What is your Beatles' "Let It Be"?

Here's mine:

1 - One After 909 (Let It Be.... Naked mix [this is my favorite mix])
2 - Dig A Pony (Phil Spector's mix with the 'all I want's from the Anthology 3 version edited in)
3 - For You Blue (Phil Spector mix with piano intro from Anthology 3 edited in so that the song doesn't start after the opening guitar bit [not unlike the delayed start on "CONCERT FOR GEORGE"])
4 - Accross The Universe (Let It Be.....Naked mix with horns from Spector's mix and backing vocals from "World Wildlife" version mixed in)
5 - Teddy Boy (the unused Phil Spector mix combined with the Anthology 3 mix)
6 - The Long And Winding Road (L.I.B.N. mix)
7 - I've Got A Feelin' (hybrid mix of L.I.B.N., Anthology 3 mix, and Glynn John's second mix)
8 - Two of Us (Phil Spector's mix)
9 - Don't Let Me Down (Let It Be.....Naked mix)
10 - Let It Be (Hybrid of L.I.B.N. mix, Anthology 3 (opening dialog only), Phil Spector's mix, George Martin's single mix)
11 - Get Back (single mix with Anthology 3 mix edited in at some points [includes John's : ".....hope we passed the audition."]
12 -I Me Mine (Anthology 3 version with string overdubs from Phil Spector's mix)

 

I'll take the LP, as is.

 

I made my Ultimate LIB disc a few months or so after LIBN came out. I used the same criteria that the compilers of that CD did; basically make the best LIB album you could possibly could without orchestration. Also, I only used official releases. I happen to think all the best stuff is already out there just on different discs. Here's my disc. In fact it's the only LIB I ever listen to now.

1 Two Of Us (LIB)
2 Dig A Pony (LIB) I don't really miss the AIWIY's. Great mix on this one.
3 Across The Universe (LIBN) I really like this mix. Sounds much better naked IMO.
4 I Me Mine (LIBN)
5 Dig It (LIB) Thankfully edited by Spector.
6 Let It Be (LIBN) I love this version. Paul's vocal is so soulful. I love George's solo too. Also,it's great to hear the backing vocals without the overwhelming orchestration. Billy Preston's organ is the only orchestration you need.
7 I've Got A Feeling (LIB) Another great mix by PS.
8 One After 909 (LIB)
9 The Long And Winding Road (Anthology 1) Phil picked the right take, he just overdressed it IMO. It sounds beautiful here. They ruined the movie version on LIBN by mixing out Paul's vocal during the solo. It sounds fruity to me.
10 For You Blue (LIBN) You can actually hear George's driving rhythm thoughout the song now which is almost inaudible except the main riff.
11 Don't Let Me Down (B-Side of Get Back) But of course...
12 Get Back (LIB) Need the classic Lennon quips. In fact, all the LIB tracks include the off-the-cuff remarks. (Definitely one of the problems of LIBN IMO. They cut out a lot of the spontenaity.)

 

I prefer the single version of GET BACK with the edit-piece coda. Never could get use to the version on LIB, or LIBN. Sounds like the song just cuts off when there should be more.

 

Phil's "Let It Be" is the only one for me, the others are mere curiosities. "Let It Be Naked" sucked the life out of all the songs with too much processing and many bad choices were made (questionable edits, premature fades, poor take choices). I do prefer the non-Spectorized "Long & Winding Road" as heard on the "Anthology 3" album however - Paul's voice gets buried a bit amongst Phil's orchestra on the "Let It Be" version. Also, I've never been crazy about the orchestra and choir on the slowed down "Across The Universe".

 

I prefer the movie versions of LIB ("There will be no sorrow") and LAWR. Since I heard the "Wildlife" version of Across the Universe first (a local radio station used to play it long before the "official" LP came out), I have a leaning towards that version.

 

I prefer the version with the "There will be no sorrow" rhyme too...but don't like the poor edit on that version.

 

I'd been toying with various different ideas about LIB when they announced that LIBN was coming out. I thought it would be the answer...but no.

So I went back to the drawing board. I took the official LIB and tried not to futz with it too much. I left the original running order and took out all the fake intros from Twickenham that Spector added, and the chatter at the end that is mostly fake. I also added the undubbed versions of LAWR, ATI, IMM, and the mostly undubbed version of LIB albeit with the newer solo. Plus the original vocal version of FYB.

Two of Us - LIB
Dig a Pony - LIB minus fake false start
Across the Universe - Get Back 2.0 version
I Me Mine - Anthology 3 version minus added chatter
Dig It - Get Back 2.0 version edited like Spectors (but with Macca left in) no cross fade into "That was can you dig it..."
Let it Be - Get Back 2.0 version (I know the LIBN is closer to the truth, but it sounds like s***.
Maggie Mae - LIB version
I've Got a Feeling - LIB
One After 909
The Long and Winding Road - Anthology 3 version
For You Blue - Get Back 2.0 version with George's original vocal and his guitar more prominent in the mix
Get Back - Single version in stereo (I know the coda is from a different take but it's better than the fake chatter that Spector added)

 

Don't let me down from the film 'Let it Be', where John flubs the line and calls it "she got me googeegoo" is priceless and still the best version of the song.
LIBN was dumb. But taking the two takes and editing out the mistake shows how misguided the project was.

I would use LIB, but add the single Get Back at the beginning. Then add the unedited Don't let me down(Take 1 from the rooftop) as the second song. The rest of LIB can stay the same, but put the George Martin produced Let it be song instead of Spector's.

 

The rooftop concert as is on side B, no edits. On side A the rest of the studio songs from the Let it Be album in this sequence: let it be, two of us, across the universe, for you blue, I me mine, the long and winding road. I would get rid of the Maggie may and dig it tracks, meaningless stuff.

 

Spector's version all the way. I can't help it. I bought the album the day it came out. This is the only version that sounds right to me.

 

The Glynn Johns Final Compilation - as on Vigotone VT 182.

 

I combined the original Spector plus LIB..N on to one CD-R. That's all the Let It Be I need.

 

Ya know, I assume I'm in the minority, but I really liked LIBN. It sounded clean, clear and punchy. As for editing two takes together, I dunno, how many edits were in "She Loves You"? Point is, I don't think it was any sin to use studio tricks to create the best possible version of the tune. I will say that I prefer the Spector version of "I've Got A Feeling"... that guitar bit right before the dual lead vocals is nice and fat in Spector's mix, limp and thin on LIBN.

 

At first listen I liked it a lot; getting rid of the Spector stuff felt like a breath of fresh air. But as I was putting my comp together, the lone holdback was The LIBN Across the Universe. Then I listened to the Get Back version and the LIBN back to back, and it was no contest. The Get Back version just had more of a natural sound.

 

Great thread. I've toyed with various Let It Be ideas for years...it is my favorite Beatles album, but I always thought it could be so much better (add Don't Let Me Down, no orchestra on LAWR, etc.) LIBN had promise, but they ruined it by having George's guitar way down in the mix of the rooftop songs, having a whole bunch of questionable edits, and by the horrible use of no-noise. Man, a lot of the Twinkenham boots sounded better than LIBN!

If I could mix a new album from the master tapes, it would look like this:

Side 1: The Rooftop Concert (edited together with no gaps)
Get Back (version 2)
Don't Let Me Down (edit of versions 1 and 2)
I've Got A Feeling (version 1)
One After 909
Dig A Pony (with the "all I want..." lines intact)
John's "passed the audition" comment

Side 2: The studio takes
For You Blue (LIB version)
The Long and Winding Road (movie version)
Two of Us (LIB version)
I Me Mine (Get Back version)
Across the Universe (Get Back version)
Let It Be (Get Back version with LIB guitar solo and backing vocals)

From the various official and unoffically-relased albums, I'd go with Spector's LIB for the majority, but use the Get Back versions of Across the Universe, I Me Mine, and The Long and Winding Road (and maybe Let it Be and Dig It). Hearing Glyn John's mix of Across the Universe was a revelation to me; here was the song without all the overdubs that the Beatles or Spector added, and it was absolutely beautiful. I like Glyn John's mix of TLAWR over the mix on Anthology 3; it has a much fuller sound. Also include the mono single versions of Get Back and Don't Let Me Down.

I burned a CD of the second Get Back album followed by the Spector LIB album; it's something like 79 minutes long total, and is the version of LIB that I listen to the most.

I like the Get Back albums, but Spector used so much better takes for the rooftop songs and Two Of Us (I really like Spector's mix of Two Of Us and I've Got a Feeling). As for the first of second Get Back album, I think the first version has a better flow, but the second version has a better track listing (Across the Universe vs. Teddy Boy...). Oh, and I really like the Get Back cover a lot... (scroll down in this thread)

I always have a soft spot in my heart for the official LIB album...it has such a wonderful dual personality, with the Beatles looking back and being nostalgic with songs like Two of Us, the title track, and TLAWR, while at the same time getting back to their rock and roll roots with the rooftop songs (the performances on the rooftop concert are awesome, especially George's guitar playing).

 

I agree 100% - the first part of the LIBN version kicks butt and then everything comes to a sudden halt at that guitar break, totally killing the momentum. Ugh!

 

I don't want to threadcrap here. Obviously some of you folks like LIB just fine. But all my favorites are on the cutting room floor. Especially the out of wack "Besame Mucho" and the "Los Paranoias" stuff, and George begging and pleading with Paul for a little breathing space on the album. Pretty much a bummer all the way around. I'm afraid the Rutles commentary on the whole affair gets closer to the truth than anybody else's.

 

I always prefered the Replacments LET IT BE....

That was a joke.......come to think od it...maybe not