Throwback Thursdays Volume 3 – “The Beatles Anthology 2”

Hello Everyone!  It’s been a while, but I’m back with you’re weekly music nostalgia column.  This week the album in review is The Beatles Anthology 2. Now, I know I said I don’t like greatest hits records or records that take previous recordings and release them- most of the time if it wasn’t good enough to put out before, it still isn’t.  However, as the greatest pop band ever to have existed, the Beatles get a pass.  Basically, if I get a chance to listen to a Beatles album, I’m not going to pass it up.

Anthology 2 contains outtakes and alternative performances from the 1965 sessions for the album Help! It also includes sessions that were recorded just prior to the band’s trip to India in February 1968.  The album kicks off with the second new Beatles song “Real Love” based on a demo made by John Lennon and given to Paul McCartney by Yoko Ono.  The other 3 Beatles added guitar, bass, drums, percussion and backing vocals but did not rework the lyrics or music, making it the only Beatles song to have solely Lennon in the writing credit.

All of the songs were written by Lennon/McCartney unless otherwise noted.  Personally, I think this is one of the best compilation albums by one of the greatest bands.  Its interesting to see how the songs we’ve come to love were actually created, and the different takes on the songs.  This album encompasses the change from performer to artist, where the Beatles were experimenting more in the studio, and starting to play less live.  I say if you don’t own this album, go buy it.  Its good enough to actually go to the record store and buy the actual CD.  Don’t take my word for it, you made it number 1 in April 1996.

Here are the 45 tracks included in Anthology 2:

1. “Real Love” (Lennon)

2. “Yes It Is” (takes 2 & 14)

3. “I’m Down” (take 1)

4. “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (takes 1, 2 & 5) [mono]

5. “If You’ve Got Trouble” (take 1)

6. “That Means a Lot” (take 1)

7. “Yesterday” (take 1)

8. “It’s Only Love” (takes 2 & 3) [mono]

9.  “I Feel Fine” [mono]

10. “Ticket to Ride” [mono]

11.  “Yesterday” [mono]

12.  “Help!” [mono]

13. “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby” (Carl Perkins) [mono]

14.  “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (take 1)

15.  “I’m Looking Through You” (take 1)

16.  “12-Bar Original” (edited take 2) (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey)

17.  “Tomorrow Never Knows” (take 1)

18.  “Got to Get You Into My Life” (take 5) [mono]

19.  “And Your Bird Can Sing” (take 2)

20.  “Taxman” (take 11) (Harrison)

21.  “Eleanor Rigby” (take 14)

22.  “I’m Only Sleeping” (Rehearsal) [mono]

23.  “I’m Only Sleeping” (take 1) [mono]

24.  “Rock and Roll Music” (Chuck Berry) [mono]

25.  “She’s A Woman” [mono]

Disc 2

1. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (demo sequence) [mono]

2.  “Strawberry Fields Forever” (take 1)

3. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (take 7 & edit piece) [mono]

4.  “Penny Lane” (take 9 horn overdub)

5.  “A Day in the Life”  (takes 1, 2, 6 & orchestra)

6.  “Good Morning Good Morning”  (take 8 )

7.  “Only a Northern Song” (takes 3 & 12) (Harrison)

8.  “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”  (takes 1 & 2)

9.  “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”  (take 7 & effects tape)

10.  “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”  (takes 6, 7 & 8 )

11.  “Within You Without You”  (Harrison)

12.  “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” (take 5) [mono]

13.  “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”

14. “I Am the Walrus”

15.  “The Fool on the Hill” [mono]

16.  “Your Mother Should Know” (take 27)

17.  “The Fool on the Hill” (take 4)

18.  “Hello, Goodbye” (take 16 and overdubs)

19.  “Lady Madonna” (takes 3 & 4)

20. “Across the Universe” (take 2)