I find it actually makes Free As A Bird and Real Love sound even better, as the three songs together make far more sense than the two, and makes the spirit of the original sessions even more poignant! Hopefully, the cover will grow on me!
Makes me really wish they’d remix those two in the same way as well. John’s vocal is so clear in the new song that Free As A Bird sounds very worse because of it, to my ears anyway.
My wife, after listening to Now and Then a couple of times, put these 2 songs. Seems to us the same. Real World would be more amazing with a demix, with a more clear voices.
Yeah, when I heard it I was initially disappointed, but then when I listened to it again, it sounded like it'd be on the same L. P. as "Free as a Bird"
It's definitely a bittersweet ending to the Beatles discography, but it's a good track nonetheless. John's vocals are crystal clear, and the strings were a nice touch. It's a very emotional song for many reasons.
Now and Then really had a melancholy sound to it, which I don't see as bad. Especially juxtaposed to Love Me Do. It sounds like it carries the weight of a whole lived life, which encompasses a complex array of emotions. Where Love Me Do is light and fun. It's a voice of a life that is ready and excited to get started. They bookend each other nicely.
I don't like it. It's bland without John's bridge before the chorus where he sings "I don't want to lose you (oh no, no, no), abuse you or confuse you (oh no, no, no) sweet darling. But if you have to go away, but if you have to go..." It's the BEST part of the song, and now it's gone. I know John never finished the bridge, but Paul and Ringo could finish it, just like Paul and George did in "Free As a Bird". It was a HUGE mistake to cut it out. I really hope Paul and Ringo release an extended version of it later with the bridge.
The fact the tape in question with John's voice on it and the piano they used for this song was labeled "For Paul" my assumption when hearing the lyrics is that he's talking about Paul. How he misses him and perhaps the band too. That's what, for me gives depth to when you have a Paul now in his 80s singing with John on this track. They both miss their friend(s) dearly and wish things hadn't ended the way they did. Two different perspectives, but both reflected in the lyrics.
Now and Then sounds unfinished... It's missing George's slide guitar in between the lines sung on the verses as are on Free as a Bird and Real Love... Paul again vetoed George's fills as he did on Hey Jude..
@@blankyd3360 Yes but Paul played the slide guitar in the middle of the song and could have added slide guitar on the verses as George did on FAAB and RL...
The meaning of this song is not the song itself, the melody or the instruments that were played... it is the love behind it, the love between them 4. And that is felt.
Knowing what we got makes me tear up. Even just hearing you talk about your feelings makes me tear up, haha. It is such a wonderful gift to be able to hear a new Beatles song today. That's right, a NEW Beatles track! That's so incredible to say or type. I love the song and it's brought me so much joy, as I'm sure it has millions of other people today.
I’m indifferent to the cover, but I absolutely love the song. The fact that it went from John alone at the piano to basically all of them together again brings tears to eyes. I just love it. More so since I’ve always loved the demo and hoped that one day they’d release the song.
@@emilioaramalvarado3402 they would have to re-record the piano but yeah. Paired with George Martins string arrangement that would be something special
I had similar expectations, but in my humble opinion, if they had released FAAB and RL remastered with AI, it might have diverted attention from this new masterpiece. What do you think??
Is it the best Beatles song ever? No. It showcases John as a tribute and it’s a really good B+ song. The more I listened to it the more I loved it, just like many so-called secondary Beatles songs that I really enjoy. They didn’t change the melody or structure significantly from John’s original tape just enhanced it in the most sensitive and tasteful way possible, which is really lovely. I like every song they ever did, even Til There Is You and Mr. Moonlight because they are always authentic and catchy. I think this works beautifully with Free as a Bird and Real Love as a suite. Is it better than most stuff today? Absolutely. By Far.
I encourage you to listen to John's demo. It's a shame they left out the "I don't want to lose you" section, because it was my favourite part of the demo...
Yeah, I agree. They just repeated the first verse and left out the rest of the song. I have a feeling it was because that part of the song wasn't finishing, and Paul's voice is shot and he couldn't hold up, and they got bashed by fans for using AI so they didn't want to even touch it to finish the rest of John's verse. I bet if the fans didn't bash the AI, they would have had it finish John's verse.
I can see why George Harrison referred to this as "rubbish" and decided against recording it back when they did Free As A Bird, and Real Love. Those two songs have much more powerful melodies and chord progressions, compared to Now And Then. It's not a track I'll keep going back to.
I find it a bloody shame that "Now And Then" will be "the last Beatles song". For one thing it is NOT a Beatles song despite the other three contributing to it. It wasn't even written in the Beatles era. Just a huge let down.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
What I love about Now and Then is John's voice is RIGHT up in the mix. What a treat to hear this. It's over 40 years in the making. Just stupendous. I'd love to see a Blu ray release of The Anthology. I can't find my version of it on DVD...
It’s important to evaluate the song in context. Two members of the band are no longer alive to give their creative input. And Paul and Ringo are in their 80s. Those are big limitations. BUT, given those limits, they did a beautiful job. It honors John and George. And it’s a fitting swan song. I feel grateful and excited that we have Now & Then.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
'Now and Then' has my least favourite melody out of the 4 Anthology demo tracks. I really wish they had attempted 'Grow Old With Me', which is a lovely, heartwarming tune.
I've had it on repeat all day. Immersed myself in it. Indeed, on the first listen it was "yeah, it's alright." But on each subsequent listen, it got better and better. Now, I'm in love with it. Puts a lump in my throat, and eyes get misty. Fantastic coda to the Beatles body of work.
Can you imagine if a cassette player had eaten that tape back in the late 1970s, early 1980s? We'd have nothing today. "Now And Then" is a good song, and up to date. NOW - Paul, Ringo, et.el.; THEN - John, George - Great mix. Thank you Paul, Giles, A.I. process....
I'm feeling like I was put in the middle of 90'ties, with "whooooaaa 2 new songs from The Beatles!", but now, almost 30 years later, it's so much more impressive, with internet, with only two Beatles alive, with all this time after John's death. It's simple amazing to have a new song from them. That film, when the John's voices came up after the silence.... Maaaan, I never thought I would cry in that moment. When the final song came up today, I really don't knew what to think, but knew that we gifted with a kind of some preciousness. I never thought living that moment.
My main complaint was that George’s guitar felt like it was buried in the mix and then the Harrison style solo felt hollow despite it reflecting the piece. I’m still very happy with what we got here and I think it would be a very poor decision to not put out an EP with all of the anthology pieces on one disc. Despite the theming of the single being Now with now and then and the single Love me do for then. A good finale for one of the greatest bands in rock history.
My guess would be that George did minimal electric guitar work on this song, and they happened to be recording while he was fooling around, trying to come up with some parts for the song? They probably found those couple lead runs, thought they sounded good,, and patched them into the song? They probably could have found some guitar parts from George on other outtakes, and weaved them together for this song, like they did the backing vocal parts. They did a lot of that for the Love album.
Can only work with what you got. Paul has said the slide guitar part towards the end is him as a tribute to George.... so I am guessing the main rhythm guitar part is Paul and George playing acoustic guitars in 94/95, and there is a breath electric guitar lick in the middle (would not say hidden, but can here it) is George noodling in the studio during those initial sessions.
I listened to the original demo and there was a verse where the key changes drastically and John sings “I don’t want to lose you.” I hate that they left that part out
Just watched the music video it is fantastic beyond all expectations. I love how they have the young versions of the Beatles interacting with the current Paul and Ringo, very well done
Instead of a remaster of the Anthology doc, I'd love to see Peter Jackson do what he did with the Get Back film. It would be amazing to see a different perspective on things especially since Anthology's narrative echoes the one from the Let it Be film. Paraphrasing George Harrison he felt that the idea of a clear story about the band is kind of preposterous when you have three Beatles telling three different stories of what happened. It would be fascinating if the raw footage revealed alternative narratives to explore.
