SF4-EVER
Mar 31, 2003, 03:37 AM
LINK (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/arts/music/30SPIN.html) to article.
'Anthology': Let It Be Even Longer
By ALLAN KOZINN
Eight years after its first appearance, as a six-hour television documentary in 1995, "The Beatles Anthology" continues to expand. This four-way autobiography — the gospel according to John, Paul, George and Ringo, with their disagreements on details preserved intact — grew to 10 hours for its 1996 video release. Six companion CD's of outtakes and live performances were issued as well, and in 2000, a brick of an "Anthology" book offered expanded versions of the interviews conducted for the project. (John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980, was represented by previously published material.)
On DVD, "Anthology" (Apple/EMI, five DVD's) has grown again. The 10-hour documentary now comes with an 81-minute disc of bonus material, including a handful of oldies jams filmed at George Harrison's home in 1994. The performances — some outdoors, with Harrison and Sir Paul McCartney accompanying themselves on ukuleles, others in Harrison's studio with acoustic guitars and drums — are short and rough. But there is considerable charm in an off-the-cuff "Ain't She Sweet" and quick passes at "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Raunchy"; a fragment of "Thinking of Linking" is the only known recording of this early McCartney tune. Equally intriguing are expanded interview segments, footage of the former Beatles listening to their old session tapes with their producer, George Martin, and short documentaries about the making of "Anthology," the recording sessions for "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," and the production of the elaborate "Free as a Bird" promotional video.
The main "Anthology" documentary is unchanged, but the soundtrack has been remixed for 5.1 surround sound (with stereo as an option). On early mono recordings and concert clips, this means slightly heavy-handed reverb on the back channels. But the later studio recordings — "Rain," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "A Day in the Life" and "Hello Goodbye" among them — are revelatory. Remixed from the multitrack session tapes, these versions put the lead vocals front and center, with instruments and harmony vocals surrounding the listener, giving the textures extraordinary transparency. The group's entire catalog, overdue for remastering anyway, ought to be done this way. ALLAN KOZINN
'Anthology': Let It Be Even Longer
By ALLAN KOZINN
Eight years after its first appearance, as a six-hour television documentary in 1995, "The Beatles Anthology" continues to expand. This four-way autobiography — the gospel according to John, Paul, George and Ringo, with their disagreements on details preserved intact — grew to 10 hours for its 1996 video release. Six companion CD's of outtakes and live performances were issued as well, and in 2000, a brick of an "Anthology" book offered expanded versions of the interviews conducted for the project. (John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980, was represented by previously published material.)
On DVD, "Anthology" (Apple/EMI, five DVD's) has grown again. The 10-hour documentary now comes with an 81-minute disc of bonus material, including a handful of oldies jams filmed at George Harrison's home in 1994. The performances — some outdoors, with Harrison and Sir Paul McCartney accompanying themselves on ukuleles, others in Harrison's studio with acoustic guitars and drums — are short and rough. But there is considerable charm in an off-the-cuff "Ain't She Sweet" and quick passes at "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Raunchy"; a fragment of "Thinking of Linking" is the only known recording of this early McCartney tune. Equally intriguing are expanded interview segments, footage of the former Beatles listening to their old session tapes with their producer, George Martin, and short documentaries about the making of "Anthology," the recording sessions for "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," and the production of the elaborate "Free as a Bird" promotional video.
The main "Anthology" documentary is unchanged, but the soundtrack has been remixed for 5.1 surround sound (with stereo as an option). On early mono recordings and concert clips, this means slightly heavy-handed reverb on the back channels. But the later studio recordings — "Rain," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "A Day in the Life" and "Hello Goodbye" among them — are revelatory. Remixed from the multitrack session tapes, these versions put the lead vocals front and center, with instruments and harmony vocals surrounding the listener, giving the textures extraordinary transparency. The group's entire catalog, overdue for remastering anyway, ought to be done this way. ALLAN KOZINN