Laurence Juber - I Can’t Stop Playing the Beatles

  by Lisa Torem

published: 19 / 11 / 2017

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Review

Although Grammy winning, fingerstyle Laurence Juber AKA L.J. may be most well-known for performing with Wings, his career began years and years earlier, as a much-respected sessions guitarist/arranger, working with such notables as Cleo Laine. Easily switching from swing to classical to jazz and pop, Juber has released 25 solo albums and scored multiple TV programmes and films. One of his passions has been interpreting Beatles classics; he is a frequent performer at American Fests for Beatles, where he is always guaranteed a draw. His new album, ‘L.J. Can’t Stop Playing the Beatles’ reflects this preference. The fourteen songs provide a great canvas for his stylish flair. Some are known on the original recordings for their pulsating basslines, like ‘Hey Bulldog’. Others are known for their psychedelic appeal: ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. Then there are the romantic ballads like George Harrison’s ‘Something’ or ‘It’s Only Love’. Only a guitarist/arranger with an extraordinary ear and skill can make such classic songs buzz with originality and defy cliché, which is what L.J. consistently does so well. His wife, Hope, is a solid producer and long-term Beatles fan. She also produced ‘L.J. Plays The Beatles Vol. 1 and 2.’ The sound quality is exceptional, and although the current generation may not care about track orders, the songs are sequenced beautifully, leaving the listener time in which to take in the elegance and expertise. Juber says on the inside of the cover, “It’s a big responsibility to reimagine such iconic, familiar songs.” He knows well what is required to cherish and ring out a melody, whilst keeping those other voices evocative and keeping the tempo steady, whilst cracking open a window for a surprise namecheck of an earlier classic or a breathtaking crescendo.

Track Listing:-

1 And Your Bird Can Sing
2 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
3 She Loves You
4 Day Tripper
5 Hey Jude
6 I'll Follow the Sun
7 If I Needed Someone
8 It's Only Love
9 Ticket to Ride
10 And I Love Her
11 Hey Bulldog
12 Something
13 Don't Let Me Down
14 Honey Pie

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/Laurence-Jube
http://www.laurencejuber.com/
https://twitter.com/OM28LJ

Have a Listen:-