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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic on vinyl is a classic on CD, March 31, 2003
As a collector of vinyl and ardent Beatles fan, I was always on the lookout for interesting cover versions and then I found this one. I was a fan of Ramsey Lewis too but this album came as a surprise. It was an interesting Beatles choice to begin with -- so many artists had covered the Beatles early/mid-career stuff that seemed tailor made for 'easy listening' orchestrations (think: Yesterday, Michelle, Something). I was astounded then to hear the White Album covered. The interpretations here were absolutely unique and not just replicas of the originals. Everything seems to work. The key here is in the arrangements -- and Beatles music lends itself so well to exploring new arenas. I'm sure it wasn't an easy choice deciding which tracks to cover (others come to mind) but the results are nothing less than exceptional. Ramsey Lewis takes each song and keeps a running thread that's instantly recognizable and puts his own spin on it. I won't go into detail on each track, they really are all worthy. Though my only quibble are with 'Goodnight' and 'Julia' -- pleasant tracks which could or should have been replaced with more upbeat numbers. I could think of any number of songs... Savoy Truffle, Revolution, Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Birthday -- each would have been amazing in Ramsey Lewis's hands. Concerning the CD itself, the sound is truly astounding. My vinyl copy was in excellent condition but was played on a very basic player but the CD was like hearing something totally new. I've no idea what a '24-bit remastered version' really is, as opposed to any other remastering but it sounded incredible on my 10-year old machine through top-notch headphones. Great clarity and detail. Rich, full sound. The foldout booklet, of course, is in Japanese and may have had some interesting liner notes but that's a minor issue. The one thing that did concern me was track 2, 'Rocky Racoon' -- it sounds as though it's been faded out too early. I'm sure it couldn't have been for time restraints so will have to check back with the vinyl version to see if I'm wrong! Four of these tracks (Mother Nature's Son, Julia, Good Night, Dear Prudence) appear on the Ramsey Lewis CD, Maiden Voyage but completists will probably go the extra mile for this. All in all, a truly welcome and long-overdue release for a wonderful album. Congrats to MCA for this. Nice classy packaging. As a final note, there is another version of Everybodys Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey by Fats Domino -- who I didn't even realize was still recording in '68. It was available on one of those old Warner Bros. double compilations highlighting their artists -- another great interpretation of an unlikely choice.
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