The Beatles solidified their place in history with the release of hit songs such as “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me.” However, about a decade later, their harmonious journey as a band came to an end, and the Fab Four went their separate ways, chasing solo careers.
It’s been more than five decades since the Beatles disbanded, but their enduring legacy continued to captivate the hearts of fans worldwide. Recently, the surviving members of the band unveiled what has been heralded as the final Beatles record, and fans are getting nostalgic about it.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr produced the new Beatles song, ‘Now and Then’
A few days back, the long-anticipated Beatles song, titled “Now and Then,” was released for the first time. The captivating track is built upon a demo recording originally crafted by the legendary John Lennon during the late ’70s. Following his death, John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, gave Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the late George Harrison the original recording of the song. This generous gift also included other previously unreleased works, such as “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love.”
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Despite their sincere efforts in the mid-90s to bring this musical gem to life, the trio faced an insurmountable obstacle due to the quality of the recording.
However, due to the boundless possibilities that technology can offer, AI played a pivotal role in this remarkable musical resurrection of “Now and Then.” This newly realized version of the song now features all four original members, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans to experience the magic of the Beatles.
Fans and critics react to The Beatles’ new song, ‘Now and Then’
Ever since the release of “Now and Then,” both fans and critics have shared a diverse range of opinions regarding the song. Some critics have been quick to label it as a somber ballad, while others have praised its emotional depth and lyrical richness.
“The additions to a song that was obviously incomplete are seamless… unlike Free As A Bird [another Beatles track released posthumously], where McCartney’s new middle eight jarred slightly against Lennon’s original song – the arrangement is sumptuously tricked out with orchestration but never stoops to deploying obviously Beatles-y signifiers,” The Guardian wrote in its review. “If you squint, you could just about imagine that it’s the Beatles playing together, which definitely wasn’t true of the mid-90s songs.”
On the other hand, Variety was full of praise for the new song. “The song’s beginning will be breathtaking for fans: It opens with a familiar Beatles count-in, followed by classic Lennon-esque piano chords and a strummed acoustic guitar, and then – that voice, pristine, singing ‘I know it’s true, it’s all because of you’, and following an unmistakably Lennon melody […]; later in the song, McCartney pays tribute to Harrison by playing a brief slide guitar solo, and bolsters Lennon’s lead vocal in a couple of spots where it presumably faltered or was obscured on the demo,” the news outlet wrote. “The song is similar to and on a par with Free As A Bird and Real Love, and it’s safe to say they’ve made it as good as it probably could be.”