disney+’s “New” Beatles Anthology Episode Recycles 2003 DVD Bonus Content
A newly released episode of The Beatles Anthology television series on Disney+ largely consists of previously released bonus material from the 2003 DVD edition, offering little new insight into the band’s history. The episode focuses on the making of the original Anthology documentary and the creation of “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” songs constructed from demo recordings by john Lennon in the mid-1990s.
The footage, featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the late George Harrison, showcases the surviving Beatles jamming on acoustic instruments, working on new tracks with producer Jeff Lynne, and reviewing multitrack recordings with George Martin.While moments like Ringo Starr’s simple declaration, “I like hanging out with you guys,” offer warmth, the episode also reveals underlying tensions, notably Harrison’s visible frustration during the Free as a Bird and Real Love sessions-he famously rejected a third Lennon demo, “Now and Then,” calling it ”fucking rubbish.” McCartney and Starr later completed “Now and then” in 2023, 22 years after Harrison’s death.
the episode includes anecdotes, such as McCartney’s story about secretly adding amphetamines to the tea urn at Abbey road Studios to encourage engineers to work overtime. However, critics note a discernible tension between Harrison and McCartney, exemplified by Harrison’s comment that McCartney’s “You Never Give Me Your Money” sounded “a bit cheesy,” to which McCartney reacted with visible displeasure.
The release, alongside the album Anthology 4, has been described as an attempt to create added value, despite offering limited new material on a well-documented subject. The Beatles Anthology is currently available on Disney+, and Anthology 4 is out now on Apple Records.