This is a weak song and no amount of "production" trickery can save it. I agree that the documentary is moving but that doesn't save the song either. Without the context of the documentary, it sounds like another average Lennon song.
Great review! Too many people wanted 1960s Beatles but this couldn't be that! It was written in the late 70s and recorded in the mid-90s and 2022. This is a post-60s Beatles song. Love it!
The truth does not convince me. Too repetitive due to removing the intermission from John's demo, which could have resulted in an original part. George's strumming is too flat, it sounds like a guitar rig on automatic. The drums don't have much inspiration, we know that Ringo didn't want to participate and I think it shows. The mix is somewhat dirty, "ala Spector" if you will, with an excess of elements and Paul's voice, beyond his age, is not the best, so perhaps they decided to bury it. I still can't believe the cover art, it seems like a joke that the latest song by a band that is characterized by imagination features something like that... Anyway, something new from the Fab Four is always appreciated.
It's brilliant , everything about it!! Its a demo from nearly 50 yrs ago!! And it's great to have a new song!! Beautiful!! His voice and lyrics, and plus it was a demo , maybe john never ment for it to get out!! It was a demo , but great to get a new song from them
Here’s something I think a lot of people missed out and aren’t talking about, but should. In the mini documentary they show tons of clips from the anthology movie series thing and it looks incredible. They definitely did some type of touchup job on it and it didn’t appear to be 480 P from a crappy VHS tape. Personally, I hope they remaster not the anthology album but the series and put it on streaming services or something because that was so great when it came out not to mention I’m sure they have tons of footage they didn’t even use.
As much as I love Free As A Bird and Real Love as they are, I would very much like to hear what they could do with them using the MAL technology to free John's vocal in the mix. I suspect it would elevate the songs to a different level. Pipe dream maybe, but one can hope.
That's exactly what I was thinking. John's voice is quite tinny in those two, but I think it adds quite a nice quality. You can hear the slight issues with the AI/auto tune with now and then imo, but it's to be expected as the technology is still new. I was honestly expecting them to re-release Free as a bird and Real love with Now and then. I find them releasing love me do is quite fitting and symbolic, though
I think Free as a Bird would benefit greatly from a clean up, but I suspect that their attitude will be "it is what it is" and they will just let them be the way they are, otherwise they would be on the new Blue Album
I happened to watch the documentary first by luck so I immediately loved the song and felt that emotional weight of what this song symbolises for Paul and for all us fans. For me that documentary elevates the song.
I really love this song - the story behind it and its long journey to becoming a finished work is so unique and fascinating. The Beatles and John in particular were constantly experimenting with cutting edge technologies and effects, so I do think John would have been thrilled by the whole thing. The song itself is quite touching, bittersweet and slightly melancholic which fits perfectly as “the last Beatles song,” I think. They didn’t overdo it with the orchestral touches either. Obviously it’s never going to stack up against their catalog but it’s a nice, pleasant coda to a legendary run. And I like that they seemed to make it sound more like the music John was doing around the time he recorded the original demo, rather than trying for another Strawberry Fields Forever or something.
As much as I want to like it, it's OK but I find Lennon's verse melody mordalin, (Not like Lennon to be Blue...LOL). I also think that Paul's 'Harrison' slide guitar part very uninspiring and slightly pitchy.
Part of the sentiment for Beatles music is that we have mysteries, theories, and know stories. It just makes it more special with how we are so attached to them.
100% agree, we are discussing about a Band that was disbanded 50 years ago and a song which the songwriter passed 40 years ago and the lead guitarist passed 20 years ago.
to add to your anthology project idea. I have a list of songs I want to be an anniversary exclusive "Anthology 4" album. They have to include "Now and Then", "Carnival of Light", "Jessie's Dream", "Watching Rainbows", "Palace of the King of the Birds" (the version with the band), "House of the Rising Sun", more unreleased songs from the "Get Back" sessions, and just a general outtakes album.
Just listened to it and I find that it's a solid track. Very good build-up and a robust rhythm track propelled by Ringo nd undergirded by Paul in the low end. I'm so glad that it didn't come off sounding like a Jeff Lynn or Travelling Wibury's song.
I've heard that this "new" song gets more poignant and touching with repeated listenings. When I first heard it a couple of hours ago, I thought, "OK, this is good," but I'm going to listen to it repeatedly over the next week or more, once or twice a day, and see how I'm affected by it.
One thing I learned today is it even though we haven’t had the Beatles together for over 50 years so many great groups of come out with their influence. This sounded like a Radiohead song and admittedly if the Beatles were still around that stuff would still happen. Their legacy continues in the same way the British invasion reflected American music of the 50s brining white and black popular music together. This song was only unspectacular because so many musicians have put out similar stuff. It is the Beatles’ legacy that is continuing in popular music today. It’s why I listen to a band that wasn’t together in my lifetime, it’s why I play their songs on my guitars many of which were like the instruments they played.
I cant understand why they took out 'I dont want to lose you...' bit, it really added depth to the song, and was a classic Lennon moment where he shows his vulnerability before going back to the regular Now and then, I feel that in doing so, it has somewhat taken away from Lennon's demo version which is breathtaking in itself, it's a shame that Harrison wasn't able to add a solo to this...
Having listened to fan recreations over the years, there are aspects I like from those that are absent in the official version. The "if you have to go" part, I miss. There's a part of the demo where you can tell John didn't have lyrics thought out yet. I hoped some splicing or something could be done, but they removed it and the lyrics end abruptly and go into music. It's interesting. It's good. I'd like to know about all the background vocals. Anything from 1995 in there? Specifically hear George's 1995 guitar. There's so much instrumentation. It would be nice to hear a version where it's only what The Beatles played/did.
Someone could probably make that version on UA-cam. Anyways, they said they took some background vocals from Because, Here There and Everywhere, and Eleanor Rigby. I specifically hear the Because part in there. But I assume they just did this because there no way they could have all of them make new harmonies together. Also I do wish George’s guitar a little more prominent but I can’t really complain.
@@king_supreme1102 I'm talking about the vocals singing with John. Sounds like Ringo, modern day Paul and a younger Paul. Were vocals recorded in '95? We don't know. There's many more vocal overdubs. They only used vocals from Because. Apparently all George recorded in '95 was a simple acoustic rhythm guitar track.
I am guessing the main rhythm guitar part is Paul and George playing acoustic guitars in 94/95 when they put the basic track down, and there is a breath electric guitar lick in the middle that comes and goes, which I assume would have been George noodling in the studio along to the basic track while Paul is on piano during those initial sessions.
@@king_supreme1102I will say, the ending of the song reminded me of George’s album “All Things Must Pass,” which was filled with sliding guitars and beautiful orchestra, and to me, that ending is a sort of tribute to Harrison himself.
Hearing Lennon's young voice juxtaposed with McCartney's older voice kinda got me in the boo boo. And I only heard that the second time I listened to it. Not one of my favorite Beatles songs but I wasn't a fan of Free as a Bird and Real Love. Just knowing that it's "not actually them" but it's "really them" kinda throws me off.
I've listened to this several times already. I wish I could find something positive to say about the track, but it's terrible. Sorry there's a reason it stayed in the can for so long and its not being able to use AI to separate the vocal from the backing track. Sorry folks, this one's up there with Revolution No. 9.
