Treasure trove of early Beatles (The Beatles Anthology Vol.1 - The Beatles)

Member Name: simoncardwell

Product:	The Beatles Anthology Vol.1 - The Beatles
Date:	27/05/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great radio sessions & ad-libs

Disadvantages: Not many, treat it as a companion piece

I always appreciated these Anthology releases, as they gave you the chance to be a fly on the wall in Abbey Road & they came at a time when there was precious little new Beatles releases.

This first release came at a time when the popularity of Britpop, specifically Oasis, had given the Beatles new credibility & a new legion of fans in waiting. Realising this, the wonderful Anthology TV series, complete with these CDs, came at the perfect time.

I guess the biggest track on this set is the 'reformed' Beatles re-working of a Lennon demo - 'Free as a Bird'. While it is a little too ELO for my liking, it works reasonably well & is about as decent as a middle aged, Lennon-less Beatles had any right to be.

Elsewhere there are some fabulous BBC radio sessions, alternate takes & live performances from the early years through to 1964.

Summary: Great extra material & a glimpse into the studio