Listen to last new Beatles song with John, Paul, George, Ringo and AI tech: 'Now and Then'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW55J2zE3N4

Sounds like a Lennon song.

Listen but not over-excited but a good release after all these years.

The release of Now and Then was only possible because of modern technology. Back in its day, it wasn't considered good enough to be released.

Remember when they came to Japan and wore Warrior helmets? That was awesome.

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Glad to hear from you that I had misunderstood the reference because I tend to be on the same page with most of what you post

No problem, mate.

I think we can very safely assume that there isn’t an I Feel Fine or All My Loving waiting to be unearthed after this.

Still, I’ll give it another listen.

Amazing none of The Beatles could either read or write conventional musical notation.

Not amazing at all. Neither could Prince, or Stevie Ray Vaughan. Neither can Stevie Wonder, or the Rolling Stones, or Eric Clapton, the list goes on and its a long one.

Listened and moved on: waxed nostalgic hearing John's voice again (still miss him), but the over-engineered wall of sound

Yep. Sounded a bit bombastic.

Not a bad track. Certainly not up there with Real Love or Free as a Bird.

Glad to hear from you that I had misunderstood the reference because I tend to be on the same page with most of what you post.

@wallace

The documentary of the rescuing of John's voice and the technology behind it was thrilling, the final product less so. The Stones are alright, but too bad they can't resurrect Mick Taylor's mesmerizing serpentine guitar sound.

Documentary

https://www.thebeatles.com/announcement

Amazing none of The Beatles could either read or write conventional musical notation.

I love the Beatles, but this is... bland. John's voice is superb, but the song itself is boring and dull... not the best way to bring the story to an end

Indeed. R&R is not about musical accuracy. It's about the groove

To play any music well you need accuracy. Rock and Roll tends to be very disciplined in terms of timing - you can’t go meandering off. I remember listening to a a classically trained musician talking about how Little Richard was bang on the money with pitch in among the screams and roars. His voice was incredible and also

The Beatles were very tight after playing Hamburg.

Not bad. It is obviously a Lennon piece from his solo days, with the other three legends added in. Lennon is still the best rock vocalist of all time.

It will hit number one everywhere - and if the track helps converts a new generation of kids to the entire back catalogue of the Beatles, it is a great thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZN-__Dn638

There style, fashion was fresh, clean cut, impeccable, to match the simplistic guitars, supported by the four guys sharp vocal harmonies.

Not for the wash n spin dry world of today pop tech fakery.

*also disciplined.

Why bombastic? Just sayin'. You'll be hearing much harsher reactions when people with real musical expertise weigh in. The Beatles were the soundtrack of my youth: I know I'll never lose affection and I'll often stop and think about them.

Probably, the next Beatles song will be all AI.

Despite the negative opinions, The Beatles still remain iconic. Just as when they came to the US, there were those who didn't like them and those who did. However, both sides knew all about them. They were that big of a cultural hit. Their impact was a sensation. Here in this discussion they remain a group everyone has heard and has responded to. It's not the best song they ever did, but people discuss it as if it is a big deal. It is. Like it or not, The Beatles obviously remain worthy of response even for something like this song. It's The Beatles. I'm all for its making as well as for its release. It is, obviously, worth a listen.

The guys obviously all agreed this was O.K. But I don't like it. the dead are gone. let them be gone. Put out a new song with your remaining band sure...but don't dig up a corpse to make it dance. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. Just my opinion.

OK I have listened to the song but did not like it, I liked it even less when I saw the prices they are charging to buy it.

My two cents' worth is that it's not too bad, but not a classic. Still, it is a piece of history and I'm very glad it's received an airing. The video is pretty emotional too, like Free as a Bird was.

Elvis is hereNov. 3 02:58 pm JST

nice to hear George's slide guitar

That's exactly what I thought, but it seems Paul played it! Big shock to me:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/the-beatles-now-and-then-review

There’s something similarly moving about the sound of a very Harrison-esque slide guitar solo being played by McCartney, who apparently balked at Harrison’s slide guitar additions to the mid-90s sessions as too reminiscent of his 1971 solo hit My Sweet Lord.

...oh, and Liam Gallagher is an idiot.

Why bombastic? 

I was talking about the sound you described.

I was agreeing with you.

Listened and a great piece of history but I enjoyed the new Stones album Hackney Diamonds more.

