The Stig
02-02-2004, 08:22 PM
The Beatles: Anthology I
Released 1995
John Lennon: Guitar/vox
George Harrson: Guitar/vox
Paul McCartney: Guitar/bass/vox
Richard Starkey: Drums/vox
On some early recordings:
Stuart Sutcliffe: Bass
Pete Best: Drums
Colin Hanton: Drums
John Lowe: Piano
Andy White: Drums
I'm going to review this album a bit differently than the other albums I've reviewed; mainly, I won't be reviewing track-by-track, as there are sixty tracks on this two-disc set. Well, here we go...
Anthology I is a collection of rarities and B-sides from the earlist known recordings of The Beatles through some of their early popular stuff. If one is familiar with the Betles, it is amazing how they morph from "In Spite of All the Danger" to "I Am the Walrus." There are a few short speeches from Lennon, McCartney, and Brian Epstein. I will say, this is probably a record more for collectors and hardcore fans, as many of the songs are unfinished, early takes, or songs from before The Beatles adopted thier familiar name (Has anyone heard of The Quarry Men?). The lone exception to this is "Free as a Bird," which is an excellent piece recorded in 1994. It was found as a demo that John Lennon had started. The remaining Beatles added vocals and other instruments to the mix, and the product was quite nice, though a bit un-Beatles sounding. However, like I said, most of the songs are from very early in the Beatles' career. Several of these are good songs, but have poor sound quality (i.e. "Cry For a Shadow," the only Harrison-Lennon song written). There are also some songs with more than one version, which demonstrate how the Beatles changed songs in the studio. To a regular music listener, this may seem redundant, but to the collector/Beatles buff, these can be very pleasant. The CD booklet is also amazing; it has a plethora of information in it. Here are some tracks that I think, in McCartney's words, "Turned out pretty darn good"...
"Cayenne"
"Cry For a Shadow"
"One After 909"
"How Do You Do It"
"You Can't Do That"
"You Know What to Do"
There is also a bit on the second disc that has a clip from the Beatles' appearance on the Morcambe and Wise show. It's hilarious, and probably my favourite part of the album. For an overall rating, I give this a three out of five. It is definitely a good album, but it was mostly designed for the collector. If the casual listener wants a slice of the more familiar Beatles' pie, I recommend The Beatles: 1962-1965. It has all the familiar early songs plus some hidden gems.
Overall: 3/5
Released 1995
John Lennon: Guitar/vox
George Harrson: Guitar/vox
Paul McCartney: Guitar/bass/vox
Richard Starkey: Drums/vox
On some early recordings:
Stuart Sutcliffe: Bass
Pete Best: Drums
Colin Hanton: Drums
John Lowe: Piano
Andy White: Drums
I'm going to review this album a bit differently than the other albums I've reviewed; mainly, I won't be reviewing track-by-track, as there are sixty tracks on this two-disc set. Well, here we go...
Anthology I is a collection of rarities and B-sides from the earlist known recordings of The Beatles through some of their early popular stuff. If one is familiar with the Betles, it is amazing how they morph from "In Spite of All the Danger" to "I Am the Walrus." There are a few short speeches from Lennon, McCartney, and Brian Epstein. I will say, this is probably a record more for collectors and hardcore fans, as many of the songs are unfinished, early takes, or songs from before The Beatles adopted thier familiar name (Has anyone heard of The Quarry Men?). The lone exception to this is "Free as a Bird," which is an excellent piece recorded in 1994. It was found as a demo that John Lennon had started. The remaining Beatles added vocals and other instruments to the mix, and the product was quite nice, though a bit un-Beatles sounding. However, like I said, most of the songs are from very early in the Beatles' career. Several of these are good songs, but have poor sound quality (i.e. "Cry For a Shadow," the only Harrison-Lennon song written). There are also some songs with more than one version, which demonstrate how the Beatles changed songs in the studio. To a regular music listener, this may seem redundant, but to the collector/Beatles buff, these can be very pleasant. The CD booklet is also amazing; it has a plethora of information in it. Here are some tracks that I think, in McCartney's words, "Turned out pretty darn good"...
"Cayenne"
"Cry For a Shadow"
"One After 909"
"How Do You Do It"
"You Can't Do That"
"You Know What to Do"
There is also a bit on the second disc that has a clip from the Beatles' appearance on the Morcambe and Wise show. It's hilarious, and probably my favourite part of the album. For an overall rating, I give this a three out of five. It is definitely a good album, but it was mostly designed for the collector. If the casual listener wants a slice of the more familiar Beatles' pie, I recommend The Beatles: 1962-1965. It has all the familiar early songs plus some hidden gems.
Overall: 3/5