Cathy Berberian: Revolution

Eventually, record producers realized that it's a bad idea to make entire albums of Beatles songs done in some unique or perculiar non-rock style. Unfortunately, that seminal moment did not occur until some time after opera singer Cathy Berberian recorded this unbelievable LP.

The liner notes on "Revolution" (a Beatle song that Cathy doesn't actually perform on it) start off rather tongue-in-cheek, asking "Who are they kidding? Is this another put-on, some sort of musical joke?" The notes quicky go on to assure the reader that it is not, but one listen to the music on this album and you won't know what else to make of it. Opera. The Beatles. Error. Error.

Call your friends over. Place your jaw squarely in the open position. Drop the needle on Revolution, and prepare to be amazed.

Nutsack Johnson says:
"Oh please say to me, you'll let me be your mmllnnln." What??? (07-08-2003)

Sandra López (sanglo@prtc.net) says:
I've been a fan of both the Beatles and opera for many years, and frankly I find this recording as something wonderful, for this proves definitely that being an opera singer and a Beatles fan at the sime time is no sin, absolutely.

Cathy Berberian's voice suits perfectly and wonderfully for Beatles songs, and I know that there are other opera singers who loves the Beatles; among them I can mention tenor Nicolai Gedda, whose favorite Beatles album is "St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". To say more, I've heard comments that bass Samuel Ramey is an ardent Beatles fan, too. Why can't opera singers adore the Beatles? That's nothing bad, absolutely!

May my comments show the whole wide world that nothing is Beatles proof!

(07-04-2003)

LaceValentine says:
Mozart roll over! This is nearly as great as the original Beatles cut. Can you give us at least one more opera sample? Love this site... (06-16-2003)

Adrian says:
Regardless of the original liner notes, this is a wonderful AND hysterical album by one of the great 20th century singers. (06-11-2003)

mark says:
Can I get this one on cd??..oh please tell me i can. (05-21-2003)

Mr Lynn says:
Very well done, brought a tear to my eye and a slight erection! Stupendus, (04-30-2003)

Will McDougal says:
Ah lahked itt... Cathy Berberian's Revolution moosic.

Give Me Moore. (04-12-2003)

Jan Turkenburg (janturkenburg@hotmail.com) says:
Being a musicteacher I find that Cathy and her arrangers did a magnificent and skillfull job. This is what musical humour is all about. I think the ones who don't appreciate this have a lot to learn about both music and humour and... about life ... (04-11-2003)

Liepold Stuckupski says:
I tried to listen to this but couldn't make it past the first chourus! Every copy of this record must be hunted down and destroyed as crime against Humanity!

One could only hope that whoever the sick bastard who decided to give someone money to record this hunk of smelly crap has died and is now in the lowest bowels of Hell (hopefully in Satan's chamberpot!) having to listen to this record over & over again for all eternity. That would be Justice. But TANJ! (04-03-2003)

Spetial Adkins (spetialadkins2010@hotmail.com) says:
That is a good thing to do. (03-21-2003)

Steve (sNOSPAMpreactor@yaFREEhoo.com) says:
I think we should be blaring this music over loudspeakers aimed at Baghdad....if this won't drive Saddam into exile, NOTHING WILL!!! (03-19-2003)

Thom Fish (tfish@ethgb.jnj.com) says:
Magnificathy - a collection by CB, has one track from this album - Ticket to Ride - and is readily available from HMV etc. (03-17-2003)

Ellison (ellisonhoneycutt@aol.com) says:
At long last, the Tribe of Dandom has it's full circle moment. I see Oleander twirling a la Stevie Nicks in the foothills.

PS if you understand this brief musing, then you got here via the wherewithal of the amazing J. McKay. (03-15-2003)

Richard Leigh (richard.leigh@lbhf.gov.uk) says:
I think the partnership of Berio/Berberian was like that of Weill/Lenya - each bringing out the best in the other. Almost everything CB recorded was great. She made avant-garde music seem like fun. The Beatles covers LP was clearly a joke - beautifully sung. (03-14-2003)

Mike O Wave says:
Are you sure this isn't really a Tiny Tim recording in disguise? (03-12-2003)

Pete says:
Nice trbute to Klaus Vormann's REVOLVER cover. Maybe mean to deceive? (03-05-2003)

Daniel Pérez (pzdlre@yahoo.fr) says:
I love this singer and have been looking for this record for years, she was saying herself it was pretty difficult to find, and that was more than 20 years ago!
So what I want is not for my comments to appear, but to know if and how I could get a copy of this treasure, a tape, a transfer to cd, a roll, whatever!!!
Tahnks for answering me
Sincerely
Daniel Pérez
a French fan of Cathy Berberian, who remembers wher he was and what he was doing when he heard the news of her ddeath. (03-04-2003)

Don Felipe of Los Anglenos (philktyal@aol.com) says:
A little something to Perk up the California Colella...... Rock on brother mine (03-02-2003)

TERRY HUFF (AHUFFTB11108@AOL.COM) says:
I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR SITE. I WOULD LIKE TO
BUY CATHY BERBERIAN'S "REVOLUTIONS" AT A
REASONABLE PRICE, PERHAPS TRANSCRIBED TO COMPACT
DISC. BUT IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME HOW TO DO SO.
IT MAY BE THAT I MISSED SOMETHING WHEN I DIALED
"WWW.FRANKLAROSA.COM/VINYL/BIGIMG/CATHY.JPG".
I WILL TRY A SHORTER STRING.
THANX. TH. (02-24-2003)

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