I’ve been a huge fan of The Beatles ever since I could listen to music. (It comes from having older brothers with good taste as well.) I watched the original broadcast on ABC and still have a VHS tape of the off-the-air broadcast around somewhere. I bought the DVD set a few years ago which has most of the “Threetles reunion” bits on the special features disc. My mom gifted me the book the Christmas it was published.
This new packaging of the Beatles’ official story doesn’t have a lot of new material in it, but the live recordings have all had the Peter Jackson “MAL” magic done to them. In the process EVERY recording is leveled much higher than any speaking interview, which is jarring and annoying.
I have read that some bits were dropped from the original show and some new things inserted, but I can’t tell you which ones they were.
I enjoyed rewatching this show over several days. Just like with “Eight Days a Week,” Ron Howard’s 2016 film, the renewed revelation is just how mesmerizing they were as a live band. Someone like me has read all the minutiae about recordings and squabbles, but hearing and seeing them in their prime is just so darn good!
There’s a lot of grumbling in fan circles about the accompanying “Anthology 4” record–it doesn’t have much “new” in it, but the audio therein and for Anthology 1-3 has also had the “MAL” process on it. If you listen carefully the new mix of “Real Love” also has gotten rid of a large portion of George’s guitar work, which is a very strange choice to make.
Overall, Anthology 2025 is still a must-watch for anyone new to the Beatles’ story, and it’s compelling for the rest of us, too.
