Thanks Andrew. I've been able to see the show 4 times. 3 times before they revamped some of the visuals. I think Cirque shouldn't have changed bits of the show, but I guess they were trying to keep interest in the show. Best seat selection is further away from the stage. Ticket prices are more for seats closer to the stage, but you miss out on some magical sequences in the show.
@@sdt33 Yes. The beginning of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Tomorrow Never Knows sequences. You miss out on the effects if you are too close to the stage.
I had some seats at mid-level when I saw Love, and they were great. There are a lot of effects coming from lighting in the audience you miss when you are down low (also, the performers are doing a lot of things simultaneously - like a 3-ring circus - that you could miss down low). There was a spoken word section that showed The Beatles as shadow figures that was projected up high you could miss in the front. I didn't care for that section much, since the dialog echoed off the theater walls and was all but unintelligible to me.
JMO but I feel the changes are due to key performers leaving the show and Cirque unable to replace them with someone with the same skill set. As well as keeping the show fresh as you mentioned. Cheers
I agree with you about the changes to the show. Like you, I saw it 'before' and 'after'. Was it because I was seeing 'Love' for the second time that it didn't have the same impact as before? No, I think it was because something had changed. 'Before' was better.
I'm one of those "Gen-Z" fans who was really introduced to The Beatles through this album, playing it a ton on CD. I also got the chance to see it live back in 2013, and it really is an incredible experience. Without spoiling anything, there are sections you didn't hear on the album, and some otherwise atmospheric moments on it now make more sense if you've seen the show (such as the build-up to Mr. Kite)
I completely get that people don’t want to mess around with stuff like this, but this is honestly one of my favourite albums of all time for its sheer creativeness and flow. It’s also so beautiful.
Hi Andrew, I have to say that I LOVE this video. I just got back from my trip from Las Vegas, where I was able to see the last ever performance of the Love show on July 6. It was absolutely spectacular, and I was able to talk to some employees about the closing of the show. According to them, it was seriously considered to move the show to Liverpool after the Hard Rock demolishes the Mirage Hotel. They said that the cost to rebuild the theater for the show in Liverpool would be around 48 million dollars, and sadly, the idea was scraped. I have a family member who lives in Vegas, and they know someone who works for the Circus de Souli company, and they were ordered to delete all the music for the show. It's sad to see this come to an end, I could see the performers were very emotional towards the end of the show. I will never forget how special it was, and I did my best to document my experience. I hope you got a chance to see the show in person!!!
Count me as one of the folks who enjoys Love. I think the thing that impresses me the most with it is how well it flows together, to the point that it actually feels like the songs are supposed to go in that order. Somehow George and Giles Martin managed to make a track listing with classic Beatles songs feel like something entirely new and original.
I found this CD at a pawnshop in Humble and bought it out of curiosity. My friend thought it was going to be “Dance Remixes”, which he absolutely despises. I put it on, and we were both impressed by what we heard! He admitted after that this was one “remix” that was actually done well and creatively.
LOVE contains the only true stereo mix of I AM THE WALRUS in its complete form. The original stereo mix is fake-stereo (albeit creative) for its last third, because they had mixed in a live radio broadcast during the mixing of the mono master. They couldn’t recreate that at the time for the stereo mix, so they chose to re-channel the mono mix for that part. When they did LOVE, they finally managed to find a recording of that BBC broadcast that was used on the original mono mix, so now we finally have the entire song in true stereo. (The LOVE mix hints at the fake-stereo part in the old mix by having the string start out in one channel only, then slowly bloom out into true stereo! Something never heard before at the time, and I’m sure many fans were very excited, at least those who got the joke.)
I remember hearing about this album and thinking oh no, what a terrible idea... until a Beatles fan friend played it to me. Then I was won over by it. I agree about tracks like Help! sounding their very best hear. I also wholeheartedly agree that George Martin's input helps the result immensely. Giles hasn't really hit the same heights since unfortunately.
