REAL LOVE

This review deals with Real Love the track only. It is a piece of music originally demo'd by John Lennon, and then reworked by the (then) surviving Beatles and released as a single in 1996. It did very well too, perhaps not surprisingly.

The track itself is instantly recognisable as a Lennon composition, but I think that the reworking does do a very good job of turning it into a Beatles track, even in the absence of the great man himself. Both of us absolutely love the upbeat and cheerily happy world view portrayed in the song. After so many years, the man was clearly still deeply in love with the woman "credited" with breaking up the band (most unfairly, in my opinion), and this love shines through on this track.

About the only criticism I can offer is the poor nature of the recording. This is entirely owing to the fact that Martin and the boys only had a raw demo left by Lennon to work with, and they actually do a very good job with what they are left with.

As McCartney & Starr have said in many interviews, there was never any option of the band reforming, even before Lennon was murdered. They certainly didn't need the money, and this recording was basically a last hurrah for the singular most important band ever to exist, period. I like to think of it as a tribute to their lost friend and inspiration. as I say, they certainly didn't need the money, so cynicism can be ruled out I think.

The final point to add is this; my son was not even born when this single was released, let alone when the band were in the forefront of the world's affections. Yet, the genius of Lennon's music crashes down through the generations, and this is what makes him, and the others, so important. That a nine year old can declare this as his favourite piece in an age of so much rubbish and cynical pop exploitation of the masses speaks volumes.

Four stars. They were never anything less than excellent anyway.