 The Beatles
Anthology 2
Release Date: 1996 03 19
Running Time: 128:00
Label: Apple/Capitol
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As expected, the second installment of the Anthology series reflects the Beatles' increasing use of the studio-as-laboratory during their "middle years." Some live material from 1965 to 1966 appears on the first disc, and the second "reunion" single ("Real Love") leads off the set. But the emphasis is upon alternate takes from early 1965 to early 1968, during which time the group rapidly evolved from post-Merseybeat through folk-rock to psychedelia. As with the first volume, this is nearly always interesting but perhaps thinner on revelations than some might expect. The Help!-era outtakes "If You've Got Troubles" and "That Means a Lot" are on the light side but very fun, especially the latter, which Paul and the group perform much better than P.J. Proby (who covered the song shortly afterward). Some of the alternate takes are extremely different and excellent performances on their own merits: the funkier version of "I'm Looking Through You" and the less mellow arrangement of "Norwegian Wood," a wall-of-drugs reverb for "Tomorrow Never Knows," a very Byrds-like approach to "And Your Bird Can Sing" (with giggle-laden vocals), and an acoustic demo of "Fool on the Hill." The earlier, much more acoustic version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is the most notable gem. On the other hand, much of the material differs from the official cuts in fairly minute gradations and will be of greater interest to scholars than general listeners (although discoveries like a different solo on "Penny Lane" are fascinating). The seven live tracks on disc one, from the waning days of Beatlemania, are better than many would have assumed, showing the group still capable of generating heat on-stage. Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Tracks:
| Title | Composer | Time | | 1 | Real Love | Lennon | 3:54 | | 2 | Yes It Is [combination of take 2 and master][Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 1:50 | | 3 | I'm Down [take 1] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:53 | | 4 | You've Got to Hide Your Love Away [take 5][Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:44 | | 5 | If You've Got Trouble [#] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:48 | | 6 | That Means a Lot [#] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:26 | | 7 | Yesterday [Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:33 | | 8 | It's Only Love [Take] | Lennon, McCartney | 1:58 | | 9 | I Feel Fine [Live] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:15 | | 10 | Ticket to Ride [Live] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:44 | | 11 | Yesterday [Live][Take] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:42 | | 12 | Help! [Live][Version] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:54 | | 13 | Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby [Live] | Perkins | 2:45 | | 14 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) [take 1] | McCartney, Lennon | 1:59 | | 15 | I'm Looking Through You [Alternate Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:53 | | 16 | 12-Bar Original [#] | Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starr | 2:55 | | 17 | Tomorrow Never Knows [take 1] | Lennon, McCartney | 3:14 | | 18 | Got to Get You into My Life [take 5] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:54 | | 19 | And Your Bird Can Sing [take 2][Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:13 | | 20 | Taxman [take 11] | Harrison | 2:32 | | 21 | Eleanor Rigby [Strings Only][Instrumental] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:06 | | 22 | I'm Only Sleeping [Rehearsal][Instrumental] | McCartney, Lennon | :40 | | 23 | I'm Only Sleeping [Take 1] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:59 | | 24 | Rock & Roll Music [Live] | Berry | 1:39 | | 25 | She's a Woman [Live] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:54 | | 26 | Strawberry Fields Forever [Demo Sequence] | McCartney, Lennon | 1:42 | | 27 | Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 1] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:34 | | 28 | Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 7 and Edit Piece] | McCartney, Lennon | 4:13 | | 29 | Penny Lane [alternate mix][Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 3:12 | | 30 | Day in the Life [Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 5:04 | | 31 | Good Morning, Good Morning [take 8][Version] | Lennon, McCartney | 2:40 | | 32 | Only a Northern Song | Harrison | 2:43 | | 33 | Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! [Takes 1 and 2] | McCartney, Lennon | 1:05 | | 34 | Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite [Take 7] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:33 | | 35 | Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds [alternate mix][Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 3:05 | | 36 | Within You, Without You [Instrumental] | Harrison | 5:27 | | 37 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 1:27 | | 38 | You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) | McCartney, Lennon | 5:43 | | 39 | I Am the Walrus [take 16][Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 4:01 | | 40 | Fool on the Hill [Demo Version] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:48 | | 41 | Your Mother Should Know [take 27] | Lennon, McCartney | 3:02 | | 42 | Fool on the Hill [Take 4] | McCartney, Lennon | 3:44 | | 43 | Hello Goodbye [take 16][Version] | Lennon, McCartney | 3:17 | | 44 | Lady Madonna [alternate mix][Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 2:22 | | 45 | Across the Universe [take 2][Alternate Take] | McCartney, Lennon | 3:28 |
Releases:
| Year | Type | Label | | 1996 | LP | Apple/Capitol | | 1996 | CS | Apple/Capitol | | 1996 | CD | Toshiba EMI | | 1996 | CD | Capitol Records | | 1996 | CD | Capitol Records | | 1996 | CS | Capitol Records | | 1996 | CS | Capitol Records | | 1996 | CD | Apple/Capitol |
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