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"This journey "through the universe of the Beatles" is a sincere and brilliant tribute from one of the greatest jazz-rock guitarists to one of the greatest bands of all time."
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4/5
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"I really attribute the reason I play guitar to the Beatles." That's why Al di Meola released his first Fab Four tribute in 2013, entirely on acoustic guitar. With this new release, "Across the Universe", he pays them a new tribute, acoustic and electric, this time accompanied by a few musicians (percussion, accordion, trumpet) and even at times by an orchestral section (brass section of the New Jersey Philharmonic).
Knowing the American's inventiveness, it was logical to suspect that he was not going to make a simple transcription of the original pieces. His jazz-rock training pushed him to create variations around the themes, even to recompose the tracks. You therefore have to be perfectly familiar with the Beatles' work in order to grasp all the subtleties of the art developed here by Al di Meola. He picks up on all the periods of the English, from the very early 'I'll Follow the Sun' composed by McCartney in 1958 to the 'Golden Slumbers Medley' on the ultimate 'Abbey Road'.
The reinterpretations always remain faithful to the spirit of the songs, and that's already a tour de force. With 'Here Comes the Sun', the maestro starts out smoothly, interspersing variations between sections that are almost identical to the original. Then the machine gets carried away: change of rhythmic signature ('Julia'), addition of Latin rhythms - one of Al's home ports - ('Your Mother Should Know', 'I'll Follow the Sun'), until the very free tone of the last part of 'Hey Jude', very well arranged.
The strongest thing is that in some cases, the Beatles fan recognizes the title and searches for it at the same time so much the variations and the starting theme are linked ('Dear Prudence', 'Strawberry Fields Forever', both close and far). Di Meola respects the spirit of 'Norwegian Wood' to the point of keeping the Hindu sound (guitar sounding like a sitar, percussions) while widening the spectrum of the song. Sometimes the theme becomes obvious only at the end of the listening ('Dear Prudence'). Some pieces sound more like studies ('Here, There and Everywhere' or 'Yesterday' where the two acoustic guitars share the theme almost note to note). Apart from the closer 'Octopus's Garden', a slightly aborted 47-second transcription, the only lack of taste in this homage, surprise is an integral part of the listening pleasure.
It is the acoustic guitar that takes the lion's share in this tribute, highlighting the extraordinary finesse of Al di Meola's phrasing. On the electric guitar, Al is not burdened with extravagant sounds, but instils a new youthfulness to a 'Till There Was You' that needed it. Personally, I'm less seduced by his touch on the electric guitar than by his acoustic phrasing, with a finesse that leaves you speechless. The discretion of the arrangements, an indispensable contribution, leaves plenty of room for guitar expression.
This journey "through the universe of the Beatles" is a sincere and brilliant tribute from one of the greatest jazz-rock guitarists to one of the greatest bands of all time. A must-see for all guitar lovers, at least recommended for music lovers!
- Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Here Comes The Sun 02. Golden Slumbers Medley 03. Dear Prudence 04. Norwegian Wood 05. Mother Nature’s Son 06. Strawberry Fields Forever 07. Yesterday 08. Your Mother Should Know 09. Hey Jude 10. I’ll Follow The Sun 11. Julia 12. Till There Was You 13. Here, There And Everywhere 14. Octopus’s Garden
LINEUP:
Al Di Meola: Guitares / Basse / Percussions Amit Kavithar: Batterie Fausto Beccalossi: Accordéon Randy Brecker: Invité / Trompette
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