I find it sad that "Now And Then" will live on as "the last Beatles song". The song is nowhere near the quality of a Beatles song and wasn't even written as a Beatles song. The song has a derivative feel about it; not very original as far as the melody is concerned. More gimmick than anything else. McCartney and company should have left the Beatles legacy alone.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
OK I’m gonna be a jerk, But I don’t like the song and I heard it three times this morning and I don’t feel nothing. It kind of put me in a bad mood for the whole day. I’m not much of a reunion type of guy I think the Beatles would’ve been much better served if Abbey Road was the last we heard from them. Any kind of reunion or making this songs after John’s gone just messes with the legacy they left behind. The single cover art is kind of like the song itself. I know a lot of younger Beatle fans are excited to have something from the band released in their lifetime. But the song should stand on its own without a documentary to make you feel a different way about this song. I really didn’t expect much so I guess I’m really not that disappointed.
To many that aren’t familiar with the Beatles works; this IS what a Beatles record would have sounded like. I love the song because it’s beautiful and haunting and although it may not live to everyone’s expectations it does enough- it’s a bittersweet ending and honestly one I wasn’t ready for
I absolutely loved the song. I listened to it over and over, and each time I liked it more. The fact that we had a new Beatles song truly makes November 2nd 2023 an historical date. I heard many people complain about the fact that they cut the “I don’t wanna lose you” bit, but… I don’t think that’s true. I think that they turned it into the instrumental section of the song, as the chord progression there is very reminiscent of that part of the demo (which was incomplete anyway). Plus, a new Anthology release is very likely to happen in my opinion. Think about it: do you think they would’ve left out Free As A Bird and Real Love if they didn’t have any plans for them in the future? I don’t think so. My hypothesis is that they’re planning to remix those songs later on and put them in the reissues of the Anthology albums.
Never seen your channel before, but I love the straight up points, and the vibe. A remastered / demixed version of anthology / Real Love / Free As A Bird would be amazing!! You did your homework🤓 Thanks for the great vid
@reginaldcampos5762 Yeah I don't know why but they collectively didn't want to put it out. But Paul said as of 2016 he plans to release it as he still has the master
I'm a bit disappointed. I don't like to hear elderly men sing, not McCartney, not Jagger, etc. The arrangement is kind of cliche and Paul's slide guitar solo is bland, nowhere near what George would've done. On Love Me Do, they boosted the bass to distraction, IMHO.
2 things I genuinely don't like, and they go hand in hand: one, the omission of the "I don't want to lose you" bridge, therefore, two, making the song remain very somber. I listened to an AI cover that's now being compared to the official Now and Then for how similar they sound and the omitted bridge really makes a difference. Any thoughts?
dude spot on! it is what it is, and it's a beautiful gift. I'm also excited to see from the Peter Jackson quote that Pete Best provided important historical footage to the project.
It seems to grow on me. It's a good song especially considering what we don't have today. Music isn't a group effort anymore. Everyone is out for themselves. Everyone's a hip hop rapper. With the tech we have today people don't need others to make a song. You can do everything in your home high tech studio. That's where the group-talent, is lost.
Beatles songs tend to grow on you the more you listen to them, especially when they are hyped up, most of the time you aren't gonna be THAT impressed with a song if your expectations were placed highly for it, its different than just playing Spotify on shuffle and getting a great song unexpectedly. As for those you didn't have any hype, no buildup, it just came to you. This one had months of buildup and ultimately it isn't anything that crazy, it was never meant to be, its a song that would have released in the 90's if the tech had allowed it, it just so happened that it couldn't be released up until now. In terms of tone, this one reminds me of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, that one also has a bittersweet feel to it.
My birthday is on Nov 10th and even tho it came out today and there’s so much Beatle stuff happening this month the song will hold a special place in my heart. Plus it made me cry so much this 23rd birthday is going to be one i remember forever
On Love me Do, I prefer the Andy White myself. Better vocals, better harmonica, better everything. And yes, the song sounds incomplete without the tambourine (good job Ringo!).
It feels to me like two men who where lucky enough to live to an ripe old age reflecting back on their friends that didn’t get that chance, one last bit with their mates.
Nostalgia and fanatical devotion to the Beatles are affecting people's judgment. It's okay ...a "C+" song that is very "Bread" like: soft '70's rock. Fine "easy listening."
Lennon's 1979 piano demo is FAR superior. Not to mention, and I've been wondering this since hearing it - and nobody seems to be talking about it: for some bewildering reason, they REMOVED THE ENTIRE BRIDGE from the song ("I don't want to lose you, no, no, no / use you or abuse you," etc.), and left only the verses and chorus, so the song has no bridge/middle-eight. I don't know why they did that; it doesn't make sense musically, as the song is poorer for not having it and loses a major dynamic element in the melody; and it doesn't make sense in terms of respecting the song. But to the overall point, their version is just way over-produced and arranged (and TERRIBLY mixed; there's literal *clipping* all over it, which is just inexcusable) - but more importantly, it just doesn't fit with the Beatles, as it's a plaintive, delicate ballad as Lennon wrote it in '79 and was very much in keeping with his solo output at the time - so it's like a glove of baroque, "big" arrangement and over-production that just doesn't fit at all. I mean, it's fine - it's not terrible - but the best thing they could have done with the track is to simply clean up the vocal, as they did, isolate it, re-do the piano as closely as possible, maybe Ringo could have added some *light* percussion on it, McCartney with some subtle bass and left it the way Lennon had it, with the same tone and feeling. They tried to "Abbey Road" it up and - again, removed the entire bridge/middle-eight lyric and melody, which was just a really confusing decision, as it cuts the song in half and removes its most powerful, beautiful moment, IMO - it's just not what the song wants to be. Lennon's demo sounded like a human being feeling something and singing his heart out; the "Beatlefied" version they've released sounds like a bunch of accountants came in and stepped all over it because it "didn't sound like a single". At the very least, what they SHOULD have done was to have this "Beatlefied" version - fine - but ALSO should have given us Lennon's track, but with the cleaned up vocal they did on it so we could have it in better quality, for those of us who prefer it as it was, but always wanted to hear it cleaned up. That would have been a really great thing to do, since they have the clean vocal now. Just a note here, as well, in terms of the whole "taking someone's work after they die" thing: as a songwriter, when you record a demo, the lyrics are often just placeholders - they're hardly ever what you're eventually going to have them be. Not just the lyrics, either - often, a songwriter will take elements from a demo - a bridge, a verse, a chorus melody, etc. - and turn it into something else, eventually - which Lennon was likely planning on doing, if he hadn't been killed a few months later. So they basically took something that Lennon was probably not finished with, with lyrics that were very likely not intended to eventually be there (as they're extremely rudimentary, even for Lennon; the lyrics sound like placeholders) - and not just marketed it as a "Beatles" song, which it was never supposed to be - but had the nerve to REMOVE THE BRIDGE from the song (again: why? because the lyric in that section was "too personal"? so what does that leave the song as being now?), as well, leaving it with an extremely repetitive verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, which is not just inferior to what Lennon did on the demo, but not up to the standards of the band they tried to shoehorn it into. There's just something very cynical about this entire project to me. And the super-slick, hyper-edited 12-minute "documentary" they released doesn't liberate me of that feeling.
Lovely commentary, Geek. I had heard the demo and a few attempts by various people to make it into something and I'd never been impressed so I wasn't building up my hopes for this release. My first impression when I heard the official Beatles version was sheer relief! It sounds lovely. So far I've only heard it twice. Then I watched the twelve-minute film. I think I'm quickly going to grow to love this song. I think it would be great if Peter Jackson could use the same technology for the "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" recordings so that we could get top quality remixes of those tracks too, bringing John's wonderful voice to the fore and do it justice.
