“I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we’ve passed the audition.”
John Lennon
Noted for its troubled and difficult production, Let it Be is perhaps one of the most controversial and intriguing albums in rock history. Generally regarded by critics and the public a sad and weak ending to The Beatles as a band, it is often rarely discussed or praised as a product of their great legacy. The recent release of a 6 disc super deluxe edition with a remix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell provides us with an opportunity to further understand the troubled production process of the album, whilst also giving us a chance to reassess and re-evaluate the traditional critical opinions of this much maligned album.
A brief explanation of the background and production process of the album will perhaps be informative. By 1969, The Beatles were growing apart and beginning to crack, with increasing tensions between the band members following the recording sessions for the ‘White Album’. As the band’s creative ‘leader’ and instigator at the time, Paul McCartney hatched an idea for the band to create, rehearse and perform new songs whilst being recorded by film cameras for a documentary, with the intention to eventually play these new songs to a live audience. The recording sessions at Twickenham Studios were a hostile and miserable experience for all. The band eventually relocated to Apple Studios, where the atmosphere improved, especially after keyboardist Billy Preston arrived to assist with recording. Their infamous rooftop concert was played on 31 January 1969 at Apple Studios at 3 Saville Row. Yet the original Get Back album mixes by engineer Glyn Johns were indefinitely shelved or postponed as the band worked on recording sessions for Abbey Road. Let it Be was eventually released a year later on 8 May 1970. The final album was produced by Phil Spector, who added several orchestral overdubs on tracks such as Across the Universe and The Long and Winding Road, much to McCartney’s objection.
The 2021 stereo mix and rerelease of Let it Be comes in many different formats. Headlining this are the 5 CD + Blu-ray and 5 LP Super Deluxe Editions, followed by a 2 CD Deluxe Edition, 1 CD Standard Edition, and a 1 LP Standard Vinyl. The 5 CD + Blu ray Super Deluxe Edition contains the new 2021 stereo mix of the album, 2 CDs of recording sessions and rehearsals, the 1969 Glyn Johns Mix of Get Back, a Let it Be EP, and a Blu ray disc which contains audio of the new album mix in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Stereo. A 100 page hardcover book is also included. Of particular interest is the the original 1969 Glyn Johns Mix of Get Back which has never been released before. Supplementing the music releases is a 240 page hardcover book titled The Beatles: Get Back covering the creation of Let it Be, and the 3 part documentary series of The Beatles: Get Back, which was directed by Peter Jackson and released to Disney+ streaming recently.
So, what of the album, the new mix, and the extra material on this release?
Well whilst Let it Be will never rank as high as a Beatles album compared to say, Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road, I have always considered it to be an underrated and underappreciated collection of songs, with plenty to enjoy. The mixture of studio and live recorded songs is an interesting blend and gives the album an authentic feel.
Two of Us is a fantastic folk tune with a great duet from Lennon and McCartney complemented by some great acoustic sounds. Lennon’s Across the Universe is another gorgeous acoustic-driven cosmic dreamlike tune. Let it Be is one of the best songs and ballads that Paul McCartney has written and needs no introduction, with an excellent guitar solo from Harrison. Dig a Pony, I’ve Got a Feeling and One After 909 are brilliant hard rock tracks recorded live at their rooftop concert, with Billy Preston excelling on the electric piano. George Harrison also hints at the increasing division and tensions within the band on I Me Mine, whilst For You Blue is another acoustic-driven blues hit with Lennon on lap steel guitar. Finally Get Back ends the album on a rocking high with some classic guitar riffs.
The new 2021 mix of the album sounds generally very similar to the excellent 2009 remaster. One notable difference is that the orchestral overdubs on Across the Universe and The Long and Winding Road seem to have been brought out louder and more prominently.
In terms of bonus material there are hours of rehearsals, outtakes and jams on the Super Deluxe Edition but for this review I purchased the 2 CD Deluxe Edition, which contains one disc of outtake highlights and a 40 page booklet. All the tracks from the original album contain one take of rehearsals/jams with several small interesting extras added in. The crowning jewel of this disc is by far the first live rooftop performance of Don’t Let Me Down, in which John hilariously forgets a few lines in the second verse and ends up singing gibberish. Billy Preston’s piano skills are also a highlight on alternative takes of For You Blue (Take 4) and One After 909 (Take 3). Another interesting track is the raw recording of The Long and Winding Road (Take 19) by Paul without Phil Spector’s orchestral overdub. Also included is an alternative take of Get Back (Take 8), which has a slower tempo and is extended with some interesting dialogue from Paul. Finally, the previously unreleased Glyn Johns 1970 mix of Across the Universe is another interesting raw track, with the band’s backing vocals and electric guitar being faded out on this mix.
The Beatles – Let it Be is an excellent new remix with some fantastic previously unreleased material of studio takes, sessions and jams. This is a fantastic release and is highly recommended.
Andrew Reviews 