SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JAH WOBBLE AND TIAN QIYI- MYSTIC LIVERPOOL: THE BEATLES’ PSYCHEDELIC PSONGBOOK

JAH WOBBLE AND TIAN QIYI
MYSTIC LIVERPOOL: THE BEATLES’ PSYCHEDELIC PSONGBOOK
CHERRY RED RECORDS / 30 HERTZ

Since 1964, there have been numerous interpretations of The Beatles’ music. Stax, jazz, classical, Motown, country, Bing Crosby, Laibach, and easy listening have all had a go at Beatles cover albums. Mystic Liverpool: The Beatles’ Psychedelic Psongbook may be the most original, and after 60-some years, that is a huge accomplishment. Jah Wobble and his sons, John T and Charlie Wardle, have collaborated on a dub/drone version of Beatles songs, focusing on their more psychedelic tracks, which makes great sense. It is also just lovely to see Wobble working with his very talented sons.

On paper, this might look like it would not work. The complete opposite is true. The use of traditional Chinese instruments, alongside Wobble’s distinct and trademark bass, creates an unusual yet fascinating take on these songs. The album is more world music and psychedelic than it is dub, but the sound is there, and everything comes together with Mystic Liverpool: The Beatles’ Psychedelic Psongbook. The songs that are part of our collective DNA are stripped back and put back together.

The album opens with maybe the first-ever drone song in rock music, “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Wobble and Tian Qiyi remain faithful to the song but add in their own unique sounds and twists and turns, whereas their turn on “I Am The Walrus” starts with heavy bass and moves into the song we know and love. The ending is much more dub with reggae overtones, as opposed to The Beatles’ freak-out ending. But again, it works. By stripping the songs to their core, Wobble and Tian Qiyi really show how strong these songs are without the full production by The Beatles.

The ‘Indian’ songs are the most interesting; “The Inner Light” is a beautiful song to begin with, but here the melody and mysticism come through, and one cannot help but marvel at the beauty. “Love You To” is more of a psychedelic freak-out. Here they pile on the sounds, and as a result, it sounds magnificent. Although not an Indian song in its origin, they do tackle The Beatles’ only instrumental (released during their career) “Flying.” They do take liberties here and create a dub song, and again, in doing so, make it a treat to get lost in.

Mystic Liverpool: The Beatles’ Psychedelic Psongbook is a loving tribute to The Beatles and a specific time in their career. It is interesting that they stuck to Lennon and Harrison songs (except “Flying,” which was a group composition). They also stayed in the 1966 – 1968   era, with “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” being the 1965 outlier. I am surprised they did not attempt “It’s All Too Much,” but maybe that can be on a sequel. Mystic Liverpool: The Beatles’ Psychedelic Psongbook is a brilliant album. Beatle fans should embrace these original covers. It is obviously a very important album for all three gentlemen, and in some ways, it is a deeply personal collection. Wobble has spoken about the impact of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and here he got to thank the Fab Four for that song and many more.

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