At the risk of being perceived as a Beatles-centric blog (although two posts do not a statistical universe make) I'd like to let you know about this Robyn Hitchcock recording. There is no shortage of recordings available on the intertubes of various artists and bands playing entire Beatles' albums in concert. There are legitimate releases of tributes to Beatles' albums and even the relatively recent Cheap Trick release Sgt. Pepper Live. None that I've heard hold a candle to this concert. I'll tell you why.
Most artists that cover Beatles' tunes have a certain reverence for them or they wouldn't be covering them in the first place. The Beatles were and remain such a seminal influence on nearly all musicians that when interpreting the Beatles few artists stray far from the source material either in concert or in the studio. It is rare that an artist stamps their own identity on a Beatles cover thus making it their own. Joe Cocker's version of With a Little Help From My Friends is a perfect example. Earth, Wind & Fire's Got To Get You Into My Life is another. Both of these tracks are arguably better than the originals. Cocker's soulful reading is a heartfelt ode to the bonds of friendship that makes Ringo's sing-a-long vocals seem trite in comparison. EWF's funk-ified
Hitchcock has never been shy of proclaiming his love of all things Beatles, especially the ofttimes surreal lyrics of John Lennon. Hitchcock's own body of work, with it's word-play, bizarre humor, and songs about insects and food has clearly been influenced by Lennon. But it is the palpable affection Robyn and the band obviously feel for the material here presented that makes this recording such a joy. The audience at 3 Kings Pub is clearly enjoying themselves at this benefit concert, as are the performers. Laughter is as common place as applause. Hitchcock's on stage patter is full of non sequiturs and dry humor:
"A Lot of people say that that song wasn't about the drug LSD. But the point about drugs is they only make a difference if you take them." - about Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.
"'Course back in the 1960's people grew up very slowly because gravity was stronger."
"When I get older, losing my hair, several weeks from now." - lyrical change from When I'm Sixty-Four.
"Well, no horn section is complete, as we know, without another horn."
Sgt. Pepper is presented live in its entirety, as is the double-A sided single from the same Beatles recording sessions, Strawberry Fields Forever b/w Penny Lane, as well as Hey Bulldog (one of my favorite Beatles' tunes) and All You Need Is Love. There are a handful of other artist's covered to provide "context" according to Hitchcock. One wonders how the Soft Boy's Kingdom Of Love provides context, but anytime Hitchcock deigns to revisit his days as a Soft Boy is welcome. Highlights include the tacking on of Wilson (The Wicket) Pickets' In The Midnight Hour to Good Morning Good Morning and the inclusion of Sgt. Pepper's Inner Groove at the end of A Day In the Life.
Perhaps the most revelatory track here is Hitchcock's cover of Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? It is every bit a sonically (not a word, but it should be) dense as the original and somehow menacing.
Enjoy.
