SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE BEATLES – ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION

THE BEATLES
ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION
APPLE/UNIVERSAL MUSIC

When The Beatles launched the original Beatles Anthology in 1995, it was a landmark and historical rock ‘n’ roll event. Never before had a band told their own story over the course of approximately eight hours on television. Then there were the three double CD/triple album sets that were released, all topping the charts, featuring previously unreleased material. Finally, a very heavy and beautiful book that followed the show and albums is included.

And let us not forget the DVD set. This is multimedia to the extreme. The story and the music were the centre point. Not to mention two new Beatle songs, which were based on unreleased John Lennon demos. Both “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love” were released as singles and featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison dubbing their singing and playing on Lennon’s songs. To these ears, they were outstanding and very welcome.

Now, 30 years later, Anthology is back in an expanded form. Now the music is spread across eight CDs and 12 vinyl albums. The first three parts of Anthology remain the same as 1995. There is some noted improvement with the sound quality of some of the pre-fame recordings. The music has been cleaned up and the sound is improved. But the big feature of the set is Anthology 4, which is also available separately, so one does not have to buy the entire set. The double CD set features a number of selections from the deluxe sets of Let it Be, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, The Beatles, and Revolver, but there are some new treats. “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” from Takes 7 and 8 features a lot of improvisations from The Beatles, especially Lennon with lines such as “How does it feel to be one of the loudest people?”, but ‘Take 8’ gives one the idea of how the song might have sounded performed live.

Then there is the early version of First Version – Take 2’s “Nowhere Man,” which features a very different arrangement that, while it may not be better than the finished song, demonstrates their musicianship. The Rehearsal version for BBC Broadcast, “All You Need Is Love,” is another unexpected treasure. Again, it shows how hard The Beatles worked to make sure the finished product is as close to perfect as one can be. While it is not that different from the released version we all know and love, it is still great to hear the preparation for the eventual, and first-ever, worldwide broadcast.

Included in the set are new remixes of “Free As A Bird,” “Real Love,” and “Now And Then.” “Real Love” sounds the most different and it comes down to personal taste of the new mixes. With “Real Love,” Lennon’s vocals are much more prominent with the backing vocals from Harrison and McCartney reduced. They make for interesting listening, and it is fun to compare the originals to these new mixes.

The Beatles Anthology was a landmark album and documentary when first released in 1995. While it is not as shockingly new in 2025 as every band has released their own version of an anthology, it is still an interesting and necessary piece of The Beatles’ history. The sets never went away, they have been available since their original release, but it is nice to have them again, complete with new additions, and in some cases, better sound quality. Anthology 4 provides another glimpse into the studio, and it is wonderful to hear the four friends chat and create musical history.

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