I don't consider Let It Be to be a bad film. It's sad, yes, but the relative merit of Let It Be falls on the shoulders of the producer as Paul had little to do with it once it was shot. As far as MMT, while it was Paul's idea, etc., they all took a hand in directing it with Paul shaping the bulk of it so it does kind of fall on everyone's shoulder in that regard. Broadstreet falls completely on Paul's shoulders though.
Sorry, Let It Be IS a bad film...There is no momentum, no development, no story arc — just a lot of scenes strung together, one after another.
Since The Pepper album concept was Paul's idea we can blame him too for the horrible Pepper movie. Without the Pepper album we don't have the film.
I have enjoyed listening to the sessions from this release (and the Sgt. Pepper set before it), including the studio chatter. While the raw versions are interesting in their own right, for me, they also highlight how talented the band and their production team were in terms of finishing touches, which I have come to appreciate more by their absence in the session versions. They were truly masters of their craft.
I love the 5.1 mix , sounds good & not over the top , but then comes Revolution 9! , was giles taking the piss? , not in a bad way but it comes out of the speakers well in and not bad way , but all over the place and very interesting , did he intend that lol.
Yes Beatles for Sale is THE John and Paul duet show!, even some songs that sound like Paul or John are doubling themselves or providing their own harmony are Lennon/McCartney vocals- Sung jointly: No Reply Baby's in Black Eight Days a Week Words of Love Every Little Thing Other John/Paul vocals: * I'll Follow the Sun (sung by Paul and John in unison, then John provides low harmony on the bridge in the same way Paul did for himself on Things We Said Today. Fooled me for years!) * I Don't Want to Spoil The Party (unusually, rather than singing in unison, here Paul sings low and John sings high on the verses before swapping for the bridges another one that fooled me for a long time, as I along with probably the majority of listeners thought at first it was John tracking himself on the verse) * I'm a Loser (the chorus only is dominated by Paul's enthusiatic harmony!)
As ever, and as so brilliantly demonstrated on your Producing The Beatles podcast, this is a wonderfully insightful take on the Beatles and specifically this set. Great article. For those on the forum who are yet to hear the Producing The Beatles podcast, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It is basically a podcast aimed at people like us, who hear beyond the initial layer of the music you’re presented with.
I don’t like the 5.1 mix of Revolution 9. Giles wasted it by the pointless delay echo he switches on and spins round the speakers every minute or so. The various loops running through the piece give it a rhythm of sorts but the delay echo swamps the sound and disrupts the rhythm. Chris
Couldn't disagree more. It US poorly edited. No question. The performances chosen aren't always the best... sometimes quite inferior. However, there us most certainly development. Several songs are featured as buses and jams that later in the film are fully developed. The shift from Twickenham to Apple is palpable. Not just in performance but brighter lighting, more easy amongst the Beatles and the lighthearted introduction of Billy Preston to the show. The in studio promo vids are very nice and show the Beatles on a relaxing, but productive state. The rooftop is most definitely a fine finale. Showing them fully live and rockin' the London financial district. The story arc from some glum-faced, tired lads in the beginning if the film to the exuberant smiles on the roof is quite good and interesting. My only wish is that they had included superior performances of many of the songs and but out some if the pure crap like the early Don't Let Me Down, Paul's discussion with a mute John looking bored out of his head and other footage that casts a bad light on them. There were many moments of fun captured by the cameras that were excised from the final cut. Ron
It is only heard on the album version. The choir was the "The Bach Choir", which I think is mixed gender and age. I always thought it is girls singing, forgetting that you boys sometimes sound like girls too.
The Beatles should have stuck to their normal work schedule...afternoons/evening/overnight if necessary. Three of them were obviously not that into it...and the time of day was a factor. And don't let Hogg anywhere near the release as far as editing.