Since the early 80s, McCartney has lost his musical flair and needs producers himself. Yoko should have been more merciful to John's songs Free As A Bird, Real Love, Now And Then, Grow Old With Me and offered an arrangement competition among professionals and amateurs. Lennon's songs had to be realized as Lennon's songs. But Yoko wanted to capitalize on the Beatles brand, whom she considered a mediocre group. Where are your principles, Yoko? Did they end when you took credit for the song Imagine? It's nice that John's demos now belong to the whole world and any fan-made version of Now And Then is better than the horror that McCartney and Giles created. Now everyone has access to digital demixing technology and the capabilities of a home audio studio. People have been making their own mixes, arrangements, and overdubs for a long time.
Free As A Bird and Real Love didn't sound like 1968 Beatles, either. I heard Ringo's backing vocals and I understand why he's there, but that was not a common Beatles thing so it sounded out of place. I will say it sounded like a better song than John's demo (courtesy of arranging/editing and added instruments and backing vocals), but I heard two fan-made versions which were a bit better.
I was always wondering wh they worked only on 4 songs. If the documentary is true so from 1975 til 1980 John must have made tons of demo songs / fragments. With todays technology like for Now and Then, Paul and Ringo could do one last Beatles album. Even they could have unfinished songs for it as well. But maybe Paul amd Ringo just feels too old for it.
I love the 12 minute documentary. Not gonna lie, I was in tears. Fast forward to hearing the track itself. As a diehard fan, I understand the intent and the love put into this tune. What I don't like is that it's too over the top. I don't like the arrangement. I don't like the strings. I don't like how polished and sanitized it is. It lacks soul, really, and reminds me of Paul and Ringo playing on Dolly Parton's recent cover of Let It Be. If you hadn't heard it, it's unlistenable and sterile. Again, Paul is upfront on backing vocals, which he shouldn't, and Ringo's drums are too up front in the mix instead of sitting comfortably in the mix. What I want to see next: for the love of Pete, they need to fix Lennon's vocal tracks on Free as a Bird and Real Love, fix the zero noise tech used on Live at the BBC. More footage from Anthology and fixing some of the gems from their earlier days (Quarrymen stuff).
A 12 minutes promo vid was necessary for the actual song to work as a song. If the remaster/remix box wasn't coming I'm sure this wouldn't have been finished...George was right.
This is an excellent song, I don't know what you were expecting..??!! I think you have "missed it".....The song, and with it's accompanying video is stunning. A beautiful song. The only reason the song wasn't released back in the anthology releases was because they couldn't separate Johns vocals from the piano when he recorded it. It's a great song dude, no doubt. Of course it can't be what the Beatles were at the time duh..?! It's about guys who have lead a fantastic life together in a very famous band and reflecting back on their lives, with two of the pals now gone, that's what it is. And it is a Beatles song, of now not of then....
The best thing for me, is imagining how bemused John Lennon would be to know that something he knocked off in private and probably forgot about, suddenly became hugely significant in 2023.
I hate to say this, but I dislike what they did to the song. They took out my favourite part, which is on John's demo, and the mixes sound atrocious. I heard fan made covers much better out together, honestly. It's emotional and touching sentimental, but disappointing musically.
Duuuuude, when it comes to Love Me Do you're talking about two different performances, not just two different mixes. The original tambourine-less first version - the single - was always lackluster performance-wise compared to the re-do with drummer Andy White. It is the former that gets the new mix here, the mono one you're referring to doesn't sound better to you because it's mono - it sounds better to you because it's a better performance and an an altogether better take recorded on a different day!
Lennon's part is good, McCartney's disappointing . I am a McCartney fan. The 12 minute film is astonishing and I had tears too and exactly echo the sentiments in this video
Love me do is listed as the 2023 mix on the 12 inch. I think the Spotify listing is wrong. It sounds like it has had the same technique revolver had afforded to it on the vinyl
I agree with you on all fronts, but it does still sound like 1970s John messing about in his flat fleshing out an idea that he never ended up finishing, and the rest of the guys doing what they could with it. I was kind of let down in that there weren’t any parts added like a chorus or anything. The previous singles sound like the band was given a chance to collaborate and add their parts, whereas this sounds like what it is: they more or less played along to a demo.
I find it actually makes Free As A Bird and Real Love sound even better, as the three songs together make far more sense than the two, and makes the spirit of the original sessions even more poignant! Hopefully, the cover will grow on me!
Makes me really wish they’d remix those two in the same way as well. John’s vocal is so clear in the new song that Free As A Bird sounds very worse because of it, to my ears anyway.
My wife, after listening to Now and Then a couple of times, put these 2 songs. Seems to us the same. Real World would be more amazing with a demix, with a more clear voices.
Yeah, when I heard it I was initially disappointed, but then when I listened to it again, it sounded like it'd be on the same L. P. as "Free as a Bird"
@@paul_webb_Hopefully those are also coming on the Anthology remasters/remixes and reissues.
The three songs played in reverse release order, Now And Then, Real Love, and Free As A Bird, make a great mini Beatles album / EP / playlist.
It's definitely a bittersweet ending to the Beatles discography, but it's a good track nonetheless. John's vocals are crystal clear, and the strings were a nice touch. It's a very emotional song for many reasons.
I love the strings.
Giles Martin did the string arrangement which makes the song have even more significance.
@@jonlohrenz5446 is Giles the sixth Beatle? 🤭
It's even more bittersweet when you are in your 60's or 70's and hear it.
I never expected that the 2020s would be such a great time to be a Beatles fan. We've gotten so much new content in these past few years.
More to come. AI will guarantee that The Beatles will reissue their catalog.
I agree with you. I’ve loved the Beatles since 1962. It is now 2023 and they have gifted me with new music to which I am forever grateful.
"I love it more for what it represents, more than what it actually is."
Spot on, my friend.
I agree !
Definition of the word "fan"
Now and Then really had a melancholy sound to it, which I don't see as bad. Especially juxtaposed to Love Me Do. It sounds like it carries the weight of a whole lived life, which encompasses a complex array of emotions. Where Love Me Do is light and fun. It's a voice of a life that is ready and excited to get started. They bookend each other nicely.
Exactly! I couldnt end up listening to them both together when the single released because i didnt want to start crying in gym class, its great 🥺
Perfectly said
Yeah, struggling with tears here. Their very first and for sure very last single release… and all that wonderful music made between ❤
I don't like it. It's bland without John's bridge before the chorus where he sings "I don't want to lose you (oh no, no, no), abuse you or confuse you (oh no, no, no) sweet darling. But if you have to go away, but if you have to go..." It's the BEST part of the song, and now it's gone. I know John never finished the bridge, but Paul and Ringo could finish it, just like Paul and George did in "Free As a Bird". It was a HUGE mistake to cut it out. I really hope Paul and Ringo release an extended version of it later with the bridge.
Same here.
The fact the tape in question with John's voice on it and the piano they used for this song was labeled "For Paul" my assumption when hearing the lyrics is that he's talking about Paul. How he misses him and perhaps the band too. That's what, for me gives depth to when you have a Paul now in his 80s singing with John on this track. They both miss their friend(s) dearly and wish things hadn't ended the way they did. Two different perspectives, but both reflected in the lyrics.
This was the last song I listened to right before my cat passed. I know I’ll always think of her when this song comes on. Rest in peace Lilly
R.I.P Lilly
Condolences to you on the loss of your sweet friend Lilly.
Very sorry for your loss
I wish you strength with your loss
Sorry for your loss. I have several cats, and one of them is named 'Lilly'.
