I remember watching the Anthology when it was originally broadcast, and then on video when it was released, with extra footage.
This was largely very good, showing the origins of the Fab Four, their rise, their domination, their disintegration, and their dissolution.
Ringo is generally good-natured throughout, and McCartney is as consummate a showman as ever - although he can get a bit irritable with a prickly Harrison, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to take up Lennon's role as acerbic truth-teller, with Lennon himself, of course, only available via old interviews.
Is it a warts-and-all documentary? No, but, again, it was never meant to be. And as a celebration, the Anthology can sometimes feel a bit self-congratulatory, shying away from, or not going into enough detail about, the sacking of Pete Best, or the impact of Yoko. Best received millions of royalties, which I'm sure he wasn't unhappy about, but it would have been interesting to have had him appear and hear his perspective. And while the remaining Fab Four do admit that they found Yoko's presence in the studio inhibiting, it would have been nice to have heard how she felt. Instead ,neither she, nor any of the Beatle's wives, or ex-wives, or girlfriends even, appear.
But this is still very good. There's the pathos of watching McCartney, Harrison and Starr reminiscing about their glory days, but what days they were. Even if you've seen some of the footage before - like the Beatles arriving in New York for the first time - it still crackles with excitement. As McCartney sang, the Beatles are going to have to carry that weight for some time, but what a precious burden it must be.
This was largely very good, showing the origins of the Fab Four, their rise, their domination, their disintegration, and their dissolution.
Ringo is generally good-natured throughout, and McCartney is as consummate a showman as ever - although he can get a bit irritable with a prickly Harrison, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to take up Lennon's role as acerbic truth-teller, with Lennon himself, of course, only available via old interviews.
Is it a warts-and-all documentary? No, but, again, it was never meant to be. And as a celebration, the Anthology can sometimes feel a bit self-congratulatory, shying away from, or not going into enough detail about, the sacking of Pete Best, or the impact of Yoko. Best received millions of royalties, which I'm sure he wasn't unhappy about, but it would have been interesting to have had him appear and hear his perspective. And while the remaining Fab Four do admit that they found Yoko's presence in the studio inhibiting, it would have been nice to have heard how she felt. Instead ,neither she, nor any of the Beatle's wives, or ex-wives, or girlfriends even, appear.
But this is still very good. There's the pathos of watching McCartney, Harrison and Starr reminiscing about their glory days, but what days they were. Even if you've seen some of the footage before - like the Beatles arriving in New York for the first time - it still crackles with excitement. As McCartney sang, the Beatles are going to have to carry that weight for some time, but what a precious burden it must be.