The Beatles - Anthology 1
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Free Music Notes for Anthology 1
Free Music Review: Excellent Early Beatles/ Many UnknownGarage Band Tunes!
Hit: 5 Stars
OK. FREE AS A BIRD is a fine song, near perfect, but the thumping drums are its one serious flaw, for this old time (40 year) Beatles buff. After this late Lennon piece, are many interesting and unique tunes and interviews/shows of mixed quality. MY BONNIE and AINT SHE SWEET, two really old songs, hold up well as early rockers, and the band gets into some nice grooves on each. The British TV Variety show segment features THIS BOY, I WANNT HOLD YOUR HAND, and a very amusing skit with the show's MC's, one calling Ringo "Bongo". A nifty photo of this show is included, and the linear notes are all top notch.A waltz version of I'LL BE BACK may be the most interesting number here, radically different than the version we are used to. AND I LOVE HER,a very famous early love tune, also is done as a near-rocker, with Ringo thumping along the beat, another very different style. ONE AFTER 909, recorded much later, sounds better here than on the late 33 RPM version. TILL THERE WAS YOU really shows their fine balladeering, led by Paul, in this terrific live version. And we are treated to John's famous "Rattle Your Jewelry" line before the command performance of TWIST AND SHOUT, not one of their better songs. Some joking is in order during the recording of NO REPLY,and CANT BUY ME LOVE is given a totally different harmonic style than in the famous single release. I'LL GET YOU, one of their best "B" sides is done live in an acoustic version ,not as good as the better known version. And there are nice versions of SHE LOVES YOU, MONEY, LONG TALL SALLY, YOU CANT DO THAT, and others, pretty similar to the later recorded versions. So, all in all, an excellent,perfectly packaged CD with about all you might want, if you would like to hear the alternate versions of early hits, and earlier unrecorded songs.Free Music Review: The Beatles: Anthology Volume One (1995)
Hit: 5 Stars
In November of 1995, The Beatles released their 30th album entitled, ANTHOLOGY VOLUME ONE. This double-disc album features all songs from The Beatles' career. You'll get the usual released classic hits from their previous albums, as well as bootlegs and unreleased tracks. Plus, this album features a new song entitled, "Free As Bird", a new song The Beatles had recorded, before John Lennon's murder.
Disc One
FREE AS A BIRD
New song. This song is outstanding. I really love this song. When John Lennon's anniversary comes around, I'll be lighting a candle, while playing this song in his honor.
(INTERVIEW WITH JOHN LENNON) SPEECH
From an interview with John Lennon.
THAT'LL BE THE DAY
Unreleased. Not bad.
IN SPITE OF ALL THE DANGER
Unreleased. Not bad.
(INTERVIEW WITH PAUL MCCARTNEY) SPEECH
From an interview with Paul McCartney.
HALLELUJIA, I LOVE HER SO
Unreleased. Not bad.
YOU'LL BE MINE
Unreleased. Great
CAYENNE
Unreleased. Great.
(INTERVIEW WITH PAUL MCCARTNEY) SPEECH
From an interview with Paul McCartney.
MY BONNIE
Unreleased. Great.
AIN'T SHE SWEET
Unreleased. Great.
CRY FOR A SHADOW
Unreleased. Great
(INTERVIEW WITH JOHN LENNON) SPEECH
From an interview with John Lennon.
(INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN EPSTEIN) SPEECH
From an interview with, producer/manager, Brian Epstein.
SEARCHIN'
Unreleased. Not bad.
THREE COOL CATS
Unreleased. Not bad.
THE SHEIK OF ARABY
Unreleased. Not bad.
LIKE DREAMERS
Unreleased. Not bad.
HELLO LITTLE GIRL
Unreleased. Not bad.
(INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN EPSTEIN) SPEECH
From an interview with, producer/manager, Brian Epstein.
BESAME MUCHO
Unreleased. Not bad.
LOVE ME DO
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). Awesomely incredible.
HOW DO YOU DO IT
Unreleased. Not bad.