We got a new Beatles song before GTA 6
Now and Then sounds unfinished... It's missing George's slide guitar in between the lines sung on the verses as are on Free as a Bird and Real Love... Paul again vetoed George's fills as he did on Hey Jude..
George only did rhythm not lead
@@blankyd3360 Yes but Paul played the slide guitar in the middle of the song and could have added slide guitar on the verses as George did on FAAB and RL...
@@hiphopdylan oh okay, that makes sense.
@@blankyd3360 Thanks mate
The meaning of this song is not the song itself, the melody or the instruments that were played... it is the love behind it, the love between them 4. And that is felt.
Knowing what we got makes me tear up. Even just hearing you talk about your feelings makes me tear up, haha. It is such a wonderful gift to be able to hear a new Beatles song today. That's right, a NEW Beatles track! That's so incredible to say or type. I love the song and it's brought me so much joy, as I'm sure it has millions of other people today.
I’m indifferent to the cover, but I absolutely love the song. The fact that it went from John alone at the piano to basically all of them together again brings tears to eyes. I just love it. More so since I’ve always loved the demo and hoped that one day they’d release the song.
They really should have done this single with Real Love and Free As A Bird remastered in the same way
And Grow Old With Me
Then we could’ve had an EP release with all 4 songs
@Bryce_Wrightman I hope they make Grow Old with me, but just John itself
@@emilioaramalvarado3402 they would have to re-record the piano but yeah. Paired with George Martins string arrangement that would be something special
I had similar expectations, but in my humble opinion, if they had released FAAB and RL remastered with AI, it might have diverted attention from this new masterpiece. What do you think??
I think we will get those at some point. I think one of the next projects we'll see is a remaster of the Anthology documentary and albums.
Is it the best Beatles song ever? No. It showcases John as a tribute and it’s a really good B+ song. The more I listened to it the more I loved it, just like many so-called secondary Beatles songs that I really enjoy. They didn’t change the melody or structure significantly from John’s original tape just enhanced it in the most sensitive and tasteful way possible, which is really lovely. I like every song they ever did, even Til There Is You and Mr. Moonlight because they are always authentic and catchy. I think this works beautifully with Free as a Bird and Real Love as a suite. Is it better than most stuff today? Absolutely. By Far.
I loved this song. It just gets better with each listen. That slide guitar solo was such an amazing tribute to George.
I encourage you to listen to John's demo. It's a shame they left out the "I don't want to lose you" section, because it was my favourite part of the demo...
Yeah, I agree. They just repeated the first verse and left out the rest of the song. I have a feeling it was because that part of the song wasn't finishing, and Paul's voice is shot and he couldn't hold up, and they got bashed by fans for using AI so they didn't want to even touch it to finish the rest of John's verse. I bet if the fans didn't bash the AI, they would have had it finish John's verse.
I totally agree 😢 i loved that “ I don’t want to lose you” part can’t believe they didn’t include it totally disappointed
@@ryanrusso2954This song was made last year before all the AI press
I reckon they probably left that bit out because of the 'abuse' lyric. Either they didn't want to stir up controversy, or Paul or Yoko vetoed it.
@@petersmith5525 very possible
Listened to it in the morning before class, genuinely almost started bawling my eyes out when I heard the four of them harmonising again
Lovely to listen young’s Lennon voice and 80year old Paul is emotional. The mix is a blessing for all of us . They are 80 year old guys!!!
Saw Paul live last year and you would never had known he was 80
I can see why George Harrison referred to this as "rubbish" and decided against recording it back when they did Free As A Bird, and Real Love. Those two songs have much more powerful melodies and chord progressions, compared to Now And Then. It's not a track I'll keep going back to.
I find it a bloody shame that "Now And Then" will be "the last Beatles song". For one thing it is NOT a Beatles song despite the other three contributing to it. It wasn't even written in the Beatles era. Just a huge let down.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
Another thing, it sits well alongside Free as a Bird, and Real Love, which must have been a consideration during producation and all that.
What I love about Now and Then is John's voice is RIGHT up in the mix. What a treat to hear this. It's over 40 years in the making. Just stupendous.
I'd love to see a Blu ray release of The Anthology. I can't find my version of it on DVD...
It’s important to evaluate the song in context. Two members of the band are no longer alive to give their creative input. And Paul and Ringo are in their 80s. Those are big limitations.
BUT, given those limits, they did a beautiful job. It honors John and George. And it’s a fitting swan song. I feel grateful and excited that we have Now & Then.
Not important.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
@debessar95 bet your fun at parties.
@@andrewlindsay2685 No fun in it.
@@debessar95I mean this with all my heart when I say you make Anthony Fantano sound like Bob Ross
'Now and Then' has my least favourite melody out of the 4 Anthology demo tracks. I really wish they had attempted 'Grow Old With Me', which is a lovely, heartwarming tune.
Well, they kinda did. Ringo did a cover featuring Paul.
@@fnjesusfreak Yeah, "kinda" being the operative word. Love Ringo but singing was never his strong suit.
I've had it on repeat all day. Immersed myself in it. Indeed, on the first listen it was "yeah, it's alright." But on each subsequent listen, it got better and better. Now, I'm in love with it. Puts a lump in my throat, and eyes get misty. Fantastic coda to the Beatles body of work.
Agreed!)
Can you imagine if a cassette player had eaten that tape back in the late 1970s, early 1980s? We'd have nothing today. "Now And Then" is a good song, and up to date. NOW - Paul, Ringo, et.el.; THEN - John, George - Great mix. Thank you Paul, Giles, A.I. process....
Now I know why George hated this song
I'm feeling like I was put in the middle of 90'ties, with "whooooaaa 2 new songs from The Beatles!", but now, almost 30 years later, it's so much more impressive, with internet, with only two Beatles alive, with all this time after John's death. It's simple amazing to have a new song from them. That film, when the John's voices came up after the silence.... Maaaan, I never thought I would cry in that moment. When the final song came up today, I really don't knew what to think, but knew that we gifted with a kind of some preciousness. I never thought living that moment.
Very emotional when I first heard it. I'm not a fan of the artwork but love the song. And you're right it's like getting a gift.
My main complaint was that George’s guitar felt like it was buried in the mix and then the Harrison style solo felt hollow despite it reflecting the piece. I’m still very happy with what we got here and I think it would be a very poor decision to not put out an EP with all of the anthology pieces on one disc. Despite the theming of the single being Now with now and then and the single Love me do for then. A good finale for one of the greatest bands in rock history.
My guess would be that George did minimal electric guitar work on this song, and they happened to be recording while he was fooling around, trying to come up with some parts for the song? They probably found those couple lead runs, thought they sounded good,, and patched them into the song? They probably could have found some guitar parts from George on other outtakes, and weaved them together for this song, like they did the backing vocal parts. They did a lot of that for the Love album.
Can only work with what you got. Paul has said the slide guitar part towards the end is him as a tribute to George.... so I am guessing the main rhythm guitar part is Paul and George playing acoustic guitars in 94/95, and there is a breath electric guitar lick in the middle (would not say hidden, but can here it) is George noodling in the studio during those initial sessions.
I listened to the original demo and there was a verse where the key changes drastically and John sings “I don’t want to lose you.” I hate that they left that part out
@@clark82 The new video actually shows Paul and George in 1994 playing the acoustic guitars together with Ringo behind them on drums.
I feel like the guitar work was left like that because youre supossed to feel that George is missing, Paul wasnt trying to replace him
Just watched the music video it is fantastic beyond all expectations. I love how they have the young versions of the Beatles interacting with the current Paul and Ringo, very well done
Instead of a remaster of the Anthology doc, I'd love to see Peter Jackson do what he did with the Get Back film. It would be amazing to see a different perspective on things especially since Anthology's narrative echoes the one from the Let it Be film. Paraphrasing George Harrison he felt that the idea of a clear story about the band is kind of preposterous when you have three Beatles telling three different stories of what happened. It would be fascinating if the raw footage revealed alternative narratives to explore.