The documentary of the rescuing of John's voice and the technology behind it was thrilling,

Yes. I agree. Very interesting.

McCartney has done a fantastic job with Lennon’s offerring. Didnt John write For Paul on the cassette? Was it something he intended to collaborate with Paul on, or are the lyrics about Paul? Lennon and McCartney were deep friends, soulmates in fact.

The Mersey Beat can never be replicated, sorry to harp on .....

Not so well known, but a wonderful example of the Fab Four in what I believe is the wonder years.

Ask Me Why (Remastered 2009)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ttGjtfQ7EA

Not amazing at all

Indeed. R&R is not about musical accuracy. It's about the groove. In theory anyone can play it. That's the whole point of it.

I'm not surprised the tRolling Stones can't read music.

Not only R&R. There are many music traditions that didnt/dont have written notation. Flamenco for one.

spinningplatesNov. 3 10:56 pm JST

The guys obviously all agreed this was O.K. But I don't like it. the dead are gone. let them be gone. Put out a new song with your remaining band sure...but don't dig up a corpse to make it dance. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. Just my opinion.

From what I understand the song was mostly done, just not with a quality that could be used without re-recording. In any event, I don't think there will be any more like this so it is no skin off of my back. It's not like the awful 10th symphony of Beethoven that was generated this year.

John would have perhaps wished for the profits from his resurrected voice on record to be given to charity (imagine no possessions etc.)

Back in its day, it wasn't considered good enough to be released.

Yes. In 1994 during Anthology sessions George called it "rubbish". Glad his slide guitar wasn't.

Still, I’ll give it another listen.

Me too. It's a good song. But the cover really has me scratching my head. Very very bad IMHO. I nearly bought it today but that was the deal breaker for me.

I am sure that devoted Beatles fans, many with unforgettable nostalgic memories will pay homage to classic black and white past musical masterpieces.

Sometimes such wonderful classical moments in time are best left alone, especially from the ravages of modern day technical Ai grave digging.

Forgave me.

I'm looking forward to Rubber Soul deluxe reissue.

Get Back is a marvellous movie.

Went back to Disk Union today (crate digging for obscure prog rock). I noticed that Now and Then was nearly sold out!!

Music is a funny thing. It constantly evolves, for better or worse. And just because an artist / group or style of music was extremely popular at one time doesn't mean that will be the case later on.

Equally, while the audience / fans / music listeners may love and appreciate songs from the past, much of the time that is because of the memories associated with the songs at the time they were released. Or perhaps because there is a recognition that the songs in question were masterpieces.

I say all of that to say that this song probably should have been left alone and not released as some "last new Beatles song." Its not that I don't appreciate the effort and there may be a place for it. But not the way it is being pitched.

The Beatles made amazing music. John Lennon made amazing music. This just doesn't rank. And I am guessing it wouldn't have ranked back when John recorded his vocals. It feels like a tune that just never made the cut. I mean, let's face it, some of John's solo stuff was not particularly great. And this just sort of feels like a tune that would never have been successful back in the day.

I listened to it first thing this morning, Tokyo time

It's a Lennon song from his "sorry" era, in the same vain as Jealous Guy.

The overall production is quite good, nice to hear George's slide guitar but clearly it is not a proper "group effort" as Beatles records should be.

Hard copies are only available on vinyl and cassette so in that respect is only appealing to more venerable audiophiles.

I prefer it to Real Love and Free as a Bird

I saw it today in Disk Union for 7 inch black vinyl at ¥2400 so it is not cheap.

The downside is the cover art work. It's not very good even thought done by someone famous. It's a pity they didn't make the cover more appealing. Something with all four on the cover with a Revolver hits Rubber Soul in the Pepper garden might have been better considering it's the last curtain call so to speak

All in all, I'll have to pass on it for now.

Most cringy part is Liam Gallagher's comment that can be read here:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/now-and-then-listen-to-the-final-beatles-song-john-lennon-paul-mccartney-ringo-george-harrison

Aren't the AI Beatles just The Rutles ?

Why do it?

Listened and moved on: waxed nostalgic hearing John's voice again (still miss him), but the over-engineered wall of sound can't disguise the repetitive, regressive rhyming and feeble lyrics. John coulda, shoulda been left in the vault to rest in peace, but everyone to their own opinion - de gutsibus, innit?, as the "Spaniard in the works" might have said.