Customer Reviews

All This & World War II

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The idea was to do a massive cover project of Beatles songs done by everyone who was hot in the mid-70s - or wanted to be. This was five years after the Beatles broke up, so maybe the time wasn't right; too soon. Today, this would be a Tribute Album; back then, it was a What the Hell IS This Album? Anyway, this was the Golden Age of Ken Russell films, those overwrought maybe-masterpieces you either got or didn't. Someone thought it would be great to make a film along with the album. Then, someone had the insane idea of combining all this music with newsreel and theatrical film footage of . . . World War II? Yep. "Here Comes the Sun" becomes the rising sun of Japan's flag, a defeated Mussolini is a "Nowhere Man," and Hitler is seen relaxing at his Bavarian retreat as "The Fool on the Hill." Someone has to be kidding, right? The project sounds like a YouTube aberration but it was financed and released by 20th Century Fox. It was yanked out of theaters after week or two. The album has had a life of its own, featuring notable names and people you've never heard of. (Wikipedia is a good place to read more.) About the CD; it omits the final song, "Give Peace a Chance," which summed up the film as an extended anti-war statement. The film doesn't exist as an official release - it would probably cost a billion dollars to secure the rights - but a web-search shows you can find it on DVD. You can see the trailer on You-Tube. P.S. John Lennon was slightly involved with the film - he plays guitar on Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." He liked the film, but he was the walrus AND the eggman, so who really knows?

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There have been a lot of Beatles tribute albums. Several have been remarkable, like Joshua Rifkin's legendary Baroque Beatles Book (finally out on CD!) and Booker T.'s McLemore Ave., but of all the different albums of Beatles music that have been released in the last fifty years, it's my not-so-humble opinion that this may be the all-round best collection of artists doing some of their very best performances. The sound quality on vinyl was excellent, the instrumentation and arrangements were all superb, and the production throughout was high-quality. Check the artist list: Ambrosia, Peter Gabriel, Leo Sayer, Rod Stewart, Helen Reddy, Frankie Valli, Tina Turner. I'm so glad this was finally released on CD.

A truly odd film and eclectic soundtrack with various artists from the 60's and 70's covering Lennon-McCartney songs accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, "All This & World War II" quickly hit the cut-out bins (only because of how many were produced--it charted on Billboard at #48 so sold fairly well) when it was first released in 1976 (and beating to market soundtrack to the awful "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" movie featuring the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Aerosmith and George Burns among others), this was an ambitious project done by Lou Riezner cobbled together from Movietone News footage from the war married to vintage movie footage (which is probably the reason it has yet to "offically" show up on DVD or Blu-ray due to rights issues) providing a strange 70's commentary on the war. The film itself is a bit glib and doesn't provide much depth with the songs providing an odd sort of contrast to what we're seeing on the screen (for example the "retreat" of German soldiers to Rod Stewart's version of "Get Back" with the footage run in reverse).

What ultimately survives--and surprisingly works in most cases--is the music. The arrangements can veer into bombastic territory but it's still interesting to hear the vocal interpretations by the various artists (who had nothing to do with the arrangment--they came in and sang against a completed pre-existing backing track). Nevertheless, I completely disagree with the assessment of this album by allmusicguide--while it is flawed in its own way it also perfectly captures the spirit of the late 70's; the "Sgt. Pepper" soundtrack is fascinating for both its highlights ("Come Together" by Aerosmith and Earth, Wind and Fire's "Got To Get You Into My Life")as it is for its disasters (most of the rest of that album)the high points here ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by Elton John which had been released two years before this set; "Get Back" by Rod Stewart--both of which were released independent of this project, Roy Wood's reading of "Polythene Pam", Peter Gabriel's "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Bryan Ferry's creepy "She's Leaving Home")are worthwhile and there's truly not a bad interpretation just some some weird ones. Keith Moon's version of "When I'm 64" is odd as well and sad considering he never made it to 64.

A bit of trivia since John Lennon appears on "Lucy" with Elton, he's the only Beatle that appears on this album.

The remastering for this set is exceptionally mastered for CD and the lavish packaging replicates the gatefold sleeve (in comes in a slipcase as well)with a booklet featuring the lyrics and illustrations. My only complaint is that there are no notes about the making of the album or comments from the artists who contributed to this set. The original CD version also includes an iron on patch of the cover illustration.

