In My Life

1998 album produced by "George Martin, the official Beatles grownup" Robert Love.

This album is Sir George's tribute to the music of the Beatles. It is original recordings of Beatles songs by different artists. But it is who they are that makes this album different and interesting. Martin's choices are unique and unexpected.

Track List and Commentary -- Italics are Martin quotes from the liner notes
1. Come Together -- Robin Williams and Bobby McFerrin -- essentially unchanged, the pairing of these two talents is unforgettable. One of the joys of making this album was being able to work alongside some of my idols.
2. A Hard Day's Night -- Goldie Hawn -- transformed into a goofy torch song! And I feel okey-doakey...
3. A Day In The Life -- Jeff Beck -- no words. Beck doesn't need them, he is the one guitarist who can make his instrument sing like the human voice.
4. Here There and Everywhere -- Celine Dion -- Let me say right now I hate Celine Dion's music. But this song proves that the problem isn't her, it's her material.
5. Because -- Vanessa Mae -- a mini concerto for violin.
6. I Am The Walrus -- Jim Carrey -- Wow. I am sure John would have loved this version of his song. At the end, in the babble section, Jim says "I have defiled a timeless piece of art!" But he really does do it justice.
7. Here Comes The Sun -- John Williams -- orchestra and classical guitar.
8. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite -- Billy Connolly -- shouted with fervor by the comic actor. A splendid time is guaranteed for all, indeed.
9. The Pepperland Suite -- Sir George Martin -- exerpts from the film score of Yellow Submarine, this is the weakest point on the album.
10. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End -- Phil Collins -- He does it justice, but nothing special IMO.
11. Friends And Lovers -- Sir George Martin -- brief original orchestral piece
12. In My Life -- Go read the lyrics. Now imagine them being spoken, with light musical accompaniment. Being spoken by Sean Connery. It's like he's speaking directly to you. Awesome.

Go buy this album. If you are a Beatle fan, it's more vital than Anthology. If you're not a Beatle fan, this might just be a pleasant suprise.

"In My Life" is a Beatles song, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with John Lennon being the principal author and Paul McCartney assisting him. The song was included on 1965's Rubber Soul album. This song is an example of The Beatles middle period, when their subject matter was becoming more experimental and introspective, but was still written in recognizable pop music format.

The song is soft and melodic, with a theme of nostalgia. I don't really have the technical knowledge to explain why, but the music quickly and perfectly captures the mood of nostalgia. The lyrics are fairly spare, but are again perfect for conveying the nostalgic feeling.

So what is interesting about the song is after the first verse captures this mood, the second verse seems to move on, with John Lennon talking about finding new love, and saying that although he will "always have affection" for his past, it fades in comparison to the new love he has discovered.

There is a reason why John Lennon is considered one of the most creative song writers of the 20th Century. His songs can often do many things at once. From the lyrics of this song, we are hearing a man think about his past, and then look to his future. He is "Thinking of love as something new". But the melody of the song is very wistful, even sad. The song is about nostalgia, and the past. The feeling of the song does not speak to finding a new love, and thinking of the future.

Which is not to say that the song is being deceptive or lying. Even if we do accept my impression, its hard to "lie" in a song. I think that the answer is more complicated, that the song is talking about how new things can not be appreciated without old things, that happiness can not be appreciated without loss, and that the greatest love can not be appreciated without the smallest affections that make us who we are. Which is quite a lot to get across in a song that is only two and a half minutes, but that is why The Beatles are considered to be the greatest rock band of all time.