Let It Be, I really don't see the problem.

Ok for years now I've been one to proclaim Spector ruined Let It Be and was looking forward to the Spectorless rerelease. Today I actually put on Let It Be and I relized how small the Spector problem really is. The only song that I think he affected in any significant way is The Long and Winding Road. Is it possible that people can't come to terms that the Beatles may have made a weak (In regards to their other albums) album?

 

The "un-Spectorized" version is quite rough. John Lennon seemed to think that Spector had made a lousy album listenable. The Long and Winding Road may be a bit overblown, but the non-orchestrated version is no great shakes. All in all, I think Spector improved the album.

 

I agree. The newly remixed (de-mixed?) release of the LET IT BE sessions may prove me wrong, but I think those are a pretty soggy set of songs, with or without Spector's strings. "Two Of Us" is the only thing I return to.

Considering just how much material The Beatles recorded in, what, eight years, it's amazing they released only this one average record. And LET IT BE would have been a career highlight for most anyone else.

 

Let It Be, for me, will always be the Spector version. It's burned into my brain. Anything else won't do permanently....

 

White Album will always be the "average" record in my book. I think Get Back, Let It Be, Long And Winding Road, I've Got A Feeling & Two Of Us are better than what's on the White Album (except for Blackbird)....just my 2 cents.

 

I like 'em all. I like the ones that others say suck. I like Revolution 9 and Mr. Moonlight. I like What's the New Mary Jane. Even at their worst, I find something to enjoy or something that is interesting. I don't believe I can say that about any other band. I definitely can't say that about their solo careers.

 

Every time I think Let It Be is a poor album, I realise that it does have some great songs on it.

Thinking this through a bit more, the reason that it's at the bottom of my list of favourite albums is the poor quality - by Beatles standards - arrangments and production. It really sounds like amatuer hour compared with other Beatles albums.

Imagine what this album could have been like if the Beatles and George Martin produced Let It Be with great arrangements and a tight production. This hypothetical album may then be regarded as one of the Beatles best.

 

Well, Across the Universe also was thoroughly worked over by Spector, with (in my opinion) negative results. But I've always been a proponent that the Spector versions of Let it Be and Get Back are superior to the single mixes. And Spector deserves credit for finding a much better take of Two of Us than the one on the Johns versions of the album.

 

Sorry! I don't like what he did to the title track, "Let It Be", and it's probably because I grew up with the George Martin produced single mix. The Spector version just doesn't sound right to me. It horrifies me everytime I hear it on an oldies station or in a store.

I can tolorate his "Across The Universe", but I like John's original mix better.

I like both versions of "The Long And Winding Road".

 

In comparison with the earlier versions of the material (various Glyn Johns compiled "Get Back" albums", Phil chose some superior performances (Two Of Us, for example, is a much better performance on Let It Be than the earlier Get Back take). Personally, I prefer the Let It Be mix of the title song. George's beautiful solo on this version sometimes gives me chills while the wobbly, Leslie speaker sound of the single version just doesn't do it for me.

For me, Phil spoiled the Let It Be mix of "Across The Universe" by slowing it down, ditching the Apple Scruff backup singers and adding the unnecessary instrumentation. Of the the three officially released versions of "Across The Universe", I prefer the more pure version found on "Anthology 2"--just beautiful. Phil provided some clever editing for "I Me Mine" , stretching it out to a more reasonable length (although I wish it were even longer!)

After listening to the various earlier incarnations of "Get Back/Let It Be", there is a strong case for releasing the material in a stripped down form. If they could only do it without the inevitable noise reduction/head busting compression!

 

That's quite a call Ron!

Not sure I agree. We're all (well most of us) Beatles freaks here but I really believe if Let It Be was the only thing The Beatles ever did we wouldn't be talking about them now.

On a completely objective assessment (if that's possible) I would find it very difficult to argue that it would've been a career highlight for anyone else.

Nevertheless, Let It Be and Get Back are great tracks. My favourite from the sessions though is Don't Let Me Down.

