I know many on this board do not really like the Let It Be LP. I also have friends that don't care for it. I for one, could never understand that thinking. How can any Beatle fan not like this LP... Even as butchered as it was by Spector, it is the closest thing we have to a late Beatles live record. I do admit, I love live music... But "Two of Us", "Dig A Pony" "I've Got A Feeling" and "One After 909" are just really cool and have some great playing on them. And who doesn't like "Get Back" for a rockin' song... I just think they sound great on this record...wouldn't that have been great if Pauly could have talked them into a few live shows around that period.... I know the sound will leave a lot to be disired, but I am looking forward to the new "clean" release of the record... Let the comments begin!!!!
I too think that this lp gets a lot of undeserved bashing. I'm curious to hear the new version but I'll always have time for Spector's reworked Across The Universe, which IMHO improved it tenfold.
People who claim that "Let It Be" is tainted usually don't acknowledge the fact that the "Get Back" LP was actually far worse. Spector's production is definitely heavy-handed in spots, but he chose far better versions of the songs and did a terrific job preparing the sound for disc. And also...it is The Beatles and George Martin themselves who began overdubbing the material - with the horns and guitar solo on "Let It Be". The perfect "Let It Be" album would have to be a combination of Spector's take choices and the stripped-down production of "Get Back".
my 3 least played Beatles albums in order are Yellow Submarine Beatles for Sale Let it Be It just never really grabbed me......there are great songs.....but it's missing that cohesiveness of the other Beatle records
I personally prefer the version of "ATU" on "Anthology II." I don't think John was happy with either version of the song although he did reap praise on Spector's work with the "Get Back" tapes.
I think the biggest negative for it was all the bad publicity and reviews the Spectorization of it received. I do enjoy the relative simplicity of the original "Get Back," before his involvement. Yet, I agree that it pales a bit to the earlier recordings. What's amazing is that, in recorded order, they then came back with "Abbey Road," an amazing swan song.
I think the biggest problem with Let It Be was John's lack of participation. He only contributed one and a half new songs to the project (Dig A Pony & part of I've Got A Feeling). Across the Universe & One After 909 were years old and Dig It is not a song at all. John was at the peak of his heroin addiction at the time and in a new romance with another heroin addict. He was barely there. What a shame. Also, the album suffers from the lack of hard rock. The hardest rocking song on the album is one they'd written eight years earlier. Aside from the amazing bridge to I've Got A Feeling, the only other rocker is Get Back. Thank goodness they recorded Abbey Road. Let It Be would have been a pretty sad way to end an amazing eight year run. -BZync
It's just such a weird period for the Beatles- John & George wishing they didn't have to do it, resentment for Paul taking charge, a Beatles album not produced by George Martin (I'm not gonna bash Phil Spector, but the partnership between George M. & the Fabs yielded so much to that point), it all added up to something not quite on par w/ what preceded it. The rooftop gig proved they could still conjure magic as did the recording of "Abbey Road" afterwards. I'm w/ daved64, LIB fits into that lesser Beatles album category. The connotations of that album was: It's over now, "Let It Be". It's really sad. I prefer the "Help" to "Magical Mystery Tour" period followed by the early, magical Beatlemania period and the last period is my least favorite Beatle era.
I still remember the comment about Let It Be from the book, The Beatles - An Illustrated Record. It said that the whole Let It Be venture was about a year too late. I can't help but agreeing with that. Compare the gloomy atmosphere and glum faces (except for maybe Paul's) of Let It Be to the promo video of Lady Madonna, filmed in the studio not even year earlier where there's definately a good vibe goin' on. Actually they were recording Hey Bulldog at the time. Still like the Let It Be album though.
