So what are we to make of the carefully orchestrated promotional campaign—complete with two "new" songs—that launched with ABC Television's "Beatles Anthology" last week? Is this simply a cynical venture in historical exploitation, thinly disguised as a documentary and designed for maximum return (an estimated $100 million this year alone)? Or are the surviving Beatles, a quarter-century on, moved by a genuine desire to provide their own, officially produced, for-the-record account of their amazing time together? Either explanation is supportable; the truth, as usual, probably lies somewhere in-between.

In a similar vein: do the songs "Free As a Bird" and "Real Love" (both of which are built around tracks Lennon recorded long ago) achieve an otherwise impossible reunion, the ultimate tribute to the Beatles as they once were? Or is using a dead man's voice to construct the centerpiece of a six-hour TV special (and three multiple-CD sets) the ultimate in marketing callousness? Again, your point-of-view will govern the answer.

At least the musical verdict is fairly straightforward. Neither of these songs contributes substantially to the Beatles canon, though "Free As a Bird," especially, is instantly familiar as the Beatles' work—a song they could have released in the Sixties. For many of the Beatles' aging Boomer fans (and younger fans, too), this will be more than enough.

New songs aside, "The Beatles Anthology" is good television. Created by Apple Productions (remember Apple?), the documentary mixes extensive interviews with George, Paul and Ringo (and, importantly, with producer George Martin) and archival recordings and footage to present an engaging and evocative portrait of the Beatles' life and times. Other components in the Beatles' 1995 marketing mix—the initial Capitol Records "Anthology" release, the special issue of Life Magazine—are considerably less compelling.

Curiously, Beatles promotion is relatively muted on the Web. Apart from ABC's site, there is a site devoted to the Life special issue and a minimalist Capitol Records site, conspicuously lacking sound clips. There are, however, plenty of fan-generated sites: start with the official rec.music.beatles home page, if you'd like to explore.

(Reviewed November 27, 1995)