The Walrus—Elysian Fields Forever

It's not often you get to review music that is so very familiar. In fact, I think this is only the third time we've reviewed Beatles tracks covered by other artists, with the Jah Wobble album, *Mystic Liverpool: The Beatles Psychedelic Psongbook*, being the latest, just a few months ago.

If this was just a basic covers album, I wouldn't even have bothered going past a cursory listen. But when a band takes songs that are so finely ingrained in people's psyche and has the balls to take them in an entirely different direction, you have to give them kudos.

The album opens with "With A Little Help From My Friends", the only "Ringo" track on the album. I was kind of hoping they'd take a few more liberties with it, but instead, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill cover. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with the performance, but it lacks that little spark of imagination, like Joe Cockers version for instance.

At first, the same could be said of "Eleanor Rigby", which in itself is an interesting song, as the original is the only one with no instruments being played by a Beatle, featuring just a George Martin orchestration. Here, we have a more acoustic sound bed, and initially it doesn't feel too different. But as the song unfolds, it gradually develops a character very much its own.

Fairly late in their discography is "I've Got a Feeling". The original features predominantly a fairly sedate, rambling electric guitar, whereas this version has a much funkier groove. I have to confess I missed the rawness in the vocals, which I suspect is because the original features such a rare, raw Paul performance. Overall though, the song holds up well.

"I've Just Seen a Face" is one of my favourite Beatles songs, partly because it's one I used to record myself singing back when I was a kid, many moons ago. Lacking any kind of microphone setup, I used to record through headphones, overdubbing my voice over and over again on tape. I still have the recording somewhere. Unsurprisingly, it's not very good! This version has a slightly more rockabilly edge to it, which came as a surprise at first, but I think complements the original nicely.

I think it's safe to refer to "Help" as something of an iconic song, and one that everyone is used to hearing at full tilt. Beatles fans will know this was very much a personal John song, reflecting his fragile emotional state, so it's nice to hear that side of it reflected in this performance. It's a much more sedate and emotional interpretation. I love the use of strings, piano and guitar, which elevates this to probably one of the standout moments on the album.

When I first heard the piano opening on "I'm Only Sleeping", my immediate thought was of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". It's very much misdirection, though, which doesn't quite prepare you for the Louisiana jazz style the song adopts, complete with brass and clarinet. Part of me wanted to hate this version, but there's something about the love contained within the performance that makes it difficult not to be won over.

And as with many Beatles albums, we get the customary George song, "The Inner Light". This was already a very Indian-influenced composition, but the band has taken that foundation and retained the Eastern influence while giving it a much edgier, psychedelic feel. I think the sitar has been replaced by electric guitar, but it doesn't lose anything in the process. I do have a small gripe, and I don't want to come across as nit-picking, but the vocals have a very nasal tone to them. I think this song needed something much smoother, particularly as the vocals become such a focal point. It's a shame, because otherwise this performance is phenomenal, and I'm sure George would have approved.

Going back to the early days, "This Boy" is pretty much a faithful reproduction of the original. It's pleasant enough, but I think the music is very much in the forefront, to the detriment of the vocals, which feel a little buried. There's almost something about it that sounds like a John or Paul recording from the 70s or 80s.

And talking about that slightly dated feel, "And Your Bird Can Sing" also suffers from a similar problem. The original, for me, had a frenetic energy that made you feel like a passenger on a wild ride. Here, it feels like a slower, country tinged cover, which I'm afraid just isn't my cup of tea. It's a shame, as the original is an absolute banger.

Funnily enough, the reverse is true for "If I Fell". The original, it has to be said, has a pretty sappy quality to it. Here, the band has injected a little punk energy, and my God, it works so well!

I was a little anxious about what the band would make of "Oh! Darling", and once again it's been given a country twang. I hate to say it, but it's bloody awful. This would most definitely be one of those tracks on an album that I'd instantly reach for the skip button to avoid. Which is a shame. The original admittedly isn't the strongest of Beatles songs, but it does feature a cracking vocal performance from Paul. Here, there's just nothing to save it.

The final track, "Helter Skelter", is a pretty accurate cover. I think with a song this powerful and iconic, it's difficult to mess with it too much, so the band has rightly gone full tilt and delivered a very faithful, energetic rendition.

When putting together an entire album of Beatles covers, I think it's perfectly valid to have some songs that warrant a fairly faithful performance. But it's important to infuse them with a little of your own DNA, otherwise the whole thing risks coming across as little more than a weak covers album. There are admittedly a few weaker moments here, no doubt influenced by my own personal tastes, but there are also some wonderful highlights where the band has taken the bull by the horns and delivered something genuinely different and exciting.

Overall, it's a very interesting album that should appeal to Beatles fans, old and new alike.