The Cavern
Rock & Words
LET IT BE (The Beatles, 1970)
Artist: The Beatles (A)
Recording Dates: Jan ’69 – Apr ‘70
Release Date: Mayo 8th, 1970. UK
Record Label: Apple
Producer: Phil Spector
Rating: 9
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: Let It Be o Dig a Pony
Tracklist: 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.
It is with great melancholy that I begin this review. The Beatles' last studio album, the end of an era. Yes, I know there's still material left, the Past Masters, the Anthologies (which, if I review them, will all be in a single post), but this is the LAST true studio album. When I started this project in 2007, I saw this moment as something very distant and remote. Anyway. It's not just the nostalgia that comes with finishing a review of my all-time favorite band, but the album itself. Even before I immersed myself in its history and everything the album entailed, it seemed like a nostalgic record to me, a kind of farewell. It still seems that way to me. I think the Beatles reached such a level of tension at Twickenham Studios, where they recorded the album's rehearsal sessions, that at a certain point they knew it was their last, and some of that feeling of a wintry goodbye permeated it. Then a lot of things happened, the album was shelved, and they released Abbey Road first, which is more of a celebration, their last collaborative effort, a perfect album. Later, they dusted off the tapes, and it resumed its role as a final chapter. It feels like an album for the road, with constant references to it, to an inevitable goodbye: from "Two of Us," which for a long time I thought was about Paul and John; the "feel the windblow" of "Dig a Pony"; the cosmic journey of "Universe"; that kind of resignation to something fading away in "Let it Be"; the wait for the train in "909," the long and winding road; the sadness of "Blue"; and the closing with that wish ("Get Back") that never materialized… The album also has some incredibly powerful, very rock-oriented tracks, an unusual blues influence, and a rawer, more hard-rocking style that would have boded well for the band in the 70s. But what if doesn't exist...
The recordings themselves were torturous. I saw the film Let It Be sometime during my teens, and I think I blocked most of it out of my mind and decided never to watch it again. I remember thinking it was like watching a divorce in close-ups. It was painful to watch them like that.
The problems in the studio had started with the White Album. The Beatles had spent more than five months practically locked away in the studio, and by the end of '68, Paul took the initiative and began pushing for a new record. One night in early December, he went into a pub and played the piano for the surprised patrons there. He left with the certainty that half of being a musician is performing live, hearing the applause, the people singing along. He also left with an idea in his head: that the Beatles should give another concert, and in fact, that would be preparation for a new tour. Paul was enthusiastic because technology had evolved to the point that by the end of 1968, there was no longer a crowd that could drown out the modern sound equipment. The others weren't too happy with the idea, especially George, who had resented touring the most in their early days, but he didn't rule out a performance, since he had recently played with Dylan and The Band in New York, and the adrenaline of the stage isn't something easy to give up. The idea of a tour was scrapped, but they started brainstorming crazy ideas for a one-off concert: a Greek island, a cruise ship, a Tunisian amphitheater, a mental asylum (Lennon's idea), and other such outlandish venues. They couldn't agree on a venue, but they all tacitly concluded that it had to be a raw album, without overproduction, orchestras, or intricate studio tricks—in short, a return to their roots, something the four of them could play live.
To top it all off, they decided to document the entire creative and recording process on camera to release it as a film, so they brought in Michael Lindsay-Hogg to direct it. The problem was that Abbey Road was too narrow for the camera movements they wanted, so they moved to Twickenham Studios, leaving the legendary Abbey Road for the first time.
Recordings for the album and film, tentatively titled Get Back, as it represented a return to their roots, began on January 2, 1969, with Glyn Johns as producer. A tense atmosphere reigned from the start. Twickenham was a terrible place to be in winter. The Beatles were taken there at 8 a.m. for natural light, even though they preferred to record at night. “It was a dreadful feeling,” John would say, “being constantly filmed by two 16mm cameras. You couldn’t make music at that hour of the morning, with people filming us and colored lights in our faces.” Paul took the musical direction, trying to be proactive and enthusiastic, but he went so far as to tell George and Ringo what and how to play on each song, treating them like his backing band, which was even more insulting because they were being filmed.
