Search - Clark, Rpo :: Beatles Greatest Hits

Muzak of the Fab Four

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/30/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"THE BEATLES GREATEST HITS at first glance is classic "music of your life" fare-- stuff that plays quietly in the background as you pretend to read an old magazine while waiting for an oil change or chiropractic appointment. But look again-- there's actually life stirring behind these orchestral cover versions!



"Beatlephonic Medley" is lively from the outset and stays that way, as the orchestra skips rapidly through samples of "Got To Get You Into My Life," "Eight Days A Week," "Penny Lane," "Yellow Submarine," "Get Back," "Day Tripper," "Ticket To Ride" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," all in barely over four minutes!



The only non-Beatles track here, "Mull Of Kintyre," opens with a lone female voice, followed by some gently expanding music, and then the full choir. The song has a rousing finale that seems to include every bad bagpiper in Edinburgh and beyond.



For "elevator music," "I Am The Walrus" is quite nice, staying remarkably true to the original-- the violins "singing" the "goo-goo-ga-joobs" are most impressive. The Royal Choral Society's efforts on the SGT PEPPER'S intro are a real hoot. This six-minute track includes a hint of "With A Little Help From My Friends," which is equally grotty. Then follows a lovely "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," lovely that is, until that chorus starts up again. The coda is the predictable SGT PEPPER'S outro.



The other selections on THE BEATLES GREATEST HITS are equally interesting. Anyone who appreciates quality orchestrations and also likes the music of Lennon & McCartney is certain to enjoy this album.



TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 46:45"