I like "Love" a lot more than that never ending remaster thing. Because you can listen to "Love" without comparing with an older version. This is something else, and not ment to be a replacement for something, but a work in its own right. I listen to it sometimes, and I think it is entertaining and a fresh approach. To me it is an addition and not destroying anything, such as - at least to me - that constant stream of new remixes of original Beatles-releases do. "Love" is wha it is, and offers a different experience of Beatles-music.
Well done! The important thing here is that you focused on George and Giles. Brilliant job from the both of them. Though I’ve not seen the performance either the music showed how “in the forefront” the Beatles music still was in the era of Mashups. I didn’t think anything would work as well as it did…together! Love was smart, beautifully constructed and audibly sonic for the brain! I’ve listened to it several times over the years. I have collected mashups for some time now and this fits in beautifully when I’m ready to to knock some cobwebs loose from this old cranial tuning station… Thanks! Well done!!!
I live in Las Vegas, am a first generation fan and have seen the production about a half dozen times. The thousands and thousands of speakers in the auditorium envelop you in the Beatles' music. The performers are great but for the most part are not the "death defying" acts that you would see in a regular Cirque du Solei show. Bits are changed infrequently so no two shows I have seen have been identical. There's not a bad seat in the house. In fact the cheaper seats higher up actually give you a better view of the entire production. A great show.
Brilliant narrative Andrew. George Harrison was definitely underrated as an innovator. I would be interested to see a similar mash-up of their solo works possibly based around Band On The Run as the central theme. Much of their post Beatles work does measure up and a sequel to Love is long overdue. It would be nice to see them re-united on disc one more time.
I would have to agree Norman being one of the biggest Beatles fans ever I’d love to see another love album sequel that would be great songs that didn’t quite make it into the first album I absolutely love this album it’s fantastic all the mash ups and I love the fact that George Martin and his son Giles used original master tapes which sounds so good and sounds really clear. What are your favorite songs off of the album and mash ups?
@@jesserussell7242 Personally I like the whole album (played it to death in the car) but Drive My Car, Strawberry Fields, Within You, Without You, Here Comes The Sun and Octopus's Garden to name but a few stand out. While My Guitar was also very tastefully done.
@@terrythekittieful Rubber Soul was the point where George Martin began separating and keeping everything on 1" tapes so I guess maybe along with AI technology the 60th anniversaries may be another interesting milestone.
I saw the show in 2007 while attending the first Las Vegas Fest for Beatle Fans at the Mirage Hotel. The visuals were awesome, but what I really remember was the sound. It seemed to come from nowhere...from no direction...seemingly originating and existing within my head. I don't know how it was done. I only know I never experienced anything like it...before or since! It was fab!!!
I always enjoy listening to LOVE; it’s just another way to experience their incredible and influential music and talents. The album is a nice addition to their other post studio album releases. I like how it begins with a song most people who are not true Beatle fans wouldn’t even know existed: Because. The arrangements put to the original songs on the album are really quite brilliant.
I saw the show around 2007. Going in I wasn't sure what to expect. I had seen some cirque shows prior to this and they all were fantastic. This show was no exception. Even if you somehow never heard of the Beatles you would ❤ the show. My only concern is that the Mirage has been sold and will be replaced with a Hard Rock hotel. Apparently from the ground up. I'm sure the show will find a new home but I haven't heard anything about that. Great video by the way.
Five weeks from today, I’ll be in Vegas (my first time ),for my Wife’s birthday and the Love show. We are really geaked for it. Yes, it’s a mash up, but what a wonderful effort, ❤️it.
I love this album! I thought it was wonderful way of re imagining the material and presenting it in a different way. It works even if you haven't seen the 'Love' show which I haven't. Some fans think Beatles material is sacrosanct and should never be interferred with but all of the original albums are still available so you can just listen to those if that is what you prefer . It would be a different matter if they were all deleted and you could only get the new mixes but of course that will never happen, I'm happy to say! Thanks for yet another very informative video, Andrew! Just a small correction, you said the release date of the album was November 2007 when it was actually November 2006 but what's 12 months between Beatles fans!
