A neatness to the Anthology trilogy is what makes a fourth instalment puzzling. The Beatles’ backlog is filled with unreleased materials, some of which have been omitted from the twenty-fifth anniversary re-release. Another album’s worth of songs and cuttings from the back catalogue, and yet no Carnival of Light. There has to be a time and place for its release, and while an anniversary album further down the line may be a more sensible spot for it, Anthology Vol. 4 seems light on parts when compared to the previous releases. Take Anthology Vol. 3, for instance, a mighty package of work which brings listeners up to speed not just on the history of The Beatles in the studio, but on how they were adapting to their influences after the psychedelic thrills of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour. A clear route through their history as a band, capped off with two hours of demo material from arguably their best period. Anthology Vol. 3 has it all.
Happiness is a Warm Gun in this compilation sounds more like a riff on what The Velvet Underground would accomplish. A stripped-back and angry-sounding track with sparse instrumentals. It’s a wonderful moment from The Beatles, and this is where most of the brilliant alternatives can be found to some of their very best songs. Not because it’s that period but because the band’s work, whatever the version, was being noted as often as possible. It’s a tone which continues through a plodding, gutsy rendition of Helter Skelter, a take which is likely a chance for the band to get to grips with the intricacies of the song, rather than a planned, slower version. John Lennon once called pieces like Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam leftovers he couldn’t quite finish, hence the melody on Abbey Road. You can hear as much here, with Anthology Vol. 3 heavy on Lennon material to begin.
All these White Album pieces are an excellent listen. Honey Pie and Don’t Pass Me By are highlights. If you’d not listened to The White Album for a while, then these songs will sound close to the original, or better in some instances. It’s all relative, really. Catch Cry Baby Cry in the right mood and it’ll sound better here than it does anywhere else. With the first two Anthology features, history is at the core of it. A chance to hear where The Beatles were headed. Anthology Vol. 3 is an outstanding conclusion to the group’s studio efforts. Each of them had drifted artistically and perfectly so. All-time great renditions of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Blackbird are found here. Tapes to follow that, when the band were arguably at their most fractured, are brilliant also.
What Anthology Vol. 3 offers consistently is alternate takes that are as strong as the finalised versions. Such is the strength of the band by this point. What could possibly be left from these recordings that is of a releasable quality that isn’t featured across the first three volumes? We’ll soon find out. Anthology Vol. 3 is far superior to the preceding releases but that’s more because of the period than anything else. It serves as a brilliant opportunity to connect with the band across their time together. How much work they managed to put out in such a short time is staggering. Pieces like The Long and Winding Road and All Things Must Pass are outstanding. A must-listen not just for dedicated fans of the band, but also those who have even the slightest interest in the band’s history. A trigger point for obsession with the world’s greatest band.
