Nostalgist will never shut the fuck up

I am genuinely shocked this release (basically everything save the 7" and 12") has sold out despite the terrible sequencing, track selection, being non-analog, and inexplicably excluding FAAB and RL. Charging over $20 for a 12" (shipping not included) is also laughable. The blatant ripping off of consumers is disgraceful. This is not a fitting final tribute to the Fab Four, but the nadir of Apple's greed successfully squeezing every dollar they can out of gullible sycophants that apparently enjoy getting taken advantage of. What a shame. Glancing at the track-listing, it's as if zero thought went into sequencing, no one asking why "Blackbird" is following the "last song ever," why FAAB and RL were left off as if forgotten novelties, why some use this or that old remix and others got new ones, etc. So these new remixes will just be recycled for the eventual editions of Rubber Soul going back to Please Please Me? Talk about killing the hype those releases deserved. I now look forward to the dozen other future variants of "Now and Then" to be marketed to maximize more profits for more yachts. Peace and Love, indeed. What's wild is they could have just done a 12" featuring "Now and Then" with FAAB, RL and maybe one more surprise (or hell just include "Christmas Time is Here Again") and moved on. But artistic integrity was never Apple's intention, of course. :rolleyes:

My 2 1/2 cents.

I didn't know constructive criticism of unapologetic greed on steroids (with no consideration for the music itself) laughing to the bank taking advantage of suckers wasn't allowed. :shrug:

Yes, but there already exists two recent all-analog editions of these compilations. So why recycle the compilation when they could have just done N&T with FAAB, RL, and one or two other surprises on a 12" says it all about why Apple feels that "less is more" is not the way to go (not as profitable) even though it's logical that the "last song" should have been coupled with the other Threetles songs and then carry on in 2024 with Rubber Soul and so on, with all those Giles remixes being kept as surprises to build hype around. They had the right formula, so naturally, they took a detour into an abyss and took most of the future hype with it. Unfortunate if you ask me.

True. I forgive them for the MLB variants now. Apple takes the crown for most pointless greedy ill-considered release and manipulative marketing ploy based around the "last song" just casually thrown on a compilation that mindlessly excludes FAAB and RL.

Wrong. I will be buying the 12" which (along with the 7") is the only part of this that makes logical sense. However, not including FAAB and RL is preposterous. It would have solved everything had those been remixed and included with one other surprise (or "Christmas Time is Here Again" as on the FAAB single). The rest is just illogical.

I should have known better... that Apple would do the illogical thing.

It was so simple to get this release right ––

7" and/or 12" with just "Now and Then" (with the 2023 remix of "Love Me Do" to satisfy Ringo)
12" with remixes of FAAB, RL and one other song ("Love Me Do" remix or "Christmas Time is Here Again")

The End.

Save everything else for future releases, album by album, as has been done for years.

Shameless.

I am totally in for the Anthology re-release with remixes of everything, but let's be honest, if "Now and Then" wasn't to be a small-scale individual release (7" and 12"), with or without remixed FAAB and RL included, then it should have just been saved for inclusion on the Anthology re-release and have it be either the opening track on one of the discs/sides or the last track on the last disc/side.

That's logic. That's continuity with a storybook ending. Apple and Co. chose greed and maximizing profit over logic and honoring the Beatles legacy. :shrug:

So if one owns those already, there is no point in buying them anew just for one song when there is a 7" and 12" option. The rest is nonsensical as they could have just saved the remixes for future releases of the rest of the albums working back to PPM. Maybe just include "Love Me Do" as a teaser of what's to come by including it as they have on the 12". Nothing else was necessary. Imagine if do re-release Anthology but exclude "Now and Then." None of it makes any sense. What's next to get released? The Hey Jude compilation?

If it was all-analog, sure. But not if sticking on the compilation a song like FAAB or RL. I wouldn't put it past Apple doing that just to screw over fans.

True, which is why a lot of us prefer to just wait to have these remixes on their proper future releases (Rubber Soul) since that's the way most of us will listen to the remixes in the future (and not on this compilation). Obviously Apple is trying to appeal to the newly-minted Gen Z vinyl hobbyists that pay no mind to analog or digital and will buy any inferior release just because it's the trendy thing to do (which Apple's marketing appears to have succeeded at). :shrug:

I look forward to your honest review.

It's not really "new" when there is already a Red and Blue still available on the market new (and one is all-analog still!). The only real difference is a "last song" being casually tossed on.

The other remixes will all be included in future releases, thus negating the purpose of listening to those remixes on this pointless compilation. :shrug: