The Beatles Anthology

The Beatles were the center of the Pop Music universe for the eight years they were actively recording, an anchor from which all other 60's music radiates. If you are interested in how the best 14 albums ever made came to be, you have to see the whole thing.

The story is told in the words of the Beatles themselves, and a couple others like George Martin and Neil Aspinall (their chief roadie). Along with footage from concerts and their movies, it's several interviews editted together, but you never hear the interviewers, you only hear Paul or George or Ringo or John's response to the question, and it comes together into a seamless history of the greatest band Rock and Roll ever knew.

Having just finished watching this entire series I will keep this short as it is as close to speechless I think I will ever become:

It's been said to me countless times of films that are well over two hours long. It's always something to the effect that the time just flies by and before you know it. . .it's over. I've never known that to be quite as true as it was for The Beatles Anthology. Each episode is well over an hour long, and there are eight of them, but it never seemed like there was a wasted moment. It progressed as eloquently as the band did itself, with ever scene and interview being a logical step forward.

I am a huge Beatles fan, but really didn't expect to like this. I'm not sure why I thought I wouldn't, but something just didn't seem right about it. I'm glad I didn't go with that feeling. It is truly awesome and congers up every emotion I think I'm capable of. I know plenty of people who are not Beatles fans, but I would encourage them to still give this a chance since it really is so much more than just the story of a band.

If you could roll the respective significance of `Citizen Kane,' `Gone With the Wind' and `Lawrence of Arabia' into one film, you might have somewhat of an idea what the Beatles mean to contemporary music. Indeed, while Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly laid the groundwork, the Beatles forever defined the musical and artistic boundaries by which all future pop players would be judged. Indeed, the DVD format has provided modern day audiences with a chance to see why the Fab Four's legacy is something much more significant than a mere history lesson. `The Beatles Anthology' (released April 1, 2003 on DVD) picks up where the 2002-issued collector's edition release of `A Hard Day's Night' left off, providing more insight into the minds and music of the band that put Liverpool on the map. In addition to the in-depth chronology taking viewers on a magical mystery trip through the 1960s, new and never-before-seen material features interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison at Abbey Road Studios in May 1995 as they listen to classic Beatles tracks with producer George Martin. The jewel of the release is additional footage of the three one-time mop tops jamming together in George Harrison's garden.

DVD extras? You get them here. Indeed, the DVD release features a bonus disc featuring approximately 80 minutes of material more than the deluxe, eight-volume VHS release that expanded on the ABC special broadcast on Nov. 19, 22 and 23, 1995. Needless to say, all fans of rock music and 20th century pop culture should own this collection.

Four DVD and it features all that made the Beatles the only historical force in the world of rock.It does not pass over in silence the less glorious moments (for example the Philippine episode or the doomed let it be sessions) .Some will complain because Lennon's comments had not the "Threetles"' hindsight ,but was there another way to deal with that? The fifth DVD is less interesting but it's a bonus so why complain?Its the equivalent of the Anthologies 1,2 and 3 released on CDs in 1995-6 All the important groups and solo artists should have an anthology like this one.It goes without saying that only the greatest ones deserve it!

For a Beatle fan (like me) this 10 hour documentary was both thrilling and just a little disappointing.

Thrilling because all the music has been re-mixed, re-mastered and sounds great, because there are lots of details that, even as I fan, I didn't know, because there's more insight than offered elsewhere into their breakup, and more important, into what held them together.

A good job is done of combining new interviews with the then 3 living Beatles, and recorded interviews with John from many sources, so his views and insights aren't missing.

The last couple of hours go deeper than I suspected, and were quite moving.

On the disappointment side there are a few issues. First, at least for me, much of the first half got repetitive. Not much new insight into the birth or meaning of Beatlemania, just lots (and lots and lots) of concert and TV footage, often of them playing the same songs, sometimes obviously just lip-syncing to records.

Also, their personal lives are left out entirely. I understand not focusing on relationships, etc, but there's virtually no mention of wives, divorces, affairs, children, or how any of that intersected with their music and work.

Last, I was sorry it didn't go deeper into the creation of the music itself. While there are lot of great tidbits from the group and George Martin about specific songs, considering there was 10 hours of program, I didn't get enough of how they worked, how they wrote, how they influenced each other. Nor do we get much of their personal views of the world, politics, etc. And somehow the sense of how much their brief 7 years meant to music and to world culture seems missing, or at least not really explored.

Yet, whatever was missing, I tore through the 10 hours in 2 nights, and would have happily seen more.