The Beatles Anthology

Rating:
Summary: Good Package, Good Price
Review: I was glad to see Apple finally release the 1995 Beatles Anthology set on DVD recently. The whole collection is packaged neatly into a tidy five CD box set.

The picture could have been remastered a bit better however, the quality is grainy and not as sharp as I'd hoped. The sound quality is done fairly well, but I found it most irritating that whenever the program cuts to song, the volume literally doubles! Either you hear the spoken dialog in whispers, and hear the music at a comfortable level, or else you hear the spoken dialog, while having your eardrums blasted with intercuts of song! We love their music, don't get me wrong, but turn the freaking volume down guys!

I also feel that the Anthology in general spends FAR too much time focussing on the Beatles' earliest days. Most Beatles fans would have rather had more attention spent on the Beatles' latter years and material, when their artistic merit was at its peak. The scratchy, raw, early tracks should have been treated as "bonus material", not the main course in my opinion. As it is, two of the five disks in the set, [the first two], I'll most likely not watch very much.

What would have been nice is an extra CD of every Beatles "video" (they called them "promo-clips" in those days), in their entirety, uninterrupted. This would have included such "videos" as "Lady Madonna", "Strawberry Fields", "Penny Lane", Paperback Writer", "Rain", "Hey Bulldog", "Revolution", and more...I think, as Beatles fans, we're all pretty sick of watching these legendary Beatles "videos" as badly digitized, low-res, downloaded MPGs - right fellow fans?

I can onlly give this set three stars. It could have been better. I expected more. It's still a must-have for all Beatles fans, but I wanted the ultimate and sadly, this isn't it.

Rating:
Summary: A Near Perfect Biography of the Beatles
Review: I remember viewing most of the Anthology on ABC in 1996-97. I didn't understand how much footage was eliminated from the ABC broadcast until I started viewing the DVD version of the series. The DVD includes much, much more interviews from the four, especially George Harrison. Much more detail regarding their early experiences on tour in Hamburg was included, and I havent even started on Disk 2 nor checked out the 81 minutes additional footage on the surplus Disk included. This series was done with extreme care. One can get a feel for just how unique the Beatles were and led on their own course. Even today, I feel there is just no easy comparison to others regarding their song composition skill and writing just came so naturally for Paul and John during their competitions with each other. I recommend it highly..

David Carlin

Rating:
Summary: A great tribute to a great band
Review: If you are like me, and missed the broadcasting of this series, and even if you didnt i highly recommened getting this set. This DVD set has 2-3 hours of film not seen on TV, and a bonus 5th disk full of specail features. I saw my friends VHS collection of the anthology and after watching the DVD's, i was amazed by better picture, better sound, and even the much rumored jam session of Paul, George, and Ringo. I must say that altough this set is long , over 11 hours, its still quicker then reading the book(which i recommened), but if you want the songs with out alot of the talking, i recommened buying the cd sets.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fab! - The Beatles music in 5.1 surround sound!!
Review: This is a must for every Beatles fan. The picture quality is great, but that's normal with DVD and the Beatles' story is quite unbelievable. But the best part of this DVD edition (and not surprisingly) is the sound! Even if one has a gripe with the documentary whatever it may be, one absolutely cannot turn your back on the amazing clarity and new life all the Beatles songs have in full 5.1 surround sound be it Dolby Digital or DTS. You hear all the instruments in a 3-dimensional soundstage!!. Some songs have a new majesty to them in 5.1 surround (especially "THE END"). It truly brings a new appreciation to the musical composition and techincal wizardry the Beatles music has. Simply breathtaking. On some rehearsal takes, you actually feel like your in the recording studio with them Beatle guys!!!

The sound on the VHS and LD versions pale in comparison. If after listening to the remastered Yellow Submarine DVD you were left craving for other Beatles music to be re-mixed in surround, this boxed set fills that need. Though it also leaves one wanting (DEMANDING) for the entire Beatles catalog to be both carefully restored to preserve the original mono and stereo mixes of each album but also have them re-mixed into full surround for either SACD or DVD-A formats.

