opening that eases listeners into “Octopus’s Garden,” or “Hey Jude” in under four minutes), others seem relatively intact (e.g., “Help!”), maintaining their original sound.

Love works as it prevents the Beatles’ music become over-familiar, and offers a chance of re-discovering the surprise and the the impact they made when people heard the tracks, and the brilliant creativity of the four Liverpool lads.