Rutles reissue is revelatory

A new, apparently limited edition, CD version of the landmark LP The Rutles has been out for a few weeks now, and we've got to say that it's worth picking up even if you've already got the original Warners LP and Rhino CD. The remix on this first UK CD release immediately rings with a new presence and a listen to it is comparable only to the first time hearing The Beatles UK catalogue released on audiophile master disc LPs. We first heard the new Rutles CD blasting through the Virgin megastore on Oxford Street in London two weeks ago, and the difference was clear. Neil Innes himself handled the remastering. No bonus tracks (beyond the original CD), but this new one contains a booklet replicating the one in the original album, there are other nice graphics-- and, happily, Neil doesn't share songwriting credit with Lennon, McCartney or Michael Jackson.

A listen will reveal why the Rutles music has lasted thirty years and stands on its own alongside the Beatles music it parodied. And it's a great precursor to the Neil Innes biopic from our pals at Frozen Pictures.