Let’s skip ahead to the autumn of 1994. After the release of LIVE AT THE BBC, The Beatles represent a presumably closed chapter in music history, extensively documented, commented on, analyzed and even parodied. It really seems like everything is shown, heard, written and said. But then November 20, 1995 rolls around, ANTHOLOGY 1 appears and Beatles exegetes can look forward not only to fresh meat called “Free As A Bird”, but also to two more nutritious collections of rarities that will appear in spring and autumn 1996.
Editorial recommendations
This completes the trilogy of demos, studio takes that actually generate new insights, as well as live recordings and all sorts of curiosities. Even better: at the end of 1995, the magnificent, six-part TV series “The Beatles Anthology” was broadcast, which appeared in a significantly expanded form on VHS the following September and as a DVD set in 2003. Previously, in 2000, the large-format, 368-page “Anthology” book had already been published, which meant that the history of the Beatles could now be considered an exemplary treatment.
A mistake
Only proven scoffers missed “Anthology – the Musical”, a suitable claymation show by Nick Park or the promotion of the Beatles catalog to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mass actually seemed to have been said. A mistake. On November 21, 2025 the time is ripe for ANTHOLOGY 4 (5.5 stars). It contains 36 tracks, such as the final Beatles song “Now And Then” as well as remastered versions of “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”. The rest comes from 1963 to 1969, including 13 previously unreleased demos and outtakes. Unfortunately, it has to be said, because in issues 1 to 3 the proportion of completely unknown material was significantly higher. What’s missing again: “Carnival Of Light”, a fourteen-minute avant-garde number that was created in 1967 for the “Million Volt Light And Sound Rave” at the London Roundhouse.
On the other hand: early takes of “I’ve Just Seen A Face”, “In My Life”, “Nowhere Man” or “Here Comes The Sun” are more substantial than a long experimental orgy, which will appeal primarily to completists. In that respect: everything is good. However, there was trouble beforehand. Originally, ANTHOLOGY 4 was only planned as part of the all-encompassing ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION, but this brought the fans to the forefront. Good this way! The majority of them probably already own parts 1 to 3 and therefore – new mastering by Giles Martin or not – feel little inclination to buy the entire package because of number 4. The separate release as a double CD or triple LP is in any case much more customer-friendly.
Profound insights into the way in which small demo sketches could become pop culture monuments for eternity
As far as the 191-track ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION (6 stars), available as a box set with eight CDs or twelve LPs, is concerned, what once also applied to the individual parts still applies today: it not only presents the first steps as a songwriter, recordings from Hamburg, various radio recordings and the session that, surprisingly, did not lead to a record deal with Decca Records, but above all provides profound insights into the way small demo sketches are based A joy of innovation and – for the time – advanced studio technology allowed pop culture monuments to be created for eternity. Work-in-progress, sometimes touching like John Lennon’s melancholic home demo of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, sometimes very enlightening, for example when you compare the slightly bumpy take 1 of “Tomorrow Never Knows” with the breathtaking final LP version on REVOLVER.
Now you can of course see the ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION as a project for obsessive Beatles nerds, especially since the tracks it contains initially seem weaker than the corresponding regular versions released during the band’s lifetime. But that could also be because the latter are viewed as normative, while the early takes sound a bit unfinished or simply different. But different can also be very interesting. Ultimately, of course, it speaks in favor of the Beatles that – with a few exceptions, such as the songs on the album LET IT BE, which Phil Spector tended to overproduce – they officially released the really best versions. Only the route there could be longer or shorter, and that’s exactly what the ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION provides extensive information about.
This review first appeared in Musikexpress 12/2025.