The Beatles - Love

Pressed in Europe by Optimal Media

Mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Sean Magee from the 2007 remaster.

2008 Grammy Award Winner for:

• 'Best Compilation Soundtrack Ablum For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media'
• 'Best Surround Sound Album' (DVD-A version)

The Love double LP set was mastered from the same digital master used for the first 2007 vinyl pressing. Producer Giles Martin mixed from the original analog multitrack and 2-track tapes to multitrack analog tape and then mixed down from there for the surround DVD-A and the 2-channel mix for CD and vinyl. Read more by Analog Planet's Michael Fremer here.

Love is a fascinating reworking of numerous classic Beatles recordings by the band's original producer, Sir George Martin, and his son Giles. Love is also the title of the highly successful Cirque du Soleil show, a co-production with Apple Corps, featuring the music of the Beatles, currently wowing audiences in Las Vegas.

The album takes an unprecedented approach to the Beatles' catalog, featuring wildly alternative mixes and "mash-ups" — the combining of two or more Beatles tunes mixed together for a wholly unique song. The well-known Beatles songs are augmented by additional instrumentation and vocals taken from their vast bank of original multi-track recordings.

If you can imagine "Strawberry Fields Forever" beginning with John's original demo before going into an early take of the song and then climaxing in a musical collage including the piano solo from "In My Life" and the harpsichord pattern from "Piggies" and lots, lots more — or "Get Back" prefaced by the "Hard Day's Night" opening guitar chord, the guitar and drum solos from "The End," and segued into "Glass Onion," then the album begins to reveal itself.

The project came about when Paul and Ringo, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, approached legendary producer Sir George Martin about making experimental mixes from their master tapes. Actually, Martin says that the concept was born several years before when George Harrison and Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, began to explore the possibilities of a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and the Beatles. Out of that vision, Love was born. Martin and his son, Giles, have created a completely unique soundscape. Says Martin: "My brief was to create a soundscape of around one and a half hour's length using any sound I needed from the original Beatles multi-track recordings. It was an offer one could hardly refuse."

Opinions will no doubt vary as to the validity of these new mixes. Purists may be offended. Those thirsting for new Beatles material may be thrilled. One thing's for certain: Love will be among the most talked about releases in many years.

"This album puts the Beatles back together again, because suddenly there's John and George with me and Ringo," says Paul McCartney. "It's kind of magical."