Rating: 8/10

Track Amount: 32

Running Time: 1 hour and 31 minutes

Genre: Pop/Rock

Personnel: Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals), Ringo Starr (drums, vocals)

Producer: George Martin

Record Label: EMI

Recording Location: Abbey Road Studios, London

Art Direction: N/A

Best Tracks: Yesterday – Take 1, Love You To – Take 7, Because – Vocals Mix

Quick Verdict: A mishmash of mostly good cuts by The Beatles

This compilation is a no-brainer for fans of The Beatles. The Anthology releases are lengthy listens in their own way, so this release, highlighting the best of the Anthology 1, 2, 3 and 4 releases, is a sensible one to observe, especially given the fact that any given Anthology release is some hours long. This release sparked a bit of controversy in The Beatles releases, as it has some Anthology 4 tracks on it, way before Anthology 4 was released in 2025. Even so, this release is yet another quintessential listen in The Beatles catalogue of albums. Let’s jump in and hear how it sounds.

1. Free As A Bird – 2025 Mix begins with loud drums, and launches into a strange song by The Beatles with acoustic guitars and slide guitar. This is a fine and interesting listen, all the same. John Lennon sings nicely on this song, and he sings in a narrow range vocal and nasal sort of way. This is a rarity in The Beatles canon that just sounds sweet and lovely to hear. All in all, a good song that never reached an album, but is certainly worthwhile listening to throughout. A simple and yearning tune that sounds very, very good throughout. A genuinely good tune, although the vocals sound a little out of tune on this piece. Nonetheless, this music certainly has its appeal and sounds really dramatic and great to listen to. A reminder of how truly great The Beatles were. The slide guitar is an odd addition for the group, but this still sounds beautiful and majestic throughout. Not the best song that the group recorded, but nice to hear as a good addition regardless. Beatleheads should definitely enjoy this listen. It ends early, before launching into a flanger-treated and fairly trippy outro of sound montage.

2. One After 909 – Edit Of Takes 4 And 5 begins with some sweet acoustic guitar and launches into a sweet and glorious rendition of the original song from Let It Be (1970). Nonetheless, this is a very wonderful and refreshing listen that counts. It sounds far more Bluesy than the original, and still works wonders listening to it today. A reminder of how truly great The Beatles actually were. This song is sweet, legendary and different, in its own deliverable and amazing way. The Beatles turn the music history clock back to the 1960s and 1970s on this album, but in a really great way. The Bluesy guitar solo is also very nice. A great addition to this compilation. Very, very good to hear.

3. Roll Over Beethoven – Live In Stockholm begins with some neat guitar playing by George Harrison, and launches into a speedy version of the original song. John Lennon nearly shouts into the microphone compared to the original, but this song is still legendary and lovable in its very own way. A good live rendition of the original, without being a great one. This music is sure vibrant and energetic in its own way. A really good and interesting, simple and melodic Pop Music piece from back in the 1960s. Joyous and wonderful to listen to. A great, great listen throughout. Good to hear. There is cheering and applause at the end.

4. Twist and Shout – Live From The Royal Variety Performance begins with a count-in and launches into a loud and awesome piece of fantastic live music that still makes a vivid impression on the listener today. A really sweet and inspired tune to listen to. A really good listen for a live song, John Lennon sings in such a wonderful and uplifting way that it sounds excellent. The guitar solo section is simple, youthful and appealing. The Beatles could definitely cut it live as well. This song is definitely a winner to listen to, even sounding better in some ways than the original did. The Swinging Sixties were here with this song, and the whole group does a wonderful job. Awesome. It breaks down into some applause, cheering and plays Jazz Music at the end, which is odd.

5. All My Loving – Live On The Ed Sullivan Show begins with a vocal introduction and loads of crowd cheering, with Paul McCartney singing a gorgeous live rendition of the original song by The Beatles. This sounds in a slightly higher key than usual, likely due to the guitar tuning used at the time. Still, this is very, very good to listen to. A really good live performance that has a uniqueness and quality about it. The Beatles sound really upbeat and amazing in the live sphere as well. Sure, it has its imperfections, but it sounds amazing and really great on its own as well. Another great cut by the group to listen to.

6. I Wanna Be Your Man – Live For Around The Beatles launches into a clean, clear and fantastic rendition of the song by The Beatles. Paul McCartney’s singing is really fantastic on this one, and in some ways, this is a better listen than the original, for the most part. The infectious melodicism of The Beatles is perfectly listenable on this song. George Harrison’s guitar solo is somewhat different from the original, as is Paul’s screaming and yelping. A very short and enjoyable listen throughout.

