The last Beatles song - worldwide release November 2

[The Prof]

Full audio

[Neil Jung]

It’s not very good.

[GoogaMooga]

Record cover by Pop artist Edward Ruscha.

It has to be said.... a bit of an uninspiring design for such a landmark piece of music.

My first thought, too. But then I think, we have had so many group photos. And to cobble together something present day with all four is not possible, so I guess they decided to play it down.

[The Prof]

It’s not very good.

It's better than the demo!

[GoogaMooga]

It’s not very good.

It's better than the demo!

[Tom Waits For No One]

As they are using a demo made by Lennon in 1978, if they really wanted to make it work they should use the new technology to make McCartney sound more like a late 30something rather than a croaky 80something.


I'd like to hear them clean up 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love' now.

[GoogaMooga]

I think they should keep things the way they are now. Free as a Bird and Real Love are a product of their time. Otherwise it'll be like all those "director's cut" revisions we get in movies.

[C]

A school mate, Pete has just purchased it [vinyl]

Each too his own

Yes, each too his own...




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[ChrisB]

Unreleased demos are usually unreleased for a reason. Not interested in it, to be honest, but to call it a Beatles song seems strange. It's a John Lennon song completed over decades, not the band on the studio with George Martin

[robertff]

As they are using a demo made by Lennon in 1978, if they really wanted to make it work they should use the new technology to make McCartney sound more like a late 30something rather than a croaky 80something.

Good point Tom, why didn’t they think of that?


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[Brian Wilson]

I thought the last Beatles song was “The End”? It can’t get any more perfect than that.

[robertff]

It's a bit of a dirge but amazing how quickly it gets into your head. Woke up this morning with that melody going round and round in my head, only heard it twice.



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[The Prof]

For some reason it sounds better when you watch it with the video.

Even though the video is a bit clunky and as contrived as you might imagine, you feel like you are stepping back into history and that's a nice feeling. At the same time, tinged with sadness that two of them are no longer here.

[GoogaMooga]

Look: Beatles release 'Now and Then' music video directed by Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson also did the recent Get Back documentary, so you'd think he'd be the right choice, but alas, the new video ends up being what I feared - a cobbled-together job. The final montage where they go back in time is nice and even a bit emotional, but the video does not really help or augment the song in any way. The song itself has been called a dirge. Personally, I think it's okay, but without the hype it would never have been a hit, certainly not in 1977 when John Lennon wrote it. It is better than Real Love, but not as good as Free as a Bird. One person has suggested that The End should be the "last Beatles song". It was meant to be, and that is how it should end if you are going on a musical journey. The three later songs are afterthoughts - they form an epilogue of sorts. A triptych that you can take in or leave out of your own personal narrative of the Fabs.

[ChrisB]

Heard it this morning on 6Music whilst on my walk. Didn't inspire me to walk any faster, but didn't make me want to throw myself under a bus. It was just ok

[LMG]

They are not even releasing a CD single of it! I have to buy the red and blue expanded!

They changed their minds:

CD single release date November 3

I think you will find you do not have to buy it in any format, Googs.

Your response could be the same one you are advised to make when the lady in the charity shop says:

'The only CDs we have are in this large box here. It is full of rubbish that has been on the shelves for some years now, and includes some of the worst music ever created by humanity. We are waiting for the bin man to take it away for land fill. Would you like to look through it?'

[GoogaMooga]

Ah, but you forget one thing - the little old ladies who work in the charity shops don't know what's gold, so I find gold - not every day, but certainly every week. That does entail trawling though heaps of Robbie Williams, but that is a relatively small price to pay.

[LMG]

Ah, but you forget one thing - the little old ladies who work in the charity shops don't know what's gold, so I find gold - not every day, but certainly every week. That does entail trawling though heaps of Robbie Williams, but that is a relatively small price to pay.

No, what I forgot is that you are beyond the reach of all mortal reason.

You will be needing this:

[GoogaMooga]

Hmm... looks like a Will Elder drawing to me!

[GoogaMooga]

This is my idea of a Beatles covers album: