LindsayBW's Full Review: Let It Be by Original Soundtrack/The Beatles
People are cruel to Let It Be. I don't really understand it, to be honest with you. I have heard Let It Be called the worst album of the Beatles career, and even once that it was the worst album of the era. Needless to say, it doesn't have much of a reputation.
People who are hard on Let It Be obviously don't understand what this album actually is. Phil Spector and Paul McCartney both grabbed an udder on the cash cow, to put it simply. This wasn't even intended to ever actually exist. But it does.
Here's the story, for those who don't know. In 1969, the Beatles (mostly Paul) got this marvelous idea to record a live album of brand new material - something that had never been done before. They would write all new songs, rehearse them, and then do a big concert, record it, and sell it. To top it off, they would film themselves rehearsing, turn it into a documentary, and finish out their film contract. This entire idea was titled the Get Back project.
To make a long story short, Get Back turned into an absolute disaster. The documentary turned into footage of the band falling apart, fighting with each other, and openly talking about drugs. The boys didn't do their inventive live show. To put an end to it, they got on the roof of their studio and did an impromptu concert. And the entire project was scrapped.
Of course, the money doesn't add up. The cost of studio time, film makers, and the like made it necessary to put out something. The documentary was released, and Phil Spector took what were rehearsal tapes, added his wall of sound, and alas: Let It Be.
Therefore, I think it's unfair to compare Let It Be to other, more progressive Beatles albums. While most of the Beatles catalog was very intricate and thought out, the recordings here were never intended to really be heard, and definitely never be sold off as the band's last studio album. Without comparing it to the other Beatles albums, looking at Let It Be for what it is, it is actually a pretty good album.
This album doesn't really take much of a slow side, but Let It Be, the title track, is reason enough to buy this album, as anyone will tell you that it is one of the band's best songs. In my personal opinion, it's overrated, but it is, nonetheless, an amazing song. Paul creates a simplistic chord structure, an uplifting melody, and singalong-worthy lyrics. Not to mention George piping in with an impressive guitar solo, one of my favorites of his. Spector didn't really do much to Let It Be, thankfully, leaving it as a simplistic, touching ballad.
The Long And Winding Road, on the other hand, doesn't have much of the same fate. This song has a great melody, which Paul delivers with such emotion, but it is ruined by its production, which is absolutely over the top. There is an interlude in this song that makes me literally think of ballroom dancing, and while the Beatles did do all kinds of genres, it's obvious that's not really what Paul was going for here. This song is way too grandeur, and with a little bit of modesty, it could have been quite amazing.
But as far as ballads go, obviously the best of the bunch is Lennon's Across The Universe. It's amazing that a song about absolutely nothing can be so heartfelt and touching. Lyrically, John only knows what was going on in this abstract number ("Images of broken light, which dance before me like a million eyes, that call me on and on across the universe"), but the melody of this song is so gorgeous. It is one of those rare tunes that just gets a lump in your throat for no explicable reason. Spector doesn't add much production to this song, a little orchestration, but it doesn't take anything away. I think Across The Universe is one of the Beatles best songs, definitely one of John's, and a song I frequently mention when discussing the power of music. Essential.
On a lighter note, Let It Be really shines on it's uptempos. To put it simply, this is a fun, full of light hearted rockers that wouldn't sound out of place in the Beatles earlier catalog. Actually, one of them is from the early Beatles catalog. John and Paul searched their archives and came up with One After 909, a fast-paced number they wrote in the early 60s and only laid down a demo of. Its age is obvious, and it's really nothing special, but the harmony is spot on, and the boys sound like they're having a lot of fun on this track, and the listener does too.
Probably the funnest (most fun?) track on this album comes with I've Got A Feeling, a song that is actually two songs put together, one part Lennon, one part McCartney, all good. Paul lets his vocals rip, something he liked to do around this era, and something he did well. John's are just as good in a totally different spirit, sounding very smooth. Put them together and you have absolute magic. This is a bluesy number, great guitar work from George, and a melody that is really memorable. Complete with random vocal stylings and laughter, this song is a great collaboration between John and Paul.
But the best of their work here is on Two Of Us, a song that is absolutely touching. It opens the album on a sweet number. It was a memorable guitar riff, light and airy, and the harmony is amazing. John and Paul sound so together here, it's hard to believe that they nearly hated each other around this time. Considering Paul wrote this one about John, it's even more touching. "Two of us riding nowhere, spending someone's hard earned pay... Two of us Sunday driving, not arriving, on our way back home." This is a beautiful, folksy number that I would call nearly perfect all the way to the impromptu whistling thrown in at the end.
Speaking of folksy, George gets a chance to stretch his songwriting muscles a little bit on Let It Be, his best song here being the simple and sweet For You Blue, a song simple in theme and absolutely jamtastic (if that's not a word, it is now.) The lyrics, like I said, are simple as all hell: "Because you're sweet and lovely girl, I love you. I love you." But, let's be honest, they don't really matter that much. This is the kind of song you just kind of bob your head to, taking on a bluesy vibe, and with a genuine feeling of fun that recurs throughout the album. And may I had how much I love the bass riff here? George says it best: "Elmore James's got nothin' on this baby!"
But it wasn't all fun and games. George was a little bitter about the fact that none of his songs were getting on Beatles albums, and he brings it across on I Me Mine, a song written about his selfish bandmates (mostly Paul. Seems like it was way cool to hate him in 1969.) "All through the day, I, me, mine, I, me, mine, I, me, mine." George sounds into it. Paul doesn't. But Ringo does! This is one song where his drumming really shines through! He hardly does anything on this album, but he keeps this song together easily. And George's guitar work sounds positively angry, and it's not often I can say a guitar sounds mad. The only problem with I Me Mine is it sound somewhat out of place on this album, not really fitting in the mold of the older sounding music here, but who cares? It's still a great, and very George, song.
There is some stuff on this album that was obvious filler. Dig It and Maggie Mae are random blurbs of sound that are clearly there to fill up a few minutes. Maggie Mae is an old song that they just jump through for less than a minute, and Dig It is simply John screaming some random things into some unsuspecting microphone. Both are pointless.
But, in conclusion, Let It Be gets a bad rap. Even though tension was high, the Beatles managed to present a lot of good music. It's a little sloppy, and there are moments that are a little cringe worthy, but I'll say it before and I'll say it again: any Beatles album is better than most other albums. Let It Be is a fun, light hearted, if somewhat flawed project.
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Tracklisting
1. Two Of Us
2. Dig A Pony
3. Across The Universe
4. I Me Mine
5. Dig It
6. Let It Be
7. Maggie Mae
8. I've Got A Feeling
9. One After 909
10. The Long And Winding Road
11. For You Blue
12. Get Back
Repeat It: Two Of Us, Across The Universe, I've Got A Feeling, For You Blue
Skip It: Dig It, Maggie Mae, Spectorized The Long And Winding Road (you can find a better version of this on Let It Be... Naked)
Great Music To Play While: Celebrating the fact that I wrote a review after a 3-month hiatus.
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