"The Beatles Anthology, Volume 2"
Apple/Capitol

The most important thing about this album is not the material from the Abbey Road vaults, playful and interesting as much of it is. No, what's most exciting about the "The Beatles Anthology, Volume 2" is the album's new single. "Real Love" is the real thing, a genuine collaboration that recaptures the magic that made the Beatles the most important musicians of the rock and roll era. "Real Love" succeeds on its own terms -- as an evanescent pop song you want to hear again the first time you hear it -- but it also serves as a worthy reminder of the extraordinary talents and creative synergy that enabled Lennon, Harrison, McCartney and Starr to produce music that delighted and transformed the world.

The mystery is why "Real Love" wasn't chosen as the single to launch the overall Anthology project last fall. "Free As A Bird," the song selected instead, is pleasant but hardly a powerhouse. "Real Love" may not rank with such masterpieces as "Penny Lane" and "Day Tripper" -- how many songs do? But it fits very comfortably within the Beatles' larger canon. Judged purely on grounds of quality, it would easily earn a spot on the band's later albums.

---

Next page: Keeping John on beat