The Beatles and A.I.: Good Thing Or Bad Thing?

They've done it again. The Beatles are back in headlines around the world. This time, it has caused a few people, including myself, to wonder, is the concept of The Beatles and A.I. a good thing or bad thing?

Word has come out that Paul McCartney has used A.I. technology to finish a third, and "final," Beatles song since the passing of John Lennon and, now, the first without George Harrison. It will be released sometime later this year.

The as-yet unannounced title of the song is largely speculated to be "Now And Then," (also known in bootleg circles as "I Don't Want To Lose You") a song that the "Threetles," as they were sometimes known in the mid-90s, did attempt to finish, along with "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love." Problems with a high pitched-tone throughout the original cassette demo plus the fact that, according to Paul, George did not like the way John's voice sounded on the tape, caused the sessions to be scrapped after just one day.

Over the years, Paul has continued to express interest in finishing a "Beatles" version of the song with John and even threw out the possibility of working with Jeff Lynne, who produced the other two songs that DID find their way onto Beatles Anthology releases. Now, John's vocals have apparently been lifted from the song to the point where there is no hum or extraneous background noise. At this point, it's not known whether or not Lynne is involved in this series of sessions.

The thing is, I don't necessarily consider this an A.I. achievement, in the ChatGPT sense of A.I., so I feel these headlines are a bit misleading. What is being done here is they are using the technology that director Peter Jackson and his team developed to extract audio pieces for use in The Beatles: Get Back movie in 2021. Giles Martin has also employed similar, but not the exact, technology on some of the recent Beatles reissues.

Is it A.I.? I guess so. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I think it's a good thing if done properly, and we'll soon find out. If, however, I hear that the unfinished verses of "Now And Then" were written by an A.I. robot, I'll be very, very concerned.

In the meantime, and this is a spoiler alert, if you want to hear John's demo of "Now And Then," from the cassette that Yoko gave to Paul, here it is:

They are the most iconic band in the world with a discography that is 50+ years old. Sometimes we need a refresher. Especially when it comes to the young people in our lives. There are so many Beatles songs you need to show Gen Z.

With a whole new generation coming of age comes a whole new generation that needs to be educated on The Beatles. You may have played them these songs as kids, but now that they're older, they need to truly appreciate them. The band wrote such profound lyrics that permeate time and still ring true today.

Most of the songs on this list talk about important issues probably facing Gen Z today, such as self discovery and, of course, love. And let's face it. Bands today may not have existed had it not been for The Beatles. For example, Nirvana, Radiohead, and even Queen have said they were all influenced by the iconic band. If you go back in the history of your favorite band or artist and who they were inspired by, it's nearly impossible NOT to find The Beatles.

It's hard to appreciate where music's roots lie when you were born and live so far in the future of it. That's why it's up to those who know to educate the younger ones who don't. It feels like Gen Z needs The Beatles now more than ever. Not only just for foundational music knowledge, but also for life advice.

The Beatles were in their teens and 20s during the peak of their career. They had angst. So Gen Z, keep in mind that the age you're hitting now is the age they were in the 60s. Their longevity is due to the fact that they're just so dang relatable. They wrote these songs while they were going through what you're going through now! So with that being said,

The age old story of a kid flying the coop. This stunning song not only will make you cry with its orchestral beauty, it will also feel so relevant. The swirling harp will transport you to the song's world. You can find yourself in every character's shoes at different points in your life. Gen Z may be on the girl's side now, but when they become parents, they will understand the parents in the song's perspective, too. The song is just gorgeous and encapsulates the human experience so well.

You ever find yourself looking inward and not liking what you see? That's kinda what John Lennon did here when he wrote this tune. The song describes a man with no direction in his life and with no genuine worldview. Huh, sounds a lot like what most young people go through. The message is thinly veiled in Lennon's poetic writing style. If you don't want to think too deeply about it, it is still a bop, so you can dance around to the classic harmonies.

"For No One" follows a woman falling out of love with her partner. The French horn is not the only beautiful thing about this song. The lyrics are just so relatable. Whether you've fallen out of love, or someone's fallen out of love with you, this song will hit hard. Mind you, Paul was a mere 23 years old writing this one. The line: "You find that all her words of kindness linger on when she no longer needs you," was written by a KID. Wow. This is a good song for when you're in your feels and just want to cry.

The nod to the Everly Brothers, "Two Of Us",  is likely talking about getting lost in the country with your love. The song is more stripped down than other Beatles hits, but the sound is definitely there. The soaring harmonies tell a story of being with someone you really enjoy, doing something that makes you both happy. It's a great sing-along tune.

This is just one of those classic love songs you can't NOT like. You know all the typical Beatles love songs, probably, like "She Loves You" and "Something". And I Love Her is different, but it's quintessential. It came in contrast to the driving pop that it found itself among on the album A Hard Days Night. The song is perfect slow-dancing material. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been in love.

"Michelle" is just one of those super unique, gorgeous songs. It's inspired heavily by French music and talks about loving someone he doesn't speak the same language as. The best part is that this song marks a departure beyond the confines of rock music at the time. The finger-picking style Paul uses here was not commonly seen back then. Yet, you hear it all the time now. It's a great listen.

You just have to hear this one, if you haven't. There are almost no words to describe the beauty of this song. I was going to try to attempt to talk about it, but seriously, you just have to hear it. I would argue that it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

"I Will" is not one many people mention when listing great Beatles love songs. But, it is great. The song features Paul McCartney mouthing the bass part rather than playing it. The beauty lies in its simplicity. It's a classic declaration of love that is a staple for any Spotify playlist you want to make for your significant other.

Nostalgia at its finest. When looking at your life now, and how it was then, you may want to listen to "In My Life". It is about how life is constantly changing and evolving. We lose people, we meet people, we fall in love. Life is so complex, and here Lennon attempts to put it all in a song. Or at least the fact that life is bound to change. Gen Z may be seeing a LOT of changes in life right now. This song is a good way to cope and deal with it.

"Hey Jude" is just one of those songs. It was written by Paul for John Lennon's kid, Julian. His parents were getting a divorce, so life was pretty hard for little Julian. There are times when you just need to take a sad situation and make the best of it, and that's what this song reminds us to do. This is another song that tries to tackle how we can and should deal with change.

It's all about the unattainable. "The Long and Winding Road" leads to the door you never quite reach. This is the road that you never get to the end of, until you do. It's really deep if you think about it. It gives some pretty good perspective on life and how it's all one big journey. You can also watch this one get recorded in the new Let It Be documentary on Disney+. It's so fascinating to watch their writing and recording process.

This song falls in the midst of one of the best rock medleys ever written. The B-Side of Abbey Road is a true masterpiece. "Golden Slumbers" marks almost the midway point, starting calm and swelling into a grand crescendo. The song, inspired by lullabies, is on the final album The Beatles recorded together. It marks a transition period in the album, and in life.

What a happy, pretty tune. The Harrison composition reminds us that the sun is always on the horizon. Written after a particularly tumultuous time for the singer, it talks of the sun, with all its brightness and warmth, finally making an appearance again. The sun could be a metaphor for better times, or whatever you'd like it to be. It serves as a joyous reminder that not everything will stay bleak forever. The sun will come back!