 

Not a surprise to wake up and find divided opinion on this one. LET IT BE was unique in the Beatles canon, as it's the only regular release that's literally cobbled together from an extensive cache of recordings; unlike their other albums, this is literally a sampler, and nothing more. It bears no real resemblance to the film itself; otherwise we would have gotten what would now be known as the 'stripped down' version, Spector would never have been involved, and I'd go so far as to say this would have been a 2-Lp set ala the WHITE ALBUM, if only because, in that format, its flaws would be put in proper perspective. As it is, the worst of it--"I Me Mine," "Dig It," "Maggie May" and "For You Blue"(the latter a decent B-side, nothing more)--bogs down the best of it, namely "Two Of Us," "Across The Universe"(I do like what Spector did here--he gave it a majesty the song deserves but lacked in original form), "Let It Be"(had Martin produced, we wouldn't have had this alt. mix--count your blessings, I suppose), "I've Got A Feeling," "The Long And Winding Road"(Spector version adds much power to what is a fair but otherwise mundane recording)and "Get Back" which I'm sure would have been the set-closer regardless of the end result with the rest.

And had it been a 2-Lp set, some of Paulie's songs that turned up on his first solo album would most certainly have been used here--"Teddy Boy" obviously, but a few little gems like "Junk" and "Every Night" would have been perfect fits, as would have been John's "Don't Let Me Down"(no doubt he would have come up with others)and "Old Brown Shoe."
For what might have been...

ED

 

Please disregard my last post not sure what the heck I did!

 

I FAR prefer the Glyn Johns Get Back LP to Let It Be. As someone who taped it off of WMCA in October, 1969, I had lived with the LP for 8 months before Let It Be finally came out. When it did, I was horrified at what Spector had done to TLAWR & ATU. The incredibly shortened Dig It was a bad joke, whereas the Get Back version (much longer, but still mercifully edited to remove Heather McCartney's "contribution") was a good joke. The removal of the great, alternate Don't Let Me Down also sucked. I HATE the solo on the LP Let It Be & LOVE the Leslied solo on the single--an all-time Beatle highlight, also Ringo's drumming is way too busy on the LP version. I also far prefer the "duet" version of I've Got A Feeling, even if it does breakdown. Spector's remix of The One After 909, loses the separated John & Paul vocals, for an inferior remix. I also prefer the Get Back versions of For You Blue, Two Of Us &, especially, Dig A Pony. How was Get Back made a better track by cutting off the end of the song?. I also prefer the unorchestrated, un-lengthened I Me Mine found on Anthology 3, & it doesn't belong on the LP anyway. also, the "fly on the wall" stuff is much more entertaining on Get Back (although I DO love "Queen says no to pot smoking FBI members"). I guess the Get Back LP burned itself into my brain pretty good during that 8 month gap!

 

My picks (FWIW):

Two of Us - Spector
Dig a Pony - Anthology
Across the Universe - Anthology
I Me Mine - Spector
Dig It - Spector
Let It Be - 45
Maggie Mae - Boot (w/"Fancy Me Chances")
I've Got a Feeling - Spector
One After 909 - Spector
The Long and Winding Road - Anthology
For You Blue - Johns
Get Back - 45

 

Nobody ever spelled my name wrong until Sara Michelle Gellar became famous. Now EVERYBODY does!

 

Yeah, but as you can see, the guy with her avatar knows how . Now, if we can get Larry to spell her name right! That's 'Sarah' not 'Sara,' which is a Fleetwood Mac hit....

ED

 

I don't really care. I just find it interesting. (Apparently, the whole Geller family on Friends hasn't made an impression on anyone!)

 

I can see Aquateen's point. Long and Winding Road is easily the worst fix Spector made, but as mentioned, he did pick far better takes of Two of Us and a few others. I still prefer the stripped down versions of "I Me Mine" and "Across the Universe" on the Anthology series, and even though I prefer the 45 version of "Let It Be," there may never have been any overdubs on that 45 if Spector hadn't done it for the Lp (he had the right idea, just overdid in the final mix; Martin's mix is much more tastefully done).

 

Which version they reissue really doesn't matter if it's mastered as badly as other recent Beatles releases.

 

I thought that the Get Back tracks on Anthology 3 sounded great.

 

I love Let it Be, despite some of it's flaws. I do prefer the single mix of "Let it be". The album version has the distracting echo coming from Ringo's hi-hat.

I'll keep every copy of my original album, but I'm also excited to hear the "Spectorless" version. I hope both copies remain in print. Perhaps Apple will issue a double cd, one disc with the original album, and one disc with the revised copy. Apple could also include detailed notes about the album and why the final album went against the Beatles original plan of live takes (no overdubs).

I think the Let it be chapter in Bruce Spizer's fabulous book "The Beatles on Apple records" is one of the (many) highlights.