The Beatles Uke - Greg Hawkes
I never imagined that I would review a ukulele CD, but then again I never thought that I would hear one as fine as this. On The Beatles Uke, Greg Hawkes plays terrific arrangements of Beatles songs on a wider variety of ukes than you might think exist. This is a really great selection of songs, with old favourites balanced by surprises and rarely played ones. Each track shows an incredible depth of detail and the playing demonstrates a real commitment to the arrangement.
Greg Hawkes is no musical neophyte. You may remember him as the keyboardist with The Cars, and in fact he has done uke arrangements of their songs as well. The story of this CD - from his wife's gift of a uke to James Jensen's suggestion of a full CD of Beatles arrangements - is told on Hawkes' web site: http://www.greghawkesmusic.com/.
So what is the music like? First, forget all of your preconceptions of ukulele music, especially if they involve hula girls in grass skirts placing leis around your neck. There is nothing hackneyed about this CD. This is great music to just sit back and enjoy.
The CD gets off to a rousing start with a vigorous version of Penny Lane which captures the happy verve and sunny blue skies of the song perfectly. After a few bars, you will forget that you are hearing ukuleles and just be swept along with the tune. These instruments just sparkle and glisten in Hawkes' hands. And that ending!
And I Love Her shows us just how mellow the uke can sound on this wonderful melody. Of course, you know what those "bongos" really are too, right? A straightforward, lovely arrangement.
Strawberry Fields Forever retains that touch of psychedelia from the original with a judicious use of signal processing as well as imaginative "analog" playing. For example, those "backward cymbals" sound like sand swished inside a uke, although they might be water too. Distortion, EQ, and delay give the ukes an excellent impersonation of electric guitar and even swarmandel.
Here Comes the Sun is another fine arrangement. The ukes are used in unadorned fashion mostly, although one does a fine impression of the original Moog synthesizer (the irony no doubt fun for this great keyboardist).
Eleanor Rigby is where it all began, and no wonder. This is a very compelling arrangement of surprising power. As much as any song in this collection this one reveals the CD as no mere stunt but rather truly fine music.
And then a nice surprise - Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! I could hardly wait for the 3/4 section with the circus organ and calliope, and it did not disappoint! Even Paul McCartney's highly processed guitar is here, note-perfect as we expect by now. Another great ending too.
Fool on the Hill is next, in a really terrific arrangement that reminds of us what a beautiful melody this is. The weird backward swoops are here, as are all of the subtle counter-melodies. Hawkes' playing is so expressive that he manages to bring out the vocal inflections and niceties, highlighting them with his sensitive orchestrations.
The opening bars of Yellow Submarine signal that it is time for more fun. This jaunty tune gets the full treatment (is that really a "slide ukulele" that I think I hear?). This time I am pretty sure that it is water in a uke giving the FX! This one should have your feet tapping, or get you singing along, or both.
Piggies is another pleasant surprise, a song which I think we just do not hear enough. This version is a great take on it, and the "pigs snorting" at the end got me laughing.
She's Leaving Home is a fine version of this song. I have been coming to appreciate the actual song more in recent years. It has always bothered me that the recording on the stereo version of Sgt. Pepper is slower than the mono version (sounding in E in stereo but in F in mono). Following John Lennon's statement that the mono version was "the real Sgt. Pepper" I have to agree that the song sounds better in the higher key. I also have come to realize that Mike Leander's string arrangement is not as sappy as I first thought (now that I am over my resentment that George Martin was not given the opportunity to orchestrate it). Of course, none of this has to do with this version. Not only does Hawkes pay great attention to the arrangement of the original, but he sets off the melody and the question-and-answer section particularly well.
Honey Pie is another song that we do not hear often and it sounds as if it were written for ukulele, at least after hearing this track. Yet another one that will bring a smile to your lips and maybe even a swing to your hips.
Another often-missed gem by George Harrison is For You Blue. The "tack-hammer" piano sounds great on the uke, and the slide uke fills in very well for John Lennon's lap steel guitar. The vocal phrasing is perfect, as are the background fills. This guy is a real Beatles fan!
OK, so if you are expecting "standard" Beatles songs you will be relieved to hear the starting strains of Yesterday. After so many thousands of versions and interpretations of this tune it is nice to hear a simple presentation of the original, albeit with the signature sound of Mr. Hawkes' ukuleles.
And now for the biggest surprise of all: Blue Jay Way. Die-hard George Harrison fan that I am, I have to be in a particular mood to listen to this one all the way through, but not this version! Hawkes uses a lighter touch on the accompaniment - partly because of the uke sound, but no doubt also due to his fine sensibility - and gives the song a more surreal sound than the original, less dark while still quite substantial. Nothing is lost, but the proportions are subtly shifted. Nice job!
Appropriately, the CD ends with Goodnight, John Lennon's lullaby for his son Julian. This often-maligned song is (as has been said of Wagner's music) "better than it sounds" on the White Album. The rather overblown orchestration sounds almost satiric, and Ringo's valiant attempt at singing it, while courageous, is often a little wobbly with the pitch. An early version with just piano accompaniment sounds much better, and I suppose that Lennon's "tough guy" image kept him from lending his incomparable voice to this fine song. Greg Hawkes does us one last favour here by giving us this beautiful melody with a more restrained accompaniment, complete but dialed-back just right.
There is a legitimate ukulele connection with the Beatles. George Harrison loved the ukulele, and Paul McCartney often plays it in tribute to George. As a classical guitarist I learned how one era's unaccepted instrument can become another's favourite, and this CD will no doubt raise the profile of the ukulele and win it many fans. Beyond that, though, this is a great CD that bears repeated listening just for the fun of it. The Beatles songs are just as worthy of being called standards as the old Broadway show tunes, and are just as well constructed. Greg Hawkes presents a great selection from the Beatles catalog, in fantastic arrangements and played with virtuosity and heart.
Buy it from Acoustic Music Resource.
You will love it!