Sadly, Lou Reizner died at the age of 43 six months after the movie released so we can't truly get an idea as to what he would have thought in retrospect although one can imagine that he thought this would be a good follow up to his orchestral version of Tommy: As Perfromed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Chambre Choir with Guest Soloists which was a success in 1972 or his work on Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Artists:
Disc 01
1. Magical Mystery Tour - Ambrosia
2. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Elton John (I suspect this is a slightly different mix and it runs over six minutes here).
3. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight - The Bee Gees
4. I Am The Walrus - Leo Sayer
5. She's Leaving Home - Bryan Ferry
6. Lovely Rita - Roy Wood
7. When I'm Sixty-Four - Keith Moon
8. Get Back - Rod Stewart
9. Let It Be - Leo Sayer
10. Yesterday - David Essex
11. With A Little Help From My Friends/Nowhere Man - Jeff Lynne
12. Because - Lynsey De Paul
13. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - The Bee Gees
14. Michelle - Richard Cocciante
Disc 02
1. We Can Work It Out - The Four Seasons
2. The Fool On The Hill - Helen Reddy
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Frankie Laine
4. Hey Jude - The Brothers Johnson
5. Polythene Pam - Roy Wood
6. Sun King - The Bee Gees
7. Getting Better - Status Quo
8. The Long And Winding Road - Leo Sayer
9. Help - Henry Gross
10. Strawberry Fields Forever - Peter Gabriel
11. A Day In The Life - Frankie Valli
12. Come Together - Tina Turner
13. The End - The London Symphony Orchestra
14. You Never Give Me Your Money - Wil Malone & Leo Reizner


"All This & World War II" isn't a great album but it IS entertaining and the musicianship by studio wiz the late Nicky Hopkins (on piano) among others makes it a fascinating listen with often compelling performances from The Brothers Johnson, Rod Stewart, Peter Gabriel, Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, The Bee Gees, Leo Sayer, Helen Reddy and many others.

This LP originaly was a double album. It is simply one of the best ever produced recording of The Beatles s' songs. Standout tracks: Peter Gabriel (Straberry Fields Forever), Ambrosia (Magical Mistery Tour), Elton John (Lucy in the Sky), Keith Moon (When I am Sixty Four) and many more. There is not a single bad or mediocre performance on this cd. Sadly most people ignore its existance !!

My mother, who is Spanish, actually bought this album in Europe when it came out when I was, what, maybe 14, and I listened to it again and again for at least 25 years, even long after I had moved out but would be home visiting. I really liked the fanciful concept, the production quality, and mostly excellent performances - especially Elton John's magical take on "Lucy In the Sky" and Tina Turner's gutsy delivery of "Come Together." I first didn't know who many of the other singers were, but I still enjoyed the whole thing. Some years ago Mom's backroom flooded and this old album got wet and eventually moldy and warped. The box covers disintegrated and the the jackets and poster stained with mildew. Damn shame. I miss looking at the bizarre clever artwork and portraits while the grandly quirky music put me in an altered state of awareness. Was this in fact a future memorial, somehow transported into the past, my present, honoring a long dead group? Or was I a visitor from the past (1943?), overhearing imaginary orchestrations of the songs of some yet unknown popular group? I dunno, but that's what it felt like being back in my old room with this on the record player, and time and space melting away. I just gotta buy this on vinyl...

Can't believe how difficult it is to get this album. I remember seeing the movie as a kid in the 80's and my old man even had a copy on VHS once. The Some of the covers are better than the originals, esp Leo Sayer's songs. Strongly recommend getting if you love the Beatles, and like a bit of edge to your music. BTW, you can track down the DVD showing the original movie, but not on Amazon.... worth a watch to, I mean how many films can claim a credit line that includes Richard Burton, Winston Churchill, Clark Cables, Aldof Hitler and many more!

I have gone through 3 albums and tried to fine someone to put it on CD.
I was shopping on amazon.com and found it and I was shocked, now I have it on album, cassette and now CD.
This CD has some old greats singing Beatles songs and also some newcomers like Peter Gabriel singing Strawberry fields forever this album is just awesome I paid $3.00 for the cutout in 1979 this cd was will worth the $62.00 I paid.

I origionally bought this album when I heard Ambrosia on the radio doing Magical Mystery Tour thirty years ago. Needless to say it's a bit warn out now. I like every song on this album except Maxwell's Silver Hammer sung by Franky Laine of all people. My favorite is Long and Winding road sung by Leo Sayer (yes the "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" guy) I still find it a good listen after thirty years.

Good stuff, and many of these songs helped increase (or keep) the fame of these artists: Elton John's version of Lucy in the Sky, Rod Stewart's version of Get Back, etc.

JUST ONE WORD... FANTASTIC!!!! I got the box set LP way back in 1977, and up to date have not heard anything like this, (well not counting original beatles productions) in my humble opinion it is the best production of Beatles music ever done!!!!!