The first few days they revisited songs from their roots, like “Johnny B. Goodge” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” Then they realized they weren't getting anywhere and decided to go to their own studios, with a 78-track console they had ordered months earlier from Alex the Magician (that swindler friend of John's) which was being installed in the basement of Apple's offices. To their surprise, Alex didn't have it ready at all. In fact, he didn't have a single one of the 78 tracks. There was no heating, and the recording machines that the tech genius was supposed to build had actually been ordered from Germany and didn't meet their specifications. To make matters worse, the ventilation for the entire building was in the basement, and the noise made it impossible to record anything. Alex hadn't even installed an intercom system between the booth and the studio! Legend has it that Paul was furious with John, since it had been his idea to trust Alexis Mardas, but he refrained from hitting him because otherwise there wouldn't be a record. McCartney rearranged everything so they could record at 3 Savile Row. Cameras and lights were reinstalled, and the Beatles went back to what they were doing: fighting. The tension was even higher, and the sessions were a hostile standstill. On January 6, Paul suggested to George that "Two of Us" would sound better without so many riffs, to which Harrison exploded, "I'll play what you want me to play, or I won't play anything at all! Whatever pleases you, I'll do it!" Then, on January 10, George and John had an argument, though it's unclear whether they came to blows. After the lunch break, George got in his car and drove home to Esher. He told Pattie, "I've quit the group. The Beatles are over." George stayed home in a bad mood, while filming was delayed. Legend has it that Paul, furious and without thinking, called Eric Clapton to offer him the position, but Clapton declined out of loyalty to George (Ha!), adding with a touch of cynicism, "Jeff Beck is also busy recording an album, so don't bother calling him." Paul was supposedly desperately searching for a lead guitarist without consulting the others, but a few days later, when they had a business meeting, George showed up as if nothing had happened.
On January 22nd, they finally returned to Apple Studios. George arrived with keyboardist Billy Preston, believing that the White Album sessions had improved with Clapton present, and hoping that having a guest would ease the tension. The idea, in fact, worked. During the eight days at Abbey Road, now without cameras, they recorded tons of material. Virtually the entire Abbey Road album emerged there, jamming together, with tracks like “Mean Mr. Mustard,” “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” “Sun King,” “Polythene Pam,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Something,” “Carry That Weight,” “I Want You,” “Octopus's Garden,” “Oh! Darling,” and “I Want You,” which they would later rework. They also started songs that would end up on their solo albums, such as “Child of Nature,” which became “Jealous Guy,” and John's “Gimme Some Truth.” Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity," "Let It Down," and "Hear Me Lord." Or Paul's "Another Day," "Junk," "Teddy Bear," and "Backseat of My Car." They revisited old covers like "Bésame Mucho," "Ain't She Sweet" (from their time with Tony Sheridan), "Stand by Me," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Shake, Rattle and Roll"; and more recent covers like Dylan's "Positively 4th Street," "All Along the Watchtower," and "I Shall Be Released." Most were informal jams, or short snippets, but among those songs, the magic began to emerge again. From those jams also came "Maggie Mae," tentatively based on a melody Julia sang to John when he was a child, and "Dig It." Then they unearthed a little track they hadn't released since 1963, "One After 909," a very melodic little rock and roll number. And so They unleashed all the others, except for “Across the Universe” which dated from the psychedelic period of '67, and “I Me Mine” which they would record until '70, when they resumed the project, being the last studio piece of the band, although already without Lennon.