What was that like Tom Bing Abbey Road listening to the Beatles live album I bet that was great love would have to be my all-time favorite Beatles compilation album it’s a fantastic album not just on TV but on vinyl what are the great highlights for you of the songs from that album? I know for me it’s hard for me to pick because I love the entire album and I was so excited when I heard all the songs in a fresh new way especially octopus’s Garden starting with a good night instrumental then going into the original and then having the saxophone solo missing in the master version because it was buried in the mix and I love that saxophone solo plan by Ronnie Scott.
I know what you mean! I teared up when I heard George’s vocals for ‘Within You, Without You’ over the music of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’… It was exactly the way I would’ve done it. I even knew what was coming before I heard it… like I heard that mix in a past life or something. Amazing!
Guy Laliberté and George Harrison had the same passion, F1 racing and it’s during the weekend of the 2000 Canadian GP in Montréal that George got invited to Guy’s party in Saint-Bruno. During that evening he threw the idea of The Cirque du Soleil doing a show on the Beatles.
Hi Andrew, Excellent video on the LOVE soundtrack album. I love this recording and have been a big fan of it since 2007. My wife and I were fortunate to see LOVE in Las Vegas in February 2007. The sound in the theater was sonically INCREDIBLE. The sound coming from the seats was mind blowing. I continue to enjoy both the vinyl and the cd… most especially the dvd in 5.1. Thank you for this video. -Steve
I would have to agree it is the best mashup album ever especially with songs like drive my car/the word/what you’re doing and tomorrow never knows/with any without you/rain sounds really good together and even some of this song is that were featured at the end of Strawberry Fields forever while we’re on amazing version using different outtakes and starting off with the home demo version of that song.
The Mr. Kite/She's So Heavy track is next-level badassery. I could kiss Giles's and George's brains (and ears) for making this album. Genius exponentialed. The documentary of the making of the stage show is one of my kids' fave videos to watch when we get together over the summers/holidays. Creativity and brilliance are both fine, but creative/brilliant people who can speak intelligently about their process and people who retain their enthusiasm even when being 'technical' are the ultimate pleasure, and the LOVE stage project was headed by people with such talent and intelligence in every facet of production. The Beatles' music seems to be a bottomless wealth of inspiration to many such people. Thank goodness. :)
I LOVE that mash-up also! ‘Kite’ has always been one of my favorite songs (for fifty years). I especially love the bit of Paul’s vocal from Helter Skelter screaming in!
I bought the CD around 2007-08. I think I've played it from beginning to end maybe 3 times, and haven't played it in probably 12 years. But I like it. It is a well produced product. The Walrus is worth the price of admission. I paid about 10 dollars for it I'm glad I have it in my Beatles collection.
A friend went to the show, bought the CD and then gave it to me, saying something about me liking "this sort of thing." I hated it. Thought it was a crass cash grab and nothing else. I have a great stereo, though, and did appreciate the phenomenal audio. I'm a boomer, and tracked the Beatles from the rumors of Beatlemania in the UK to Ed Sullivan all the way to the end, mesmerized along every step of the way, and very much one of those whose reality was serially enhanced with every new release. I saw Magical Mystery Tour while sitting on the floor of the Avalon Ballroom, for God's sake. After I listened to LOVE once and put it away with great distaste, though, an epiphany came to me why I hated it - I hated it because the Beatles catalogue was grooved into my brain from front to back, beginning to end - I knew every cut and what tune came next, and what album came next like I knew my own face - and LOVE threw much of that at me cut into pieces and scrambled up - blasphemy! Then I had to laugh - as a now old man, I've come to know that we fossilize and decline if all we do is think old thoughts and stay in our safe zone - it's a path straight to the long box. If one wants to remain agile of mind, one needs to always be cutting new neural pathways, doing new things, having new experiences, and I realized LOVE was a gift that offered me a new way of experiencing something that I have always loved, and since then I've loved it for the very same reason I hated it. Go figure...