PLEASE PLEASE ME
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). Great.
ONE AFTER 909 (False Starts)
Original version from the album LET IT BE (1970). Hilarious.
ONE AFTER 909
From the alhum LET IT BE (1970). Great.
LEND ME YOUR COMB
Unreleased. Not bad.
I'LL GET YOU
Not bad.
(INTERVIEW WITH JOHN LENNON) SPEECH
From an interview with John Lennon.
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). Awesome.
FROM ME TO YOU
From the single release of FROM ME TO YOU (1964). Great.
MONEY (THAT'S WHAT I WANT)
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1963). Great.
YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1963). Great.
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1963). Great.
Disc Two
SHE LOVES YOU
From the album THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM (1964). Awesome.
TILL THERE WAS YOU
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1964). Great.
TWIST AND SHOUT
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). Great.
THIS BOY
From the single release of THIS BOY (1964). Great song.
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
From the re-release album MEET THE BEATLES (1964). Great song.
(INTERVIEW WITH ERIC MORECAMBE & ERNIE WISE) SPEECH
From an interview with, producers, Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise.
MOONLIGHT BAY
Unreleased. Not bad.
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome song.
ALL MY LOVING
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1963). Great.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome.
AND I LOVE HER
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome.
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome.
I WANNA BE YOUR MAN
From the album WITH THE BEATLES (1963). Awesome.
LONG TALL SALLY
From the album THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM (1964). Not bad.
BOYS
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). Great.
SHOUT
Unreleased. Not bad.
I'LL BE BACK (Demo Version)
Unreleased. Not bad.
I'LL BE BACK (Complete)
Unreleased. Not bad.
YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO
Unreleased. Not bad.
NO REPLY (Demo Version)
Original version from the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1964). Great.
MR. MOONLIGHT
From the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1965). Not bad.
LEAVE MY KITTEN ALONE
Unreleased. Not bad.
NO REPLY
From the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1964). Great.
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK (False Starts)
Original version from the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1964). Great.
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
From the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1964). Great.
MEDLEY: KANSAS CITY/HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY
From the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1964). Incredible.
ANTHOLOGY VOLUME ONE is definitely an album that all Beatles fans should have. So, in order for you to have some of The Beatles' unreleased songs, bootlegs, and early classic hits, then this is the album for you.
Free Music Review: Dated Sound And Unnecessary Interview Spoil What Could Have Been An Excellent Collection
Hit: 4 Stars
The first volume in The Beatles' "Anthology" series is without a doubt the weakest in the series, thanks to horrible sound, a lot of cheesy unneeded interviews and dense liner notes. This is still a much needed album for any Beatlemaniac like myself, but this album could have been so much more.
Disc 1 starts off kicks off with the 1996 Top Ten hit "Free As A Bird". This was a demo John Lennon made in 1975 that in 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr completed. They included it on this album and released as a single, and it went as far as number six on the Hot 100, making them the first and thus far only group to score a Top 20 hit in the 1960s', 1970s', 1980s' and 1990s' ("Anthology 2's" "Real Love" quickly followed it to number 11). This disc contains some great material, however, it is ruined by terrible sound. I know they're old recordings but they still could have worked on it a little more. The interviews are terribly bad. I was glad that the live performances were included, they were cool. But otherwise, I was let down by this disc.
Disc Two is much better. They're a lot of great unreleased tracks, and they sound phenomenal. I thought the performance of "Moonlight Bay" was hilarious, and I loved the harder version of "Can't Buy Me Love". That rocked. This cd is excellent.
The liner notes are really good. This cd is spotty and is recommended to die hards only.