On January 30, 1969, instead of playing at the Roman Colosseum or one of the other grandiose venues they had planned, they simply took their equipment up to the roof of Abbey Road, without warning anyone, and began playing in the frigid London air. John wore a brown fur coat; Paul a suit without a tie and brown shoes; George a black coat and green trousers; and Ringo a red windbreaker, accompanied by Billy Preston in a corner, with the entire crew recording and documenting the moment. They played three takes of "Get Back," two of "Don't Let Me Down" (which would have greatly enhanced the album had it not been released as a single), two takes of "I've Got a Feeling," and one each of "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony." People began to gather on the sidewalks and in the buildings across the street. After a while, the police arrived and were filmed entering the building and going up the stairs. The Beatles continued playing for a few minutes, with the police at their backs, and during that take of "Get Back," Paul improvised lines: "You've been playing on the roofs again, and you know your Momma doesn't like it, she's gonna have you arrested." John would conclude with the famous line, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we've passed the audition," referring to the Decca audition. In the end, they had recorded nine takes of the band's last and perhaps most legendary concert, the most parodied, the one that only a handful of people were able to witness, perhaps without even knowing what they were listening to. Several phrases would be salvaged for the album, giving it that "live" feel. The takes of "One After 909," "I've Got a Feeling," and "Dig a Pony" would be used on the album, the latter standing out precisely because of the tremendous difficulty of its execution and because it was recorded live.
On the 31st, the band reunited at Apple Studios to record "The Long and Winding Road," "Let It Be," and "Two of Us." The Beatles thus completed the "Get Back" project, with approximately 27 hours of video footage (most of it unusable due to constant friction) and 90 hours of audio, including the Apple Studios sessions and the Rooftop Concert. To finalize the concept of what would become the ill-fated Get Back, Lennon suggested they take a photograph at the EMI offices, in the exact same pose as the Please Please Me cover photo seven years earlier. Get Back was never released, but the photographs were used for the Red and Blue Albums.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg had a hell of a time editing it to produce a presentable and somewhat palatable version. Even so, the tension is palpable. The fact is, after recording, nobody wanted anything to do with Get Back. John would say, "I was terrified to even look at those tapes; nobody wanted anything to do with them," and it was shelved for months. Things came along to keep them occupied: Shortly after, they realized they were bankrupt. Their accountant, who had been with them from the beginning, sent each of them a letter explaining that he could no longer manage the finances since Apple was a money pit, and they themselves had lost interest in controlling it. Paul and John were in the red, owing more than £65,000, and George and Ringo £35,000. If they didn't take control of Apple, they would be bankrupt within six months. Paul began searching for the best financial advisors in the UK, from Lord Beeching, who had rescued British Railways, to Lord Goodman, the Prime Minister's lawyer. But none of them were a good fit. Paul then suggested Lee Eastman, Linda's father, a solid and conservative lawyer. In retrospect, I think that was the best option; Paul was right, but the others didn't want their potential future father-in-law in charge of the finances because it could benefit him. That's when Allen Klein came into the picture. He had already squeezed the Stones dry, but Jagger had flattered Lennon, trying to get rid of Klein. Klein met with John and Yoko privately and won them over, promising them a thousand things. He had secured a £1.2 million advance from Decca for the Stones when he started managing them, which had greatly annoyed the Beatles. Klein promised them £2 million upfront for renewing their contract with EMI, and Yoko promised to get United Artists to distribute their films. That night formally began the Beatles' divorce process, with the exhausting battle between Paul and John to impose their preferred manager.
To top it all off, Paul married Linda on the morning of March 12, 1969, after learning she was pregnant. It was at the Merylebone registry office, and despite the light rain and attempts at discretion, a crowd of girls wept for the last single Beatle, along with a media circus. The other Beatles weren't there. That same day, the police raided Esher. Pattie was alone, and the police, with a trained dog, went almost directly to a pack of cigarettes someone had left on Pattie's car that morning. They found half a kilo of hashish in one of George's shoes, to which Pattie burst out laughing, "If we had that much hashish, we wouldn't put it there, and if you're looking for marijuana, it's on the bathroom shelf." George was two hours late because of traffic. The police practically asked for his autograph when they arrested him. He was released on bail after the charges were filed. The Stones' hunting era was over, but the Beatles' hunting season was opening, tentatively due to the political activism of Lennon-Ono.