I started listening to LOVE a few days ago and I haven’t finished yet. I think this mashup concept is not too bad; a fresh wind that’s blowing through the original music. After watching this video I know what this is all about. I love this channel! See you soon -•» Martin
My story with this album is very special. I've been a beatlemaniac since I was 9 or 10 -I´m 56 now- but for some reasons I stopped hearing Beatles for many years until I heard LOVE. The first time I heard it I was IN TEARS, and since then I hear Beatles almost everyday. Apart from the emotional component I think that is a masterpiece that Sir George could only have done. The ending of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is an example. In, 2016 I saw the show and again I was deeply moved and emotional. Thanks Andrew for this great review.
when you cover the Japanese Toshiba EMI pressings, make sure mention the "coffee table.". I think it was every release (UK, Japanese, USA and Canadian albums, also including solo albums) that came in a wood case so big it looked like a small table. I think over 100 albums in it. A collector's holy grail for me.
I saw the Vegas show and thought it was fantastic. It was very emotional at times, at least for this long-time Beatles fan. I would have paid the money just to sit in the theater and listen to the amazing sound system. I think you will enjoy it very much.
Having given my copy a spin, I am first impressed by the way the tracks join together without seeming awkward or overtly 'deliberate or iow 'corny'. I'm certain only George Martin could do this though, he was The Beatles brilliant conduit. He would be modest about his work, but I can't help but hail him as a true genius!
I love "Love"! My personal criteria for saying that is whether I'm willing to copy the album on a reel to reel tape, to listen on my collection of machines. So far I've copied "Love" twice. First on a small 13 cm reel for use on smaller, mono machines, then on a large 18 cm reel for the larger stereo recorders. My favorite song is the mashup of "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You". It hits juu~ust right. Likewise, the four opening songs are awesome, the way they are arranged. The entire thing is fun to listen to and for me is one of those rare music pieces where I can leave the tape running from start to end without getting bored.
At first I was on the side of the purists as I wasn't ready to experience it as it was. However, I did listen to what I would hear on the radio and in early 2016, I finally purchased the Love album on iTunes. I found that I like it a lot and as a fan of remixes and mashups, I appreciate it as art.
I love Love, personally. Another project they breathes new life into those beloved recordings. I hope you get to see the show if possible. I saw it in 2016 just after it was revised; I Am The Walrus no longer features, Twist & Shout is in instead. I was disappointed at this swap but having since seen video of I Am The Walrus in the show as it was, it was a good call. The show really is amazing though and has lots of snippets of the lads talking in the studio that don’t feature on the album. Worth going to Vegas just to see it and if I ever go back I’ll definitely see it again. So much happening that it’s a lot to take in in one sitting.
Just saw the show. It was amazing. Talented acrobatics, great costumes, incredible dancing and multimedia. Now combine that with the greatest music ever recorded. An absolute must see for any Beatles fan.
Just saw Love for I think the ninth time two days ago! Some advice for those who haven't gone yet: - Get the CHEAPER tickets. You'll sit high up (even the highest seats aren't really THAT high though), but you will get to see EVERYTHING. It's a theater-in-the-round, so there's stuff going on all over the place. You won't cramp your neck from looking up! Also, during the "Tomorrow Never Knows / Within You, Without You" scene, there's a giant sheet that gets pulled across the room, and if you're sitting in the first several rows, you will be covered with that sheet and you won't see what's going on above it. - Arrive EARLY. Before the show starts, they play backing tracks to a lot of Beatles songs. It's quite a treat -- ESPECIALLY "I'm Only Sleeping." - Even if you already saw it and don't want to go back because you already saw it...it's been different *every time* I've seen it. Some differences are subtle, some are major. The overall story and timeline is still intact though. They did a complete revamp about five years ago and somehow made the thing much more colorful, which I didn't think was possible! - Be prepared to be emotionally overcome when the show starts and you first hear The Beatles' voices. - Oh...also among the changes..."I Am The Walrus" has since been replaced by "Twist and Shout." Anybody who saw the show with IATW might wonder why the change -- it actually makes perfect sense because the scene was replaced by the arrival of rock'n'roll. And "Strawberry Fields Forever," instead of being the demo -> version 1 -> version 2 -> version 3 progression, is now much closer to the standard version (just versions 2 and 3), but still with all the chaos that ends the song --- "Piggies," "Hello, Goodbye," etc. I'm wondering if they're thinking of gradually making enough changes to the music to put out a new soundtrack album (Love 2.0 or something?)
