The Beatles - Now and Then Review

Wow, for me to get to write a review for my childhood favorite band is amazing! On 11/2/23, The Beatles took the world by storm one last time. Dubbed as "the last Beatles song", "Now and Then" quickly received universal acclaim from music critics around the world! The song was worked on for over 45 years, with John Lennon recording vocals in his home studio in 1977 (AI was used to help enhance his vocals on the original recording), George Harrison recording backing vocals and guitar in 1995, and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr recording backing vocals, bass, piano, and drums in 2022! Therefore, every member of The Beatles got a chance to work on this song, which to me makes it so much more powerful, since Lennon was tragically killed in 1980, and Harrison passed away of cancer in 2001. On top of the 4 Beatles who play on the track, a 13-person orchestra was added to bring depth to the song, which I find it does quite well! Giles Martin, son of former Beatles producer George Martin, actually helped arrange some of the strings on the song, which was really cool since his father had once done the same! 

The song itself is considered a soft rock ballad, which almost has a bit of psychedelic in it, a type of music The Beatles are no stranger to.  The song clocks in at about a little over 4 minutes, but has a whirlwind of emotions throughout it! When John wrote the lyrics, it was likely just a simple love song, but now that it's 2023 and he was killed over 40 years ago, it brings a whole new meaning to the track. It's almost as if the song is John's official farewell to The Beatles. It's hard not to get emotional when you think of it that way! 

Overall,  I rate the song a 5/5 (my first perfect rating!), due to it's beautiful melody and lyrics. I find that though it may not sound 100% like a Beatles song, it is a perfect way to close out the band's career! I actually think the song's sound can be compared to Radiohead's "Karma Police." It has the same dramatic feel as that song, but it is far from a rip off! Considering how long it took for this song to come into fruition, I think The Beatles did a remarkable job! If you haven't heard "Now and Then" yet, get off this blog and go listen to it ASAP! It is a really emotional song, but you will be glad you heard it when you're done listening! - Elliott Dudoit