Over a half-century after the Beatles broke up, their “last” song, “Now and Then,” is here.
An admirable effort, “Now and Then” is more of a technical feat than anything. It's also likely a cathartic experience for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — the two remaining Beatles.
The Beatles, despite breaking up in 1970, have released three songs since their separation. “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” were completed by the then-remaining Beatles, McCartney, Starr, and George Harrison for their anthology album in the 90s. “Now and Then” was the final John Lennon-written song that remained incomplete.
They tried in the 90s, but it never came to fruition. Nearly 30 years later, McCartney and Starr have completed “Now and Then,” billing it as the “last” Beatles song, to mixed results.
“Now and Then” review
“Now and Then” spawned from a home demo done by Lennon in the late 70s. McCartney adds a nice touch by counting the band in just as he did on the Beatles' opening track from their first album, Please Please Me, “I Saw Her Standing There.” The song's verse begins with his piano playing vocals as he sings, “I know it's true/It's all because of you/And if I make it through/It's all because of you.”
It doesn't sound much like a Beatles tune. If not for Lennon's iconic voice, it almost sounds like a song off of McCartney III or “My Valentine.”
There are remnants of the classic Beatles sound, though. McCartney's bass playing, which has evolved over the past half-century, does sound familiar to the White Album and Abbey Road tracks. The backing vocals, done by all of the Beatles, are another high. It brings the listener back to the good ol' days.
And ditto for George Harrison's guitar solo. Outtakes from the 1995 sessions are utilized well, as
Hiding Paul
While McCartney's bass playing has evolved, so has his voice — and not always for the better. For an 81-year-old, he sings extraordinarily well (just listen to his recent performance of “Coming Up“).
But he adds his vocals to “Now and Then,” which ends up being a distraction. If it was the 90s, McCartney could probably pull off a vocal performance akin to his bright Beatles-era vocals. Add 30 years of constant touring and making music, and his voice is very strained.
It's no secret that McCartney's voice isn't what it was. This is coming from a McCartney fan who favors him over the other Beatles. But still, you can hear his harmony with Lennon. It's noticeable with headphones, but it feels like the producers were trying to hide him. Perhaps they wanted to pay respect to Lennon given that he wrote it and all, but it's not as if the song needed it.
During his live performances, McCartney “duets” with Lennon on “I've Got a Feeling.” This was thanks to Peter Jackson — who directed The Beatles: Get Back for Disney+ — and allowed him one more chance to sing with his dear friend. Perhaps this was another scenario where McCartney just wanted to sing with Lennon again. The song could have done without it, though.
A technical marvel
Again, “Now and Then” is a technical marvel if nothing else. Thanks to Jackson, who “extricated” Lennon's vocals from the demos, we now have the cleanest version of the song imaginable.
While AI is a scary thing, just ask Joe Biden, “Now and Then” lacks something. Perhaps it's just the fact that the Beatles ended on a high note. Let It Be and/or Abbey Road (depending on who you ask) were great finales for the band. And the subsequent anthologies and Past Masters albums were excellent curtain calls.
I'd argue that the other Beatles songs from Lennon's demos, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” are both better songs. But “Now and Then” is substantially better production-wise. The other two tracks did sound demo-quality, with Lennon's vocals being slightly distorted or, at the very least, noticeably not done in a studio. That said, they balanced the solo Lennon material sound with the Beatles' iconic sound.
Should you listen to “Now and Then”?
“Now and Then” shares some psychedelic elements, but ultimately doesn't add anything to the Beatles' legacy. Whether this ever came out or not, they were cemented as the greatest band ever.
This feels like a passion project from Paul McCartney (specifically) and Ringo Starr. I'm sure it's a scratch that's now been itched — getting that final song out there. And I'm glad that they can now make peace with how the Beatles went out and are doing it on their own terms.
But if this was on a Beatles album, it'd be the equivalent of a skippable track like “Don't Pass Me By” rather than a must-listen like “Blackbird.”
“Now and Then” is “Here, There and Everywhere” now.
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