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    THE BEATLES - LOVE

Review by Michael Jacobson

Album ****

You say you want a revolution?  The Beatles: Love is just what you're looking for.

Created by legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin and his son Giles as a soundtrack to a new Cirque du Soleil show, it ended up as something too phenomenal not to release to the general public.  And for both die-hard and casual fans of the Fab Four, this is one of the greatest moments in the history of DVD audio.

It's essentially a collage of 26 tracks that blends the familiar and the tried and true into a new listening experience.  The innovation and ingenuity behind it is absolutely breathtaking, and may have raised the bar for so-called 'remix' albums into a new plane of existence.

From the opening moments, which consist of the nature sounds of the single version of "Across the Universe" behind an a capella version of "Because", it's the audio equivalent to the opening scene of 2001: The Space Odyssey.  It's like seeing the sun suddenly break through on an overcast morning.  The lads from Liverpool were one of rock's greatest vocal ensembles, but until you hear how crisp and clean they sound without instruments behind them, you haven't heard anything.

The album takes the big hits like "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Help!" as well as some of the more under-appreciated tracks like "Good Night" and "Julia" and puts them together in ways that make it sound like The Beatles are re-inventing their music right before your very ears.  New technology that allows a producer to digitally raise or lower the pitch of a song without changing the tempo or slowing or speeding a song without altering the pitch help the Martins create something that wouldn't have been imaginable even ten years ago.

"Drive My Car" is perfectly punctuated with bits from "What You're Doing" and "The Word".  You'd swear the songs were meant to be as one.  The intro to "Get Back" features solos from "The End".  The opening strains of "Blackbird" are lowered a full step so that the song melds perfectly with the immortal "Yesterday".  But my favorite bit might be how the coda to "Hey Jude" snaps right into the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".  More than once, I had wide eyes, an agape smiling jaw, and clapping hands listening to this marvel of mixing ingenuity.

But don't think that Love is just some curious hodgepodge or experimentalism run amuck.  I've believed for years that "I Am the Walrus" was meant for surround sound, and this recording proves once again just how far ahead of their time the Fab Four were.  Or how about the unforgettable "A Day in the Life"?  Wow.  The crescendo of the orchestra sounds clearer and crisper and more potent than ever...you can actually hear individual instruments instead of just a wall of sound.

Almost everything on this disc was taken directly from existing Beatles recordings, with the only exception being the addition of strings to accent George Harrison's demo version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".  It was a good choice.  The late Mr. Harrison enjoys some of the album's finest moments, including a remastering of "Here Comes the Sun" that will bring tears to your eyes. 

Two of the group's most hypnotic tunes "Within You Without You" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" work together so well, it feels as if the new whole is even greater than the sum of the individual parts.  "Hey Jude", the band's biggest single, is even surprising...during the coda, there's a break where all you hear are vocals and drums, and you can actually hear how amazing Paul McCartney's vocal vamp was.  And when the bass kicks in, you'll appreciate how under-rated Sir Paul was on his instrument.

The ending of "Come Together" is flavored with a little of "Dear Prudence", and again, I can't say enough how amazing it is to hear how well the songs mesh.  Maybe even better is how the climax of "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" soars higher than ever thanks to the outro from "She's So Heavy".  A bit of John Lennon's "Sun King" in reverse is the perfect way to bring out the beginning of "Something".

Even Ringo Starr gets a bit of fun, as a slowed, relaxed line from "Octopus's Garden" sounds heavenly over the strings from "Good Night".  Then the song kicks in for real with accents from "Yellow Submarine". 

The experience ends with "All You Need is Love", and when it's over, you'll be ready to "Get Back" and start again from the beginning.  These recordings have never sounded so clear, so dynamic, and so full of life.  George and Giles Martin proved that even in a river as panned as The Beatles' has been, there's still more gold than can probably ever be found.  It definitely stirs the imagination as to what might be possible if we ever start getting all of the lads' albums remixed for digital surround. 

Audio ****

I may be reiterating here, but some things bear repeating:  Love is an incredible listening experience.  There's an audio CD in the set, but you'll want to go right for the DVD, where you can choose PCM stereo, DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.  All are great, but that DTS track is just stunning.  The steady bottom end keeps the subwoofer moving, and the rear channels are used tastefully and not garishly.  My favorite might be hearing the cello of "Eleanor Rigby" from behind while the higher strings chirp away in front.  And did I mention "I Am the Walrus" was made for surround sound? 

Summary:

Love...after four decades, it's still all we need.