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Review: An electrifying live album for Beatle fans

Budi Iskandar (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, November 11, 2016

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Review: An electrifying live album for Beatle fans The Beatles can still shake the music scene like no others, even almost half a century after their break-up. (JP/Budi Iskandar)

T

he Beatles can still shake the music scene like no others, even almost half a century after their break-up. The recent release of the Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years documentary reignites the appetite for anything Beatles. The new-and-improved Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a fitting accompaniment for the film.

(Read also: Review: An amusing 'Eight Days a Week' with the Beatles)

The original album was released in 1977, but the technology of that time couldn’t help Beatles producer George Martin elevate the audio quality very much. The frenzied screaming of the fans pretty much drowned out the music.

Fast forward to 2016, George Martin’s son Giles has come up with an upgraded version of the album. This new mix offers a significant sonic enhancement – the screams become bearable and the music finally takes center stage. Now every twang of George Harrison’s lead guitar and every snap of Ringo Starr’s snare drum seem to blend sweetly with John Lennon’s vigorous strumming and Paul McCartney’s low-end boom.

The new Live at the Hollywood Bowl is the closest to a proper Beatles live album as we can get. The pick of the songs are taken from two Hollywood Bowl shows (in 1964 and 1965 – similar to the original album), but now four bonus tracks have been added for our listening pleasure.

At their core, the Beatles were a tight unit as a live band. Their countless hours of “training” in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg might have had something to do with it. Another reason could be the fact that they played an almost identical list of songs, the same way, night after night during their touring years. That was without monitor speakers to hear themselves and without adequate amplification to match the shrieks of the crowd. 

But the raw excitement and the energy of the shows are very much evident throughout. Listen to McCartney’s semi-raspy vocal on “Can’t Buy Me Love”, or the enthusiastic jolt of the fans on the bridge part of “Things We Said Today". The covering of American songs like “Roll Over Beethoven” or “Boys” seems to have an extra oomph, as if to say “Thanks for the inspiration”. Also, check out Lennon’s rewriting of the lyrics to “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”.

Live at the Hollywood Bowl offers a glimpse into Beatlemania at its shrieking best. The music may have played second fiddle, but to the fans that were there the Beatles created electrifying magic and that’s part of their legendary tale.

 

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Budi Iskandar loves Mexican and Indian food and enjoys vacations as well as staycations (depends on his budget). He hosts acoustic open mic events if you want to participate. Say hi to him on his Twitter and Instagram, @guitariskandar.  

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