Customer Reviews

The Beatles Connection: The King's Singers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So you think you've heard just about every interpretation of the Beatles there is? Even in the remotest possibility that were indeed the case, you shouldn't miss out on this one.

For the hitherto uninitiated, King's Singers is a famous group of six Englishmen who sing a cappella (without accompaniment). They are at home performing a wide range of material, from classical to popular music.

In this recording, you'll hear many Beatles stand bys, as well as a few not-so-familiar ones-all of them taking a magical twist from the King's Singers rendition. Whether it's their heartwarming strains of "And I Love Her" and "Girl" or their amusing innovations in "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" and "Lady Madonna," the King's Singers take no prisoners here. This is one album every home should not be without!

The previous reviewers have rightly extolled the virtues of this disc, recorded in 1986. With the King's Singers "Beatles Connection", the tradition of Western polyphonic singing, harking back to Jannequin, Monteverdi and the English Renaissance, meets the art of song writing that the Beatles brought to a degree of perfection.

The results are outstanding. Unlike the "Beatles Go Baroque" collection published by Naxos (Beatles Go Baroque), in which both traditions are so watered down in the encounter as to loose all spine, here we get the best of both worlds. The full flavour of the original Ballads is there (many of the Greatest Hits are included), as well as the polyphonic art of the King's at its best. One of the nice things about the arrangements is not only that the vocal lines are polyphonically distributed between various singers (achieving results that are oftentimes far more elaborate than the originals), but that the five singers also assume vocally the bass, percussion and instrumental support as well, thanks to an array of da-dams, tshik-tshik and other scat effects. Try trak 9 and 10, it's hard to believe - and great fun to hear!

The disc's liner notes remind us of how far back the relationship between the King's Singers and the Beatles goes: their first album for EMI was produced by no less than the "fifth" Beatle, producer George Martin, and the bass guitarist in that original album became, twenty years later, the producer of the present one. The King's Singers also made the frog chorus in McCartney's "We All Stand Together", and the father of Jeremy Jackman, one of the group's two countertenors (whose brothers are also arranger and sound engineer for the album), was the clarinettist of "When I'm Sixty Four" (in the Sgt. Pepper Album).

There is much to enjoy here, both for the connoisseur (of the Beatles and/or of classical) and for the "layperson". To fans of the Beatles and/or of transcriptions I also suggest the brass arrangements played by the Canadian Brass, All You Need Is Love.

The King's Singers do it again. This mix of Beatle's Melodies is quite unique. Even those who love the original tunes by the Beatles will love this. Each song is masterfully arranged and executed. Two thumbs up!

A very impressive version of the Beatles songs, again all very tight and professional, a beatle purist should be proud.

I am someone who has enjoyed The King's Singers for years. I have previously found their range and choices of material to be interesting and rewarding. This album however, was a disappointment. Their voices did not seem suited to the Beatles music, and the arrangements did not serve The King's Singers or The Beatles well.

My suggestion: you may want to skip this one.

The huge array of a capella arrangements on this CD knocked my socks off. I am a professional musician, and the King's Singers never cease to amaze me. My best description is WOW!

B as Beatles is a guarantee. till the end of time their songs will be sung.
also without music as these. compliments to the King's Singers!!!
Sergio
Italian Beatles fan

During my audiophile listening through different kind of music, this was the most desireed into my list. This was causes because of the several uses for several resellers and manufacturer of audiophiles electronic components on brazilian demonstration, meeting and open fairs. Those demonstration was intended to clearly show the sound stage of the voice, and also their respective positioning, air separating each voices and the differences of heigh between the singers. That was well recorded!
However, I could not find this kind of magic in my listening room. I will give this album a second chance, when I visit one friend, but so far I am not want to listen it again.

I sang some of these arrangements in a chamber choir and they sounded nowhere near as beautiful as the real thing. I bought this CD as soon as I found it.

As an inveterate Beatles' fan, I admit I am very picky when it comes to Beatle covers. However, as far as cover versions go, this one is decent. The voices harmonize well and, objectively speaking are good. This collection is like a folk hootenanny treatment of the Beatles' classics.

The only arrangement I didn't like was "A Hard Day's Night." I felt it deviated from the standard Beatle format and I also didn't like the tempo of this arrangement. I would have preferred that the background singing on "Help!" had been omitted; I felt it "cluttered" the song.

All in all, decent. It is what it is - cover versions of timeless Beatle classics. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" was the best performed song on this collection. If you like folk as I do and you enjoy a good hootenanny as I do, then you might enjoy this one.