On March 20, a week after Paul's wedding, John and Yoko married in Gibraltar. After witnessing the media circus surrounding Paul's wedding, John wanted his to be completely private and secret. Peter Brown arranged what they wanted at the southern tip of Spain, Gibraltar, and John would immortalize it in "The Ballad of John and Yoko." While the wedding lasted 10 minutes and was kept secret, with only Peter Brown among their acquaintances, they decided their honeymoon would indeed be a circus. They flew to Amsterdam, rented a luxury suite at the Hilton, and began the first of their infamous "Bed-ins," with hundreds of journalists and photographers parading to see them sitting in white, singing "Give Peace a Chance," and making pacifist and anti-Vietnam War statements. Thus, it was not only a struggle for control of the group, but the tremendous clashes between their wives - who could not stand each other - that ended up breaking up that friendship that changed rock and the world.
Shortly after, they reunited with George Martin for their final studio album, revisiting most of the unfinished material from the "Get Back" sessions for what would become their masterpiece, their swan song, Abbey Road. That's another story. I'll just mention that Abbey Road was released in September 1969; for more details, check out its review.
In January 1970, George, Paul, and Ringo reunited at Abbey Road to record Harrison's "I Me Mine." John never arrived, and they decided to continue without him. John would be the last to hint at leaving the group without officially doing so. That would be the last official Beatles session, although the same three would reunite in the mid-1990s for the Anthology albums. When it was already clear in 1970 that the Beatles couldn't all be in the same room together, Allen Klein gave the unfinished tapes of Get Back to Phil Spector to work on. The project was renamed Let It Be, and by then "Teddy Boy" had been cut because Paul had it in mind for his solo debut. "Don't Let Me Down" was also left out, as it was about to be released as a single. Perhaps for this reason, they decided to include filler tracks like "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It."
Phil Spector—of "The Wall of Sound" fame—took the tapes and gave them the treatment that made him famous. Lavish orchestrations and monumental female choirs (a first for a Beatles album). He slowed down and lowered the key of "Across the Universe" and added orchestral arrangements. The live tracks don't sound live; he even added dialogue to some to give the impression of live performance. Despite the production, most of the tracks ended up with a somewhat muddy sound, lacking the characteristic clarity of George Martin. Rolling Stone criticized them harshly for this, and it's perhaps the magazine's statement with which I've most agreed: "The Beatles passed the audition, but they tried to 'return' to their roots by forgetting the best producer of our time, and that's no way to 'return'."
When Paul heard the Let It Be mix, he was horrified, particularly by Spector's treatment of "The Long and Winding Road." Paul wanted it with just piano, but Spector had left it like the soundtrack to a bad Broadway musical. This marked the beginning of his push to release solo albums early, and it was the final straw. Despite demanding the inclusion of the original version, his pleas were ignored. On April 10th, Paul announced his departure from the Beatles through the press. Let It Be was released posthumously on May 8th, 1970, when everyone was more interested in the solo albums and the war of words surrounding the painful breakup…
The album opens with “Two Of Us”, a warm acoustic track by Paul. Originally titled “On Our Way Home,” it began with electric guitars, but Paul didn't like the sound, so they changed it to a softer, more rustic one with acoustic guitars. Ringo keeps the beat with the bass drum, George plays that two-note arpeggio that sounds like warm rain and serves as a riff. Paul and John sing in perfect harmony, except for the bridge, which is sung by Paul. The song has pauses and bursts after each chorus, with a casual, melancholic, and joyful feel all at once. Paul claims the lyrics are about him and Linda, but I'm not the only one who thinks it seems to be about John, reminiscing about the old days, the long road that led them to this moment: “You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead,” he sings in the bridge, almost like a premonition. There's a sense of camaraderie, a farewell, a bittersweet feeling that makes this simple song so good. I love the fade-out ending with the whistling. The Beatles going back to basics, no overdubs, no reversed guitars, no orchestras, no psychedelic effects. Just them, vaguely reminiscent of the acoustic sound of Help!
