A detailed preview of the "Anthology" DVD bonus disc (contains spoilers)

[AKA]

From Abbeyrd's Beatles Page:

A detailed preview of the "Anthology" DVD bonus disc

By Terry Ott

TRUE STORY: On Tuesday afternoon, March 25, I bussed it into downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to buy a copy of the New York Times.

As I was on my way to pick up the paper, I wandered into one of the biggest music shops in the city and observed one of the employees at a counter pricing a stack of Beatles Anthology DVD sets that had just arrived.

I was surprised to see the set even shipped so early, and I immediately enquired whether it was for sale, a full week before its official April 1 release date.

The employee said that he had not decided yet if he was going to put it out, and that he had checked to make sure the April 1 date was still set (it was).

I ventured to the employee that 'EMI would have a ****,' if they knew the set was being sold. "I don't work for EMI," came the cocky reply from the store's employee.

So several hours later, I returned to the store and found the set on sale behind the counter in the space reserved for new box set DVDs, and purchased it for $103.49 (Canadian) taxes in.

A different employee from before served me, and even said, “This is supposed to be really good. There's a story about it over there in that magazine" (ironically, the story the employee was referring to was one I had written for a Hamilton weekly about the upcoming Anthology release).

I then asked the employee if March 25 was the release date, and the employee sort of hesitated and said, "Well, we're selling it, so it must be."

So out the door I go with the set and another bus ride gets me home for a 3 hour plus review and note session on the coveted 5th bonus disc from the set.

You know, the one that Apple/EMI was so guarded with that they didn't even trust the NY Times -- or any other media for that matter -- with a copy?

The first thing I notice is that the video IS very sharp and crisp, and color balance and tone is excellent on the first chapter, entitled "Recollections June 1994." The face of the disc is the white original flip side of the green Granny Smith Apple logo from vinyl days.

Although this disc is mixed in 5.1, there is really very little on the DVD that deserves it, excepting for the videos of Free As A Bird and Real Love.

The much discussed Threetles jam session and impromptu playing in George Harrison's Friar Park garden are hardly the stuff of audio legend as far as Surround Sound goes.

Actually the three tunes -- "Raunchy," "Thinking of Linking" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" -- performed with Paul McCartney and George on acoustic guitar and Ringo Starr on drums with just brushes, is not really a highlight as it is fairly obvious that George's heart is just not in it.

In fact, Harrison sort of snaps and says "the short version," when Macca suggests playing "Blue Moon." It is evident that there was still some tension between Paul and George, even 24 years after the breakup.

Of note, though, is Paul's comment about "Thinking Of Linking," which breaks down after one verse before re-commencing, which he says it was one of the first of the Lennon/McCartney (McCartney/Lennon?) originals done by the Quarrymen. McCartney says that John got the idea for "Linking" from "an advert in the cinema for Link furniture," back in Liverpool circa the late 50s.

It is actually a fairly charming little number that once again George does not really look too enthused about, despite the indefatigable Macca showbiz break a leg bit.

The real gem of the first chapter of the bonus disc comes at the close when the three lads are seated around a bench type chair in George's garden. Ringo is sitting cross-legged and slaps his knees in lieu of drum skins, Paul is stretched out on a blanket with his back leaning on the bench with a coffee cup in his hand, and George is beside him strumming a ukulele. And the Fab Three do a lovely version of "Ain't She Sweet," with REAL feeling.

The segment ends with Ringo saying how great it was to "hang out" and with George quipping that they may not see each other "for another 40 years."

The second chapter of the bonus disc is entitled "Compiling The Anthology Albums," and features Sir George Martin playing a two track version of the very first take of "A Day In The Life."

Martin appears deep in thought and very reflective when he says that John, "wasn't expecting people 32 years later to be listening to it."

Sir George also said that the whole Anthology experience "was like an old scrapbook coming to life most vividly." Ringo offers that the Beatles were "a great little band."

Chapter Three, "Back At Abbey Road 1995," includes some very amusing footage of the boys and Martin discussing and playing different takes of "Golden Slumbers."

Of note is George's open ribbing of Paul, asking "What album was this (track) on," and when at first it appears Paul is performing alone-it would later be decided that John or George was plucking the bass line- George quips, "he (Paul) was keen!"

Next up is a dissection of "Tomorrow Never Knows" in which Martin says that the famous tape loops were a one-off experiment that was "a random thing at one time," and could not have been duplicated. Listening closely Harrison jokes, "Bring Phil Collins in!"

Chapter four, "Production Team," brings together the people responsible for putting the whole thing together.

Neil Aspinall is also interviewed and says that Apple had originally completed a 1 3/4 "documentary" on the Beatles in 1971 that had "sat on the shelf" for about 20 years, until the go ahead was given for the Anthology.

The Anthology project was begun about 1991 and one of the production team comments that "they (the Beatles) left us alone for 3 years," as they were going through 9000 to 10,0000 pieces of footage and music.

The next chapter is "Recording Free As A Bird and Real Love," in which Ringo remembers thinking "Why don't we do some new music?" Starr recalls that Paul asked Yoko if there was anything of John's that "hadn't come out."

Paul says, "In actual fact, we didn't know as much as Lennon fans, 'cuz, they actually knew "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love." They'd heard 'em and we hadn't" (I guess none of the Lads ever saw the Lennon "Imagine" movie).

Producer Jeff Lynne then explains that the incomplete "Free As A Bird" was received from Yoko on a mono cassette with John's vocal and piano locked on to one track.

"Technically," says Lynne, "it was virtually impossible to do it, but we did it."

All three ex-Fabs say that "Real Love" was not as much "fun" doing because, according to Paul, they were more "like sidemen to John. (but) I think we did a good job."

Finally, both the "new" Beatles songs videos are presented in 5.1 sound with input from the director.

Overall, I would say that the bonus disc makes the set a must have for true blue Beatles fans, a not so invaluable thing for the casual fan, unless they are 5.1 lovers.

But moreover, I guess that Apple/EMI should feel lucky that I am not a bootlegger because this fifth disc could have been 'round the world and back by now if I had been so inclined. However, the disc never left my possession, and it won't any time before April 1.

Finally, with the "next big thing" from the Fabs, Apple/EMI should just cut the crap and stop hiding this stuff like it was the key to Saddam Hussein's bunker or something. It is after all, the Beatles, and it’s just about bigger than everything.