Quoted from wingsman

I agree with you two. The three version of 'Strawberry' are the best of the second Anthology.

I'm on board with you guys here. In fact, I thought that those three tracks weren't enough! My personal favorite from bootlegs is take 25 with just the cellos, horns, and drums.

The second Anthology is far and away my favorite of the three. Great period there with the Rubber Soul through Magical Mystery Tour extras.

Yeah, but there's something really bad about the Anthology 2. I mean, it was the first anthology (and only?... I don't have the 3rd volume...) to include those 'remixes'. For example, 'Taxman' or 'Penny Lane' sounds almost the same as the released versions.
I know the outro on Penny Lane is exclusively on the Anthology 2, but what the hell is the difference in 'Taxman'? Somebody please tell me!  

Quoted from wingsman

but what the hell is the difference in 'Taxman'? Somebody please tell me!  

Quite a bit actually. There are some guitar parts that have not been mixed out. The backing vocals sing 'anybody got a bit of money' instead of the 'Mr Wilson, Mr Heath' vocals. The ending is also very different. There is a 'clean' ending instead of the fade out with the guitar solo.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Quite a bit actually. There are some guitar parts that have not been mixed out. The backing vocals sing 'anybody got a bit of money' instead of the 'Mr Wilson, Mr Heath' vocals. The ending is also very different. There is a 'clean' ending instead of the fade out with the guitar solo.

Yeah, they just made it slightly different, change the backing vocals &
decided to fade it out.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Quite a bit actually. There are some guitar parts that have not been mixed out. The backing vocals sing 'anybody got a bit of money' instead of the 'Mr Wilson, Mr Heath' vocals. The ending is also very different. There is a 'clean' ending instead of the fade out with the guitar solo.

YES, thats it!...too bad this bit wasnt part of Revolver version...it's fascinating but unclear what the thinking processes were behind which take was "acceptable" for the album and which one wasnt. What was considered risque lyrically in 1966 Britain has certainly changed...

Well, I have original 1 and 3, but I think the 2 is the best.
But there are some fantastic stuff on every part of the Anthology.
And of course, some stuff that I don't like.

First, all the "speeches" from A1 I would put on one disc, which would
consist of interesting interviews with Beatles from 60s to 1970
(I wouldn't mix music with speech like they did on a A1.)
I wouldn't put so much takes of one song (One After 909 - sequence, complete,
I'll Be Back - take 2, take 3, Eight Days A Week - sequence, complete.)

The best song on the A1 is And I Love her ("hard" version with),
which I like better than the official version!

Anthology 3

I wouldn't put so much demos on A3 like Happiness Is A Warm
Gun, Polythene Pam, Glass Onion, Junk, Piggies, Why Don't We Do It In The Road, Julia...
Instead, I would like to hear more stuff like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Don't Pass Me By,
- stuff more close to the "final" takes but different from them.
Best songs: While MY Guitar Gently Weeps, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Come And Get It,
Ain't She Sweet.

Anthology 2, as I said, is the best. I like fantastic different versions of Strawberry Fields,
Got to Get You Into My Life, Across the Universe, Eleanor Rigby (strings only), You Know
My Name, The Fool On The Hill.

I must say that Walrus, Hello Goodbye and A Day In The Life sound a little strange (or "empty")
without overdubs, but it's interesting to hear, let's say, "half - naked"
versions... (Maybe that's the way Beatles would sound if they didn't meet George Martin...)

The best songs: all the mentioned plus many more like Only A Northern Song,
That Means A Lot...

Anthology 2 has the least demos & the least live versions, so I think that is the
best part of the Anthology.

And I adore the low-down, gritty 'I'm Looking Through You'. Too much fun.

Quoted from 829

YES, thats it!...too bad this bit wasnt part of Revolver version...it's fascinating but unclear what the thinking processes were behind which take was "acceptable" for the album and which one wasnt. What was considered risque lyrically in 1966 Britain has certainly changed...

Oh I think the Mr. Wilson/Mr. Heath line is MORE risque, actually naming the culprits!

George's acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on #3 is downright haunting. Of course, the "finished" version on TWA is indispensible--what w/ Clapton's masterly contributions--but 3's intimate rendering of this latter-day Harrison beauty is the highpoint of the trilogy's final set for me.

Quoted from 829

George's acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on #3 is downright haunting. Of course, the "finished" version on TWA is indispensible--what w/ Clapton's masterly contributions--but 3's intimate rendering of this latter-day Harrison beauty is the highpoint of the trilogy's final set for me.

I could barely listen to TWA version after hearing the acoustic one. It's just beautiful.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I could barely listen to TWA version after hearing the acoustic one. It's just beautiful.

After hearing the one version for so long I find the "new" lyric offputting, but agreed, it's very well done.

Quoted from Kevin

After hearing the one version for so long I find the "new" lyric offputting, but agreed, it's very well done.

I've often though it could have been worked on as an acoustic number. Some really good picking, and maybe a bit of subtle string quartet?

Quoted from Kevin

After hearing the one version for so long I find the "new" lyric offputting, but agreed, it's very well done.

yeah, George did some wonderful demos during that time (All Things Must Pass &
Something are so beautiful as well!)

I think Anthology 3 hangs together best, and I especially like the Spectorless Get Back tracks on disc 2. The first disc of Anthology 2 plays well, too.