Customer Reviews

A Tower Records Tribute To The Beatles

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01. One After 909 - The Smithereens
02. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker
03. Can't Buy Me Love - Johnny Rivers
04. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - The Beach Boys
05. Get Back - Ike & Tina Turner
06. Drive My Car - Bobby McFerrin
07. Norwegian Wood - Jan & Dean
08. Something - Peggy Lee
09. Let It Be - The Persuasions
10. Yesterday - Dr. John

Compilation of Lennon/McCartney tunes plus "Something", put together by Tower Records (believe it or not, there used to be stores that sold records, CDs and such!). Some well-known covers here, such as Joe Cocker and many lesser known ones. The Beach Boys covers sound like it was out of the same session that produced Barbara Ann. Overall an enjoyable collection by known artists that, for the most part, interpret the songs in their own style.

This brief 37min. Beatles tribute compilation draws attention as a novelty. By no means do any of these covers by the star studded roster replace the originals of the Fab Four. On their tracks, The Smithereens and Johnny Rivers(live) play it pretty straight
with little invention, almost with a fear in tampering with imortality. Joe Cocker, on the other hand, with his lenghthy take on "With a little help from my friends" turns the song into an unrecognizable, full blown rock anthem. Give him an A for effort, anyway! I don't know the source of the Beach Boys impromptu live contribution, but with the cackling bimbos in the background, one can only feel a sense of mocking. Tina Turner expounds her "Rolling on the River" kind of energy to "Get Back". Bobby Mcferrin uses his finger snapping and voice manipulation trademarks on "Drive my car". Jan and Dean sound more beachy than the Beach Boys on their track, with the woo's and waa's in the choruses. As one would expect, Peggy Lee gives us a standard syrupy string orchestrated rendition of "Something". The Persuasions are gospel oriented on "Let it be"! Concluding the disc is Dr John's bluesy bloated "Yesterday". The sound varies from track to track! At the cheap prices being offered for this; go ahead and take a chance!