Milos Karadaglic, the classical guitarist from Montenegro, has released a tribute album to the Beatles that simultaneously showcases the musician’s vast skills and the enduring songwriting abilities of the iconic band. It’s brilliant.
Milos entered the classical music scene in 2011 with his release Mediterradneo, and his cover album of Beatles music is his fourth. Released in mid-January, the 15 tracks are ideally coordinated and produced in a never-ending musical homage.
The album is superior. It combines soothing, inspired guitar playing with rousing string instruments and the best of several contributing artists, including singer Tori Amos, cellist Steven Isserlis, jazz singer Gregory Porter and Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of Ravi Shankar.
In a review of the album, Geoffrey Noris of the Daily Telegraph, the British daily, commented: “The playing is lithe, subtle of timbre and transcendentally beautiful.”
Guest Musicians Complement Milos
Can an album receive any higher praise?
The album opens with the title track, Blackbird. It’s a short upbeat rendition of the anthem about race relations. The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl played the song acoustically in the In Memoriam segment during the recent Academy Awards telecast.
An impressive string ensemble perfectly complements the guitarist in “Eleanor Rigby.” Amos’ voice is haunting in “She’s Leaving Home.” It was recorded on the day the singer’s daughter was leaving for boarding school. Porter’s voices boom on “Let it Be.” The finale is “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.” It features Shankar’s mastery of the sitar.
Milos says in the liner notes that he'd never collaborated with pop singers. It's hard to fathom.
Every track is a highlight, “Yesterday” to “Something” and “The Fool On The Hill” to “While My Guitar Gentle Weeps.” The album was recorded n Abbey Road Studios in London, England, the famous location where the Beatles recorded.
For me, the album resonates. It’s a modern, inspired look at the songbook of many of our lives. And it’s another reminder of the Beatles’ importance in musical history.
