Professing to be an “unofficial” account of the Beatles, Rare And Unseen features some unseen rare footage of the Fabs at work and play interspersed with commentary from various people who witnessed these crazy times back in the UK. Colin Hanton, the drummer of the Quarrymen, the band which was to later become The Beatles, as well as musicians Steve Harley, Gerry Marsden and Phil Collins (he appeared in “A Hard Day’s Night”), and Beatles tour manager Sam Leach, each offer their own take on what had to have been one hell of an amazing period.
There’s footage from 1962, the earliest known stuff to survive (although its silent) and snippets from a 1964 Carid Hall performance in Scotland. There’s also personal vacation footage from when John, Paul, George and Ringo visited the Channel Isle of Jersey and behind-the-scenes bits from Help in the Bahamas in 1965. It’s all pretty much early stuff but all pretty neat to see.
Rare And Unseen is really for the hardcore fan. The concert footage is fragmented, the sound is choppy at best, the eras don’t fluctuate. There’s no transition of the mop tops becoming rich and bearded hippies. Still, Rare And Unseen is a good two hours of what is was all about back then. Tony Barrow, the Beatles press officer from 1962-1968, wraps it all up with some excellent liner notes in the booklet that to accompanies the DVD.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
