Customer Reviews

Judy Collins Sings Lennon & Mccartney

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

 

 

After having recorded an all Dylan and then an all Leonard Cohen CD, Judy Collins finally sings twelve Lennon-McCartney songs. (Is it possible that she has only recorded one Beatles song previously, her glorious rendition of "In My Life"?) My favorite is "Yesterday," with a simple, mostly piano accompaniment, followed closely by "Blackbird," "When I'm Sixty-four" and "Hey Jude." "When I'm Sixty-four" is particularly poignant since John Lennon, as the whole world knows, was killed years ago and never made that magic number. Collins adds a nice touch by changing the final phrase to "when I'm 84." Adding a children's choir to "Hey Jude" works nicely as well. The selections that work best are those with fewer rather than more instruments (including Korg Triton and Minimoog) accompanying Ms. Collins.
"And I Love Her" and "Norwegian Wood" suffer from too much loud background music and should be remixed.

Ms. Collins faces the dilemma that everyone faces when he or she records music that the original group or singer has already made famous. While her arrangements of these familiar songs are perfectly fine, she does not improve on the originals. No one will ever sing "When I'm Sixty-four" and "Yesterday" better than the Beatles for the precise reason that they sang beautifully together. (The women who did a tribute album to Dolly Parton had the same problem a few years ago.) In a word, it is a lot easier to improve on a song sung by Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen than John Lennon and Paul McCartney. On the other hand, that a singer in her sixth decade is still singing and doing it so beautifully is cause for rejoicing.

While this is not Ms. Collins' best CD (I would give that to the outrageously wonderful "Who Knows Where the Times Goes"), her tribute to Lennon-McCartney is certainly worth listening to and far better than what most of her contemporaries are recording.

Among all of the gushing reviews here, obviously from mostly big fans of Ms. Collins, there is a 1-Star review from someone who thought this was the worst album ever made. I would say both sides have greatly overstated their cases. There is nothing extraordinary about this recording, other than the fact that Judy Collins is singing better than ever these days, and her "liquid silver" voice has not tarnished with age. If anything, it has gained some luster. I like some of these renditions very much, especially "And I Love Her," a direct and simple reading of "I'll Follow The Sun," and "Golden Slumbers," the latter even including a nod to early Beatles' experimentation with backwards tape. Although production values and vocal delivery are of high quality, some of the artistic choices made on other songs had me scratching my head. For instance, there are some stunning bits of vocal beauty in "Hey Jude," but then it's ruined by a children's choir ("yuck," was my reaction), and why do this old thing, anyway? Just my opinion, but it's not one of my favorite Beatles songs; I always found it repetitive and boring, once it went into its sing-along, endless chorus mode. It also points out the other reason I found this CD so disappointing: its lack of imagination in song selection. Where Judy could have gone deep, as she did long ago when whe covered "In My Life," she has opted this time for cute: "When I'm Sixty-four," and "Penny Lane." Many of the other selections are just so done-to-death: "Yesterday," "Blackbird," "Long And Winding Road," and Collins adds nothing new to the endless stream of previous attempts by other artists. At least Ella Fitzgerald, may she rest in peace, went out on a limb when she chose a Beatles song: "Savoy Truffle!" Granted, it's a George Harrison composition, but I believe it makes the point: if one is going to go over this well-trodden territory, some risks ought to be taken and more creativity should be allowed into the process. In this case, too much caution was the rule, and the result, while pretty, is rather bland. So, as much as I admire this marvelous voice, and found the album to be a mostly pleasant listening experience, I can only, regretfully, give it the 3 Stars. For the few keepers, I will hold on to this CD, but it could have been so much better.

At first, the notion of Judy Collins doing an all Beatles cd turned me off: who could improve on the originals? But this cd, the more I listen to it, really grows on me and I very much enjoy Collins's varied interpretations. In fact, she makes some of these tunes sound new again and who would have thought that possible? She is especially good on "Blackbird" and "Long and Winding Road," but also shines on "And I Love Her" and "Good Day Sunshine." "I'll Follow the Sun" was a perfect choice for her, as well. I'm not crazy about the children's choir on "Hey Jude," and it was a brave venture on her part to even record this classic...it works well in spots, but the ending kind of falls apart, in my opinion. The most remarkable thing about this cd is Collins's voice; it sounds as clear and crisp and warm as it did decades ago; in some ways, it sounds as if it's improved over time. I never would have guessed when I first started listing to Collins in 1968 that she would still be putting out albums almost 40 years later. All in all, this is a cd I would highly recommend. In my opinion, Judy could sing the alphabet and make it truly her own...at this point in her career she has nothing to prove, and it seems as if she's having lots of fun taking on the Beatles. Thanks again, Judy, for blessing us with your remarkable voice and keep on singing!

The 4 reviews prior to this one including the reviewer's say enough : Judy Collins is an extraordinary woman. And the people who wrote these articles (from the USA, of course, but European countries, too) are first class, too. I was never particularly attracted by The Beatles whose music looks often like "dépassée", "old stuff" in France at the moment. Particularly for young people. Judy recorded "In my life" and lately "Let it be" which are so good versions.
In this CD all is great : the songs, the musicians, the recording and Judy's voice above all. This CD is for me, too, the confirmation that Judy's teacher (the late Max Margulis, member of the so renowned "Blue Note") was right : She has kept her wonderful voice in spite of ageing... She is AN ANGEL with such a soulfull voice : it must be the reason why !

