I will say Jackson's series could have used "Across the Universe" under the end credits. I'd toss in "Don't Let Me Down". How they decided to leave it off is heavy, man.
Yeah, but I’m one of the few who rather likes Phil Spector’s orchestrations, probably because I’ve grown up with them.
The only think I would change about the original album is add don’t let me down. Gotta keep John’s dialogue it’s part of his personality.
Been listening to this, half taken from the original LIB, half from other spots. 7 songs and 1 jam on Side A. 6 songs and 2 jams on Side B (all are LIB 2021 mix unless otherwise noted): 1. Get Back 2. One After 909 3. Don't Let Me Down (LIB SDE - first rooftop performance) 4. I've Got a Feeling 5. Dig a Pony 6. Maggie Mae/Fancy Me Chances With You (LIB SDE) 7. The Long and Winding Road (LIB SDE - 'Get Back') 8. Two of Us 9. I Me Mine (LIBN) 10. Across the Universe (LIBN) 11. For You Blue (LIB SDE - 'Get Back') 12. Dig It 13. Let it Be 14. Get Back reprise (LIB SDE - 'Get Back')
A triple album called "Get Back and Let it Be." LP 1: new (1969) recordings of their earliest Quarrymen/Lennon McCartney tunes like In Spite of all the Danger, Fancy Me Chances With You, One After 909, etc. LP 2: recordings of their most ripping covers from their Hamburg/Cavern Club days that weren't already on a Beatles record like Some Other Guy, New Orleans, Hush Baby, etc. LP 3: new songs from all four of them. No: Long and Winding Road, Dig It, Maggie May. Yes: Madman, All Things Must Pass, Let It Down, don’t let me down, octopus garden. This is essentially what they were doing during those three weeks. They could have pulled it off with some planning and focus.
A direct comparison to another famous rock band can be made here but it was clear that the torch of their writing strength was clearly being passed in front of them in the form of George. He could have filled an entire album out on his own at the point in question. So, scrap the scraps that don't really sound much like songs at all and make a stellar album from the strengths of all parties involved. Pearl Jam is the other band I was referring to, and at least they acknowledged that the bulk weight of their band's quality writing had shifted when it did.
I liked the Phil Spector version well enough, but I was perplexed by them leaving "Don't let me down" off. However, I would have liked a second album of studio masters of the best songs. When they went back to the studio to record "Abbey Road" they should have also re-recorded all of Let it Be "New" songs. New Studio Versions: 1. Two of us 2. Dig a pony 3. Across the Universe 4. I Me Mine 5. Let it Be 6. I've Got a Feeling 2. For you Blue 3. The Long and Winding Road 4. Don't Let Me Down 5. Old Brown Shoe 6. Get Back
1 for you blue (LIB version) 2 dig a pony (LIB version) 3 get back (Lennon lead guitar rooftop) 4 one after 909 (LIB version) 5 i've got a feeling (Anthology 3) 6 dig it (extended cut) 7 ballad of john and yoko (single) 1 old brown shoe (single) 2 maxwell's silver hammer* 3 two of us (LIB version) 4 across the universe (Naked) 5 i me mine (Anthology 3) 6 don't let me down (Naked) 7 let it be (single) *(any workable version- I don't really want it here but if it keeps the song the hell away from Abbey Road I'll do it)
I grew up with them too, and I do like them. But I’ve never loved them. I love the original studio arrangements with the five musicians.
A few weeks back I tried to edit my own version of Let It Be. The reasoning behind it was that the LIB sequencing was good but the mixes and overdubs were wrong. So the idea was to substitute the original mixes with the Naked mixes and keep the blah blah between tracks. I started and... the idea stopped being interesting to me. Because I realized the album was flawed to begin with (great McCartney tracks, 2 not that great new Lennon tracks and well... the rest) If I had to do it I'd tried to keep with the 'album-verité' concept. I'd leave Across The Universe & I Me Mine because they were not recorded in january '69. I'd probably add some of the Anthology 3 tracks. Especially that last take from the rooftop concert. Have that longer Dig It from Get Back. Add the 1st rooftop take of Don't Let Me Down (with Lennon's gooblegook). But........ do the rooftop tracks belong in here? I mean, the rooftop is a thing of its own... A bonus disc... And... Now I think TOO much about it. Ok that's probably why I stopped in the first place!!!!
