The Beatles made a wise decision today.
They’re going to release Anthology 4 as a stand alone album in configurations of 2CDs and 3 LPs.
That’s in addition to the deluxe box sets currently for sale on Amazon and elsewhere that include remixed, remastered versions of the first 3 Anthology’s plus a book,posters, and pictures.
The new CD set will sell for 31.99, and the LPs will be $99.95.
Fans were clamoring for this because to repurchase the whole package was so expensive — $110 for the 8 CD set with extras, and $375 for a 12 LP set with all the bells and whistles.
The CD box was selling pretty well in advance of release, but the LP box not so much. The latter will be for serious collectors.
Still, I’m very excited for the whole thing including “Anthology 4,” which wraps up the 30 year project and includes Jeff Lynne’s remixes of “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” as well as “Now and Then.” The new mix of “Bird” is bright and shiny, with a lot more energy than the original.
The Beatles are still shy a reissue of “Rubber Soul.” There are also a lot of bootleg outtakes. But they’re also coming to the end of what’s possible in reissues, which is daunting. I do think this decision was very prudent. Kudos to Tom Greene, the new head of Apple Records, for responding to fans’ wishes.