Being an avid Judy Collins fan for many years, I anticipated her return to singing songs of the beatles. Simply, her voice is as pristene and crystal clear as it was in the 1960's. She brings an added new interpretation to these classic Beatles tunes. It's a hard job to tackle, and Ms. Collins did it surpurbly. Her Jazzy style interpretation of the songs is reminicent of sitting at an outdoor concert on a warm breezy evening, relaxing, and enjoying the company and music of old and new friends. This is a five star recording. The only drawback (if there is one), I would have loved for the digipack to include in the liner notes, why Ms. Collins selected the songs she did for the CD.

JUDY COLLINS'S new album is truly quite a masterpiece.
I never was a BEATLES-fan, but hearing her interpretations of
these songs makes me just realize the greatness of these songs.
She brings a closeness to the lyrics, and her mucicality and artistry
that she has used on her other wonderful work throughout the years
makes this a fantastic album.
All 12 songs are just great, and if you did not know it, they could very well have been written with JUDY'S voice in mind.
The arrangements on each song is perfect and the musicians are brilliant.
This is really a great work of art!

"Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney" is an excellent disc from one of our most enduring performers. Collins' voice sounds as clear as a Colorado stream. "And I Love Her" is a jewel that Collins casts with a samba beat. In her song selection, she has picked Beatles' songs that emphasize her melodic strengths. "Penny Lane" is a delightful reading of the city snapshot "under blue suburban skies." "I'll Follow the Sun" is frequently not covered -- Chet Atkins being an exception. Collins polishes the lovely melody, "Someday you'll know I was the one, but tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun." Other tracks like "Good Day Sunshine," "Blackbird" & "Golden Slumbers" are also excellent. This set shines from fine interpretations of these classic songs. Enjoy!

Judy Collins is back with a collection of Lennon and McCartney songs that is her most upbeat, fun-to-listen-to CD in many years. Judy's vocals, back-up musicians, and the audio mix are all superb -- put those headphones on for the full effect!

Here is what music critics in Boston and Santa Barbara, CA newspapers had to say:

Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney
By Charles Donelan - The Santa Barbara Independent
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

These classics were first recorded by the Beatles in the era of Judy Collins's early success, and the overlap between our memories of the two songwriters is celebrated here in a series of "covers" that totally transcend the genre. Like a great documentary filmmaker, Collins knows exactly when to cut the cards and when to fold 'em. The arrangements are uncannily close to the originals, yet retain an independent dignity. And the vocals'-'well, suffice it to say, after nearly 50 years, Judy Collins can still redefine a song at will, including something as eccentric as "Long and Winding Road." A new standard has been set for Beatles covers.

Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney
By Adela M. Brito - EDGE Boston
September 9, 2007

Since first performing at the age of 13, releasing her debut album at 22, and singing folk, show tunes and standards thereafter, Judy Collins has not slowed down through the decades. Her most recent contribution to music: the self-produced, Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney.

While no one can sing the Beatles better than the Fab Four themselves, Ms. Judy adds a touch of elegance to most of the twelve Lennon & McCartney tunes she interprets here. Her voice is still youthful and vibrant; she plays the piano on most of the songs; and is accompanied by bassists Tony Levin and Zev Katz, drummer Tony Beard, and guitarist Larry Campbell.

Although there is little need for the most covered song ever, Yesterday, to make yet another appearance here, and a children's choir doesn't make Hey Jude any less somber, other renditions on this album do stand out. The opener, And I Love Her, complete with a mandolin and cello, is quite lovely. While many enjoy covering Blackbird and not adding much to it, Collins does well on her version, because her voice can go as high as this song requires. The rarely covered Golden Slumbers was a pleasant surprise to these ears. Her folk voice adds depth to this underrated Abbey Road gem. The song that shines the brightest on Collin's tribute to Lennon & McCartney is When I'm 64. Collins is two years shy of her seventh decade, McCartney just surpassed the magic number, and Lennon would've turned 67 this year. Ms. Collins tips her hat to the songwriting legends by changing the final line to "will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 84?"

Judy Collins does a fine job at saluting John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Her voice is soothing: her style is simple, but elegant: and she can still hit those high notes. Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney is a well-crafted album and a notable tribute.

Adela Brito, a freelance writer based in NYC, has been writing about music, movies, and the arts since 2000.

I love Judy Collins.
This is not a good CD. Other than her "Yesterday" and "I'll Follow the Sun", the songs are a bit strained and under orchestrated. She picks the keys that she needs to she can hit the ranges of notes, but does not have the power anymore to pull these off. The songs are thin.
I purchased 3 of her CD's at once, and this is by far the least desirable.

As we all know, most of The Beatles' original songs were not joint efforts of Lennon/McCartney but were the creations of either one or the other.
That being the case, and the reader understanding that I have nothing against McCartney's output, practically every song Ms. Collins has chosen is a McCartney composition, the exception being "Norwegian Wood".
But the real problem is that Collins has put absolutely nothing distinctive into these covers. She's competently singing the melody, the band is competently playing the chords, but so what? Compare any song on this disc with her version of "In My Life" done forty years ago. Not only was that interpretation well performed but it is a haunting piece of music. There was an attitude she was emoting; there was soul.
Why is she singing "Norwegian Wood"? When John Lennon sings it, you can hear the resignation in his voice, the humor as he recounts the story about an absurd extra-marital affair with some bohemian woman. Ms. Collins sings it simply as a pretty little love song. It reminds me of Bob Dylan's complaint on his second album of how various covers of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" were completely missing the point of the song.
She sings the standard McCartney songbook: "Yesterday", "And I Love Her", "Hey Jude", etc. and she does it without putting anything original or of herself into it.
What a cynical record this is.