Beatles Anthology Highlights

I certainly hope to cover more than just one band this month, but since I've been on a Beatles roll lately, I'd like to keep it up.

The Beatles Anthology CDs back in the mid-'90s were quite a treat for fans of the group, offering numerous live tracks, alternate versions of popular hits, demos, unreleased outtakes, radio spots, spoken-word bits, and more. In its massive six-CD format (publicly released as three 2-CD sets), however, the Anthology has become known more for its historical value (which, to be fair, is gigantic) than for quality entertainment. As nice as it is to have so much additional Beatles material, many of the tracks consist of inferior quality outtakes (not a surprise - that's why they weren't released), marginally different alternate versions, instrumental backing tracks, and muddy sounding demos. Not the easiest stuff to listen to more than once.

But among this filler, many true gems can indeed be found, and in my opinion, the Anthology can be whittled down to two excellent hour-length CDs that would prove a highly worthy addition to the Beatles' catalog. Now granted, two CDs wouldn't sell nearly as many copies as six, so business-wise the current Anthology makes perfect sense. But artistically speaking, a two-CD release would have been a pure knockout. As I see it, the tracklisting would be heavy on quality songs, group-written originals, significantly different alternate takes, and well-played covers. And it would look like this:

CD 1
1. Free As A Bird - This song is more okay than great, but gotta include this reunion track.
2. Beatle Greetings (speech) - The band introduces themselves on this short track. It's not actually on the Anthology (it's from the Live At The BBC CDs), but I would have put it there.
3. Ain't She Sweet - From 1961 sessions with Tony Sheridan. Not a bad song, and Lennon's on lead vocals.
4. Cry For A Shadow - Nifty instrumental from the same sessions and a Lennon-Harrison original.
5. Three Cool Cats - Great song from the Beatles' 1962 Decca audition.
6. Like Dreamers Do - Also from the Decca audition and written by McCartney.
7. Hello Little Girl - More Decca audition material and a great one by Lennon.
8. Besame Mucho - A pleasant cover of this pop standard from a 1962 studio session.
9. How Do You Do It - Before they wrote "Love Me Do", this was slated to be their first single.
10. One After 909 (complete) - Eventually released on the Let It Be album, this early version (from 1963) rocks just as hard.
11. I'll Be On My Way - Another track from Live At The BBC, this Buddy Holly-esque Lennon song would have fit well on the Anthology.
12. Soldier Of Love - Same goes for this Live At The BBC track; a fantastic cover.
13. Can't Buy Me Love - This alternate version is virtually as good as the hit single. Really!
14. And I Love Her - Thought this song was just a ballad? This knockout rock 'n' roll version proves otherwise.
15. Shout - Definitely can't leave off the Beatles playing "Shout!"
16. You Know What To Do - A fine George Harrison original never developed past the demo stage.
17. Leave My Kitten Alone - R&B outtake from Beatles For Sale that would have fit nicely on the album.
18. If You've Got Trouble - Ringo sings on this Lennon-McCartney original left off the Help album. Not the Beatles' best, but definitely decent B-side quality.
19. That Means A Lot - Another Help reject, this McCartney song is one of the Beatles' finest outtakes.
20. 12-Bar Original - Instrumental outtake from the Rubber Soul sessions. Pretty derivative of the song Green Onions but still has a good Beatles flavor.
21. Got To Get You Into My Life - Very different version of the released track on the Revolver album. Features some alternate lyrics, a prominent organ, different backing vocals, and no horn section.
22. I'm Only Sleeping (rehearsal) - This short clip has cool-sounding vibes (the instrument) that didn't make it into the released version.
23. Christmas Time (Is Here Again) - Only on the "Real Love" single and not on the Anthology itself, this seasonal recording from 1967 is a neat pop song in itself.
24. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 and edit piece) - The original track took its first minute from Take 7 and the rest from Take 26. Here is the full Take 7, which sounds quite different than the released version and features an additional verse.
25. Penny Lane - This remix is mostly similar to the released version, but the totally different solo and ending make it well worth hearing.

CD 2
1. Real Love - This second reunion track is more Beatle-sounding than "Free As A Bird"; I'm surprised Lennon didn't include it on Double Fantasy.
2. I'm The Greatest - This is the one track that probably requires explanation, since it's from Ringo Starr's 1973 self-titled solo album. But I'm including it because really, it's a Beatle song in all but name. Ringo sings and plays the drums; Lennon wrote the song, sings harmony, and plays piano; George Harrison plays the guitars; Billy Preston, the "fifth Beatle" on the Let It Be Album, plays organ; and Klaus Voormann, who designed the Revolver album sleeve, chimes in on bass. Yes, McCartney is absent (he does contribute elsewhere on Ringo's album), but more Beatles are involved here than on the huge hits "Yesterday" and "The Ballad Of John And Yoko". 'Nuff said.
3. A Beginning - Pleasant Disney-style orchestral arrangement designed as an intro for Ringo's White Album track "Don't Pass Me By".
4. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - This extended version of the 1969 B-side is better and sillier than the original song.
5. Happiness Is A Warm Gun - Lennon demo from the Beatles' 1968 "unplugged" Esher sessions. In unfinished form, but a great acoustic version of the song.
6. Helter Skelter - Not the legendary 21-minute jam of this song, but as an edited version of a 12-minute take, it's not bad and differs significantly from the released track on the White Album.
7. Junk - A good McCartney demo from the Esher sessions that ended up on his first solo album.
8. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - This alternate version is quite different than the original, but just as good.
9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Fantastic demo very different than the released version. No Eric Clapton on lead guitar, of course, but Harrison nails it acoustically and McCartney contributes a nice organ part.
10. Not Guilty - Another Harrison original. I like this track better than the released version on his 1979 self-titled solo album.
11. What's The New Mary Jane - Lennon-written White Album outtake. Not his best, but good enough for this CD.
12. Step Inside Love / Los Paranoias - An off the cuff jam beginning with a song Macca wrote for Cilla Black and ending with an ad-libbed group piece.
13. Teddy Boy - This outtake from the Get Back sessions ended up on McCartney's first solo album.
14. Medley: Rip It Up / Shake, Rattle & Roll / Blue Suede Shoes - Good oldies medley from the Get Back sessions.
15. All Things Must Pass - A nice Harrison demo from the same sessions. Ended up as the title track on his 1970 triple album.
16. Something - Fantastic demo of the hit song that includes a countermelody verse not on the released version.
17. Come And Get It - A huge hit for Badfinger, this song began as a McCartney demo from the Abbey Road sessions. Widely considered to be the best track on the Anthology.
18. The End - Wouldn't want to end the CD any other way. This remix of the Abbey Road track features some significantly different guitar parts and ends on a very familar final chord.

So there you have it - The Beatles' Anthology Highlights. Was it tough to compile? Not too much, but I did waver on a few songs, such as the waltz version of "I'll Be Back" and the beautiful vocal-only mix of "Because", before ultimately leaving them off. Also, I didn't include any of the live-in-concert tracks; instead I would compile all nineteen of them into a separate CD: "The Beatles Live In Concert". Happy listening!