Skip to main content

The Beatles: "Now and Then" (2023)

All the way back in 2008, I wrote a series of  posts covering the recorded output of an obscure 1960s band called The Beatles. Though never especially popular or commercially successful, they managed to release an impressive 13 albums and 2 compilations in a 7-year period.

Once I completed those reviews, I promptly forgot all about the Beatles. I was sure that I didn't need to keep tabs on them, because all indications were that they'd never reunite or release any more music.

So you can imagine my surprise a couple of weeks ago when I came across a YouTube video claiming to be about the making of a new "final" Beatles song called "Now and Then."

And then imagine even more surprise when I learned that this song was not the first new Beatles song since 1970. It's the third!

As it turns out, the Beatles had actually "reuinted" to record more music in the 1990s. Though band member John Lennon was killed in 1980, he left behild some unfinished songs. Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr teamed up with Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra fame) to turn those circa 1977 demos into new Beatles songs.

They woked on three songs, "Free as a Bird," "Real Love," and "Now and Then." The first two were were released in 1995 and 1996 respectively, but "Now and Then" was abandoned. Reportedly, the lads were frustrated by the low quality of the demo, and ran out of time to finish. 

All this time, the song has stuck in McCartney's craw. Fast forward 20 years and technology has advanced enough that Paul was able to use machine-aided learning to extract John's vocal from the original demo and use that to finally bring his vision for the song to life. Wow, living in the future ain't so bad sometimes.

So, to complete this project I started all those years ago, let's review the final three Beatles songs!

"Free as a Bird" (1995)

Apparently, this song premiered to the world at the end of the first part of a documentary that aired in Novemeber 1995. The documentary was a ratings disaster and the song sunk into obscurity (it certainly didn't go top 10 on the charts and win two Grammys). 

Now I don't believe the recpetion is an indication of its quality, but there is something that feels off about "Free as a Bird." It's not just the semi-goulish nature of a collaboration between three live musicians and one dead one, but it is the combination of that and the ghostly, dirgelike melody. For a song ostensibly about joy and freedom it just feels so sad. I think Paul recognized this, and that led him to switch roles with John and write a verse about regret and loss. There are a few Beatles songs that make good use of the happy / sad dynamic, but I think it might have been more effective here if Paul and George's verses had shifted into an uptempo major key sort of thing. 

All that said "Free as a Bird" has some little joys, such as Harrison's opening guitar solo, the gorgeous "ah" harmonies on the bridge, and the false ending with the little bit of John dialgoue.

*

"Real Love" (1996)

"Real Love" is more like it, and its creative success reveals another fault of "Free as a Bird." From the midsixties on, the Beatles weren't an especially collaborative group. Or more precisely, the results of their collaborative process weren't readily obvious in the final product. So while Paul writing a verse, and Paul and George both taking turns on lead vocals on "Free as a Bird" was nice and all, it wasn't something that felt especially Beatlesque.

"Real Love," on the other hand, feels very much like a John song with Ringo playing drums, George adding lovely guitar bits, Paul on bass, and, once again, those harmonies. While it's not quite something you could imagine fitting on Abbey Road or Let It Be, it at least feels part and parcel of the Beatles discography, and doesn't betray the circumstances of its creation.

*

"Now and Then" (2023)
I'm going to put it out there: This is my favorite of the three. While there are likely many reasons why, I'm going with the simplest explanation: It has the best melody. 

I love that Paul showed the restraint to go the "Real Love" route and honor John's song above all else, while at the same time making it into one final collaboration between two men. Working with co-producer Giles Martin, Paul smartly reduced the original demo down to its esssence, removing a prechourus and unfinished verse, and adding his own floursishes in their place.

John's vocal is strong and immediate, placed front and center on the track. Since George Harrison died in 2001, his contribution is limited to some rhythm parts he recorded back in 1995, but we have Ringo on drums, Paul on bass and Harrison-esque guitar, and a touching string arrangement. The harmonies are said to be lifted from "Here, There, and Everywhere," Eleanor Rigby" and "Because," though the latter is the only one readily indentifiable to my ear.

*

And there we have it. The last three songs from a band that never quite got the attention they deserved, but nonetheless leave behind a discography worth revisiting now and then. 

If you'd like to check out my reviews of the Beatles' older work, here you go:
Help! (1965)
Rubber Soul (1965)
Revolver (1966)
The Beatles (1968)
Abbey Road (1969)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REO Speedwagon: R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971)

REO Speedwagon got its start in the late 1960s on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. The band grew out of a friendship between a students Neal Doughty (piano/keyboard) and Alan Gratzer (drums). Joining up with a couple of other musicians, they took the name R.E.O. Speedwagon. It wasn't long before they started getting gigs at parties and bars, doing covers of the hits of the day. The band cycled through several players in its first three years, with Gratzer and Doughty as the only constants. One-by-one they added the members that would form the first "official" lineup: singer Terry Luttrell in early 1968, bassist Gregg Philbin later that summer, and guitarist Gary Richrath at the end of 1970. Richrath was a native of Peoria, 90 miles northwest of Champaign, and had essentially stalked the band until they let him join. It was a good move, as he not only an accomplished guitarist, but also a songwriter. With Richrath the band ascended to the n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stuck, or Obsession Cessastion

You may have noticed that things have slowed down around here. I had the summer off from teaching, and I spent it with my 7 month-old son. I gave myself permission to make this blog less of a priority. Well, "less of a priority" is putting it lightly. Initially, I considered an abrupt retirement. But then I reconsidered. Maybe the proximity to Brett Favre is causing this. If you're a long time reader, this is probably not all that surprising to you. Since 2007, it has become an annual ritual for me to soul-search about my waning interest in music. First I blamed an inability to express myself and a lack of quality music . Then in 2008 I cited new technology and the death of the album . Last year I wrote about how my changing life priorities hindered my ability to seek out new music. I've done a lot of thinking about it this summer and in truth I believe this was all just dancing around the issue, a slow realization of something I didn't want to admit to myse...
7 comments
Read more

Rock Bottom: The Beach Boys

The one constant in every established artist's oeuvre is the bad album , the one that's reviled by both fans and critics. Those unlovable albums are the ones this feature, Rock Bottom , is concerned with. Here's how it works: I've consulted three sources, the AllMusic Guide and Rolling Stone (for the critical point-of-view) and Amazon.com (for the fan perspective*). The album with the lowest combined rating from both sources is the one I'll consider the worst. I may not always agree with the choice, and my reviews will reflect that. I'll also offer a considered alternative. Finally, there are some limits. The following types of albums don't count: 1) b-sides or remix compilations, 2) live albums, 3) albums recorded when the band was missing a vital member, and 4) forays into a different genres (i.e. classical). *A note about Amazon.com. I consider this the fan perspective, because most people who choose to review albums on this site are adoring fans of ...
1 comment
Read more