I stand by this after seeing the new movie. Except maybe The Long and Winding Road… maybe the later take is better. I never realized (or forgot) that the album version was an early take they weren’t sure about: (I wonder what music forum I wrote this on ) “My opinion of the Beatles Let it Be albums on a music forum a few years ago. For serious fans only: I think of the four Let it Be albums, Spector's is the most listenable. He picked the best performances of the stuff, unlike Glyn Johns. The few songs with overdubs give the album a more diverse feel. It's more of a companion to the movie than a soundtrack. (And I grew up not liking it AFTER I had read what a villain Spector was in the fiasco. ...... Later convictions notwithstanding ). When I finally got around to comparing all four versions myself, I realized he did the best job. As for Let it Be naked, good idea but too many mistakes. I. E. The early fade on Get Back, the title track with a lousy guitar solo, no full version of Dig It, they used the long I Me Mine edit (which kind of vindicates Phil), if rumor has it there's some auto tune, the Fly on the Wall disc is very lackluster indeed, they should have at least used the Anthology Take of Long and Winding Road. As for the sound quality and NR issues, I'll let the more seasoned members tackle that but it really does sound lifeless. That is all”
Actually, I think Let It Be would've been better as a mini album. This way it would only include tracks recorded at Apple in january '69, namely Two Of Us, Let It Be, The Long & Winding Road, Don't Let Me Down, Get Back, Dig A Pony, One After 909, I've Got A Feeling & For You Blue. 9 tracks on a 10". That would have made a cute record!!!
I’ve made many dream versions of Let It Be, but none of them is as great as the original album! I think that the remix improved the record a lot
I do my own cobbled together-Frankensteined version (a la "SMiLE"- The Beach Boys & "Lifehouse"- The Who) featuring... ~"Don't Let Me Down" (single version with live composite Naked version & box aet live versions as bonus track) ~"All Things Must Pass"- the "Anthology 3" demo verion (box set version as bonus track) ~"Across The Universe"- Naked version (box set Glyn John "Get Back" version as bonus track) ~"I Me Mine"- Naked version ~"Let It Be"- album version with best solo- either Spector or Martin mix, with the other becoming a bonus track ~"The Long & Winding Road"- "Anthology 3" version (Naked version as bonus track) Everything else ("Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "I've Got A Feeling", "Get Back", "One After 909", "For You Blue") can be Naked or original album (Spector or Martin mix) & I have less strong preferences about particular versions... with other versions appearing as potential bonus tracks- most especially the actual live "Anthology 3" version of "Get Back" (to have all 5 rooftop songs have true live versions somewhere, at least in the bonus tracks section, where I could run all 5 in a row... doesn't happen on my regular CD-R/Playlist.
Studio one side/Live rooftop or live in the studio other side. Lead it off with Get Back single: 1). Get Back (single) 2). Across the Universe (Anthology with sitar, Remix or LiB Naked) 3). I Me Mine 4). Dig It 5). Let It Be 6. The Long And Winding Road 1). Two Of Us 2). Dig A Pony 3). Don’t Let Me Down (LiB Naked) 4). I’ve Got A Feeling 5.) One After 909 6). For You Blue 7). Get Back Where I didn’t designate, go with the original mix of Let It Be or remix. The final Get Back has talking over the intro in the studio and ends with the rooftop “Thanks, Mo!” Sounds different enough to bookend the album.
