Love | ||||
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Soundtrack album / Remix album by The Beatles | ||||
Released | 20 November 2006 | |||
Recorded | 1963–1969 | |||
Studio |
EMI, Trident, Olympic and Apple studios, London, EMI Studios, Bombay and Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles; mixed 2004–2006 at Abbey Road Studios |
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Genre | Rock | |||
Length |
78:38 (CD) 80:28 (DVD-Audio) 86:41 (iTunes) |
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Label | Apple/Capitol/Parlophone | |||
Producer | George Martin, Giles Martin | |||
Compiler | George Martin | |||
The Beatles chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 83/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Blender | |
Entertainment Weekly | A |
The Guardian | |
NME | 8/10 |
The Observer | |
Okayplayer | |
Pitchfork Media | 8.5/10 |
PopMatters | 6/10 |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant | |
Uncut |
Love is a soundtrack remix album of music recorded by the Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name. The album was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin, who said, "What people will be hearing on the album is a new experience, a way of re-living the whole Beatles musical lifespan in a very condensed period."
George Martin and his son Giles began work on Love after obtaining permission from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison (the latter two representing the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, respectively). The idea for using the Beatles' music in a Cirque du Soleil production had originally come from Harrison, who died in November 2001, through his friendship with the company's founder, Guy Laliberté.
Speaking to Mojo editor Jim Irvin in December 2006, Giles Martin said that he first created a demo combining "Within You Without You" with "Tomorrow Never Knows", which he then nervously presented to McCartney and Starr for their approval. In Martin's recollection, "they loved it", with McCartney saying: "This is what we should be doing, more of this."
In discussing the project, Giles Martin noted that elements were used from recordings in the Beatles catalogue, "the original four tracks, eight tracks and two tracks and used this palette of sounds and music to create a soundbed". Because he was concerned that they might not get the green light to proceed with Love, he began by making digital back-ups of the original multi-track recordings, just to get started on the project. He also said that he and his father mixed more music than was eventually released, including "She's Leaving Home" and a version of "Girl" that he was particularly fond of, which was eventually released in 2011 as a bonus track on the album on iTunes.