The sound at the show is amazing with speakers placed right in your chair. Paul’s harmony vocals on Come Together were brought way up in the mix and came out in the chair speaker. So much so that I actually jumped a little the first time because it sounded like someone was next to me singing. Since you mentioned Rock Band how about a video on those mixes? I really appreciate the knowledge you bring to these videos as well as the visuals and general style of the videos themselves.
To me the Beatles rock band mixes are better than the remixes we got recently, but the game also introduce me to more Beatles songs. Just how the love album did when I was 6
I've been a Beatles fan since 1963 and STILL a fan to this day, the Beatles are the number one band in the world ever!!! When the Love album came out as a fan I obviously bought it, with I admit a little trepidation!! I needn't have worried, I thought the album was excellent!! It gave the Beatles music a breath of fresh air and exposed the entire Beatles catalogue to a whole new audience. In fact I'm going to listen to it right now!!!😁😁😁🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Now I wonder: how comes the site is called ParlogramAuctions where all the listings there are actually fixed-price? On another matter: finally something is coming up about the Japanese pressings! I have quite a number of those, and while they are somewhat of a hit and miss, I would like to find out something I missed about those.
It's funny that some "purists" hate on any remix of Beatles music when most likely John Lennon would be the first one at the boards to remix his own work and play around with it. I think Love is a fantastic project, and all Beatles fans must listen to these tracks from it: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am The Walrus and Hey Jude.
It appeared in 2006, of course - I lived in Portugal at the time and remember asking in local record shops when it was due out, and the assistants said they'd never heard of it. I had to wait until I got home to the UK that xmas to be gifted a copy.
Not sure if this has been mentioned already (you get a lot of comments!) but the Mirage has been purchased by the Hard Rock people, who will be tearing at least part of it down (including the volcano) for a new guitar-shaped hotel tower. There has been no word on whether Love will be a part of the new hotel (seems like a fit), move to another MGM property, or close entirely. So to ensure that you see it, you’d probably have to book that trip by this fall.
Thanks Andrew, another excellent video. For me it's a bit of a curio which only gets an occasional airing. Incidentally, who do you think should get the credit for these mixes? Specifically 'Walrus' in light of the furious debate around the 2023 version? Most people credit Giles for the remix of the Love album version, but the liner notes show Paul Hicks as remix engineer (with George & Giles Martin credited as producers).
Personally I love the LOVE album and the Cirque Du Soleil show. I went all the way from Denmark to watch the show with my fiance back in 2017. One of the highlights in my life that I will always look back on with a big smile on my face.
I’ve only listened to a few songs and the few i’ve heard, i enjoyed. The Love version of Lady Madonna and WMGGW are my favorite versions of those songs.
I received the CD as a gift for Christmas and while I was already a big Beatles fan, the album really understand just how brilliant their songs and sounds really are! Still don’t have it on vinyl because I wasn’t sure how the flow would be having to flip the records over, but I think I’ll be on the lookout for one
Those Pro Tools desks are awesome. Wonder if they would ever release something like a digital disc that you can mess around with the master tapes yourself, at home. I dont think I ever owned this album before. But pretty sure I may have heard it as a normal CD before. Sounds like something I would want for a surround sound disc.
Best way to hear this if you don't have surround sound is to play the cd while wearing headphones .it's a journey...I swear every time I play it I hear something new I missed the first 20 plays...it s getting better all the time ! A splendid time is guaranteed for all
Great video Andrew! I have never seen the live show I do enjoy this album. I haven’t played the 5.1 mix is a long time so I will have to revisit that. I recently played the vinyl copy and that sounds great to my ears. Thanks for sharing!