This is a weak song and no amount of "production" trickery can save it. I agree that the documentary is moving but that doesn't save the song either. Without the context of the documentary, it sounds like another average Lennon song.
Matt, I couldn’t agree more!!
Great review! Too many people wanted 1960s Beatles but this couldn't be that! It was written in the late 70s and recorded in the mid-90s and 2022. This is a post-60s Beatles song. Love it!
The truth does not convince me. Too repetitive due to removing the intermission from John's demo, which could have resulted in an original part. George's strumming is too flat, it sounds like a guitar rig on automatic. The drums don't have much inspiration, we know that Ringo didn't want to participate and I think it shows. The mix is somewhat dirty, "ala Spector" if you will, with an excess of elements and Paul's voice, beyond his age, is not the best, so perhaps they decided to bury it. I still can't believe the cover art, it seems like a joke that the latest song by a band that is characterized by imagination features something like that... Anyway, something new from the Fab Four is always appreciated.
It's brilliant , everything about it!! Its a demo from nearly 50 yrs ago!! And it's great to have a new song!! Beautiful!! His voice and lyrics, and plus it was a demo , maybe john never ment for it to get out!! It was a demo , but great to get a new song from them
It might be interesting if they go back and use the new tech to do a clearer mix of Real Love and Free As A Bird...
Agreed it’s needed BAD. I heard a fan re edit of these and it made a huge difference
Here’s something I think a lot of people missed out and aren’t talking about, but should. In the mini documentary they show tons of clips from the anthology movie series thing and it looks incredible. They definitely did some type of touchup job on it and it didn’t appear to be 480 P from a crappy VHS tape. Personally, I hope they remaster not the anthology album but the series and put it on streaming services or something because that was so great when it came out not to mention I’m sure they have tons of footage they didn’t even use.
As much as I love Free As A Bird and Real Love as they are, I would very much like to hear what they could do with them using the MAL technology to free John's vocal in the mix. I suspect it would elevate the songs to a different level. Pipe dream maybe, but one can hope.
That's exactly what I was thinking. John's voice is quite tinny in those two, but I think it adds quite a nice quality. You can hear the slight issues with the AI/auto tune with now and then imo, but it's to be expected as the technology is still new. I was honestly expecting them to re-release Free as a bird and Real love with Now and then. I find them releasing love me do is quite fitting and symbolic, though
I think Free as a Bird would benefit greatly from a clean up, but I suspect that their attitude will be "it is what it is" and they will just let them be the way they are, otherwise they would be on the new Blue Album
@@LJNortheyMade tinny by Jeff Lynne's production balls-up.
@@gettinhungrig8806 How so?
The 2015 remix already cleaned up that problem.
I happened to watch the documentary first by luck so I immediately loved the song and felt that emotional weight of what this song symbolises for Paul and for all us fans. For me that documentary elevates the song.
I really love this song - the story behind it and its long journey to becoming a finished work is so unique and fascinating. The Beatles and John in particular were constantly experimenting with cutting edge technologies and effects, so I do think John would have been thrilled by the whole thing.
The song itself is quite touching, bittersweet and slightly melancholic which fits perfectly as “the last Beatles song,” I think. They didn’t overdo it with the orchestral touches either. Obviously it’s never going to stack up against their catalog but it’s a nice, pleasant coda to a legendary run. And I like that they seemed to make it sound more like the music John was doing around the time he recorded the original demo, rather than trying for another Strawberry Fields Forever or something.
This band is gonna be huge if they keep it up.
Lmao
Aah that old chestnut
Bigger than Jesus
I don't think its a simple song, not the original at least, they took away the verse 2 "I don't wanna lose you" that is not simple at all
As much as I want to like it, it's OK but I find Lennon's verse melody mordalin, (Not like Lennon to be Blue...LOL). I also think that Paul's 'Harrison' slide guitar part very uninspiring and slightly pitchy.
Part of the sentiment for Beatles music is that we have mysteries, theories, and know stories. It just makes it more special with how we are so attached to them.
100% agree, we are discussing about a Band that was disbanded 50 years ago and a song which the songwriter passed 40 years ago and the lead guitarist passed 20 years ago.
to add to your anthology project idea. I have a list of songs I want to be an anniversary exclusive "Anthology 4" album. They have to include "Now and Then", "Carnival of Light", "Jessie's Dream", "Watching Rainbows", "Palace of the King of the Birds" (the version with the band), "House of the Rising Sun", more unreleased songs from the "Get Back" sessions, and just a general outtakes album.
Just listened to it and I find that it's a solid track. Very good build-up and a robust rhythm track propelled by Ringo nd undergirded by Paul in the low end. I'm so glad that it didn't come off sounding like a Jeff Lynn or Travelling Wibury's song.
The song is a transcendent act of love extended from Paul to John. I hope John can somehow feel it. It’s beautiful.
It really should have been left in the bin.
Some Beatles fans would treasure one of Lennon's used nose blown hankies. ENOUGH !!😄
I've heard that this "new" song gets more poignant and touching with repeated listenings. When I first heard it a couple of hours ago, I thought, "OK, this is good," but I'm going to listen to it repeatedly over the next week or more, once or twice a day, and see how I'm affected by it.
One thing I learned today is it even though we haven’t had the Beatles together for over 50 years so many great groups of come out with their influence. This sounded like a Radiohead song and admittedly if the Beatles were still around that stuff would still happen.
Their legacy continues in the same way the British invasion reflected American music of the 50s brining white and black popular music together.
This song was only unspectacular because so many musicians have put out similar stuff.
It is the Beatles’ legacy that is continuing in popular music today. It’s why I listen to a band that wasn’t together in my lifetime, it’s why I play their songs on my guitars many of which were like the instruments they played.
I absolutely busted out in tears every single time I've tried to listen to it so far, Thank you so much Beatles
I cant understand why they took out 'I dont want to lose you...' bit, it really added depth to the song, and was a classic Lennon moment where he shows his vulnerability before going back to the regular Now and then, I feel that in doing so, it has somewhat taken away from Lennon's demo version which is breathtaking in itself, it's a shame that Harrison wasn't able to add a solo to this...
Having listened to fan recreations over the years, there are aspects I like from those that are absent in the official version. The "if you have to go" part, I miss. There's a part of the demo where you can tell John didn't have lyrics thought out yet. I hoped some splicing or something could be done, but they removed it and the lyrics end abruptly and go into music. It's interesting. It's good. I'd like to know about all the background vocals. Anything from 1995 in there? Specifically hear George's 1995 guitar. There's so much instrumentation. It would be nice to hear a version where it's only what The Beatles played/did.
Someone could probably make that version on UA-cam. Anyways, they said they took some background vocals from Because, Here There and Everywhere, and Eleanor Rigby. I specifically hear the Because part in there. But I assume they just did this because there no way they could have all of them make new harmonies together. Also I do wish George’s guitar a little more prominent but I can’t really complain.
@@king_supreme1102 I'm talking about the vocals singing with John. Sounds like Ringo, modern day Paul and a younger Paul. Were vocals recorded in '95? We don't know. There's many more vocal overdubs. They only used vocals from Because. Apparently all George recorded in '95 was a simple acoustic rhythm guitar track.
