Anthology 4 Just Isn’t Doing It For Me
Last Updated: December 1, 2025 Published:November 25, 2025
So every year as the Christmas holidays draw near, I get fired up about The Beatles again. They always release something new around the holidays to help introduce them to a new audience, and that’s usually all it takes for me to get fired up. This years offering is Anthology 4, the latest in the series and part of the 30th-anniversary remastered re-issue of the original Anthology albums. Like the first three, Anthology 4 features more outtakes from the Beatles recording sessions between 1963 and 1969.
I have to admit, while I’m a huge fan of Giles Martin’s work, this really didn’t do it for me this year. And to say the least, I was disappointed. Granted there is a newly refreshed video series on Disney, but eh, I really don’t want to add another streaming service.
But then…
Along comes Rick Beato (and Ken Scott)
Rick Beato always does a great interview, and is a long-time Beatle fan as well. Just recently he dis an interview with Ken Scott, one of the engineers at EMI who worked with The Beatles, among many other amazing and brilliant artists. His first engineering job was recording the orchestration for I Am The Walrus (one of my favorite Beatle tracks). Can you imagine? You can watch it here in its entirety.
As an engineer who also started recording on a 4-track, I was mesmerized.
I was so taken by his interview, I quickly downloaded his book “Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust“, and I just can’t put it down. It’s full of stories about those early recording sessions from a completely different perspective. He even talks about the gear used. I’ll read a story about a track he worked on, cross-reference the track with “The Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, and then go listen to the track. It is great fun, and has me once again all fired up about The Beatles.
I just hope it lasts till Christmas.