Next up is “Dig a Pony”, one of the most underrated songs in the entire Beatles catalog, and one that was even my personal favorite at one point. It’s a beautiful song, with a mid-tempo feel, not exactly a ballad, featuring John delivering one of his ingenious lyrics that say everything and nothing at the same time. It kicks off with a false start from Paul, just as Ringo exclaims “Hold It!” The melody is spectacular, on par with McCartney’s, and the lyrics, like the previous song, are dedicated to Yoko, but could just as easily have been dedicated to Paul, who has to harmonize in falsetto because John’s voice is VERY high. The incredibly complex intro riff is spectacular, and it’s even more impressive considering it’s a live recording from the Rooftop Concert. It’s devilishly difficult to synchronize the two guitars, the bass, and the drums out of time with that up-and-down sequence, and I say that from experience. George unleashes exquisite licks while Ringo plays with that carefree style, which here sounds incredibly powerful at times, pounding the cymbals like Bonham himself. Paul harmonizes while John throws his Dylan-esque barbs, Paul delivers a bombastic bass line… and they launch into the explosive chorus: “I told you so, ALL I WANT IS YOU!!! Everything has got to be just like you want it to” with the “Because…” in falsetto as a whisper, before that brief silence that propels them back into the verses. It's simply heavenly. George's guitar solo is gorgeous, with enormous feeling and a bluesy aura. I insist, a very underrated song, beautiful and powerful at the same time, and with an instrumental level that must have pushed all four of them to their limits, demonstrating that they were in better shape than ever to perform live.
We continue with “Across the Universe”, a beautiful Lennon song. It was written in 1967, and John was inspired one day when Cynthia was trying to find a word and came up with “words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup.” John couldn't sleep with the image running through his head and wrote the song. It's heavily influenced by Hindu sounds and the transcendental meditation he was just discovering with Maharishi. The song appeared on the 1969 charity compilation album, “No One's Gonna Change My World.” A warm, flowing melody, with John's measured vocals, the gentle strumming, and that mantra-like chorus, “Jai guru deva om…” The original version was a key higher and faster, and basically just guitar. During the Get Back sessions, George added an electric guitar with a sitar and wah-wah effect, Ringo played tamburas and maracas, and Paul didn't contribute. John said he was trying to ruin it with harmonies, so in the end, Paul himself stepped aside. Spector slowed down the tempo and key, adding orchestrations and a huge angelic choir, which, all things considered, didn't turn out so bad. The lyrics, according to John, are the most beautiful and philosophical he ever wrote: “Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns, It calls me on and on, across the universe.” The song is simply gorgeous, combining instrumentation, melody, and lyrics for a truly astral and musical journey.
Then came George's "I Me Mine", a song about ego. They started rehearsing it at Twickenham, but the result never quite convinced George. When they resumed work on Let It Be, Harrison asked the others to get together and re-record it. John was in Denmark and didn't attend, so on January 3, 1970, this would be the last song the Beatles worked on without him. It begins with a dramatic guitar riff accompanied by a Hammond organ played by Paul. The slow blues transforms into a wild rocker for the choruses, with guitars at full distortion and Ringo's vocals displaying unusual power. Paul provides the harmonies. George delivers a spectacular guitar performance with the intro and licks, but curiously, there's no lead guitar solo. The lyrics are supposedly about ego versus self, although John took it as an attack on himself and Yoko and therefore didn't bother making the trip. Phil Spector copied one of the verses, as it was Very short, and the orchestration adds a touch of nuance to the hard rock feel. The song fades away with just the notes of the Hammond organ, leaving an unfinished impression.