@@LowQualityCheese That’s all George recorded. And it just sounds like John and Old Paul to me, which I like
I am guessing the main rhythm guitar part is Paul and George playing acoustic guitars in 94/95 when they put the basic track down, and there is a breath electric guitar lick in the middle that comes and goes, which I assume would have been George noodling in the studio along to the basic track while Paul is on piano during those initial sessions.
@@king_supreme1102I will say, the ending of the song reminded me of George’s album “All Things Must Pass,” which was filled with sliding guitars and beautiful orchestra, and to me, that ending is a sort of tribute to Harrison himself.
Hearing Lennon's young voice juxtaposed with McCartney's older voice kinda got me in the boo boo. And I only heard that the second time I listened to it. Not one of my favorite Beatles songs but I wasn't a fan of Free as a Bird and Real Love. Just knowing that it's "not actually them" but it's "really them" kinda throws me off.
After I listened I said where’s the beef? It’s nicely produced but doesn’t go anywhere. I wish there was a middle part with more lyrics.
I've listened to this several times already. I wish I could find something positive to say about the track, but it's terrible. Sorry there's a reason it stayed in the can for so long and its not being able to use AI to separate the vocal from the backing track. Sorry folks, this one's up there with Revolution No. 9.
I find it sad that "Now And Then" will live on as "the last Beatles song". The song is nowhere near the quality of a Beatles song and wasn't even written as a Beatles song. The song has a derivative feel about it; not very original as far as the melody is concerned. More gimmick than anything else. McCartney and company should have left the Beatles legacy alone.
A side Now And Then 2023: they mutilated the song to the point of grotesquery. Is this Paul's revenge on John or has old McCartney finally lost his mind? A much better version of this song has been available online all these years. B side Love Me Do 2023: fake stereo sounds like the world's worst fake stereo. The bass is poorly defined with low frequencies, voices and harmonica hurt my ears, the rest is muddy water. This is a re-recording from a vinyl single, which plays at an uneven speed, with surface imperfections here and there. Congratulations to everyone who spent money on this. Enjoy! The single, along with the ugly re-working of Lennon's song, is the best epitaph for a dying humanity...
I love your stuff, but this may be your best video ever. You incredibly articulated the vibe.
OK I’m gonna be a jerk,
But I don’t like the song and I heard it three times this morning and I don’t feel nothing.
It kind of put me in a bad mood for the whole day.
I’m not much of a reunion type of guy
I think the Beatles would’ve been much better served if Abbey Road was the last we heard from them.
Any kind of reunion or making this songs after John’s gone just messes with the legacy they left behind.
The single cover art is kind of like the song itself.
I know a lot of younger Beatle fans are excited to have something from the band released in their lifetime.
But the song should stand on its own without a documentary to make you feel a different way about this song.
I really didn’t expect much so I guess I’m really not that disappointed.
Increíble resultado de la canción, hermosa producción y el vídeo a la altura, conmovedor y cómo la canción, hecho con amor.❤
To many that aren’t familiar with the Beatles works; this IS what a Beatles record would have sounded like. I love the song because it’s beautiful and haunting and although it may not live to everyone’s expectations it does enough- it’s a bittersweet ending and honestly one I wasn’t ready for
I still want to hear Carnival of Light so hopefully Now and Then is not their last song...
I absolutely loved the song. I listened to it over and over, and each time I liked it more. The fact that we had a new Beatles song truly makes November 2nd 2023 an historical date.
I heard many people complain about the fact that they cut the “I don’t wanna lose you” bit, but… I don’t think that’s true. I think that they turned it into the instrumental section of the song, as the chord progression there is very reminiscent of that part of the demo (which was incomplete anyway).
Plus, a new Anthology release is very likely to happen in my opinion. Think about it: do you think they would’ve left out Free As A Bird and Real Love if they didn’t have any plans for them in the future? I don’t think so. My hypothesis is that they’re planning to remix those songs later on and put them in the reissues of the Anthology albums.
Never seen your channel before, but I love the straight up points, and the vibe.
A remastered / demixed version of anthology / Real Love / Free As A Bird would be amazing!! You did your homework🤓
Thanks for the great vid
Now release "Carnival of Light"
I would rather Paul release it on an EP or compilation album than the Beatles end on it
@reginaldcampos5762 Yeah I don't know why but they collectively didn't want to put it out. But Paul said as of 2016 he plans to release it as he still has the master
I'm a bit disappointed. I don't like to hear elderly men sing, not McCartney, not Jagger, etc. The arrangement is kind of cliche and Paul's slide guitar solo is bland, nowhere near what George would've done. On Love Me Do, they boosted the bass to distraction, IMHO.
??? John Lennon does the vocals…
@@johnpangarakis396you can hear Paul's voice warble during the chorus
Clapton should have done the slide. George would approve.
@@reginaldcampos5762you’re right, that is Paul
@@johnpangarakis396 Lennon is the lead vocal. A very old sounding McCartney sings along. Ringo also has a vocal part.
I don't why they took out the bridge(?) from the original demo.
Though i do like this song its a massive disappointment compared to free as a bird and real love
There's novelty factor but id certainly not listen to it too much. Not that great.
2 things I genuinely don't like, and they go hand in hand: one, the omission of the "I don't want to lose you" bridge, therefore, two, making the song remain very somber.
I listened to an AI cover that's now being compared to the official Now and Then for how similar they sound and the omitted bridge really makes a difference. Any thoughts?
Yes!! I have always sung that in my head !
It would be neat if they could do a "Get Back" style of documentary using the '95 footage of them recording Free as a Bird and Real Love!
My sentiments exactly. I watched that mini doc by Peter Jackson and cried my eyes out.
dude spot on! it is what it is, and it's a beautiful gift. I'm also excited to see from the Peter Jackson quote that Pete Best provided important historical footage to the project.
The overreaction to this very poor remnant of solo Lennon is bizzare !!
It seems to grow on me. It's a good song especially considering what we don't have today. Music isn't a group effort anymore. Everyone is out for themselves. Everyone's a hip hop rapper. With the tech we have today people don't need others to make a song. You can do everything in your home high tech studio. That's where the group-talent, is lost.
A requiem for their times and those who travelled with them.
Beatles songs tend to grow on you the more you listen to them, especially when they are hyped up, most of the time you aren't gonna be THAT impressed with a song if your expectations were placed highly for it, its different than just playing Spotify on shuffle and getting a great song unexpectedly. As for those you didn't have any hype, no buildup, it just came to you. This one had months of buildup and ultimately it isn't anything that crazy, it was never meant to be, its a song that would have released in the 90's if the tech had allowed it, it just so happened that it couldn't be released up until now.
In terms of tone, this one reminds me of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, that one also has a bittersweet feel to it.
My birthday is on Nov 10th and even tho it came out today and there’s so much Beatle stuff happening this month the song will hold a special place in my heart. Plus it made me cry so much this 23rd birthday is going to be one i remember forever
On Love me Do, I prefer the Andy White myself. Better vocals, better harmonica, better everything. And yes, the song sounds incomplete without the tambourine (good job Ringo!).
It feels to me like two men who where lucky enough to live to an ripe old age reflecting back on their friends that didn’t get that chance, one last bit with their mates.
Nostalgia and fanatical devotion to the Beatles are affecting people's judgment. It's okay ...a "C+" song that is very "Bread" like: soft '70's rock. Fine "easy listening."
