In My Life * by George Martin (CD, Oct-1998, MCA Records USA)

I was searching (in vain) for Beatles tracks on iTunes and came across some snippets from this album, so I decided to get the CD. I wasn't disappointed. The immortal George Martin, the man whose background producing radio shows for British comedians in the 1950's immediately endeared him to the young John Lennon, went on to produce most of the Beatles' greatest hits throughout the 60's. Here, he revisits some of the old hits in ways both sublime and surprising, with a cast of artists that includes comedians like Jim Carrey and Billy Connolly, big name artists like Phil Collins and Jeff Beck, and a few surprises like Sean Connery's tear-jerking, spoken-word rendition of In My Life which closes out the disk.
It's nearly impossible to find fault with the artistic or musical qualities of this album, which far surpasses most Beatles covers out there. It's an eclectic mix, so perhaps not every track will be to everyone's liking - personally, I don't care for the treacly sweetness of Here, There and Everywhere, but I imagine listeners who do, may not care for the mad workup of I Am the Walrus that Jim Carrey pulls off (which I happen to love).
Jolly good show, George.