When was the last time you listened to The Beatles? Not the last time you heard them; the last time you sat down, shut up and listened to them?

Unless you're a Beatlemaniac, it's probably been ages. And that's understandable. After all, unless you're Amish, a child or living in a cave, you hardly need to listen to The Fab Four anymore. You've already heard their hits a jillion times. Their voices are almost as familiar as those of your parents. Their melodies are hardwired into your brain. Their words are part of the collective cultural DNA. To transform their overly familiar songs into something fresh and exciting -- to make you hear The Beatles again with fresh ears -- would probably require a cross between a stroke of genius and a miracle.

That's what LOVE aims to be. Produced by none other than the legendary George Martin and his son Giles as the soundtrack for a Cirque du Soleil show, LOVE not only refurbishes, remixes and remasters a couple of dozen Beatles classics; in some cases, it reimagines and remakes them nearly from scratch.

Taking a cue from the mashup trend -- and perhaps specifically from Danger Mouse's controversial 2005 Grey Album that paired Jay-Z's Black Album with the Fabs' White Album -- the Martins boldly deconstruct and painstakingly reassemble bits and pieces from the Beatle archive into inspired ear-catching hybrids. Get Back is introduced with the orchestral crescendo from A Day in the Life, which builds to the opening chord of A Hard Day's Night, followed by Ringo's thumping drum solo from The End. Drive My Car morphs into What You're Doing and The Word, united by a plonking cowbell. Yesterday begins with the acoustic guitar from Blackbird. For the Benefit of Mr. Kite segues into She's so Heavy, with a dash of Helter Skelter. Within You Without You is anchored by the backing track of Tomorrow Never Knows. Strawberry Fields Forever starts with Lennon's demo, then gradually builds into a psychedelic trip with elements of Penny Lane, Hello Goodbye, Baby You're a Rich Man and Piggies.

Not all the tracks are so audacious. Many are just slightly tighter and brighter versions of their original selves, with key pieces rearranged or repeated for emphasis. Still, the overall effect is stunning -- moreso because the Martins have joined all 26 tracks into a cinematic, seamlessly flowing 78-minute epic that is a technical marvel, an artistic milestone and an addictive round of Name That Tune all at once.

At least, that's one way to look at it. The other way -- and an opinion already being voiced by some -- is to argue that the Martins have committed the ultimate act of betrayal and musical sacrilege, cannibalizing The Beatles' work and rewriting artistic history like George Lucas re-editing his old films.

Both sides have a point. But whether you hate this or love it -- and with this disc, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground -- there's no disputing one point: LOVE makes you sit down, shut up and listen to The Beatles as if for the first time. And any disc that can accomplish that is worth hearing.

Track Listing:

1. Because
2. Get Back
3. Glass Onion
4. Eleanor Rigby/Julia (Transition)
5. I Am The Walrus
6. I Want To Hold Your Hand
7. Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing
8. Gnik Nus
9. Something/Blue Jay Way (Transition)
10. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter
11. Help!
12. Blackbird/Yesterday
13. Strawberry Fields Forever
14. Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
15. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
16. Octopus's Garden
17. Lady Madonna
18. Here Comes The Sun/The Inner Light (Transition)
19. Come Together/Dear Prudence/Cry Baby Cry (Transition)
20. Revolution
21. Back In The U.S.S.R.
22. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
23. A Day In The Life
24. Hey Jude
25. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
26. All You Need Is Love