Now & Then

Lennon enjoyed de-mystifying the Beatles. He was dismissive of Abbey Road, saying “it had no life in it” and that he disliked the pop opera on the other side, which he considered “junk because it was just bits of songs thrown together.” He claimed they simply “[put] out something slick to preserve the myth” after Let It Be, which he considered a more accurate representation of the band:

“I thought it was good to let it out and show people what had happened to us, we can’t get it together; we don’t play together any more; you know, leave us alone…it would break the Beatles, break the myth.”

George Harrison thought “Now and Then” was “fucking rubbish.” And McCartney’s efforts to elevate it into something greater than the sum of its parts were underwhelming for this Beatles obsessive. “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird” were both superior compositions and productions. But “Now and Then” is a fitting swan song, because it’s not a testament to their greatness.

An impressive technological feat, “Now and Then” lacks McCartney’s brilliant production flourishes, George Martin’s inspired string arrangements, and Harrison’s lyrical guitar stylings. Instead, it’s a relatively sparse and plaintive piece with a frailty Lennon would have appreciated for its true-to-life-ness. At 81, McCartney’s voice is going, and this ghostly collaboration is miles from the impossible standards they set for themselves. But that’s a better ending. It’s true to life. Because “this is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.”