I don't have a problem with LIBN as an alternate, although the original LIB is my go-to for listening. What I have a problem with, is that like sooooooo many other Apple projects, they did far less than they could have and screwed up far more than they should have. People have already commented on the excessive use of NR to where the tracks seem lifeless. The goofy editing for editing's sake. The pathetic "Fly on the Wall", when they could have put together a truly great bonus disc. With a few exceptions (The mono vinyl box certainly being one), they manage to not catch errors in the work they do. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy or appreciate these releases, but it makes a fan want to say "come on, fellas, pay some attention to the work you are doing!" AHDN BluRay - lousy edit/fix on If I Fell. 1+ - great package, but lack of attention to detail on what was put in and taken out of some tracks like 8DAW and ADITL. Wrong speed on a track. MMT BluRay - wrong recording used on title track, eliminating John's voice at the beginning. Really red face color throughout the whole video. Stereo vinyl set - quality problems American Albums box set - don't even get me started there. John Lennon Vinyl set - one song left off, one song duplicated twice on Rock and Roll.
I think folks are upset because the album title and intent is inaccurate AND that it could have been much better. Let It Be... Revisited? OK. Well, if that was the intended premise, I suppose it would be more difficult to critique, but, that's not what the end result is. The intent was to release an album that was MUCH closer in spirit to the what the Beatles were aiming for ack in January 1969. That is, an album with minimal, if any, extraneous processing and overdubs. In fact, LIB...N has MUCH more trickery-pokery than the original album. Yes, the original had unnecessary string, brass and choir overdubs, but each take was from a single performance. So much so, that Spector didn't even include the coda on Get Back because it was from another take entirely. A more honest version would have included alternate rooftop takes of I've Got A Feeling, Get Back and Don't Let Me Down. It would have included the better take of The Long And Winding Road without Spector's overdubs. It would have used the wonderful and decidedly naked version of Across The Universe from Anthology 3. It would have included Glyn John's mix of For You Blue and I Me Mine. It would have included dialogue and a few more link tracks. It would not have faded songs out early to simulate studio perfection. Many of us have compiled are own versions using Anthology tracks, boots, etc... Most are significantly better than LIB...N. This is true whether the original remains available or not. Ron
Having now heard and picked apart LIB-N, I agree. If not his "finest" hour, certainly one of his finest. He not only rescued those sessions, he gave the band three solid hits, at least one if not two of which probably wouldn't have happened without his intervention, and an emotionally-impactful "final" LP.
Mileage. I think they were absolutely necessary on TLAWR, made the song a hit, and brilliantly rescued the only usable performance of the song (the more polished final take being borderline lounge music). On the title cut they're a mixed bag, but I don't think they're particularly "unnecessary".
My main issue is the modern-age digital and revisionist edits and the sometimes huge liberties the producers took. Examples include: Dig a Pony: has pitch corrected vocals I've Got a Feeling: was originally a live track, but they cut up the two versions recorded on the rooftop and made a composite Don't Let Me Down: same as I've Got a Feeling, but this one is forgivable because John flubbed the lyrics on both versions Let it Be: this one is a Frankenstein of edits and different takes of the song. The reason this bothers me so much is that this album is supposed to be simpler and more "stripped-down," which it appears to be on the surface, but really isn't at all
If The Long And Winding Road needed a "boost" I would have preferred a more judicious embellishment. Such as what we heard on the Let It Be single. A tasteful brass overdub and some nice cellos. Not a massed choir and smothering strings. A mix of "Winding Road" with the George Martin touch would have been just as successful as it was with Spector's adornments... but without the biting criticism. It's just TOO much. Ron
Yes, although there IS a problem with 50 musicians/singers on the overdub arrangement, the main problem is that it's just mixed too loud. It also doesn't help that the overdubs are recorded in panoramic stereo and ALL the original Beatles & Billy performance is reduced to indistinct mono - should have been the other way round.
After years of listening now, for some reason, I play Let It Be...Naked almost exclusively. If it is still for novelty reasons, you'd think that would've worn off by now. Maybe I actually do think Let It Be...Naked is better, even though I'm not really thinking about it, I'm just enjoying it.
three ?? did i miss one ? and as for Long and winding Road, i'd be happy for that to be the 45 version but not for the LP, interesting that the Beatles did not allow this to be released in the UK ( i presume that Paul must have vetoed it but not vetoed the US release )
but appearance works for me as it creates more closely how the Beatles would have wanted it to sound when they were invested in the original project as conceived. We all know that in the end their " live " in the studio recordings just didn't work cos they were not good/focused enough. To me making them sound like they intended to be is a nice illusion for we all know that had they had the inclination to do it they could have, but there was by then too much **** going down. However when u add orchestration then even the illusion is tossed out of the window !
In fact only one - TL&WR. Both Get Back and Let It Be were hit singles before Spector was involved (he only remixed them - quite differently - for the later LIB album). Though there's the advantage of hindsight now, a completely no-overdubs (with only minimal editing) studio/rooftop album COULD have been done back in 1969. There are perfectly acceptable takes of every song. No orchestras OR Pro-Tools required.
Maybe it's time to link your awesome little remix. Still wondering how you reduced the overdubs so delicately. Apple take heed! Ron
yes of course, i should have said did I miss two lol ! editing of different takes perhaps, but generally i am with you on this, the will wasn't there to complete it, Glyn John's versions were clearly unacceptable, Spector at least found the right takes but was the antithesis of the original project.
I heard last year's "fan mix" of the Long and Winding Road WITH the orchestration mixed WAY down, and it was lovely! Why did Phil have to make it so intrusive??