Various Artists: Trojan Beatles Tribute (Box Set)

Elly Roberts reviews

Various Artists: Trojan Beatles Tribute (Box Set)
Distributed by
Trojan Records

    Cover

  • Released: December 2004
  • Cat.no.: TJETD220
  • Rating: 7/10

It’s fascinating what you can do with Beatles’ songs.

On this, the cream of Trojan’s roster turn out for a tribute to The Beatles onthis magnificent boxset, mastered by Tim Debney. I suspect this one’s for theReggae or Ska fans, and yes even the Fab Four’s huge following.

There’s plenty to feast on here as some of the great names of the genre tackleboth instrumental and vocal slants on Lennon, McCartney and Harrison’sgreatest collective and solo work. In some cases you get more than one versionby different artists, e.g. Let It Be, My Sweet Lord, and Blackbird.

In the ten years that they shook the world, many performers elected to covertheir work, with Something being popular with showbiz diva Shirley Bassey.This collection highlights how transferable their work really was, confirmingtheir universality.


Some of these interpretations are simply outstanding: check out Rico and theRudies’s instrumental Hey Jude which contains a subtle twist on theclassic, as is the Joyce Band’s punchy version of Ob La Di Ob La Da,both on disc 3. Nicky Thomas turns Isn’t It A Pity into something reallyspecial with a Hawaiian juxtaposition of dreamy guitar splendour. Of the twoYesterdays – Joe White, and The Flame All Stars, the latter works betteras an instrumental. John Holt’s Hey Jude is simple and direct,allowing his wonderful Caribbean lilt to shine through.

There are a few ropey ones, particularly (disc 3) The Israelites’ ComeTogether, and the ultra weak Imagine by T.T. Ross, Reggae andShout (Twist and Shout) by The Black Beatles featuring Derrick Morgan,which was better done by Chaka Demus and Pliers.

If this is Reggae music – then let it be.

Visit:Trojan Records.net /Sanctuary Records Group.co.uk

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