Customer Reviews

Beatles Regrooved

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Beatles purists will absolutely hate this. Most of the songs are completely unrecognizable from the originals. After listening to this, you'll finally appreciate what Ringo brought to the band (ok, not Ringo, but the fact that they had a live drummer and not a machine).

On the other hand, if you've grown up with techno, house and trance and have not been familiarized with the "Fab-Four" this may be a place to start. Even with the instruments and vocals changed (except for the song on the cd that is only an instrumental- which is strange because the words were the best part), the lyrics are still as moving from strange mouths as ever.

Finally, if you do get this, have an open mind and give it a chance. I would suggest listening to the samples above to get an idea of what you're in for. Be warned that most of the remixes are a lot longer than the originals.

The Beatle versions are forever ingrained in our consciousness so what's the point of just remaking them rote?

Some people might think re-grooved means laying a Euro house-trance track underneath - if you're expecting Beatle kaoroke-like vocals with a dance track, you're looking into the wrong place.

If you appreciate the songs and are interested to hear what they might sound like as interpreted by untraditional artists, you have an excellent collection of great songs with a twist from the safe.

While there are shades of differences between the different takes here, most would fall under trip hop. Some you can dance to, some you chill to, some are haunting and some are just nicely "different."

This is what music is supposed to be about. You want the original versions, you want "safe" pop remakes, great - they are still there. If you want a different take - these are all excellent and an interesting excursion off the well worn beaten path (and also a reminder of how great the songs are - no matter how you shape-shift the notes around).

I agree with the previous review that this may not be for everyone. As with all remakes/covers, fans of the original piece(s) are among the most critical, and most of these tracks have been changed beyond their original incarnations. However, as an occasional listener of the original Beatles tunes and as a person with several downtempo/chillout/electronica CDs on my shelf this is a great CD to have on at any time of the day. This album has encouraged me to look for additional songs by some of the artists. But please do keep in mind that if covers are not for you, this may not be what you're looking for.

Psychedelic Yogi is just a ... groovy groovy guru. Oops that's Donovan, not the Beatles. This collection is enjoyable, especially when I want to "relax turn off my mind and float downstream...." Play it late night in a dark room while watching a flickering candle and you will enjoy it greatly. If you try to put all your cognitive powers to work analyzing each track individually, you'll have mixed feelings about the CD. First track is definitely the best, but all are fine. Dig it. Or dig a pony.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I'm a Beatles purist, have always loved their music but also enjoy down-tempo electronica, chillout, ambient, trip-hop. This could have been a spectacular project, but it is so unspeakably bad in composition, vocals, creativity that even Yoko on a bad day screaming could have done better. The interpretation of Eleanor Rigby is so beyond awful that there's no word for it in the Oxford English Dictionary. I defy anyone with a broad and open mind about just music, nevermind the Beatles, to find one track(1) that saves this compilation. Only a sad and lonely readers of "Catcher in the Rye" stalking celebs would go out and buy this..

Following the success of 2004's Classics Regrooved, which reinterpreted various classical compositions for the chillout and electronica crowd, Koch Records visits another sacred body of work, this time applying the same formula to various Beatles songs. The problem with re-imagining Beatles material is that the Beatles generally imagined it at the highest level in the first place, so it really comes as no surprise that most of the tracks here seldom rise above the level of being mildly interesting curios. The songs that were a little psychedelic in the first place generally fare the best, while the ballads tend to sink under the weight of too much syrup. Jay Atwood and Susan MacCorkle's take on "Tomorrow Never Knows" retains much of the swirling inevitability of the original, and is easily the most successful of these "regrooves," while MystiQuintet's "Eleanor Rigby," which replaces the original's haunting sadness with relentless heaviness, and Azade Abi and Holmes Ives' "Come Together," which catches some of the cocky sharpness of the Beatles' version, are also strikingly reassembled. In the end, though, Beatles Regrooved remains mostly just an edgy set of background music, re-imagined or not, and it will more than likely send most listeners scrambling for their Beatles albums to make sure those wonderful original grooves are still intact.

Tracks
Title Performer Time
1 Tomorrow Never Knows Atwood, MacCorkle 4:05
2 While My Guitar Gently Weeps DJ Natural 4:59
3 Blackbird Eros 4:43
4 Two of Us Skylab2000 4:58
5 Something Selway 4:06
6 Eleanor Rigby MystiQuintet 4:14
7 Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds Jaime 3:53
8 Strawberry Fields Signs 4:15
9 Let It Be Eros 4:06
10 Hey Jude Chokocheeky 4:29
11 I Want You (She's So Heavy) Jette-Ives 5:57
12 Come Together Abi, Frost, Holmes, Ives 5:46
13 Because MystiQuintet 3:55
14 Across the Universe Eugenia, Selway, Selway 4:25

Boy, as a Beatles purist (I have about $25,000 in memorabilia and rare records) I approached this with real trepidation. Endorsed by no less than the Fab Faux, I bought it and played it the first time with real fear of the "painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa" syndrome. I was pleasantly surprised. Bold and innovative, these young people do a real good job recreating a broad selection of tunes in a variety of styles. I do agree with a previous reviewer who mentioned the drum track vs. Ringo as a knockout for Ringo but otherwise,go ahead-don't be afraid-the music is so touched with genius its almost impossible to totally ruin it and these kids do a very nice job-sometimes a double, an occasional triple and one or two home runs (Tomorrow Never Knows is brilliant)make it worth your time.

I love The Beatles, but time started to take toll. Some of their works stop touching me as much as it was before. It feels old. So I'm always happy to find something new about Beatles. May be Paul and Ringo should be involved into regrooving their old songs themselves. It would be fun. When younger musicians playing Beatles it makes this music live again. So don't be a Beatles purist, buy this CD and listen.

If you like electronic music you will enjoy these out-of-bounds versions of Beatles originals. These artists did a fantastic job of recreating the songs we have all enjoyed through the years. It is time for a new groove.

If you want your cover artists to sound just like the original then go back and listen to the original. Don't waste time plunking out a clone of the same old song, why bother? Cover songs should give us new outlook and originality so they can be enjoyed all over again in a different way. Otherwise it may as well be the same old tune playing as it always has. These artists on 'Beatles Regrooved' really deliver on the fresh and new.

Maybe I am biased, as I love the Remix/Electronica age in which we live, but I grew up with the Beatles and have to say that this disc absolutely worth getting "Groovy" with!! Although some tracks are a bit strange (Lucy in the Sky, Something) a lot have been wonderfully re-mixed (Tomorrow Never Knows, Blackbird). The instrumental version of Eleanor Rigby is as fast paced and edgy as if it were a live performance! "Hey, Jude" and "Let it Be" are done with amazing beats, and the heavenly sounding "Because" takes me back!! This disc will remain in my CD Player for many weeks to come!!