Rating:
Summary: nice, but ...
Review: ANTHOLOGY is nice, but it could be better. the music videos (or promotional films, if you will) aren't very good. they are NOT the original ones -- these are alternate versions, often butchered up, with different versions of the songs heard over them, and they even talk over some of them. i'd rather see a collection of original beatles music videos (like ABBA has). as for the interviews and old tv show clips, feh ... they are pretty boring. the bonus dvd disc is worthless. i'm no fan of the ... "new recordings" (FREE AS A BIRD and REAL LOVE). this is much ado about nothing. i'd rather see LET IT BE on dvd, as well as seeing dvd re-issues of HELP, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, FIRST U.S. VISIT and YOU CAN'T DO THAT. and how about good, uncut, restored dvd issues of A HARD DAYS NIGHT (full frame) and YELLOW SUBMARINE (with the BABY YOUR A RICH MAN scene restored). as for ANTHOLOGY, it's a rather boring waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: Should Have Been 5 Stars
Review: First off, I love the Beatles. There has not been a better band before or since, and I doubt there ever will. And I love this anthology - especially with the extra 80 minute disc addition! What could be better? The other positive reviews before mine explain most of the reasons why you should own this set, so there's no reason for me to re-iterate what they have said so elequently.
So why four stars instead of five?
Well, let's put it this way: whoever remastered this for DVD messed with perfection - that is, they remixed much of the music pretty poorly. No, not the sound quality, but by subtly changing the original mixes. For example (hopefully, this makes sense), when the group is lip-syncing to "Hello Goodbye" on Ed Sullivan's show, Paul's "oooh" heard toward the end (over George's infamous one note spear sound he gets from his guitar) has been re-edited to be sung every time George plays that note. "I Am The Walrus" has John's vocals mixed noticeably out front with the Shakespearian recitation buried and virtually unheard at the end. "Paperback Writer" lost most of its reverb, and on "Revolution," the mixer who did the mixing mixed in the original recording with their live performance - compare Paul's opening scream to the VHS version to hear what I mean. Same with "Hey Jude."
Call me picky, but I'm a traditionalist. Give me the original, the way it was meant to be heard. Personally, I feel they did this as kind of their own little 'watermark' to possibly prevent anyone from copying anything. If this is the case (I have no proof that it is, but it makes sense), then it's ridiculous. We are true Beatle fans who deserve The Real Thing.
Now, that said, I still give it a four star rating because, except for the above silliness, it's still a remarkable and must own set for Beatle and music fans in general. Contrary to what another reviewer wrote, it is not at all boring. This is a yearly watch for me and my family and we learn something new at each viewing.
Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Worth the upgrade to DVD? The new bonus materials.
Review: (4/1/03) Whatever you may have thought of The Beatles Anthology documentary in its earlier incarnations (broadcast, VHS, Laser), the most compelling reason to purchase this DVD release lies in the last of the five discs: "Special Features."

Those already familiar with the Anthology as a film will, as I did, look to this disc first. The new material, already mentioned in other reviews, succeeds in completing the documentary project as an addendum; the material provides interesting insights into the production of the Anthology film, as well as the CD's and the two "new" videos/songs "Free as A Bird" and "Real Love."

The bonus materials also give us (perhaps unintentionally) a more lively insight into the interpersonal dynamics of the remaining Beatles in the late 1990's (the kind of realism so called "Reality TV" vainly contrives). Shot during what was no doubt an arduous, yet therapeutic re-examination of their past, the group reminiscences (edited from material filmed either for the production or the later marketing of the Anthology) are fascinating. Those well versed in Beatles and post-Beatles rumor and lore will no doubt have much to examine (or "read into") when watching Messrs McCartney, Harrison, and Starr cheerfully and sometimes tiredly reminisce in both song and in story. (Contrary to some rumors, there are really no new song performances here - all are informal and incomplete dalliances.) Detail oriented Beatle-ologists will no doubt examine and re-examine everything said and sung during these group sessions, as well as everything unsaid and unsung. "Regular" Beatle fans will enjoy the often funny anecdotes and the music, no matter how "impromptu" or unpolished.