Lennon's 1979 piano demo is FAR superior. Not to mention, and I've been wondering this since hearing it - and nobody seems to be talking about it: for some bewildering reason, they REMOVED THE ENTIRE BRIDGE from the song ("I don't want to lose you, no, no, no / use you or abuse you," etc.), and left only the verses and chorus, so the song has no bridge/middle-eight. I don't know why they did that; it doesn't make sense musically, as the song is poorer for not having it and loses a major dynamic element in the melody; and it doesn't make sense in terms of respecting the song. But to the overall point, their version is just way over-produced and arranged (and TERRIBLY mixed; there's literal *clipping* all over it, which is just inexcusable) - but more importantly, it just doesn't fit with the Beatles, as it's a plaintive, delicate ballad as Lennon wrote it in '79 and was very much in keeping with his solo output at the time - so it's like a glove of baroque, "big" arrangement and over-production that just doesn't fit at all. I mean, it's fine - it's not terrible - but the best thing they could have done with the track is to simply clean up the vocal, as they did, isolate it, re-do the piano as closely as possible, maybe Ringo could have added some *light* percussion on it, McCartney with some subtle bass and left it the way Lennon had it, with the same tone and feeling. They tried to "Abbey Road" it up and - again, removed the entire bridge/middle-eight lyric and melody, which was just a really confusing decision, as it cuts the song in half and removes its most powerful, beautiful moment, IMO - it's just not what the song wants to be. Lennon's demo sounded like a human being feeling something and singing his heart out; the "Beatlefied" version they've released sounds like a bunch of accountants came in and stepped all over it because it "didn't sound like a single". At the very least, what they SHOULD have done was to have this "Beatlefied" version - fine - but ALSO should have given us Lennon's track, but with the cleaned up vocal they did on it so we could have it in better quality, for those of us who prefer it as it was, but always wanted to hear it cleaned up. That would have been a really great thing to do, since they have the clean vocal now. Just a note here, as well, in terms of the whole "taking someone's work after they die" thing: as a songwriter, when you record a demo, the lyrics are often just placeholders - they're hardly ever what you're eventually going to have them be. Not just the lyrics, either - often, a songwriter will take elements from a demo - a bridge, a verse, a chorus melody, etc. - and turn it into something else, eventually - which Lennon was likely planning on doing, if he hadn't been killed a few months later. So they basically took something that Lennon was probably not finished with, with lyrics that were very likely not intended to eventually be there (as they're extremely rudimentary, even for Lennon; the lyrics sound like placeholders) - and not just marketed it as a "Beatles" song, which it was never supposed to be - but had the nerve to REMOVE THE BRIDGE from the song (again: why? because the lyric in that section was "too personal"? so what does that leave the song as being now?), as well, leaving it with an extremely repetitive verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, which is not just inferior to what Lennon did on the demo, but not up to the standards of the band they tried to shoehorn it into. There's just something very cynical about this entire project to me. And the super-slick, hyper-edited 12-minute "documentary" they released doesn't liberate me of that feeling.
Lovely commentary, Geek.
I had heard the demo and a few attempts by various people to make it into something and I'd never been impressed so I wasn't building up my hopes for this release.
My first impression when I heard the official Beatles version was sheer relief! It sounds lovely. So far I've only heard it twice. Then I watched the twelve-minute film.
I think I'm quickly going to grow to love this song.
I think it would be great if Peter Jackson could use the same technology for the "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" recordings so that we could get top quality remixes of those tracks too, bringing John's wonderful voice to the fore and do it justice.
Since the early 80s, McCartney has lost his musical flair and needs producers himself. Yoko should have been more merciful to John's songs Free As A Bird, Real Love, Now And Then, Grow Old With Me and offered an arrangement competition among professionals and amateurs. Lennon's songs had to be realized as Lennon's songs. But Yoko wanted to capitalize on the Beatles brand, whom she considered a mediocre group. Where are your principles, Yoko? Did they end when you took credit for the song Imagine? It's nice that John's demos now belong to the whole world and any fan-made version of Now And Then is better than the horror that McCartney and Giles created. Now everyone has access to digital demixing technology and the capabilities of a home audio studio. People have been making their own mixes, arrangements, and overdubs for a long time.
Free As A Bird and Real Love didn't sound like 1968 Beatles, either. I heard Ringo's backing vocals and I understand why he's there, but that was not a common Beatles thing so it sounded out of place. I will say it sounded like a better song than John's demo (courtesy of arranging/editing and added instruments and backing vocals), but I heard two fan-made versions which were a bit better.
I was always wondering wh they worked only on 4 songs. If the documentary is true so from 1975 til 1980 John must have made tons of demo songs / fragments. With todays technology like for Now and Then, Paul and Ringo could do one last Beatles album. Even they could have unfinished songs for it as well. But maybe Paul amd Ringo just feels too old for it.
I love the 12 minute documentary. Not gonna lie, I was in tears. Fast forward to hearing the track itself.
As a diehard fan, I understand the intent and the love put into this tune. What I don't like is that it's too over the top. I don't like the arrangement. I don't like the strings. I don't like how polished and sanitized it is. It lacks soul, really, and reminds me of Paul and Ringo playing on Dolly Parton's recent cover of Let It Be. If you hadn't heard it, it's unlistenable and sterile. Again, Paul is upfront on backing vocals, which he shouldn't, and Ringo's drums are too up front in the mix instead of sitting comfortably in the mix.
What I want to see next: for the love of Pete, they need to fix Lennon's vocal tracks on Free as a Bird and Real Love, fix the zero noise tech used on Live at the BBC.
More footage from Anthology and fixing some of the gems from their earlier days (Quarrymen stuff).
A 12 minutes promo vid was necessary for the actual song to work as a song. If the remaster/remix box wasn't coming I'm sure this wouldn't have been finished...George was right.
This is an excellent song, I don't know what you were expecting..??!! I think you have "missed it".....The song, and with it's accompanying video is stunning. A beautiful song. The only reason the song wasn't released back in the anthology releases was because they couldn't separate Johns vocals from the piano when he recorded it. It's a great song dude, no doubt. Of course it can't be what the Beatles were at the time duh..?! It's about guys who have lead a fantastic life together in a very famous band and reflecting back on their lives, with two of the pals now gone, that's what it is. And it is a Beatles song, of now not of then....
Im just mad they cut out an entire section of the song
The best thing for me, is imagining how bemused John Lennon would be to know that something he knocked off in private and probably forgot about, suddenly became hugely significant in 2023.
A nice song. Better than Real Love and Free As A Bird, IMO. Not John’s best stuff but a worthy postscript to the Beatles catalogue.
I hate to say this, but I dislike what they did to the song. They took out my favourite part, which is on John's demo, and the mixes sound atrocious. I heard fan made covers much better out together, honestly. It's emotional and touching sentimental, but disappointing musically.
Duuuuude, when it comes to Love Me Do you're talking about two different performances, not just two different mixes. The original tambourine-less first version - the single - was always lackluster performance-wise compared to the re-do with drummer Andy White. It is the former that gets the new mix here, the mono one you're referring to doesn't sound better to you because it's mono - it sounds better to you because it's a better performance and an an altogether better take recorded on a different day!
Lennon's part is good, McCartney's disappointing . I am a McCartney fan. The 12 minute film is astonishing and I had tears too and exactly echo the sentiments in this video
I'm not a huge fan of the song. It is too somber for me to enjoy. I'm glad we have it and it may grow on me.
Love me do is listed as the 2023 mix on the 12 inch. I think the Spotify listing is wrong. It sounds like it has had the same technique revolver had afforded to it on the vinyl
I agree with you on all fronts, but it does still sound like 1970s John messing about in his flat fleshing out an idea that he never ended up finishing, and the rest of the guys doing what they could with it. I was kind of let down in that there weren’t any parts added like a chorus or anything. The previous singles sound like the band was given a chance to collaborate and add their parts, whereas this sounds like what it is: they more or less played along to a demo.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on the four minute video. I think it’s pretty awesome. Peter Jackson knows how to pull at your heart strings.