7. Shout – Live For Around The Beatles begins with some angular chords and is a cover of the upbeat and fantastic tune originally by The Isley Brothers. The Beatles take turns on the vocals with this one, and it goes from soft to loud throughout. This is from an era where music was of a purer and more exciting quality overall than today. Really great to hear, once again. Very, very enjoyable to listen to. The drumming by Ringo Starr at the end is insane.

8. Leave My Kitten Alone – Take 5 is a weird tune to cover, but it is a good listen nonetheless. John Lennon sings nicely on this tune, and the music, despite its lyrics, is awesome to hear. This one will have some people sniggering away at the lyrics, even though the music itself is very, very good. All in all, the music and performances are absolutely fantastic to hear. This no doubt never reached an album for its ridiculous lyrics, but the guitar solo and performances by the group are really great, all the same. A slice of oddity on this album release. A good tune to hear, despite its age. Worth hearing, if you are up for it. Different.

9. No Reply – Take 2 begins with some loose instrumentation and launches into a really great take on the original song. It sounds really fantastic, and is purer and rawer than the original album version from Beatles For Sale (1964). Despite the fact that John Lennon takes the mickey out of the song throughout, this is a decent and entertaining listen. A good listen that demands to be heard. A touch of piano is present as well, which is cool. A good and decent representation of the talent that these guys were. The outro is messed up, and the song ends there.

10. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away – Take 5 begins with a count-in and a false start, as the group gets ready for the song at hand. They get in tune at last, and this tune launches into action. John Lennon sings beautifully and very, very well indeed. This music is a fine and gorgeous example of what The Beatles could do naturally and beautifully on record. John Lennon sings a beautiful and sweet tune that has a gorgeous and unique nature to it. Absolutely fantastic, and somewhat rawer than the original song from the album. A really extraordinary listen that just works. Awesome stuff. The guitar soloing away is very sweet as well.

11. Yesterday – Take 1 begins with a fade-in of acoustic guitar strumming and a discussion of the song’s key and the chord transitions on acoustic guitar. It launches into the song at hand, just sounding absolutely pleasant and magical, being a really fantastic listen. Paul McCartney puts his heart and soul into this tune, and although it is just him on acoustic guitar here, he sounds absolutely magical to listen to. A winner of a listen, even if this was not the final product. A truly lovely listen from start to finish, and a defining song for The Beatles in retrospect. Absolutely powerful music. A real winner.

12. I’m Looking Through You – Take 1 begins with handclaps and maracas, launching into a completely different-sounding approach to the Rubber Soul (1965) classic song. Another absolute winner, with some nice guitar playing and music structures throughout. This music is a refreshing and unusual approach to the original song that The Beatles made. It is almost like a Salsa/Samba tune at hand. Very, very cool to listen to. An interesting and inspired tune overall, which has some great music to behold. The guitars and music approach in this song are very different from what you would ever expect from The Beatles. Absolutely fantastic, one of the best listens from this compilation.

13. Tomorrow Never Knows – Take 1 begins with some loose sounds, and begins with a processed piece of musical instrumentation with Ringo’s drums over the top of it all. This is a very unusual listen, and has John Lennon’s processed vocals over the top. Very different, and very awesome in its own way. The Beatles were way ahead of the competition with this sort of music. A really surreal and interesting listen throughout, but not as good as the original, as such. A different and wacky listen that sounds nothing like the finished version as such. This lacks a bit of the excitement of the final product as such. This song is a good listen, all the same. It just sounds out there and different, very much like what a remix of a song can do in today’s postmodern world.

14. Love You To – Take 7 begins with some awesome Indian Music that sounds just like the original, without the introduction and with backing vocals by the group. A very different listen that is great for Indian sitar and tabla drum fans, this is a refreshing take on the original song. Very unusual, but delightfully so to listen to. A tremendously interesting and experimental tune to hear. A very wonderful and magical listen, in its very own way. A great Pop song that introduces the listener to a world beyond. It speeds up at the end, which is very cool and keeps in line with the original song. Fantastic work, with an extended outro.

15. And Your Bird Can Sing – Takes 1 and 2 begins with some different-sounding music after a count-in, and the band plays in a totally different key on this song. Laughter ensues, which is different and proves that The Beatles were human, after all. All in all, a good listen that has its flaws. Very nice to hear something different that didn’t make the final cut. A really interesting listen that is unusual, for the laughter and the key that it is in. Whistling is on this one as well. The band continues to play, despite their mistakes, to the end.