Let it Be Naked all the way for me. It sounds great to me, removes all the studio chatter, removes the fragments of Maggie Mae and Dig it, adds "Don't Let Me Down," and has a great running order. I would add the coda to Get Back on Naked because I love hearing that and it ends abruptly without it. I would have preferred the recent 50th Super Deluxe remaster to be based on Let it Be...Naked and not the original album. When you compare Naked to the original Let it Be they use many of the same takes but Naked just sounds better and removes the studio chatter. I guess it depends on if you want more of a straight Album (Naked) or more of a rehearsal sound (Let it Be). Here are the two albums compared using the Naked running order: Get Back (both use January 27 take) Dig A pony (both use rooftop concert) For You Blue (both use January 25) The Long and Winding Road (Different takes with Let it Be using more of a rehearsal take from January 26 and Naked using the final take from January 31. Naked removes the strings). Two of Us (both use take 12 from January 31). I've Got a Feeling (both use rooftop concert, but Naked uses a composite of the two performances) One After 909 (both use rooftop concert) Don't Let Me Down (Naked uses a compost of the two rooftop performances, not on Let it Be. Single used at take from January 28) I Me Mine (both used take from January 3, 1970. Naked remixed Spector's version especially on the repeated verse). Across the Universe (both use Take 7 from February 7, 1968. Naked uses the correct speed while Let it Be slows it down). Let it Be (both uses Take 27A from January 31. Naked uses the guitar solo from take 27B and Let it Be used the guitar solo from January 4, 1970. Many people like the guitar solo from January 4, 1970). If you add segments from the 2nd disc from Fly on the Wall you could have a cool rehearsal second disk. These all were on the Fly on the Wall disk but they were divided into separate songs: 1) Adagio for the Strings 2) Because I know I Love You So 3) Can you Dig it? 4) Maggie Mae/Fancy My Chances with You 5) Taking a Trip to Carolina I would have loved to hear an edited "Band" performance of All Things Must Pass taking the Twickenham rehearsals and George's demo on this 2nd disk. Something like this:
On my music server: 1. Two Of Us (LIBN) 2. Dig A Pony (LIBN) 3. Across The Universe (LIBN) 4. I Me Mine (personal edit of Anthology 3 version) 5. Dig It (clip from Fly On The Wall disc) 6. Let It Be (LIBN) 7. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (1970 single) 8. I've Got A Feeling (LIBN) 9. One After 909 (LIBN) 10. The Long And Winding Road (LIBN) 11. For You Blue (LIBN) 12. Don't Let Me Down (1969 single) 13. Get Back (1969 single) This hybrid resolves the few issues I do have with Let It Be... Naked - specifically the distracting track sequence, the clumsy edit of I Me Mine, the inferior take of Don't Let Me Down, and the non-edit of Get Back. I've also discovered that I love the bluesy, slide guitar clip of Dig It featured on the LIBN bonus disc. It's fun and actually segues nicely into the title track.
I guess "Get Back" and "Let It Be" sound as natural album opener and closer, respectively. But I've learned to love the album the way it was released in 1970. P.S. "Don't Let Me Down" belongs to Let It Be such as "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" belong to Rubber Soul, "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" belong to Revolver, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" belong to Sgt. Pepper, or "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" belong to the White Album. I guess Let It Be asked for more John's songs, but the exclusion of "Don't Let Me Down" is not inconsistent with the rest of the Beatles catalog.
Just curious as to why a composite of the two "I've Got a Feeling" performances, isn't this what they did on "Naked"? I never understood the motivation behind this considering there were no performance flaws or technical issues with the complete version that was seen/heard in the original movie & album.
Making a long story short - a full studio LP, and a bonus live EP with the five best rooftop takes. For the studio LP, I would use the best alt takes on the anniversary set box of the three rooftop tracks, plus the alt no-overdub take of "For You Blue" and the non-overdubbed "Long and Winding Road". Add "Don't Let Me Down" in the new mix, and remove "Across the Universe" - which has no business being here. Retain everything else from the original LP and add the George demo of "All Things Must Pass" and "Mailman Give Me No More Blues" in its original non-edited form. Presto - just like I've already done it in iTunes (along with rolling off the excessive low end Giles seems so fond of)...
