Anthology 1 (1995) ( )

Producers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Richard Starkey, Jeff Lynne (disc 1, track 1); Bert Kaempfert (disc 1, tracks 10-12); George Martin (disc 1, tracks 14, 20-26; disc 2, tracks 8, 10-12, 17-26); Mike Smith (disc 1, tracks 15-19); Terry Henebery (disc 1, track 27); Klas Burling (disc 1, tracks 30-34); Jack Good (disc 2, tracks 13-16)

Compilation producer: George Martin. Engineers: Geoff Emerick (disc 1, track 1); Percy F. Phillips (disc 1, tracks 3-4); Karl Hinze (disc 1, tracks 10-12); Stuart Eltham (disc 1, tracks 14, 20); Norman Smith (disc 1, tracks 21-26; disc 2, tracks 8, 10-12, 17-26); Hans Westman (disc 1, tracks 30-34); Terry Johnson (disc 2, tracks 13-16). Principally recorded between 1958 and 1964. "Free As A Bird" recorded circa 1977 and in 1994. Spoken tracks recorded between 1962 and 1994. Includes a 48-page booklet with track-by-track annotations, and liner notes by Derek Taylor. "Free As A Bird" won a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Though the Beatles changed rock & roll forever from low culture to high art, they started as a skiffle group, a British amalgam of American rock & roll influences--Elvis' swagger, Little Richard's unholy gospel, the Everly Brothers' country-rock harmonies, Smokey Robinson's sensual soul. The Beatles Anthology: 1 traces these roots, tapping a rich motherlode of unreleased early Beatles material. There are scratchy recordings of the Quarry Men (Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, circa 1958) and pre-Ringo Beatles practice sessions that show the Fabs dreaming of being Elvis and Buddy Holly. Amazingly well-preserved tracks from the early '60s show them starting to let their hair down, while rocking merrily through such pop standards of the time as "Ain't She Sweet" and "Besame Mucho." They were an electrifying live band, and among the treasures here are Ringo tearing through "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Boys" at a 1964 TV taping, and John ripping into "Twist And Shout" at the band's 1963 Royal Command Performance after his famous request: "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands, and the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."

Equally compelling is the one "new" track. "Free As A Bird" was the pop event of 1995, a Lennon demo completed by the surviving Beatles with the production guidance of Beatles disciple Jeff Lynne. With a deliberate, mid-tempo pace, doubled piano, slide guitar solo, and signature harmonies and middle eight, it's vintage 1968. Colorize the video, add some psychedelic film effects, drop it into the middle of the MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR movie, and see who notices