The physical edition was originally planned to be exclusive to the Anthology Collection box set but after fan backlash,it will be available as a standalone 2-CD/3-LP release as well.[4]
Background
On 19 August,both the Beatles' website and social media pages teased the album.[5] The teasers featured the numbers 1 to 4,with the website cycling through the numbers,and the Instagram post being a slideshow,filling the numbers with the covers of previous Anthology albums. Later that same day,pictures of the vinyl and CD release of the Anthology Collection box set were leaked.[citation needed]
On 21 August,the album and box set was officially announced,alongside the Disney+ three-episode premiere of the now remastered and expanded documentary series The Beatles Anthology on 26 November.[6]
Content
The album contains 13 previously unreleased tracks,alongside 23 tracks that had been previously released.[7] It also contains new mixes of "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love",utilising machine-assisted learning audio restoration technology to extract Lennon's vocals,the same technique used for "Now and Then". Both songs were remixed by Jeff Lynne.[8]
Reception
Following the album announcement,Anthology 4 was widely criticised as,unlike the other Anthology albums,it mostly consists of previously released material,instead of previously unreleased content,such as McCartney's 1967 avant-garde piece "Carnival of Light". The album also does not contain any highly requested outtakes,such as "Revolution" take 20 or "Helter Skelter" take 3.[7][9] The album was also initially criticised for its only physical option for pre-order being to buy an expensive box set containing all four volumes. The album was eventually given a standalone option.[10] Fans were also confused about why a fourth volume of the Anthology albums was necessary,considering that the first three volumes covered the Beatles' entire career already.[citation needed]
↑ John Lennon's demos for "Free as a Bird" and "Now and Then" were recorded around 1977, and the demo for "Real Love" was recorded July 1980. The recordings of "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" were finished by the surviving members of the band during February–March 1994 and February 1995 respectively. "Now and Then" was recorded on multiple occasions:[11]
↑ Lewisohn, Mark (2004) [First published 1988]. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-681-03189-1.
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