Music of the Beatles
Performed by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Conducted by Erich Kunzel, Featuring the King's Singers

By Karl Lozier
Click here to e-mail reviewer

CD Number: Telarc DSD CD 80540

  What a heckuva an album! For what it is, it’s almost perfect. And, exactly what is it, you ask? It is a superbly done unique compilation album featuring about a dozen of the Beatles very best (plus a few others to total sixteen) and most famous hits. It is unique in various ways, but most significantly is that the selections are not all scored and performed the same way. Refreshingly different, effective, (like wow!) and at times simply beautifully sublime. Much of this is to be treasured by many of us. 

It starts with Eleanor Rigby performed by the full orchestra. No surprises therein; the orchestra sounds world-class, which it has become and Michael Bishop and his crew give us their now expected, fine audio quality. Noteworthy is fine and full reproduction of the bass drum (only a couple of exceptions) as well as the brass and winds. I grew up believing that no one could equal Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops doing popular music. I pulled out their recording of Eleanor Rigby on an “invisible dog” RCA recording. No, it was not a “shaded dog” pressing, nor was it a “white dog” pressing, I’ll just call it “dog pressing” on extremely thin floppy vinyl. I rarely do what I did then; I pulled out a digital stopwatch and timed Fiedler’s recording of Eleanor Rigby. Timing was recorded at 3 minutes, 14 seconds. Listening put Kunzel on equal footing with the legendary Fiedler in the opening and closing minutes, but in the middle minute Fiedler seemed to be driving the orchestra at so-called breakneck speed. It was quite thrilling, but very possibly not true to the score. Then I repeated with Kunzel and timed this new version of Eleanor Rigby. It timed as 3 minutes, 14 seconds; same timing overall as Fiedler. Of course my reaction time has to be considered, so figure on a possible half minute variation one way or other.

Second selection, is full-bodied and richly impressive like the first, but with the King’s Singers prominently added to the mix for fullest possible effect with All You Need is Love. Next song is done a capella but the King’s Singers do add some sound effects and instrumental imitations quite appropriately. If you’re not familiar with the term “a capella” it simply means unaccompanied voice(s) only. I’ve never been able to find out the exact derivation for the term and hoped that Telarc’s knowledgeable and personable Valerie Thorson, with her extensive musical background would know. She’s promised to keep trying to find out and will inform me. Any of you readers are welcome to enlighten me. She and I both knew that “cap(p)ella” refers to chapel-so what? What has hindered my thinking (always some lame excuse) is that when I see the letter “a” as a prefix I often assume it means without or not, not a chapel? Michelle, a personal Beatle favorite of mine, had no singing on this album. I had eagerly anticipated hearing how the King’s Singers would handle it (just one verse would have satisfied me) but the unexpected occurs often in this album and here it caused some disappointment. The orchestra compensates by responding for the first minute or so with playing so sublimely beautiful plus appropriately reproduced, that it created an almost ethereal sensation and then builds to an expected climax.

The next selection features only the King’s Singers and their own imitation instrumentation but I think Michael Bishop snuck in beginning and ending “glubs” suitably atmospheric. You’ll just have to listen to understand what I’m talking about. This is followed by the Pops joining-in on the next track. Then there are three orchestra only selections. Subsequently Eleanor Rigby shows up again, this time with the King’s Singers a capella. I had gotten so used to timing Eleanor that my reflex action caused it to automatically happen again. They managed it in three minutes flat and never sounded rushed- just beautifully and suitably atmospheric. The King’ Singers are so talented, versatile and adaptable; with some selections my initial impression was that they’re performing a madrigal. The last two selections are Hey Jude and Let It Be. Let It Be’s arrangement was particularly intriguing and effective; it started a capella, adding flutes, then woodwinds and ultimately a fitting conclusion. Hey Jude turns out to be quite a bit of a sonic spectacular if you turn up the volume. Both the double basses and trumpets get to stand alone for a few bars and the percussion section really gets unleashed! Topping off all that, the King’s Singers get prominently highlighted in turn, individually and as the famous ensemble-very, very impressive.

Recently I had talked with Michael Bishop, Telarc’s special effects engineer extraordinaire, regarding the large inventory they’ve been building of six-channel productions. They definitely lean toward SACD for six channel sound reproduction. Michael brought up the subject about how interestingly beautiful some effects can be and specifically “off the top of his head” mentioned track 13 by number and title of this “Beatles” album, Here There and Everywhere. The King’s Singers number six performers-can you imagine what Bishop may have created with six channels, one channel per performer perhaps and then each one almost literally coming at you, the listener, from here there and everywhere? It boggles the mind and when was the last time your mind was boggled?

There is at least one possible caveat. If you’re a Beatles- purist, no other arrangements of their music may be satisfying no matter how entertainingly performed. For others, consider the following scenario. Telarc has been recording everything in six channels. Will they ultimately release everything in six channel (SACD or DVD-A) or only the most popular (best selling) albums?

In summary, I leave you with what I had originally planned to be my entire and shortest ever review: Wow, what an album; variety, fun, unique, excellent performances by everyone involved and top quality sound. Highest recommendation! In fact, Enjoy the Music.com is seriously considering offering our readers our rare, almost-guarantee, of potentially refunding part of any disappointed purchaser’s money, if he or she had been unduly influenced by our review.