BEATLESQUE THREE Brazilian CD Review
This Brazilian review of my 2010 CD, BEATLESQUE THREE was translated by our frined Angela. She said there was lots of slang used and she translated as best she could. It’s kinda funny, overall very happy and positive…
The title is not a shelter to justify the similarity; it is a deliberate homage. You can say that the Beatles do not need another proof of admiration, but I tell you that the strength of a legacy is unstoppable. Beatlesque Three, something like “A La Beatles Volume 3”, indeed emulates the four of Liverpool, indeed sounds like their tunes…so what? Alan Bernhoft likes to compose inspired by the beatle book and we love to listen to him.
>
> In the third album of the Beatlesque series, the musician from Los Angeles _who plays all the instruments and records everything in the A.I.M. Studios (located in … his own room!), keeps on ignoring the mainstream critics (who would call him “pastiche”), the traditional critics (who would call this a copy) while I personally could not be less concerned. What matters here is not a measure of artistic relevance, degree of boldness or doses of innovation. It is simply to feel how much the melodies can tell something to you.
>
> And do not mind the quality of the recording, because the recording is simple, without big productions. Seek how much the rays of “Sunny Sky” _the album’s opening song_ can illuminate your tedious day: the simplicity of the vocal arrangements, the healthy candidness of the melody and the rhythmic finger snapping can make it alright. “Everybody Smiles” elevates the emotional tone with grace: it would be Ringo Starr song in the album.
>
> In “Civilization”, the incredible melodic and touching force of John Lennon comes in the song, like Mind Games, with the difference the world to be changed is the size of your living room. Miss Vonnie comes soft in the piano, in the sweet voice of Bernhoft, and, suddenly, an adorable and irresistible verse hits you. Vocal games directly from the 1960’s have the power of echoing for hours in your brain in So Shine Away.
>
> A tender vibraphone brings the balade _almost a lullaby_ named Chun Li ( the Chinese version of Yoko Ono?) just before Alan’ s piano shows another beautiful song inspired in Lennon: Colliding Circles. Others can say it imitates Imagine, but I don’t care, I know very well the Beatles’ work and John Lennon’ s solo work.
>
> I am much more concerned in letting these tunes and melodies _that fall from heaven_
> fill some emotional gaps that are just waiting for them. Ah, and before I forget, the album ends with Honey Love, that, yes, sounds like Honey Pie. So what?
(original review found at http://powerpopstation.blogspot.com/2011/06/beatlesque-three-alan-bernhoft.html )
Abernhoft's Weblog 