Thirty years ago when The Beatles released Anthology 1, it was the first of three voluminous volumes—a double-disc debut for an eventual six-disc set that became an exclamation point on the presumed last sentence from the Fab Four. In total, the immense compilation was comprised of over 150 tracks of outtakes, alternate takes, and demos, and concluded with the most suggestive and defining of song choices: “The End.” Or was it?

The 30^th birthday of the release brings with it a new, fourth volume and, again presumably, a new end. Consider this new boxed edition as Anthology and its plus-one. First of note, 13 of the fourth volume’s 36 tracks are previously unreleased. Additionally, the 191 selections in their entirety have been remastered by Giles Martin.

Martin—son of the legendary Beatles producer, the late George Martin—has become the entrusted guardian of The Beatles’ bounty, remastering and, in some cases remixing, the group’s immortal catalog, to varying degrees of approval from the rabid. By remastering this full collection, at the least, Martin levels it all up to the standard and character of his previous work. At most, it’s a welcomed improvement. 

It is, in fact, a great improvement, particularly in giving Paul McCartney’s bass a more pronounced role than on its predecessors. Too, Jeff Lynne returns to revisit the reunited Beatles 1990s cuts- “Free As A Bird,” and “Real Love”- aided by upgraded audio gear. Lynne’s remixes of those two songs—featuring enhanced vocals from the late John Lennon—now resemble more the sonic fingerprint of 2023’s “Now and Then,” the stated final song from The Beatles, and the final song, here, on Volume 4.

If it feels like this is all a way to bring The Beatles into 2025 and beyond with a sense of uniformity—given both Martin’s imprint and the latest tech advances—arguably, it’s a sensible conclusion. What’s new here, on Volume 4, is certainly as entertaining and historically important as its brethren; and, smartly, The Beatles are offering Volume 4 as a stand-alone option. For those craving as much of the Fabs as possible, this box is essential.