LJ Plays The Beatles Vol. 2
Laurence Juber
Laurence Juber has done it again! LJ Plays The Beatles Vol. 2 is an album of 15 great Lennon-McCartney songs superbly arranged for solo guitar. The original LJ Plays The Beatles has become a true classic, showing up on virtually every list of all-time great acoustic guitar albums, and this one is just as great. Well, even "better" if you consider that it has 15 tracks to its predecessor's 14. This CD has been eagerly awaited by acoustic guitar fans around the world, and I am confident in predicting that it will be THE great acoustic guitar CD of 2010. The creativity in LJ's arrangement does full justice to some of the greatest songs ever written. Any one of his arrangements would be a masterpiece for most guitarists, and a set of 15 is nothing short of amazing.
Several guitarists have recorded fine CDs of Beatle songs, but they hold a special place in LJ's heart. After all, he played in Wings along side Paul McCartney, and has recorded with George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Even a quick look through his long discography will show Beatles songs appearing on most of his albums. In each case the arrangements have a feeling and veracity that marks them as artistic creations in their own right while at the same time paying homage to the songwriters and their work.
Penny Lane is a rousing start to the CD, with its bouncing bass and light-as-air melody. Beyond maintaining more of the original's music than might seem possible, LJ perfectly captures the feel of the song. The trumpet solo is a masterful combination of the actual trumpet part with the need for a full accompaniment. This is no mean feat, and I have heard a number of versions that fall down at this point either because they just play the trumpet part which leaves a huge gap in the song, or they play the solo in the trombone register which just sounds strange. One other cool touch is the very ending, where LJ plays the trumpet figure that was deleted from the final song and now shows up on the Rarities CD and Anthology 2. I hear it as sort of a "wink" to Beatles fans.
Eleanor Rigby presents a real challenge to an arranger. While the chords are quite simple, the sound of the string players' bows "biting" into the strings is impossible to imitate with a guitar. Here LJ wisely picks up motives from the string parts and keeps them going during the verse, a technique so effective that you are liable to forget the original string arrangement. Of course this is aided by LJ's almost uncanny imitation of a cello, and his weaving of important violin and viola lines in with the melody. Another brilliant solution to a difficult problem.
Drive My Car is a softer arrangement that brings out the songs R&B and bluesy sides. The solo is wonderful with a very nice imitation of slide guitar. Rather than fade out at the end, LJ adds a terrific little coda that builds to a definitive ending. Great fun!
I came to Here, There and Everywhere with some trepidation. This is a song that I arranged years ago and will play whenever anyone is foolish enough to let me on a stage with a guitar. I still think mine sounds pretty good, but LJ adds some exquisite touches throughout the song that makes it his own.The little melodic flourishes, and even the way single notes are played, are simply beautiful. One of the Beatles' best played by one of the guitar's best.
You Can't Do That was one of the real surprises for me. The original has such nice interplay between the guitars and one of John Lennon's most searing vocals. LJ presents the songs in a milder version that grows in intensity right through the solo, and then falls into an easier swing permeated throughout by that great riff. That and a perfect ending.
You might think that Blackbird would be easy to play solo as it is mostly solo guitar and voice, but the guitar part actually moves pretty far afield of the melody for much of the song. LJ finds just the right balance between playing the original guitar part and staying true to the melody. The bluesy touches that he adds to the melody present it in a subtly new light, while the whole song sounds just effortless. A great one to just sit back and enjoy.
From the very first note (and all guitarists will get the reference when they hear it) you know that I Feel Fine is going to be an authentic version. It's all there, the riffs, the lead solo, the great melody and the harmony. Everyone will enjoy this one, but the guitarists will be taking out their instruments to try to figure out just how LJ got all of this into the arrangement. (Don't worry, there will be a music / tab book of the CD coming out soon!)
Dear Prudence is equally amazing. In addition to the beautiful melody we get John's fingerpicking guitar and George's great lead breaks all in one seamless presentation. This is one of my favourite tracks, an absolute gem.
I gained a new respect for When I'm Sixty-Four last summer when I played it with my friend Markku Wainman at CAAS in Nashville. LJ manages to do things solo that we could not do with two guitars, and it sounds wonderful. Hats off to a stellar arranger and great guitarist!
Please Please Me was another surprise and a real revelation for me. As it began I wondered why the opening riff was played so low, until I realized how it set off the melody when it entered. This song is like a short master class in building an effective arrangement. There are all sorts of masterful touches like the octaves in the guitar that appear in the middle, and the "backing vocals" played by slapping the chord behind the melody. I doubt I am the only one who had to listen to this one again right away. There is a lot to learn here, as well as to just enjoy.
And speaking of building an arrangement, No Reply is another great one. LJ begins softly and builds in volume and richness on each successive verse. I would never have thought this song could sound so good on solo guitar.
But if we are talking unlikely songs for solo guitar, is there one less likely than I Am The Walrus? This one is just incredible! There is so much in there, I can't imagine how LJ could have made it more authentic without actually reciting the snatches of dialogue from King Lear! A powerhouse. A tour de force.
An unexpected delight is All I've Got To Do. This is not a song that you hear as often as other Beatles hits, but as this arrangement points up it has a beautiful melody and a characteristic atmosphere that is all its own. You are in for a real treat with this one. An inspired choice.
Michelle seems to have entered America's consciousness again with Sir Paul's receiving the Gershwin Prize at the White House. LJ plays this beautiful song perfectly right through the guitar solo with a lush, luxuriant tone. When he breaks away into an inspired cadenza he breathes new life into the song that races to a climax before putting on the brakes to end with as much decorum as he started with.
With the release of Let It Be - Naked the world was finally able to hear The Long And Winding Road as its composer meant it to sound. It reveals the beauty of the melody along with the very rich piano accompaniment, some of Paul McCartney's finest piano work. LJ manages to retain the beautifully rich harmonies while keeping the melody front and centre. All the fine touches are there in this captivating end to one of the finest collections of arrangements recorded.
Yes this is a rave because this is one of those great CDs that come along all too rarely. The combination of one of the world's very finest guitarists and arrangers with some of the greatest songs ever written has resulted in this most magnificent album.
Don't take my word for it. Buy it and hear it for yourself. You will not regret your purchase. It is simply sensational!
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