Guide to British Music of the 1960s

November 2003

CD Review

The Beatles- Let It Be- Naked

• Home
• Artists
• Indexes
• Books
• Search

• About Making Time

• Advertising

• Add url

This was a long time coming. When the Beatles started recording Let It Be, in front of the film cameras, it was intended to be a back-to-basics session. Tensions were rife in the group and this approach was supposed to make recording fun like it had previously been. The recording was due to be followed by a live concert, the Beatles' first since 1966, with London's Roundhouse noted as a possible venue. The project was scaled back a couple of times, recording was switched from film studios in Twickenham to the studio in the basement of Apple and the concert ended up on the roof of Apple, at least until the police halted it. However, once the tracks had been recorded the group's manager Allan Klein handed the tapes to Phil Spector to produce against the wishes of Paul McCartney (who was also not in favour of Klein). Many felt, not least McCartney, that Spector's approach was wrong and he had embellished tracks with choirs and strings when they were supposed to be more simple. Let it Be... Naked is an attempt to put things right.

Paul McCartney has been heavily criticised, both at the time for being ego-driven and, more recently, for looking to change history, remaking the album the way he wanted. This is unjustified. At the time it appeared that Paul McCartney was the only one of the Beatles who seemed to be interested in taking the Beatles forward. Lennon was possibly becoming bored and was certainly more preoccupied with Yoko Ono than the band. George Harrison appeared to be highly frustrated. By this stage George was writing songs, at least the equivalent of Lennon and McCartney but was still finding it difficult to have his tracks taken seriously. The following album, in recording terms, Abbey Road shows that George possibly had the best songs with Something and Here Comes The Sun. All Things Must Pass, his later solo work, was originally recorded as part of the Let It Be sessions.

However, George also makes some key contributions to this album with For You Blue and I Me Mine. Like the Abbey Road tracks, George's writing has a fresh, almost liberating, feel to it. By this stage he had gained in confidence as a songwriter.

The album was originally due to be called Get Back and the intended title track launches the album. This is clear evidence in the improvement in sound quality that has been achieved here. The track is slight shorter, missing the final refrain and adlibs. Ringo's drums drive the song even more than previously. The keyboards of Billy Preston are also much clearer here. The clarity also comes across strong in Lennon's Dig a Pony.

The Long and Winding Road is probably the best example of how the track has been changed by removing the additions. the track has been taken back to its piano base with guitars and has become a Beatles track again. As such, it is a far more beautiful song now that it can be properly heard. Furthermore, it has ceased to sound "naff." The guitar gains from the liberalising treatment.

Two of Us opened the original album. This is a song about Paul and Linda but is sang as a duet between John and Paul. This is a beautiful track especially with John and Paul singing it together. The following track, I've Got a Feeling, is another McCartney track where the interplay of his voice with John Lennon's works very well. While this is McCartney song, John Lennon comes in with the "Everybody had a hard year" refrain before singing is alongside Paul's verse. This is is the best track on the album, in my opinion. this is the "heaviest" track, probably the heaviest the Beatles ever were with the possible exception of Helter Skelter and Yer Blues. Billy Preston is featured extensively on this track too.

The One After 909 is one of the Beatles' earliest tracks. The Let It Be sessions included many early tracks, mostly songs that the Beatles had been covering. this is track is an example of the early Paul and John looking to write an "American" rock 'n' roll song. However, recording it in 1969 the Beatles made a highly professional job turning it from a schoolboys' song into a piece of powerful rock music. Again, this track is a major beneficiary of the remastering and is substantially more powerful as a result.

Don't Let Me Down was the b-side of Get Back but was dropped from the original Let It Be album. The version included was taken from the rooftop recording session. Across the Universe was used as the Beatles' contribution to a television programme called Nothing's Gonna Change Our World. This is an earlier track and, perhaps, out of place on Let It Be, but the song retains a feeling of innocence and some wonderful John Lennon lyrics.

The track Let It Be sounds more powerful. Unfortunately it still sounds like a hymn. However, the guitar solo is still there, even if it appears to be mixed down in favour of the piano. Nevertheless, George's guitar returns at a later point in the song where it was missing on the Spector version.

The bonus disc is an outtake of the recording sessions with conversations mixed with snippits of songs. Note that none of these songs are full length. The most interesting of these is an early version of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

This is not the Beatles' greatest album by a long way. However, the new version corrects the faults in the original and makes it far more powerful. It is primarily a Paul McCartney album despite strong showing by George and John. Let It Be brings the Beatles to a close, well not quite.

Release Date: November 2003

1. Get Back
2. Dig A Pony
3. For You Blue
4. The Long And Winding Road
5. Two Of Us
6. I've Got A Feeling
7. One After 909
8. Don't Let Me Down
9. I Me Mine
10. Across The Universe
11. Let It Be

Additional disc

Fly on the Wall- the Beatles in the studio includes conversation and previously unreleased tracks.

1. Sun King
2. Don't Let Me Down
3. One After 909
4. Because I Know You Love Me So
5. Don't Pass Me By
6. Taking a Trip to Carolina
7. John's Piano Piece
8. Child of Nature
9. Back in the USSR
10. Every Little Thing
11. Don't Let Me Down
12. All Things Must Pass
13. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
14. Paul's Piano Piece
15. Get Back
16. Two Of Us
17. Maggie Mae
18. Fancy My Chances With You
19. Can You Dig It?
20. Get Back