Rating: 5/5 stars

Talk about a wildcard moment! The Beatles (“Let It Be”) have united one final time thanks to the help of artificial intelligence used to refine the very last of John Lennon’s (“I’m Stepping Out”) unreleased demo recordings. The song, “Now and Then,” released on Nov. 2 is a half-century in the making and it was certainly worth the wait. Not only is it so emotional and beautiful because of the work that went into crafting it; it also signifies something much bigger and more historic than any other release. This is truly the last song that has the original four Beatles on it. 

Featuring Lennon’s vocals and piano along with guitar by George Harrison (“Cloud Nine”), The Beatles are joined with their living brothers through the power of music and technological advancements. The lyrics written and sung by a 37-year-old Lennon harmonize with the 81-year-old Paul McCartney (“McCartney III”) and 83-year-old Ringo Starr (“What’s My Name”) in a way that is so heartbreaking it is impossible to suppress the tears that begin to form. The song is undeniably a beautiful composition. It is wistful, melancholy and filled to the brim with love from each member’s contributions to revive what Lennon recorded in 1977 on a cassette tape. The seamless blending of old footage with Harrison and Lennon is almost too sob-worthy, perhaps cheesy to some as a young smart-dressed Lennon jumps and hops about. There are cuts from nearly every era of the band, even some of their school pictures as boys. McCartney looks on over the added string symphony to see a young Lennon waving, adding to the heart-wrenching vibe of it all.

Until last year, separating Lennon’s vocals from the piano and background fuzz in the original demo recording was impossible. But then, director Peter Jackson (“Lord of the Rings”) and his production company WingNut Films were brought aboard the project. Jackson had already worked with McCartney and Starr to make “The Beatles: Get Back” docuseries which premiered in 2021 in select IMAX theaters and on Disney+. With the use of machine-assisted learning (MAL) audio restoration technology, Jackson and his team were able to isolate Lennon’s vocals into crystal clear quality. The result made for an emotional posthumous reunion between Lennon and McCartney’s voices with Harrison and Starr’s instrumental talents. 

There are so many little details that superfans have picked up on since its release, such as that the track opens with McCartney and Starr counting off “one, two” leaving out “three, four” because Lennon and Harrison would have said those parts. To add to the revived sense of “Beatle-mania,” a short film about the making of “Now and Then” was released on the band’s YouTube for all to watch, cry and take enjoyment in. It also features commentary from Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon who recalled his father “always making music.” 

Perhaps the funniest part of this release besides the charming never-before-seen footage of the band is that Yoko Ono (“Yes, I’m a Witch”) is the person who gave McCartney, Starr and at the time, Harrison the unreleased recordings by Lennon in 1994. The sister tracks of “Now and Then” were “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” which saw release in 1995 and 1988 respectively. Once accused of being the cause of the band’s demise, Ono managed to ignite their final reformation. In this sweet and sad goodbye, The Beatles have earned their flowers.

Image from The Beatles via YouTube.com