Next up is “Dig It”, a filler track, basically one of the many jams that came out of the sessions, with John’s nonsensical lyrics, shouting over a three-note sequence and a circus-like keyboard. It lasts less than a minute, but in my opinion, these tracks, despite their brevity, detract from the album’s overall quality.
We continue with one of the gems of the Beatles' discography. “Let It Be” is one of the greatest songs Paul ever wrote. It's dedicated to his mother, Mary McCartney, who died of cancer when he was 14, but most people interpreted “Mother Mary” as referring to the Virgin Mary. That's why I say Lennon fell VERY short in his tribute to Julia. The song is a gem, perhaps the best Paul wrote along with “Hey Jude.” It begins with those melancholic piano notes and Paul singing the melody, which he finishes each time with the title. It truly sounds like a sunrise in the darkest hour. The chorus is beautiful, with a subtle backing vocal on the first verse. For the following verses, Ringo enters, marking the time with the cymbals, and John accentuates the key changes with a 6-string bass. For the next chorus, the band kicks in, along with an orchestral arrangement that sounds heavenly. At the end comes a double descending scale as a bridge, finished off by Billy Preston's Hammond organ, and then, at the two-minute mark, Harrison launches into one of his most beautiful solos, with a feeling that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. It lasts only two verses, but George's contribution is incredible, and the solo in this version is far superior to the one on the single. For the following verses, Ringo runs through the bass drums with a drumming style, while George adds licks and maracas make an appearance. Then comes the chorus with the orchestra and the drum fills, while John keeps time, tapping out notes and running the entire length of the bass arm, finishing with a final descending scale. Wow! It's so simple, yet so perfect. The lyrics are perhaps the anthem that McCartney searched for for so many years to rival "Imagine," only it came before it. I think he never realized the lyrical power of the song, which can be interpreted as resignation, "Let it be," but also as not clinging to things, letting go, accepting… perhaps a message, more to himself and his soon-to-be ex-bandmates than to his fans. Simply majestic.
Next up is “Maggie Mae”, a mere 40 seconds long. It’s kind of a joke, I suppose. It’s based on one of the Quarrymen’s early compositions, which in turn was based on a silly tune Julia used to sing to John. I feel like these little tracks disrupt the album’s flow and ended up taking up space that could have been used for “Don’t Let Me Down,” which would have given the album a perfect score.
Next up is “I've Got a Feeling”, another Paul masterpiece, and perhaps the last truly worthy track to bear the Lennon/McCartney name. It's a tremendous rocker that begins with a distorted arpeggio, then Ringo comes in keeping time, delivers a flourish, and George enters with a crushing chord that sets the stage for Paul to launch into a thunderous, colossal scream. He also lays down a massive bass line, deep and powerful. That ascending scale George plays, combined with Paul's scream just before he belts out the title at the top of his lungs, is one of the highlights of 1969. I wonder what people walking by on the sidewalk must have thought as they listened. Then John comes in with the “Everybody Had a Hard Year” section, inserting a different song that had emerged from the White Album sessions, and which fit perfectly here. The ending, with Paul and John singing their lines simultaneously, is incredible, culminating in those tension-filled scales. It shows that the Beatles, despite not having played live for almost 3 years, were ready to kick anyone's ass.
Then comes “One After 909” with its upbeat mood. It’s actually one of John and Paul’s earliest compositions as a partnership, perhaps from 1957, and one they likely played during their Hamburg days, but never recorded because they considered it too simple. It is, in fact, but they infuse it with an incredible energy, fueled by the harmonies, the frenetic beat, George’s Brett-esque guitar solos, and John’s guitar solo, reminiscent of their early rock and roll days, though Paul sings with a deep, “Lady Madonna”-esque voice. And Preston shines with a boogie that rivals Nicky Hopkins. This is yet another example of the band’s impeccable live performance, as it’s another take from the Rooftop Concert.
