From: "headly westerfield" <headly.westerfield@canrem.com>
Subject: beatle covers...
Reply-To: "headly westerfield" <headly.westerfield@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: rec
Date: 30 Dec 92 21:13:54 EST

I picked up a CD oddity at my local used CD store which may interest
to readers here.  It's called "Richie Havens Sings Beatles and
Dylan; Old & New, Together & Apart" (RYKO RCD20035, (c) 1987; DDD).

SONGLIST:
=========
1. Here Comes The Sun
2. If Not For You
3. Lay Lady Lay
4. In My Life
5. Stawberry Fields
6. All Along The Watchtower
7. Imagine
8. My Sweet Lord
9. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
10. Elinor Rigby
11. Just Like A Woman
12. The Long And Winding Road
13. Let It Be
14. License To Kill
15. The Times They Are A-Changing
16. Working Class Hero
17. Rocky Raccoon
18. With A Little Help From My Friends
===================================================================

It's an interesting project, but not terrific.  I think Havens has
more success putting across the Beatle tunes than he does the Dylan
ones.

CAPSULE REVIEW OF THE BEATLES STUFF:
====================================

Here Comes The Sun has a rolling beat and is nothing like
the previous Havens version I remember.

In My Life is very slow and beautiful.  It seems as if Havens really
felt the song he was singing.

Strawberry Fields is a pretty faithful re-creation of the original,
but I believe he took liberties with the placement of verses and
choruses.

Imagine is another of the tunes he seems to have "felt" as he was
singing.  It is very slow, but has a irritating "ooooh" and
"mmmmmmmm" between the first three lines of the tune.

My Sweet Lord is alright, but again suffers from the "mmmmm"s
between some of the lines.

Elinor Rigby is a bit of a surprise because of all the songs on the
CD it's the one which seems to rock out the most.  I like this
version.  [While I'm on the subject: there is a young blues singer
named Amanda Marshall from Toronto who does the best version of
Elinor Rigby I ever heard, save the original.  She is now recording
an album for a major label.  I would be disappointed if this were
not on it.]

The Long And Winding Road is a Long And Meandering Song in the hands
of Havens.

Let It Be is very slow to begin.  It actually sounds like it will
break down in the first verse, but begins to sound less disjointed
as the song goes on.

Working Class Hero is a bizarre song for a guy who makes a living
singing McDonald's commercials.  I don't know.  The version isn't
bad, but he just doesn't sound angry enough for me.

Rocky Raccoon is a bit of a hoot.  It rocks too, with Havens
dropping into a very low voice for the early spoken parts.  I like
it.

With A Little Help From My Friends has such a different melody from
the original.  I hate this version.  In fact, I only listened to it
thru' the end for the writing of this.  Really.  I HATE IT.

This record will not create new Beatle fans, but if you like to hear
other people's interpretations of Beatles music, this CD is not that
bad.  However, there is such a sameness to Haven's voice on all the
cuts (the Dylan ones included) that after a while I began to feel I
*WAS* listening to one gigantic McDonald's commercial.

This is a curio, but not for everybody.

===================================================================
  REMEMBER: A REVIEW IS JUST THE SUBJECTIVE OPINION OF ONE PERSON.
    IT HAS NO BASIS IN FACT AND MIGHT NOT EVEN RESEMBLE REALITY.
===================================================================
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