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Review: Billed as "the last Beatles song", though originally stemming from a solo piano home demo recorded by John Lennon in 1979, 'Now & Then' was first considered to be used as the band's third reunion single for their 1995-96 retrospective The Beatles Anthology, following 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love'. Shelved for decades before eventually being completed by Lennon's surviving bandmates, the recording now finally sees the light of day, on a variety of limited double A-side 7" vinyl complimented by the band's debut single 'Love Me Do', as well as this CD single and retroactively being included on the tracklist for the upcoming half-speed remaster of their 1967-1970 Blue Album compilation. With additionally penned lyrics from McCartney, and Lennon's voice extracted from the original demo recording using the same AI-backed audio restoration technology that was commissioned by director Peter Jackson for his acclaimed 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back, this is one final slice of audible greatness.

Review: This Japanese edition of the Beatles' much-trumpeted 'final single', 'Now and Then', has been pressed to 'SHM-CD', a format playable on all CD players that its manufacturers claim guarantees superior sound quality. Given the high-tech nature of the record - much effort was made by Giles Martin, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to piece it together and make it sound special - many Beatles fans will find this appealing. The song itself has divided opinion, though there's no doubt that its blend of group harmony vocals, swelling strings, and typically jangly Beatles grooves leaves a lasting impression. It comes backed with a fresh, cleaned-up stereo mix of the band's debut UK single, 'Love Me Do', which benefits from greater sonic clarity and instrument separation.