The Beatles - Anthology 3 - [CD]

Perhaps the most interesting of the series, Anthology 3 covers the period from May 1968 (with early demos recorded at George Harrison's home) through studio outtakes of the White Album, Let It Be and their final LP, Abbey Road. Also: previously-unreleased tracks including Paul's demo for Badfinger of "Come And Get It," John's experimental "What's the New Mary Jane" and George's early demo of "All Things Must Pass." Other highlights: an alternate version of "Helter Skelter" and an acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." From the White Album to the end, the last days of the Beatles weren't smooth, which made the fact that they still produced some astonishing music all the more remarkable. In abbreviated form, "What's the New Mary Jane" is finally issued here, and proves underwhelming. For the rest of the set, it's largely down to outtakes and demos, but this time there isn't the same insight of the previous two volumes. Anthology 3 comes dangerously close to the sound of barrels being scraped. That said, it's the Beatles, and in whatever form, the music still shines brilliantly. --Chris Nickson