The album version. Only because the single has the warbly, listless, lifeless guitar solo, whereas the album one RIPS with emotion.
At first I, too, thought it's about the song here. But the OP is looking for a nice sounding pressing of the album.
Interesting you say that. For me the single has the best solo, which is so discreet and in keeping with the dignity of the song (typical George in other words). The album version just sounds LOUD and ‘flown in’ at a later date. One of George’s very few solos that, I feel, doesn’t serve the song. But yes, the OP’s question is actually about the album in fact, not the song.
I have been able to listen to this pressing now, and I think it sounds very nice. I have no other vinyl pressing to compare it to, but I do have the 1st Japanese CD pressing (I also have the 2009 remaster), and the vinyl sounds handily better than the first Japanese CD pressing. Overall tonality is similar, but the soundstage of the vinyl is much nicer/larger, and overall a more natural sound and fuller bass, with good definition. I am really quite happy with that vinyl pressing, goes well with the Mono box set I have on vinyl.
I prefer the Glyn Johns mix by a wide mile, but I only have that on CD, and obviously, it's a boot. For vinyl, the 1978 UK white vinyl is my best sound cutting. The worst is my first press U.S. Bell Sound. I think most of my blue boxes have the 3U/4 matrix and all sound really nice. I'm just not a fan of what Spector did to the mix, at all. The Naked album is great, I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't like it, but the Glyn Johns version is absolutely what the band intended to be heard. I met and chatted with Billy Preston at Chicago Beatlefest, several years before he passed away, and even he hated the Spector version.
Well, I'll chime in to partially defend the Spector version. Spector selected a better take of "I've Got a Feeling," and he mixed it better, putting John's rhythm guitar louder than Billy's keyboards, as befits a live performance from a three guitars and drums combo getting back to their roots. He chose a better track order. He included two snippets from the sessions that, however slight, pay homage to the live-in-the-studio, Beatles-with-their-trousers-down approach that was (like it or not) the group's intent for the project. He arguably chose a better take of "Long and Winding Road," but that's negated by drenching it with schlocky strings and choirs. I don't think a "definitive" version of Let It Be/Get Back has been released yet; each release that's tackled the sessions has something valuable to add. Personally, I'd want a live version of Get Back on the album--those rooftop versions cook, the studio version of Don't Let Me Down (the rooftop version isn't as good), and somebody to finally do something about Across the Universe. The Naked version is interesting, but it doesn't reflect the Beatles' obvious intentions to adorn the song with more than just guitar + voice.
The 8-track released in Estwatini in 1973. It has an exclusive hidden track of Lennon headbutting Harrison over lunch.
90% of the criticism against Spector, going back to the very beginning, focuses on his choral and orchestral overdubs, and to be fair, those schlocky overdubs flat out suck, so much that people overlook the fact that Johns generally picked ****ty takes (what you could euphemistically refer to as more "interesting" takes) and his mixes weren't so great either. For the tracks that didn't have overdubs, Spector generally had much better mixes made for the album - much more dynamic and better instrument placement.
The NAKED version of Across the Universe sounds very live in the studio to me. The first full minute is just John and acoustic guitar. No overdubs or double-tracked vocals...Then a little tamboura comes in at that point and light thumping percussion, neither of which is hard to replicate in a "live in studio" situation. Pretty bare and befitting the album's concept, if you ask me.
BTW, I have an air-check on cassette of WMCA radio playing the entire Get Back LP from 10/69, the weekend after Abbey Road first hit the air.
The LIBN version is much better and is in fact a different take than Spectors ( it's actually the one featured in the Let It Be film)
I agree, but the problem is, that song wasn't recorded during the LIB/GB sessions. The Beatles added some other beautiful elements to the track: the piano, the (faintly audible) electric guitar. The Naked version makes it sound like it's live in the studio, but it doesn't actually reflect what the Beatles were doing on that song.
Absolutely agree. And, because they needed to present an alternate view of the album, the LIBN producers had to select some inferior takes and make inferior mixes. Spector's mixes are much hotter, as you say (in a good way -- not compressed to hell). I also forgot that LIBN uses a completely different take of the title track that's not as good.
Not exactly - it's a very convoluted mash-up of Take 27A (the single/album take) and parts of Take 27B (the film take).
Ahh, thank you for clarifying. After I wrote that, I listened to it again and thought I recognized elements, but it wasn’t clear. The irony of doing extra mixing and editing to Frankenstein a take that’s less good!
I was replying to what Spector did to the track, not the LIBN version. Anyway, I far prefer the original Get Back mix, WITH the spoken interlude.
True. It's a "remix" through and through. I suppose LIBN could have used the raw take of the song that's on the WA50 box.
For some unknown reason, the first track of the '87 Let It Be CD will not play in my bedroom cd player*. All other tracks play fine. The entire cd plays fine in every other player I have tried it in. Any ideas? *Circa 1990 Pioneer PD-4450, made in Japan.
There's so much potential for different mixes and takes of these songs for a LIB50 BOX, the mind boggles. We'll all be able to tailor-make our own favorite version of LET IT BE once we have the box set, and that will be a glorious thing. There should be 3 alternate takes/mixes of every song on the original album, plus three versions of "Don't Let Me Down" at bare minimum. I hope the box has several little short ditties/jams/covers as tracks that we can slot in as transitions and links between songs.