Love the sound on this album. It just shows how much better the sound of the Beatles music will be in the future. It’s a really good listen and a nice addition to the Beatles cannon. Thanks, Andrew.
I adore the album. That first listen...the total joy of "Thats the part from _____ on top of ______" was just insane. And it sounds fab too. Surely Martin Jrs auduition for his subsequent work.
I did finally see The Beatles "Love" live at the Majestic in Las Vegas about a month ago. Here's my grade: B+ Now for my rant... There were definitely moments that I felt were astounding, such as the Lucy in the Sky sequence, the lighting design during the Come Together sequence, the puppetry of Octopus's Garden, and the opening Get Back sequence, with the best of all: the astonishingly beautiful While My Guitar Gently Weeps sequence. I had tears in my eyes from the beauty and intricacy of the whole segment, and took me completely by surprise. (You can find a music video version of it on RU-vid that somewhat recreates the stage version, but I recommend avoiding it, so you can be as surprised as I was, you won't regret it!) There was definitely a lot of good humor, and a lot to cheer about. Despite this, I felt the piece wasn't as good as I felt it should have been. A big strike arrived early in this production with the apparent omission of "I Am the Walrus". I was looking forward to hearing that mix in the theatre, but was sadly denied. I kept holding out hope that maybe it would eventually appear, but was gravely disappointed to discover the number has been cut for a good many years now. As my absolute favorite Beatles song, this was a major blow. Many of the numbers were filled with stuntwork or dances that (to me, at least) were overlong and lacked imagination, all of which simply pale in comparison to the more imaginative moments like the ones I stated above. i also felt confused about what the show was actually trying to be, either a narrative or a collection of random vignettes. Some of them seemed to flow along a "story", while others felt completely random. There are indeed several small narratives running throughout, but again the message gets confused when it all doesn't come together (forgive the pun). Perhaps this disjointed feeling is the result of Cirque du Soleil tinkering with the product over the years? I also felt that the imagery of the Beatles were sometimes used to great effect, though I would have used them even more. They achieved a lot of amazing video work on the giant screens spread through the theatre, and some of it is superb. I did enjoy the little bits of Beatles speech that doesn't appear on the soundtrack album, and the subtle variations found throughout the presentation... all variations, that is, except NO WALRUS. (Unforgiveable!) Overall, I felt the show was disjointed and uneven, with the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. However, those individual parts are truly amazing and at times breathtaking, and therefore a solid B+ After seeing this, I don't see why they couldn't bring a "Yellow Submarine" musical to the stage. For my money, that would have been a much better idea. Needless to say, every Beatles fan should see this and form their own opinion. Many love it, I really liked it, and I'm sure there are many who found more faults that I did. Hope you get to see the show, Andrew!
I love this album. The Beatles always pushed the envelope musically and this album continued in that vein. I wish they would release the show on DVD and put the music in context. Or even better; tour the show. Cos not all fans have the finances to visit Las Vegas
I absolutely love this album. The first time I heard Strawberry Fields on it I was blown away. And the version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps on it is my total favorite version. And the last time I listened to is was about a month ago.
I've been on the cusp of seeing Love but it just wasn't to be. I don't live that far from Vegas - well, about 5 hours which in US terms is nothing - and years ago my wife's uncle invited us to an all expenses paid long weekend in Vegas. Golf, shows, hotels etc... he paid for the lot. I was just about able to pay for dinner a couple of times but even that was met with resistance. Anyway, he asked which Cirque de Soleil shown we'd like to see so of course I said Love. He went off to get the tickets. Alas, they were totally sold out not just for that day but for a week or two. Ended up going to a different show which was still decent... and Penn & Teller were amazing... but Love had passed me by.
This Lp was a breath of fresh air and the sound is top-notch. And having seen the Vegas show in the first year it ran, the sound and the visuals take it up a few notches, if that is even possible... but it does!
