It's All Because of You

 

I'm no Beatles expert.

I'm knowledgeable, yes, and can hold my own in many conversations, but that's where it ends.

So when the Fabs released what's being called "the last Beatles song" on Thursday, I was obviously interested.

OK, I was actually refreshing my phone constantly, waiting for the song to load into my Apple Music app.

Finally, along I-80 in Pennsylvania, shortly after 10 a.m. on Thu, Nov 2, 2023, I pressed play.

Still, I managed my expectations appropriately. I didn't expect anything that could be found on Revolver, for instance. I expected something along the lines of the curios that were "Free as a Bird" and "Real Life," released in the mid-90s as part of the Anthology series.

"Now and Then" is a perfectly lovely song that was originally written by John Lennon in the late 70s. He put it down on a cassette tape with him singing and playing piano.

The "Threetles" or "Threatles" (Paul, George, and Ringo) took a stab at it in the 90s but, thanks to the technology of the time, it didn't quite work. George was dismissive of it.

Here, in the 2020s, technology advanced to where John's vocal could be lifted from the tape without the piano drowning him out. Some guitar parts that George recorded in 1994 were also included, while Ringo and Paul laid down new parts to complete the song in the past year.

The reaction has been exactly what I expected and feared.

It's all too much.

As I mentioned, my expectations were appropriate, if not lowered. Expecting a new "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand" or anything truly classic is simply not fair. These guys made some of the greatest music ever and continued to do some tremendous work into the 70s as solo artists. 

The late 70s were an interesting time for John Lennon, given he was out of the public eye musically. He was the dad strolling around New York with his wife and son who would go back to their apartment in the Dakota and play some music.

I personally don't think Double Fantasy -- John's final album in his lifetime, released just before his murder in 1980 -- was a masterpiece. "(Just Like) Starting Over" was a good song. But, being fair, it isn't "Imagine" or ""Instant Karma!"

So, given the track record, it's fair to say that a quality song was expected. No doubt had he finished it, I suspect John might have tweaked the words and perhaps more. We'll never know.

I find myself simply happy to have this addition to Beatles Universe. So many armchair critics have been heard from since Thursday and I suppose I'm throwing my thoughts in as well.

The song -- big shock -- rushed to the top of the streaming and download charts and will be a huge seller. 

And it's OK if you want to say I'm biased because I like both the song and video (directed by Peter Jackson). The melody of the song has been stuck in my head since a little after 10 on Thursday morning. 

The video -- predicted to be a tearjerker -- didn't have that effect on me. I like it, of course. I love seeing the four in any form, but I appreciated the archival footage of John and George with now 83-year-old Ringo and 81-year-old Paul. And, of course, plenty of footage of the four of them together on the long and winding road back to their youths was a nice touch.

I made sure to watch the video alone to see exactly how it would impact me and, while I was touched, that was it. That's no crime.

I guess the critics fall into a couple of camps. Some just want to criticize because that's who they are. Some just want to criticize The Beatles because of course they do. Some simply expected too much.

I got what I wanted and, bias or not, I'm happy. Content even. The band that I grew up with -- the one I first remember hearing -- has produced a form of "new" content, 53 years after breaking up and almost 43 years after a member died. It's not garbage. It's not awful.

It's -- if you allow yourself to feel it -- quite good.

"Now and then, I miss you," the chorus goes. Isn't that what we all feel? Or at least all fans feel?

The song doesn't tarnish their reputation and it is a fine gift to all of us. For sure, we're talking about The Beatles and that's also a good thing. Then again, we've never truly stopped talking about them and that is the power they have held on us since 1964 (or even earlier).

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (me included) and I understand all of the takes in their own context.

Yet I'm reminded of Paul's response to the question of if The Beatles (aka "The White Album") was too long or too self-indulgent.

"It was great, it sold, it's the bloody Beatles White Album… shut up."

That's the way I'm feeling as well.

It's the bloody Beatles and I'm happy. 

That's enough for me.