As a package, the DVD is faithful to the original Anthology release in artwork and packaging, taking its cues from Klaus Voorman's poster wall concept, with an animated version of the collage serving as theme to the menu navigation on the discs. The sound has been re-mastered for DTS, Dolby 5.1 and PCM Stereo, which is arguably great for the music, but bears little impact on the interviews.

As an owner of the older VHS set, my only minor unpleasant surprise in viewing the new DVD's was the odd choice of fonts for the titles and subtitles. In re-mastering the film for DVD, the producers stripped away all the original "Copperplate Gothic" establishing titles to clear way for the DVD's digital subtitles. While understandable (it arguably shows that the film was consciously re-mastered for disc) the digital "sans serif" titles lack the film style that gave the original documentary visual sophistication. Again, a minor point.

Those looking to update their ownership of the Anthology would do well do consider this latest technology release. The DVD replaces aging tapes and the Special Features complete and rejuvenate the film.

Rating:
Summary: Beatles in Glorious DTS Surround Sound
Review: Of course, having just purchased these DVD's a few hours ago and spending every minute with them since, I am very impressed at the surround sound (and the video). I am no expert on surround (but would say on hi-fi stereo in general) by any stretch of the imagination, but hearing some of these tunes in DTS surround is a revelation. Apparently, by viewing the end of the credits, the whole series has been re-mixed for 5.1 DTS and 5.1 Dolby Digital. It certainly begs the question of all Beatle albums being released in DVD-A or SACD. We'll all be buying Beatles albums in some new format well into our retirement, I suppose. The new extras are great to see, especially the production team interviews, and what I really was looking for in this purchase since I already have the VHS version. Of course, the convenience of not having to fast forward and rewind the tape is wonderful, also. Another point: when the VHS version was purchased, we all didn't have our television video hooked up with component video cables and digital audio cables. That makes a great difference. Great picture, great sound. Plus extras. Great deal. Now, when is Let It Be being re-released on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Debes tenerlo, es lo mejor
Review: Es impresionante la calidad de audio y video de las historicas imagenes, que desde hace mas de 40 años nos han conmocionado. Sobre todo ver juntos a George Ringo y Paul en 1994 y 1995, como buenos amigos, cantando y recordando sus mejores tiempos con John, es en extremo emocionante.

Le doy 5 estrellas por que no hay mas. Pero los Beatles son los Beatles y no hay unidades de medida que se ajusten a su talento.

Rating:
Summary: New insights into the breakup
Review: Some of the most revealing footage in this fantastic collection appears in Volume 8. Never before had I realized the extent to which Paul's surge of creativity in 68 and 69 put John ill at ease. Two monster hits ("Hey Jude" and "Let it Be"), are performed -- and just watch John as he plays on these tracks. Except for the last 3rd of "Hey Jude" it's obvious that John feels like he has nothing to do on these songs -- he's like a backup musician and he's just buzzing with hidden jealousy because Paul has the spotlight. And boy does Paul have the spotlight -- half of these songs are just Paul in close-up singing directly to the camera, while John strums his guitar offscreen ("The Long and Winding Road" is an even more extreme example). And then -- bam! -- John is in bed with Yoko campaigning for world peace or posing naked on the "Two Virgins" cover and so on and so forth. It's like he's trying to grab the attention back which Paul has stolen. Now, I personally think John was doing better work than Paul right up to the end (i.e. "Across the Universe," and "Don't Let Me Down"). But as anyone who has followed the Beatles knows, John was as obsessed as anybody with who had the Number One hit, who had the "A" side of the single, and so on. Watching Volume 8 I could really see John just smoldering with resentment. It's a glimpse into a very human and not very noble side of someone who remains one of my great heroes. It was fascinating.