🎷 AotW: CTI George Benson - THE OTHER SIDE OF ABBEY ROAD (SP-3028)

[Dave]

I have seen the Booker T. & The M.G.'s album, covering The Beatles... And have heard bits of it, too...

Pretty creative effort, showing The Fab Four in a cool, Memphis Groove and proving that there's "Life beyond "Green Onions"..."!!!



Dave

 

[Dave]

With the Ben Sidran album featured as our album of the week, I can't help but play his Live At Montreux LP, which ends with "Come Together" and the way he and his band pounds it out it brings to mind George Benson's version which I equally enjoy...

Benson's version must have been an inspiration for Sidran to years later, to make his take on "Come Together" the biggest thing in Montreux since Deep Purple...!



Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

As someone who didn't get "into" the Beatles until I was in my 20s (1980s) I really enjoy this album which I acquired some time before I started buying Beatles LPs and CDs. In fact, it was one of the "Beatles cover efforts" (along with the obligatory Lennon/McCartney cuts on TJB, BMB and B66 lps) that led me to try hearing what "the original versions" sounded like!

Probably my favorite of Benson's A&M/CTi efforts. I also enjoy his initial forays into vocal/guitar work when he first started doing LPs for Warner Bros.

--Mr Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I was opposite of that. Abbey Road has always been my favorite Beatles album, so this album was almost insulting to listen to. I've never been a fan of Benson's singing - but love his guitar playing. I do think that "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a very strong track, especially with Freddie Hubbard's trumpet solo. But the rest of this album is ho-hum to me.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[JOv2]

As a kinda immediate "tribute album", it falls behind Booker T & The MGs McLamore Avenue. Apparently both were recored immediately following the release of the Beatles' Abbey Road [26SEP69].

I do like the album fine -- a major improvement over the previous Benson effort -- but it's essentially another pop affair.

 

[Dave]

The all-Beatles concept album works quite well for Benson, both in arrangements and material selected... Good guitar work, crisp, clean vocals and even good scat-singing... Somehow here's where George really mastered his art while still serving on A&M...

A most-focused effort and the Beatles were never strangers to Jazz, as far as cover-versions go...

The best medium to hear their songs, especially with "The End" appropriately put at "the end", whereas Gap Mangione ironically began an album of his with that song FIRST...!



Dave

 

[rickster]

Yeah , I remember that Gap Mangione version of "The End" as being ABSOLUTELY KILLER, as arranged by his brother Chuck. MONSTER track. Never issued on CD , worth seeking out. I have the LP somewhere. The trumpet section was something like, Snooky Young, Jon Faddis, Clark Terry, Lew Soloff, and Marvin Stamm ---- powerhouse section. I gotta go dig that up --I think it was on Mercury and was called "Sing Along Junk", and also featured Steve Gadd on drums and Tony Levin on bass --- wow -----

 

[seashorepiano]

This album just hasn't interested me, so I haven't bought it. It's the only album in the series I don't have. Beatles' covers tire me, so the idea of listening to an album chock full of them doesn't appeal.

 

[Dave]

I agree, "The End" is a killer track and I love the way it was placed at the beginning... Although, truthfully I think Sing Along Junk is the best album Gap Mangione ever did... (Although I have really never gotten to hear Diana In The Autumn Wind, his real first effort on Merrcury...)

Pete Levin, who's Tony Levin's brother, even plays French horn...

Back to topic: The all-Beatles concept holds up pretty well, as an all-around snapshot at Benson's approach to pop songs, with a unique touch...



Dave

 

[Mike]

This album just hasn't interested me, so I haven't bought it. It's the only album in the series I don't have. Beatles' covers tire me, so the idea of listening to an album chock full of them doesn't appeal.

Seashore, I know that you know what you like and don't like... and I respect that. However, I think you might be pleasantly surprised by this album. IMO, it doesn't come off as a bunch of Beatles covers; Benson does a pretty good job of putting a jazzy twist on these songs.

If you can borrow a copy I think it'd worth your while to give it a spin.

Just my two cents.

Best regards,
Mike