Great post, Loco Mo. I got the
Love album and really liked it. Yes, some of the arrangements were weird, but it also made them fun. Since the Martins worked very closely with the Cirque Du Soleil people, I think your speculation is a good one that this CD would make better sense in the context of the show. After all,
Love was developed as a soundtrack.
For me, the fun of love is that, as Kevin says, "It all sounds very fresh and immediate." Wow, so clear! And I really like some of the alternate picks of the well-known songs. I tend to put it on when I'm in the mood for Beatles, but not of a specific period. It covers all of them, so it's nice to just have playing.
I feel like George Martin really liked Lennon's work. Is it my perception that I seem to hear a preponderance of John in the project?
There's no question George Martin is an ardent fan of John Lennon's. One of the most moving parts of the Anthology project was when Sir George brought up an early take of John's "A Day in the Life" and, listening and commenting on the unique quality of John's voice, gets a tear in his eye. Sad and lovely.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps is simply a great George Harrison tune. Can it really be called a Beatles song considering that John and Paul weren't receptive to it at the time?
I would consider this a Beatles tune, as much as any of them were in the White Album period and beyond. I don't think John and Paul were terribly receptive to George's tunes at any point. When you hear them all spin off in their different directions after the split, I can see why. Doubtless, all of them must have felt a little cramped in their style. They had their own interests, but they needed their songs to also have a "Beatly" quality. It must have been tough.
However, George does say that Paul was a help after they'd done 10 of his songs and was finally ready to tackle someone else's (I'm paraphrasing the quote). George credits Paul with coming up with that fantastic keyboard intro to WMGGW, and George had it reproduced exactly on his Japan tour because he liked it so well. It's a pity the split got so acrimonious, because much as these fellows wanted to pursue their own work, there's something helpful in having an informed critic at your elbow to steer you in a fruitful direction. Only another Beatle could countermand a Beatle; that's why I think all their solo careers were a little uneven. The talent and genius was still there, but IMHO it could have benefitted from a little brotherly criticism.