16. Eleanor Rigby – Take 14 – Strings Only is the strings alone for the song. It is a grand and pretty listen on its own, sounding reminiscent of the Classical Music greats of the past. This sure sounds really sweet, however. The music and performance on the strings just proves indeed that The Beatles had their inspiration in all areas of their works, and even their collaborators. All in all, a nice, if unnecessary listen. Still, it does sound naturally sweet. Very interesting.

17. Strawberry Fields Forever – Take 1 is a different and not-so-good version of the classic song by John Lennon in The Beatles. It sounds like it was a fairly rough mix of the main song. It sounds rather warped, Psychedelic, and the guitars are very much in a different key than the finished product. Of course, there are different sounds and playing throughout, but it sounds like a dumped take of the song, for it doesn’t sound as good as it should. An interesting, but not particularly good listen throughout. John Lennon’s singing is definitely awesome, though. It has a keyboard and guitar section to conclude with.

18. Strawberry Fields Forever – Take 26 begins with a count-in and some of the instrumentation that made it to the final cut. It sounds nice and dramatic, although it is in a higher key than the final recording. Even so, this is a fine and dramatic listen that works very nicely. It is a good representation of the final product, and it has some colourful and interesting sounds throughout. Still, the final product is a better listening experience than this version of the song. A really cool tune to hear, this music is surely from a different dimension than what one would expect. It shows the work in progress that this song was. Not bad. It finishes up with the main instrumental section of the song, sounding very Psychedelic and getting towards the end of a fantastic song itself. Ringo’s drumming is all over the place a bit, but he does some incredibly wonderful drumming indeed. Good.

19. Penny Lane – Remix begins very much sounding the same as the original. It is good to hear this classic song once again. The backing instrumentation is more prominent in this one, and it sounds rich and luscious. Nonetheless, this is a classic song that still sounds fantastic to this very day. The solo section is much more instrumental-based and sounds like a point of musical inspiration for Blur’s Parklife (1994) album. Nonetheless, a very lovely and pretty song that sounds joyous and upbeat throughout. A really great listen from start to finish that has some great and inspired music within it. A really fantastic song throughout that is superb. Worthwhile for your ears. The trumpet solo and extended music at the end are cool.

20. A Day In The Life – Takes 1, 2, 6 and Orchestra begins with John Lennon requesting instructions for the song, and this launches into the song at hand eventually. It sounds really great, all the same. John Lennon sings sweetly and beautifully this classic song by The Beatles. The sounds and performance throughout are divine and beautiful, and this version of the classic song is stripped back musically. A really cool listen that has some interesting and pretty sounds throughout. This is very minimal compared to the final product. It then launches into the section with repeated counting for the orchestra. It launches into Paul McCartney’s section of the song and sounds really cool in its own way. This has some mistakes throughout, but this is part of its charm. Good to hear in any way. John Lennon returns in the final section and sings beautifully on this song. A good representation of the unfinished product of this song. The string section finally launches into action at the end. Not bad. It finishes up with some Paul McCartney chatter.

21. The Fool On The Hill – Demo begins with some dramatic piano, which sounds very different. Paul McCartney sings this one, which is a different take on the final version of this song. Nonetheless, this does sound very lovely and magical. Paul sings a song that sounds completely different from the final product. All in all, this is a pretty and unique take on the song itself. Really great to hear, although Paul forgets the lyrics at points. The Beatles perhaps had more collaboration points than we originally thought? Even so, this is a great listen. The music at hand is powerful, magical and different to hear.

22. Glass Onion – Esher Demo begins with some neat and nicely strummed acoustic guitar, with John Lennon singing some nice vocals throughout. This is a simpler, and quite frankly, better version of the song on The Beatles self-titled “White” album (1968). This is a really cool and balanced listening experience, with some mistakes throughout. This music is a bit of a mockery of the final product, but all the same, it has its appeal. Nice.

23. Good Night – Take 10 With A Guitar Part From Take 5 begins with some dramatic and sweet, beautiful, clean guitars, with Paul McCartney singing sweetly and beautifully on this song. A very simple and enjoyable listen throughout, which is absolutely lovely. A good tune to hear, which showcases the fine music and musicianship of The Beatles. Great, once again. All in all, The Beatles certainly can impress, even on their outtakes as such. This music sounds very gentle and inviting, although it is often seen as a song that is a stinker. Good to hear nonetheless.

24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – First Version – Take 5 begins with some shouting, and launches into a different listening experience that is rawer and more minimal. This does not necessarily make this song better, but it is a unique listen at hand regardless. A simple, upbeat and enjoyable piece of music that is ridiculously nonsensical throughout. It is a nonsensical listen with some nice sounds and performances, particularly with the saxophone added to it all. This song honestly isn’t the best, and sounds wacky and corny. A weird tune, but nonetheless listenable for its rubbishy nature. Good to hear, even if it is a ridiculous song. It has more shouting at the end.

25. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Third Version – Take 27 begins with some chatter and launches into a different version of the tune at hand. George Harrison sings very sweetly over a different-sounding rendition of the classic song. This is another good listen, for all its imperfections. The Gibson Les Paul playing away on this song is clearer and more present than on the final version, as such. George sings very nicely indeed on this song, and regardless of whether Eric Clapton was playing on this version of the song or not, it is another excellent listen by the group. An awesome and timeless listen with some of the best and most expressive lead guitar playing you will hear. The song itself isn’t an overly upbeat one, but it is consistent regardless. George Harrison’s vocals are a bit shaky, and the group stops due to that.

26. Get Back – Take 8 launches right into it with some excellent guitar playing and Paul McCartney’s fantastic singing. A really cool tune to listen to at hand. Paul McCartney sings in an upbeat and fine way, and the band plays nicely and beautifully throughout. This music still sounds really pretty and dramatic throughout, and The Beatles ensure that their time is not wasted on this recording. A really cool and interesting song that is a tale of wandering through the lands of earth, with some sweet and pleasant guitar playing to match it all. Really very cool, regardless of whether this was used in the final product or not in some way, shape or form. A really cool and upbeat listen with some variations right at the end. Very enjoyable to listen to. Cool and clever. There is chatter at the end of it all.

27. Octopus’s Garden – Rehearsal begins with some loud chatter, and the group launches into action soon enough. Ringo Starr sings over the piano, and there is some interesting laughter and chatter about the song at hand. This is a really good and inspired piece of collaboration, even if it is not a proper representation of the final product. Good to listen to throughout.

28. Something – Demo – Remastered begins with some nicely played acoustic guitar that sounds great. George Harrison sings very nicely on this song, and he reveals himself to be a fine and understated musician. The acoustic guitar sounds almost like a sitar here, and the music at hand was absolutely magical to listen to. This is very simple and different from the final product. It is, nonetheless, a good listen throughout. He has some difficulty reaching the higher notes in his singing in the bridge section of the song, but all the same, this is an interesting and raw rendition before the final product. Some of the lyrics were rewritten later on, but this is a really sweet listen. A really interesting tune at hand, however. Worth it for a glimpse of something different. A very pretty song.

29. Come Together – Take 1 begins with a counted intro, and Ringo’s awesome drumming at hand. This is a different listen at hand, with John Lennon sounding very aggressive on the vocals. Nonetheless, this is a good song with John Lennon sounding borderline psychotic and with a growling voice. This all sounds rawer, more punchy and different throughout. This is a different tune to listen to, yet it still has an appeal to some. Gloriously imperfect, it launches into a growling and low-end piece of music with John’s screamed vocals. Nonetheless, very different to listen to. This has John’s vocals giving out a bit towards the end, with some neat and dramatic playing and drumming from Ringo, as it fades out.

30. Because – Vocals Mix is a purely vocal mixed piece of the song. It sounds absolutely blissful, beautiful and bold in its own way. Absolutely breathtaking, in its own way. This singing is a really great representation of the greatness of The Beatles and their singing. Obviously, a fantastic effort by all of The Beatles singing nicely away, this makes the song a better listen when hearing it on Abbey Road (1969). Great.

31. I Me Mine – Take 16 begins with some chatter and launches into the song at hand. It sounds simply impressionistic and pretty throughout. George Harrison sings beautifully amongst the music at hand, and this is a very monumental and fantastic listening experience, to this very day. A really cool tune to listen to, this is a mighty representation of the song at hand. Awesome stuff.

32. Real Love – 1996 Mix is the final piece on this rather long compilation. It begins with some rather odd and off instrumentation at hand. Some singing emerges that is heavily treated and has some weird sounds and performances throughout. This is okay, but it’s nothing overly special here. Good to hear something different, but this is not that good quality-wise. The treated vocals kill this tune quite frankly. Not the best or most inspired listen out there, given what this is. This never made it to an album by The Beatles; it just isn’t that good, to be fair. A mismatch to end an otherwise fairly good compilation at hand. Some good guitar work is throughout, but this isn’t really necessary to listen to. This also drags on for a bit, which is not really a thing that The Beatles did. This marks the end of this lengthy compilation.

This is a listen that is really only for major fans of The Beatles. Some good picks are here, along with some nonsensical ones and some frankly poor choices. However, one can definitely hear these four young men working away at their music project nicely throughout the years. Still, should you listen to this album? Yes, if you want to see a glimpse into their music-making methods, and no if you want to stick to their main albums. Overall, this is a good experience to enjoy, however.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.