brendan2's Full Review: The Beatles Anthology: 3 by The Beatles
In 1995 and 1996, The Beatles Anthology, a new documentary about the Beatles, and three accompanying CD sets were released. These sets were a collection of unreleased Beatles songs, outtakes, live performances, and different versions of their big hits. The first two anthologies also included two "new" Beatles songs, which were old John Lennon demos the three remaining Beatles added their vocals and instruments to. This third set does not include any of these songs, and is instead a collection of alternate versions of Beatles hits and songs that were never released by the group.
Anthology 3 covers the final years of the group, 1968 to 1970. These are the years when the Beatles made The White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road. Since the Beatles had stopped touring back in 1966, there are not many live performances on here, but there is a song from their final concert, on the rooftop of Apple Studios. Because the group was breaking up around this time, there are versions of songs that would later appear on solo albums (Paul's "Junk" and "Teddy Boy," George's "All Things Must Pass" and "Not Guilty"). There are some songs that were never released, and a lot of songs that differ significantly from the released versions.
We start off, appropriately enough, with A Beginning. This is a short instrumental by Beatles producer George Martin that was originally intended to lead into The White Album's "Don't Pass Me By." Happiness Is A Warm Gun is slower than the released version, and it is basically just John repeating, "I need a fix 'cause I'm going down" and Yoko's name while strumming an acoustic guitar. I don't think the words in the title of the song are even mentioned here.
A slower version of Helter Skelter follows. This version is very bluesy, with a slow pounding drum and guitar. Paul really gets into this one, and his vocals are amazing. This is so different from The White Album version, but I think it's just as good as, if not better than, the released one.
Next up are six songs recorded at George Harrison's home studio. Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam are both Lennon compositions featuring his double-tracked lead vocal. Different versions of both songs later appeared as part of the Abbey Road medley. Glass Onion is softer than the released version, and the guys mess up a couple times. Junk later appeared on Paul's first solo album, McCartney. I've never heard the "real" version, but this one seems pretty good. Harrison's satirical Piggies is softer than the released version and features a slight lyrical variation near the end. Paul's Honey Pie is, again, softer than the released version, and Paul sings some gibberish lines.
Don't Pass Me By was the first Beatles song written by Ringo, and this version is pretty close to the released version, except it lacks the country-sounding fiddle on The White Album take. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da features a sax and conga drums, along with some background vocal harmonies. I think I like this version better than the released one. Good Night begins with some studio chatter before going into a rehearsal of this lullaby written by John and sung by Ringo. Cry Baby Cry is softer than the released version, and I think John's voice sounds really nice on this one.
Blackbird doesn't have the bird sound effects that appeared on The White Album, but otherwise it is basically the same. Sexy Sadie is slower than the released version, but the lyrics seem to be the same. George's While My Guitar Gently Weeps is very different from The White Album version, with only George on acoustic guitar and Paul on organ. There is also an extra verse on this version, which I think is different but still beautiful.
Hey Jude begins with some strange chatter about the Black Country and Boston Place. This version is slower and softer than the released one. Not Guilty later appeared in acoustic form on George Harrison, but this version was never available until the anthology was released. Again, it's different, but very good. There is a version of Mother Nature's Son, another version of Glass Onion, and Rocky Raccoon, featuring a humourous mistake when Paul says, "The doctor came in shminking of gin" instead of "stinking."
What's the New Mary Jane is an experimental John and Yoko track, so you kind of know it's going to be bad. The lyrics make no sense, John just laughs his way through the song, there are annoying background noises (probably Yoko screeching), and this is the longest track on the 2 CD set. Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias is a peek at a Beatles jam session. I'm So Tired is a live in the studio version of John's song, and it's not unlike the released one. Paul's I Will has long been one of my favourites, and it's amazing how close this first take is to the released 67th.
An acoustic version of Why Don't We Do It in the Road features Paul sounding pained as he begs the title question. At the end of this one, Paul says, "People will be watching us" instead of "No one will be watching us." Julia is a beautiful early take of John's ballad until he messes up on the guitar, then remarks, "That one was perfect, wasn't it?"
Disc two starts off with I've Got a Feeling, the first song the Beatles recorded at Apple. Next are live studio rehearsals of She Came In Through the Bathroom Window and Dig A Pony. The former is slower and more bluesy, while the latter features backing vocals that did not appear on the released version. Two Of Us features Paul and John singing lead together, and they sound great. For You Blue is George's bluesy love song, an alternate version of which later appeared on Let It Be.
Teddy Boy later appeared on McCartney, and while I've never heard that version, I don't like this one, which features talking in the background and Paul laughing and messing up lines. A medley of oldies is next: Rip It Up/ Shake, Rattle And Roll/ Blue Suede Shoes. All feature Paul and John singing lead and Billy Preston on keyboards. The Long And Winding Road is the same version that appeared on Let It Be, without the overdubbed orchestra.
Oh! Darling starts a few seconds into the song, as someone messed up recording it. This one features John backing up Paul and adding his own lines about (what else?) Yoko. All Things Must Pass is an acoustic version of the song that would later give the title to George's first solo album. This version is very beautiful. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues features John trying to imitate Buddy Holly, whose little-known version of this was a B side.
The version of Get Back on this CD is important, as it was the last song the Beatles performed in their last live appearance on January 30, 1969 on the roof of Apple Studios. The amplifiers for the guitars mess up, and for awhile, you can only hear the bass, drums, and keyboards, but overall, this is a great performance. Paul's adlibs at the end are priceless. Old Brown Shoe is a Harrison composition featuring vocals, guitar and piano, all by George. Octopus's Garden, the second and last of Ringo's written contributions to the Beatles, differs from the Abbey Road version with the absence of the sound effects and a rather weak guide vocal.
This version of Paul's Maxwell's Silver Hammer is even goofier than the released one, but it lacks the anvil that was such an important part of the song. George's Something is softer than the Abbey Road version, but still lovely. Like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," this also features some extra lyrics. Come Together features clearer vocals from John, and it sounds like he was having a fun time, as he begins laughing and has a hard time continuing singing.
Come And Get It is a song Paul wrote and later gave to the group Badfinger, who had a hit with the song. This version was the basis for the group's take on it. Ain't She Sweet is softer than the version that appeared on Anthology 1, so soft in fact that you can barely hear John singing. Because takes away the instrumentation from the Abbey Road version and lets us hear John, Paul and George acapella. Their voices sound even more beautiful on this version.
Let It Be is an early take of Paul's song, missing a few verses and not sounding as good as the released one. It's not a bad version, though. I Me Mine is the original version which was later stretched out for the Let It Be album. The End features some bits that did not make it to the Abbey Road album, including more of the orchestral finish.
Like the other two anthologies, Anthology 3 comes with a beautiful booklet containing pictures and information about all of the songs. One thing I like about this anthology is that these are all unreleased or alternate versions of songs. There are no interview clips or three versions of the same song ("Strawberry Fields Forever" alone took up a good chunk of Anthology 2). I actually prefer some of the songs on here over their released counterparts, and there aren't really any awful tracks on here. I'm not sure which anthology is my favourite, but I do know Anthology 3 gets a lot of play in my house.
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