Is 'Let it Be' DVD finally coming?

You think he needed heroin to write Don't Let Me Down, and it sounds like you like the song. If so why are you down on his use of it? This isn't really adding up.

I'm the one who had no issue with his drug use, remember?

 

But Don't Let Me Down isn't on the album.

 

I hate to cut in but, Lennon had at least several unreleased songs available, which he used later. Mr Mustard, Polythene Pam were already demoed. Likewise Child of Nature. That's three numbers right there. They could have gotten a 2-3 minute edit-mix to make Dig It a full length track. Lennon may have been lazy, stoned or disinterested. But he had tunes he could have used. I think he was just into 2-3 chord repetitive bluesy stuff at that moment. I think Lennons nightmare at that moment was learning more complex McCartney or Harrison songs, or God forbid writing some of his own. For you blue and Get back require little effort or study. Lennon couldn't be bothered in Jan 69. Heroin,Yoko, cold damp and filming crew at 9 am. Yikes.

Two chord jam looking pretty,pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good

 

It was sarcasm. Of course I don't believe he needed H to write DLMD. The point was, for those who felt he was spending too much time drugging instead of writing, the irony is that he still managed to write one of his best songs of his career.

And by the way -- IMO, one ought to really have an issue with heroin usage. It unnecesarily kills a lot of dumb people.

 

I believe "Gimme Some Truth" was another.

 

And "Watching Rainbows" was a very promising sketch for a song too, and could have been more substantial than either Polythene Man or Mean Mr Mustard.
So, five more songs, potentially, if he'd had the will.

 

Charles Darwin strikes again!!

 

Neither John nor Paul ever seemed to have a problem writing songs. They always had an abundance of material they were working on or they could easily knock something out to order. They may have struggled a bit from time to time finishing particular songs to their satisfaction. If so, they would just put it on the back burner for awhile and move on.

 

I would advise people against it, particularly those I care about, but ultimately if people want to kill themselves quickly with a gun, or more slowly with a heroin, cigarette or ice cream habit, it is their life to live and end as they choose and I make no moral judgment, provided they have adequate life insurance to protect the interests of their dependents.

 

In January he also had the Imagine piano riff.

 

Good points, but... in the end, Lennon just didn't deliver... He just didn't care to put the effort into getting those tracks constructed and assembled.

I know it was unimaginable in the pop world in 1969, but that year -- '69 -- should have been the year the Beatles decided to put all Beatle-related activities on ice (as they were way ahead of the game of fulfilling their EMI commitment): Lennon should have disappeared with Yoko and focused on all of those activities, Harrison should have started recording "All Things Must Pass" and producing Apple artists, Ringo should have just concentrated on movie roles and such, and McCartney -- after some sort of psychological acceptance -- should have just focused on getting it together with Linda, developing his solo work, and producing Apple artists.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20, and, of course, they had Apple/Klein troubles, a contract to renegotiate, etc. but once one of your members walked out and the sessions were essentially directionless, the best course of action would have been: "Let's put it all on ice, and then touch base in six or so months to see if we can keep this Beatle machine rolling, albeit at a slower pace..." But, yes, there was no precedent in 1969 for any pop band to have that sort of luxury....

 

I thought I read somewhere that a fewl days of recording the White Album were in fact filmed and much of it lost. We have seen some clips from the sessions on Anthology. It would be very cool if a couple of videos could be culled, much in the way that Hey Bulldog was later reassembled.

 

Maybe he is referring to the sound bites of musical performances. I know it was a documentary, but 30 second clips of rare song footage without a bonus disc somewhere showing the full performance (if it indeed exists) is meh IMO.

 

"Don't Let Me Down", "I Dig A Pony", "Come Together", "Across The Universe", "The Ballad of John and Yoko" , "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" , "Give Peace A Chance", and "Cold Turkey" -- -- along with his bits of "Polythene Pam", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "One After 909", and "I've Got A Feeling" -- are already more than what many other non-Beatles artists could hope to achieve within a year's time (maybe in a lifetime). Lennon had been writing and delivering nonstop songs for close to a decade by then. So he had a 'slower' year at a point? Oh, heaven help us...

 

Gimme Some Truth could have been a biggie, and Paul was clearly helping him on that one- not meaning he should take credit, but that it could have become a classic Beatle rocker.

 

Life insurance doesn't cover suicide, at least the quick kind anyway.

 

I used to think "Watching Rainbows" was the holy grail, but it really was just a jam off shoot of I've Got a Feeling mixed with lyrics from I Am The Walrus, during the time that George split.

 

Wow, I know opinions may differ, but I think this post is a total red herring... We're discussing The "Get Back" sessions -- If you think Lennon was ready, prepared, and psychologically dedicated to producing new material during those sessions, then, well, we just see it very differently.

Lennon basically had "Don't Let Me Down" for these sessions. If he had or was inclined to introduce new material, he surely didn't step up. Why, say, when he was shooting down yet another Harrison track and telling him that he "should record a solo album," didn't he step up with something to work on? So, Lennon yawns through another take of "All Things Must Pass" and counters with what? Another rock 'n' roll oldie... Why didn't he, in earnest, try to construct and arrange most of the tunes you mention above?

It doesn't make a difference what Lennon delivered for later in the year for solo singles or for "Abbey Road" -- he just wasn't ready for or just plainly didn't really want to be at these sessions. Whether or not, the Beatles' schedule was "nonstop" by then -- that's beside the point -- I just don't think Lennon very much cared to be at these sessions for whatever reason... that's cool, and all, but I don't think numerous excuses need to be made make up for overall disinterest.

Right or wrong, I think if the other three Beatles said to Lennon: "Hey man, let's just jam on and work on Yoko's tracks for the next week," his face would have lit up like a f****** roman candle, and his conviction would have increased ten-fold.

 

I though Freddie Lennon wrote "Imagine"
Sorry, I just felt this thread hadn't gone far enough off the rails yet...

 

I believe it usually does, but there is typically a "waiting" period before it becomes valid for suicide.

 

A bit off topic but I wouldn't say dumb people. I would say talented but damaged people. John Belushi, Phillip Seymour Hoffman to name a couple. It is one drug that I would never touch. It's highly addictive but not as addictive as nicotine. Why would you use a needle to get a high? I so surprised that Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards were able to kick it!

But back on topic... yeah... I still want "Let it Be" on DVD or Blu. Amazing doc! ;-)

 

Agreed. And Paul basically sculpted together don't let me down for john if I recall. John had the pieces, Paul put it in order.

So for let it be / get back, John brought new

Don't Let Me Down and Dig A Pony

Across The Universe was from the previous year, one after 909 was from 64 and a fun nod back to the old days, dig it is just a lame jam, and "Polythene Pam", "Mean Mr. Mustard" referenced above were from white album demos too.

 

In all fairness George did almost as much as Paul did to construct the song.

 

And George didn't come up with "It lasts forever and a day".

 

Of course. Soon it will be known that Paul did everything and John did nothing.