“Now and Then” is the final song produced by the Beatles, released Nov. 2, and it’s been thirty years in the making. The Beatles are an English rock band that was famous for their psychedelic, soft rock style. The song was originally written and recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s as part of a home demo, but it was left unfinished and Lennon unfortunately passed away in 1980 before completing it. In January 1994, his widow Yoko Ono gave two cassette tapes to Paul McCartney that she had previously told George Harrison about. One of these contained the demo for “Now and Then,” which was to be one of the “bookends” of the band’s history. However, the audio was indistinct and scratchy, so Lennon’s voice was unable to be separated from his piano when the band first tried to finish the song. Thus, the band abandoned the attempt until around 27 years later, when the band collaborated with WingNut Films to utilize AI to separate the singing and the piano into two distinct, clear tracks. At this point, Ringo Starr created the drum track, McCartney created the base track and Harrison’s archival guitar tracks were pulled and compiled with Lennon’s demo. After a great deal of editing and mixing, “Now and Then” was finally complete.
“Now and Then” falls into the Beatles signature blend of genres that is psychedelic, soft rock. The lyrics are a melancholy mix of reassurance, apology, and reminiscence. The reminiscence seems to speak of the time looked fondly upon that Lennon had spent with the band before his death. The unspoken thanks for the precious time and memories are clearly expressed in the song. The apology seems directed again to the band, but also to his wife and son, for leaving them behind as unfinished as the song itself was. The reassurance is directed at these closest of friends, but mostly at his wife and son, expressing just how great his love is for them and reaffirming their place in the center of his heart. I liked the story the lyrics told the listener, and it felt very touching. However, the soft rock style isn’t really my cup of tea. Despite this, it is still an excellent song with good vocals, a satisfying but not overbearing beat and the accompanying guitar/bass are in the Goldilocks zone of music: just right for this song.
“Now and Then” is a fantastic addition to the catalog of the Beatles that contains the very essence of the band. As far as the choice to release it now, this was made solely due to the limitations of technology. If the software used to separate the audio had existed when they first tried to finish the song, it would have been finished then. However, the song sounds as if it was released 30 years prior, along with its fellows. The song is indeed timeless, and so is the band. If one needs proof, simply look at how loved they remain despite this being the first song in several decades. “Now and Then” is an outstanding finale to the saga of the Beatles, and one that will last as long as it can be preserved.
“Now and Then”: ★★★★☆
