Beatles Now And Then. Official vs Fan Arrangement

[condemned2bfree]

Fan made arrangement,

 

Below the official release

 

 

Which version do you prefer?

[Rick N. Backer]

I think it's less about the arrangement, at least in my eyes, and more about the apparent quality of the audio.  When they worked on the song for Anthology, the technology wasn't there to salvage Lennon's vocals.  

 

People savaging the song have kinda lost the thread.  Lennon's been dead for over 40 years, Harrison for over 20.  So they can't go back and completely retool their parts if they think they need it.  Lennon had this song available to him when Double Fantasy came out and he took a pass on it.  Free As A Bird, Real Love and Now and Then aren't meant to compete with Abbey Road.  If you are a fan of the band (I am) it's nice to have some material they collaborated on for the first time since I Me Mine and Let It Be.

[condemned2bfree]

28 minutes ago, Rick N. Backer said:

I think it's less about the arrangement, at least in my eyes, and more about the apparent quality of the audio.  When they worked on the song for Anthology, the technology wasn't there to salvage Lennon's vocals.  

 

People savaging the song have kinda lost the thread.  Lennon's been dead for over 40 years, Harrison for over 20.  So they can't go back and completely retool their parts if they think they need it.  Lennon had this song available to him when Double Fantasy came out and he took a pass on it.  Free As A Bird, Real Love and Now and Then aren't meant to compete with Abbey Road.  If you are a fan of the band (I am) it's nice to have some material they collaborated on for the first time since I Me Mine and Let It Be.

Yes the official release you can clearly hear John's voice, the fan version it's buried. I kind of like that. With the official they omitted some of the words which doesn't help. I really don't know why they did this. I really like the fans version, how it's arranged. The solo, build up, orchestration. It sounds more like the Beatles, than the Beatles version. IMO

[Rick N. Backer]

9 minutes ago, condemned2bfree said:

Yes the official release you can clearly hear John's voice, the fan version it's buried. I kind of like that. With the official they omitted some of the words which doesn't help. I really don't know why they did this. I really like the fans version, how it's arranged. The solo, build up, orchestration. It sounds more like the Beatles, than the Beatles version. IMO

I think all 3 "new" songs sound more like John Lennon solo songs than Beatles songs, tbh.  Obviously.  He didn't know Paul would ever hear them, and I think he and Paul were better songwriters when the other was looking over their shoulder.

[Union 5-3992]

Maybe I'm just used to the official release now, but the fan release sounds even more shoehorned and unnatural to me. The Beatles wrote a lot of songs that sounded wildly different from one another. There were songs entirely written by some members that featured only them or one other Beatle. It may sound like a John Lennon solo song because it was. And maybe this is what the band would sort of sound like in the late 70s. It's a somber tone to end on and I'm glad something this decent came out in 2023. It's not A Day in the Life, but it doesn't have to be. 

[goose]

17 hours ago, Rick N. Backer said:

I think all 3 "new" songs sound more like John Lennon solo songs than Beatles songs, tbh.  

[condemned2bfree]

21 hours ago, Rick N. Backer said:

I think all 3 "new" songs sound more like John Lennon solo songs than Beatles songs, tbh.  Obviously.  He didn't know Paul would ever hear them, and I think he and Paul were better songwriters when the other was looking over their shoulder.

I think the official release doesn't attach itself to anything to be honest. Closest a Wing entry, I can't hear much relation apart from the obvious vocals. For me this is a biggie with this song, and part of its repeal. It sounds desolate, not relating to its audio history. The fan release captures a mood and sounds closer to the Beatles than anything else for me.

Yes they were a catalyst for each other for sure. The greatest songwriting double.

Edited November 7, 2023 by condemned2bfree

[zepphead]

For me I prefer the official version.

But TBH to be having anything at all after all these years is pretty amazing!