Bagong single ng Beatles na ‘Now and Then’ inilabas na
The Beatles - McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - split up in 1970 (AFP)
Isang bagong awitin ng Beatles na ginawa sa kaunting tulong mula sa artificial intelligence (AI) at kasama ang mga vocal ni John Lennon ay inilabas na nitong Huwebes.
Inilabas ang kanta nang higit sa apat na dekada matapos itong orihinal na naitala bilang isang demo, ngunit sa kabila ng hype, nabigo nitong ma-impress ang mga kritiko.
Sinabi ni Geoff Edgers sa Washington Post, “’Now and Then’ is not terrible… But ultimately, it’s kind of mundane.”
Ayon naman sa Times daily sa UK, ang awitin ay nagpapakita na ang bentaha ng AI ay nagamit nang husto.
Isinulat naman ng reviewer na si Will Hodgkinson, “Parts of it also conjured up that classic, bittersweet, Beatles-esque flavour. Unfortunately, none of this can mask the fact that the Last Beatles Song is far from a lost masterpiece. ‘Now and Then’ is wispy, indistinct and, frankly, a bit of a wet ballad. It sounds more like late-period Lennon than any moment in the Beatles’ career.”
Naging partikular naman ang Variety magazine sa isyu ng lyrics ng awitin.
Sinabi ni Jem Aswad ng Variety, “It’s hard to imagine Lennon being happy with lines like, ‘I know it’s true, it’s all because of you/ And if I make it through, it’s all because of you’. The song sounded more like a ‘rough and incomplete sketch of a song reassembled and elaborately embellished,’ rather than a complete one.”
Critics gave ‘Now and Then’ a lukewarm reception (AFP)
Ang “Now And Then,” na unang isinulat at inawit ni Lennon noong 1978, ay tinapos ng mga kapwa miyembro sa banda na sina Paul McCartney at Ringo Starr.
Ang track ay inilabas ng Apple Corps, Capitol at Universal Music Enterprises, na may isang music video na magde-debut ngayong Biyernes.
Inanunsyo ng 81-anyos na si McCartney, ang pagpapalabas sa kanta noong Hunyo, sa tinawag na isang promotional trailer na “the last Beatles song.”
Sa isang video sa YouTube bago ang pagpapalabas sa kanta ay sinabi ni McCartney, “It’s quite emotional and we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording.”
Ang “Now And Then” ay isa sa ilang awiting nasa isang cassette na ini-record ni Lennon para kay McCartney sa kaniyang tahanan sa Dakota Building sa New York noong 1979, isang taon bago siya namatay.
Ibinigay ito sa kaniya ng balo ni Lennon na si Yoko Ono noong 1994.
Dalawang iba pang kanta, ang “Free As A Bird” at “Real Love,” ay nilinis ng producer na si Jeff Lynne, at ipinalabas noong 1995 at 1996.
Isang pagtatangka ang ginawa rin para sa “Now And Then” ngunit ang proyekto ay inabandona dahil sa background noise sa demo.
Ginawa itong posible ngayon ng AI, bagama’t ang paggamit sa naturang teknolohiya sa musika ay isang isyung malawakang pinagtatalunan, na may ilan na tinutukoy ang copyright abuses, habang pinupuri naman ng iba ang kahusayan nito.
Paul McCartney revealed earlier this year that AI had been used to create a ‘final Beatles record’ (AFP)
Ayon kay McCartney, “After the recording was processed using the new technology, there it was, John’s voice, crystal clear.”
Tinapos ng dalawa pang nabubuhay na Beatles members ang “Now And Then” noong isang taon, kasama ang electric at acoustic guitar recording ni George Harrison noong 1995.
Sa kanilang recordning sa Capitol Studios sa Los Angeles, idinagdag din nila ang drum part ni Ringo Starr kasama ng bass, piano, isang slide guitar solo ni McCartney na inspired ni Harrison, at marami pang back-up vocals.
Sinabi ng 83-anyos na si Starr, “The process was the closest we’ll ever come to having him (Lennon) back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”
Ayon naman kay Sean Ono Lennon, anak na lalaki ni Lennon at Ono, “It was ‘incredibly touching’ to hear the former Beatles working together again ‘after all the years’ that dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”
Ang Beatles, na binubuo ni Lennon, McCartney, Starr at Harrison ay nagkahiwalay noong 1970, nagkaroon ng kani-kaniyang solo careers, ngunit hindi na muling nabuo.
Sabi pa ni McCartney, “I agonised initially about whether we should complete the song or leave it unfinished. Every time I thought like that I thought ‘Wait a minute, let’s say I had a chance to ask John’ … I’m telling you. I know the answer would have been ‘Yeah’.”
Si Lennon ay binaril at napatay sa New York noong 1980, edad 40, habang si Harrison ay namatay dahil sa lung cancer noong 2001, sa edad na 58.
Ang “Now And Then” ay inilabas bilang double A-side, kasama ang 1962 debut single ng banda na “Love Me Do,” at cover art ng US artist na si Ed Ruscha.
