In My Life - George Martin (The Beatles in general)

Member Name: Steve McNamee

Product:	The Beatles in general
Date:	08/05/03 (108 review reads)
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This is a review of the George Martin album ?In My Life? ? a tribute of sorts to the Beatles, featuring an all-star cast. The history of these ?tribute? albums doesn?t bode well for this album. However, this is Beatles songs, and the chances of them being robbed of their soul in the hands of the ?fifth? Beatle (no, not George Best, Stuart Sutcliffe or Brian Epstein but George Martin) is slim.

Upon looking at the sleeve, you would be forgiven even more for that feeling of trepidation. After all, people like Robin Williams, Goldie Hawn and Jim Carrey aren?t best known for their musical talent. But leave all your doubts at the door.

From opener Come Together (the aforementioned Williams with master human musician Bobby McFerrin), the scene is set. Yes, there are odd joky sections to it, but Williams? surprisingly ok singing voice, coupled with wonderful orchestration (a feature throughout), makes sure that it is carried off.

Next up is Goldie Hawn?s breathless version of Hard Day?s Night. As with much of the album, she makes the song her own. One gets the feeling that Martin encouraged all the artists involved to experiment with their given song, as the possibility of a Karaoke Beatles album has been done ? badly ? on too many previous occasions to mention. Instead, the song is turned into a jazz-club slinky affair, with the mental picture being set of Goldie in a long sweeping dress draped over a grand piano played by some elderly gentlemen.

And let?s face it, any album that features the awesome talent of Jeff Beck can?t be bad can it? In Martin?s own words in the wonderfully descriptive sleeve notes, it seems that only a guitarist such as Beck can make his instrument sound like a human voice. A Day In The Life, a seminal Beatles song, is treated with the respect it deserves, as Beck?s guitar swoons and sweeps throughout, arcing and peaking magnificently. Wonderful orchestration once again compliments the featured artist,
and the hairs that stand on your neck after the middle ?McCartney? section are astounding.

Now, a confession. I hate Celine Dion with a passion, so the prospect of her tearing a classic to pieces didn?t thrill. To say I was shocked and surprised is an understatement. Here, There, And Everywhere is made to sound as though it was written for her voice. If only she sang songs with such beauty and refined passion all the time instead of the sub-MOR bilge she normally churns out (and it is churning, without a shadow of a doubt) then I might like her. The only slight criticism is that some of the musical accompaniment sounds lifted from a West End show, which isn?t always a bad thing, but is a little off-putting in this case.

A rare Beatles gem follows, and one of my personal favourites. Taken from the Abbey Road album (in my opinion, the Beatles best work by far), Because is treated to the majesty of Vannesa Mae?s wonderfully emotive violin. Tugging at the heart-strings, this piece is simply amazing. Unfortunately, the addition of a choir to sing the lyrics in the background is unnecessary and off-putting. That aside, Mae?s mournful lament is totally in keeping with the spirit of the album.

Next up is Jim Carey. This is an experiment which could have gone horribly, horribly wrong. However, the choice of I Am The Walrus, by far the most drug-addled and mad Beatles song in popular knowledge suits Carey perfectly. Ok, so he throws all the usual Carey moves throughout, but it is amusing, and let?s face it, this song couldn?t have been recorded in a serious way. Well worth listening to if only for Carey?s Ringo impression half-way through. As the song ends, Carey even manages to poke fun at himself ? ?I did it, defiled a timeless work of art!!!? he screams, and you have to admire his bare-faced cheek, if nothing else. Musically excellent again, this is ok as a one-off, but if the whole album had been like this, the CD would have been
snapped into small pieces half-way through listening.

A kind of musical interlude follows, as Martin indulges himself with a beautiful orchestral piece. This runs into Here Comes The Sun, with a hand-plucked guitar (sorry, don?t know the technical term guitar techies!!!) substituting the vocal. A whimsical little ditty, once again, interesting, not least for hardcore Beatles fans (isn?t that the whole world?) to see how Martin interprets the piece.

Billy Connolly strides in next, with Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite. Announced rather than sung, Connolly takes on the ringmaster role perfectly. Musically, it differs little from the original on Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, but once again, is interesting rather than spectacular. However, it is arguably the weaker part of the album, as one listen is really enough.

Another of Martin?s orchestral pieces follows, but this one is fantastic, and conjures up images of sunny days in the country with the breeze running through a field. Largely adapted from the Beatles animated film Yellow Submarine (excellent as well in my opinion), the piece suddenly switches into a real modern-day film soundtrack, sounding like a cross between Jaws and James Bond (look, I know it sounds weird, but it?s true ? just think of Pierce Brosnan hitting a big shark over the head!!!). A reprise of the lilting country field section at the end, and this is a surprisingly enjoyable highlight of an album supposedly covering Beatles classics.

A return to the amazing second half of Abbey Road follows, with Phil Collins performing perhaps his best ever work in years. Personally, I?m not a huge fan, but this is excellent, as he treats the song(s) with respect and dignity, only getting slightly carried away with a mini-drum solo in the middle. But what did you expect, this is Phil Collins! To be fair however, he continues the album?s theme of taking the piece(s) and somehow making them sound like his own rather
than just a weak cover.

A mournful orchestral piece follows next. Beautiful woodwind and string sections combine to make this a real highlight of the album. If you think of the untimely demises of Lennon and Harrison, the piece sounds all the more poignant, not least as it leads into In My Life, read by Sean Connery. This could have very easily turned into a shocking William Shatner-style debacle, but the passion and emotion that Connery puts into the piece ensure that this doesn?t happen. With a suitably subtle musical background of a solitary piano in the background, this is Connery at the end of the night in Goldie Hawn?s jazz bar, long after everyone has left. The lyrics of the piece are made starker and the poetry of Lennon and McCartney, often overlooked, is emphasised here. This piece basically sums up the whole ethos of the album ? that Beatles songs are amazingly adaptable, and that the sheer quality in them can be expressed in a whole host of different ways. And as Connery gently whispers the final line, you exhale and sigh contentedly and drift off.

To sum up, there is enough quality in Beatles pieces to see them through no matter who covers them. However, by encouraging the artists to interpret the songs with a modicum of restraint, Martin has managed to produce an excellent tribute to his former charges, making for an interesting yet listenable album which has longevity and can be listened to repeatedly, rather than just a piece for the hardcore fans to buy out of interest. While at points it can seem a little voyeuristic, as can be the case with many of other albums of this ilk, the album is well worth investing in as an addition to any collection.

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