LETTER:Paean to dirges

From Mr Robert Cooper

Sir: Why is Andy Gill so waspish in his review ("Money can buy you love", 22 November) of the Beatles Anthology and, in particular, the single "Free as a Bird"?

Considering the three surviving Beatles and the record producer Jeff Lynne were working from little more than a fragment of a John Lennon song, the result is nothing short of miraculous. Given the circumstances, we cannot expect a classic Beatles single, but it has been worth waiting 25 years for. As for the "overall effect being a dirge", this must be good for business, as dirges like "Hey Jude" and McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre" are two of the best-selling singles in popular music history.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Cooper

Charlbury, Oxford