Next up is "The Long and Winding Road", which, regardless of Spector's arrangements, sounds somewhat out of place and more in line with Paul's solo albums. He composed the song on his farm in Scotland, dedicated it to Linda, and originally envisioned it as a simple piano piece with perhaps some guitar accompaniment. Phil added a full orchestra and a 40-voice choir, undoubtedly with the best of intentions, but it ends up giving it a touch of fake 1940's glam. Paul tried to prevent the album from being released with this version, but he was ignored. This was possibly the decisive reason why, nine days later on April 10th, he announced his departure from the group. It was also one of the causes of his lawsuit in December to legally dissolve the partnership. It would be the band's last number one hit. Want to know a secret? I've never liked it, and I don't think it has anything to do with the arrangements, since I wasn't particularly impressed with the version on *Let It Be Naked* either. The song itself is saccharine, with a slow, bland melody and somewhat cloying lyrics. It's more fitting for a solo album, as I mentioned. Among the longer tracks, I consider it the weakest point of the record.
“For You Blue” is George’s second track, a pure blues number with superb slide guitar work, which, believe it or not, is played by John on a steel guitar. Paul plays piano, and George plays acoustic guitar, delivering those incredibly high, mandolin-like licks. At the beginning, if you turn up the volume, you can hear John saying, “Queen says no to pot-smoking FBI members,” one of John’s lines from Twickenham, which Spector thought would fit well there. The song is good; it shows the Beatles in their purest blues form, doing their best. However, there’s a feeling that George’s contributions to the album were somewhat lacking, considering his work in recent years.
The album closes with “Get Back”, a tremendous rocker that emerged as an impromptu jam session at Twickenham Studios, with Paul arriving days later with the lyrics. The song changed very little from its inception; it's a very basic rock and roll number in A, with flourishes in G-D, but it's practically unison, featuring a spectacular galloping beat from Ringo, in one of the most recognizable drum lines in history. In the concert, you can hear John saying before it begins, “Sweet Loretta Fat, she thought she was a cleaner, but she was a frying pan.” The lyrics speak of failed characters far from home. John joins in on the choruses to harmonize, then we have a false ending at 1:30, just before Billy Preston's elegant electric piano solo. Paul launches into Loretta's verses. John would say that in the studio, every time Paul sang the chorus, he glanced sideways at Yoko. At 2:20, we have a simple, country-tinged solo, very effective. The song is incredibly simple, yet powerful, with a great melody and unusual lyrics that are almost like portraits. Malcolm Young would say he was blown away by this song, and it was the one that truly made him take seriously the idea of forming a band playing the most basic rock imaginable. A gem. The album includes a studio version, but Spector added John's famous rooftop line:
"I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition."
With those ironic words, silence falls.
We would never see them "Getting Back".
The album is good, very good, but it can't be put on the same level as the Beatles' masterpieces. Besides the two short filler tracks, George's songs seem to fall short of their previous standard, and "The Long and Winding Road" feels very out of place with the rest of the album. The production was demonized. I still think it's a waste to choose another producer when you have the best in history at hand. Spector did the best he could, being Spector (what did you expect?), but listening to Naked, I confirm John's words that he didn't do too badly. Except for "Road"...
The album would be a culmination of factors that would lead to the breakup of the greatest band in history. But that doesn't detract from the fact that it contains some of the quartet's most powerful rockers, Paul's quintessential ballad, and that live, on-the-road, farewell feel that remains majestic even after all these years.
Despite everything, when the needle lifts, there remains that feeling of emptiness, that there are no more records on the list, that it is the end of an era.
And those powerful words remain, echoing like a mantra: “Get Back, Get Back, Get Back to where you once belonged…”
Thank you, Beatles!
By Corvan
Dec/31/2014