Free Music Review: Good history and early works
Hit: 5 Stars
Beatles Anthology 1, like most say, is not for people just getting into the Beatles. Some believe the Beatles sounded better in their younger days, and yes, some of the songs on here that appeared later in their career have better versions when the Beatles are younger. Some live versions are good and some practice versions are good. If you love the Beatles, go for this album. If you like originals and do not like live tracks, this album is probably not for you. But if you like the Beatles, this album is worth every penny.Free Music Review: Important historically if not so much musically
Hit: 3 Stars
I'll take it as read that you're more than a casual fan if you're bothering to dig into collections of demos, outtakes, and live rarities so I won't bother telling you "Don't buy this if you want hits". Proceeding from this assumption, there's enough here that's really interesting to make it one you'll have to own. At the same time, really bad sound quality on some of them (everything on Disc 1 up until the Decca audition is really subpar..you're getting them because that's what's available, not because it's good sonic quality) and less than great material mean that you probably won't haul this one out that often.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Disc 1 has only a few great moments. It begins with the ballyhooed 'reunion' song "Free as a Bird", accomplished by George, Paul and Ringo overdubbing onto an unreleased John Lennon song to which they added a new bridge. It doesn't stand alongside their best stuff but it's equal to, say, a "Help!" album cut. "That'll be the Day" is probably the Holy Grail of Beatle rarities. It comes from a 78RPM recording of the group in their Quarrymen skiffle days. The sound quality is TERRIBLE...more from the recording quality probably than the source. (I've heard better sounding material of that vintage, such as Elvis' first recorded song on his 50s boxset). The instrumentals are pretty smooshed together without a lot of definition as though you're in the back of the hall where they're playing. But it's the only surviving copy of the performance, so you take what you can get.
"My Bonnie", though it contains Tony Sheridan rather than any of the Beatles singing, is a kinetic version of the old lullaby. You can see how it got Brian Epstein's attention. Of the tunes from the failed Decca audition, only their cover of the Coasters "Three Cool Cats" holds any real appeal. Based on this, it becomes easier to sympathize with the man who turned down the most successful rock and roll group of all time. Probably its greatest interest is the chance to hear the Fabs with Pete Best behind the drum kit. As heard there, the spark just isn't evident. "Cayenne", an early McCartney penned instrumental, sounds like a cross between surf music and Spanish flamenco. It's not among their finest work, obviously, but it has its charm.A 5 song set recorded in 1963 for Swedish radio is charged with energy. The guys do "I Saw Her Standing There" and "From Me to You" along with versions of "Money (That's What I Want)","You Really Got a Hold on me", and "Roll Over Beethoven" that top the official studio releases.
Some of Disc 2's highlights are, again, more for historical reasons than musical ones. The Royal Command performance where John makes his infamous "rattle your jewelry" comment is here, as is the Ed Sullivan Show performance of "All My Loving". You also hear the boys doing a cover of 60s classic R&B number "Shout!". But the best stuff here are alternate takes, demos, and unreleased material: "Leave my Kitten Alone", an outtake from "Beatles for Sale", trumps some of the stuff that made the cut. It's nice to have it out there. "No Reply"'s demo has an unfinished lyric. Two interesting alternate versions of "I'll Be Back" (one a waltz style) are also presented. Alternate versions of "Eight Days a Week" have vocal intros/codas instead of the familiar guitar fade-in.
LOW SPOTS:
I'd love to tell you that the two earliest vocal compositions from Beatles here ("In Spite of all the Danger" from the Quarrymen 78 and "You'll Be Mine") are at least decent tunes. But sadly, they're not. You haven't been missing anything there. "Searchin'" and "sheik of Araby", both corny novelty numbers from the Decca audition, are no great shakes either. A never before heard George composition on disc 2 ("You Know What to Do") was right to have been left in the can. It's unremarkable compared to better John-Paul material. A slower "You Can't Do That" suffers for it. As many have mentioned, the spoken bits break up the music and probably could have been done with quotes in the liner notes instead.
BOTTOM LINE:
You won't play this often because a lot of it simply is poor sound quality. Some of the better "sounding" stuff is just weak material. And a lot of the tunes here in live versions have already turned up from other venues on "Live at the BBC". But the historical value makes several of these invaluable. Buy it, listen to it once or twice, and marvel that the choppy guys you hear on "That'll be the Day" end up making "Sgt Pepper","Abbey Road","Rubber Soul" and "Revolver".