Beatles Anthology Review??? (1 Viewer)

[Danny_N]

I am so happy Bought it a couple of hours ago in a shop here in Holland who is selling it early. Picture quality is amazing and the 5.1 mixes will blow you away. Just watching and listening to Paperback Writer while I write this. Rain coming up ). Incredible.

Edit: skipped through to Penny Lane. Amazing. I am hearing things I've never heard before.

 

[Matt Hetzler]

Thanks for the impressions!

Sounds great! I can't wait!!!

 

[Danny_N]

Well after spending the last fews hours watching and most of all listening to the set I can say this: you will hear The Beatles like you've never heard them before. I am repeating myself but the sound is really really incredible. Stuff that thus far has been buried in the old mono and stereo mixes can be heard with amazing clarity.

Btw, noticed that all the extra material on the 5th disc only has a PCM track. That is, except for the Real Love video which comes with the two 5.1 tracks.

 

[Marvin]

Is there any additional material on the first 4 discs or is it the same as the VHS version (aside from the improved sound)?

 

[Matt Hetzler]

That's a good question. Everything that I have heard says that the first 4 DVD's are exactly the same as the VHS set, except the improved sound and picture quality.

Anyone know for sure?

 

[Danny_N]

I sold my VHS set a couple of years ago when my last videorecorder died (I had switched to DVD by then ) but as far as I can tell everything on the first 4 discs is the same as the VHS set (except for some extra credits for the 5.1 remixes at the end of each program).

Menu on each disc is the same. It is exactly like the full Anthology poster with moving images that can be found on www.beatles.com. Music plays on the background (appropiate track for each different period, eg Love Me Do for program 1). Options are chapter selection for each individual program and subtitles and audio setup.
Each disc comes with its own insert detailing chapter selections and Derek Taylors period flavoured notes (Taylor obviously didn't write liner notes for the fifth disc; you get a collection of pics of the fab 4 instead).

There are no extra extras on the individual discs, everything is on disc 5. The much talked about jam session is a bit of a disappointment as it is relatively short - Paul only remembers one verse of Thinking Of Linking and George only wants to play the short version of Blue Moon Of Kentucky .
Best part of the extras for me were Paul, George and Ringo reminiscing at a kitchen table (some funny stories there - George met Elvis in the early seventies and thought he looked just like Ringo: all varnished with his dyed black hair and fake tan) and the threetles together in the studio with George Martin listening to the different takes of Tomorrow Never Knows and Golden Slumbers (for which no one seems to be able to remember who played the bass).

 

[KrisM]

I don't know if this has been posted in another thread or not but in today's paper Neil Aspinall, director of Apple Corps Ltd. was quoted as saying Let It Be will be the next Beatles project. He also said that some of the recently found unreleased tapes may be put on the disc as bonus tracks. Kind of vague, and ano dates were given, but it could be promising.

Regards
KrisM

 

[Jack Briggs]

I am disturbed to hear from my online vendor that no copies of the Anthology set have arrived in the warehouse as of this writing. And the set streets on April 1. Getting concerned.

 

[Matt Hetzler]

I saw a commercial for the Anthology DVD set on TV today! Made me want it even more...

 

[Steve Meskell]

This is my "mini" review....

I have watched parts 5 thru 8 plus a good chunk of the bonus disc.

Video(B) Things like Shea, Paperback Writer and Rain promo films are jaw "dropping" clean and clear..almost HD...well may be not, but it does impress. I don't know if they can improve the Let it Be film cause it looks damn good here. The only problem that I see is some of the "new" interview portions with P,G and R...some look too sharp like too much edge enhancement?? Very good overall

Audio(A++)dts track. There are some shocking things I have heard....I think there will be some controversy over some of the 5:1 mixes...I rolled with it and loved the ride
I will put two of the most "shocking" details in the below spoiler...
I Am The Walrus.....It stays in 5:1 the whole way.....and the mix is very aggressive


Hello Goodbye.... All I can say is I WANT EVERY BEATLE SONG IN 5:1....RIGHT NOW....It sounds like a different song better IMHO. The background vocals out of rear stun you and Paul sounds like he is right there in the room.


I knew that if they did the surround mix good I would want more.....APPLE GIVE US MORE please


I only watched two chapters on the bonus disc.
The back at Abbey Road Studio part was fantastic...damn it makes me miss George even more :frowning: .
The recording of FAAB and Real Love was very good...lots of interesting moments and comments.

I have waited many months for this DVD and so far it delivers Big Time

 

[Matt Hetzler]

Great mini-review!

Glad the sound is good.

Dang, I REALLY REALLY want this now!! Too bad my local street date breaker isn't breaking street date on this one... :frowning:

Guess I will pick it up from Best Buy on Tuesday.

 

[Matt Hetzler]

Just a heads up that the Beatles Anthology will be only $47.99 at Best Buy this coming week!!! You can also get another $5 off the price if you buy Yellow Submarine or A Hard Days Night.

 

[Danny_N]

Some screenshots I took (to wet the appetite ):

http://www.geocities.com/hitch_fan2001/pics3.html (Menus and PW)

http://www.geocities.com/hitch_fan2001/pics4.html (More PW and HG)

http://www.geocities.com/hitch_fan2001/pics5.html (Shea and Hey Jude).

 

[Matt Hetzler]

Nice shots! Thanks!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Best Buy, huh?

My nearly always super-duper online vendor still hasn't received the sets yet, but has alreadyshipped out another pre-order of mine for a disc streeting on April 1.

I have a mind to cancel the pre-order and mosey over to my nearest BB.

 

[Ricky Hustle]

Best Buy for me on Tuesday! Oh man, I can't wait.

Gear!

 

[Charles Ellis]

One question- will the legendary "promos" the Fab Four made (like "Paperback Writer", "Something", "Hello Goodbye", "Strawberry Fields Forever", etc.) be shown in their entireity? Do you think Apple will eventually release a 1-disc collection of Beatle promo videos for those who can't afford the multi-disc set?

 

[Matt Hetzler]

The VHS version had many of Promo videos shown in their entirety, unlike the TV broadcast. They added about 5 hours of footage to the VHS release that wasn't in the TV series. I don't know why that would change with the DVD version.

 

[RickGr]

I do not recall a promo video for Something. Is there such a thing? All the others you mentioned are on the laserdisc version so I would expect them on the DVD version.

 

[george kaplan]

Isn't this the one with all the wives/girlfriends?