Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2019 14:26:51 GMT -5
[Last PSF thread for right now]
Which do you prefer, the Phil Spector production or the bare bones demos?
I have to agree with John, that the raw tapes from the Get Back sessions really pull the curtain back on the band and "breaks" the illusion. It really shows how instrumental George Martin was to their success and the image so many have of them as this perfect band. Without his careful hand, I think both versions here are significantly flawed though (obviously) still good.
Let It Be Naked starts off really interesting, but I think after 15 or 20 minutes it starts to grate on me. I have nothing against an acoustic or "rough around the edges" style, but I don't think it particularly suits the Beatles, or at least these particular songs, very well. Maybe it's just the takes used, but I think some overdubs would have helped a lot. I know this will piss a lot of people off, but the Beatles weren't a good enough band (or if you prefer, not a good enough LIVE band) to release a "raw" album that sounded very good.
With Let It Be, despite its reputation as overproduced, I actually think is pretty good for the most part. I do agree that Spector went too far in at least a couple tracks, defeating the whole point of the album, which was supposed to be "back to basics." This version of "Across the Universe" sounds kind of off to me. I would prefer this version of "Let It Be" were it not for the unnecessary guitar solo--Paul's right that this song works better as a simple ballad at the piano. Same with "The Long and Winding Road"--I prefer the simpler version, though Spector's mix isn't too bad until the ending when I just want to vomit. If you dropped the vocalists and trimmed that saccharine ending it would be perfect I'd say. I don't know what the hell's going on with "For You Blue" in this version. The arrangement is just so weird, and for no discernible reason either. "Get Back" doesn't have the energy or loudness that it desperately needs. It should have been (and is, in the demos) the Beatles' last great rocker. In Spector's cut, it just sounds way too quiet, slow and subdued to my ears. It's so underwhelming that when it ends, you're just left mouth agape like "What??? That's it???" By far, it's the weakest closing track on any Beatles album in this incarnation. "I Me Mine" sounds noticeably better in this version, though.
In the Spector album, I like the idea of leaving spoken chatter between the tracks, but I don't think the execution does it justice. The only instance of it that works is John's "pass the audition" at the end.
I think the tracklist for LIBN is better. Am I crazy, or does "Get Back" just scream to be the opener, and "Let It Be" the closer? To me that just makes so much more sense. "Maggie Mae" is also a noticeably inferior track and does not belong in my opinion. "Don't Let Me Down" is one of their best later period songs and should have been included on Let It Be from the beginning. Overall, it's very hard to pick since they're both about equally flawed in different directions as far as I'm concerned. But these differences in track order are the deciding factor for me--Let It Be Naked wins by a nose.
The real winner here is George Martin, though. If ever you wanted proof that the Beatles' needed George, that he was the fifth Beatle, this is it. Why they didn't just use him I have no idea. Frankly, I'd say the definitive cut of the Get Back/Let It Be era songs has yet to be released. For me, that would be the midpoint between Spector's over-producing and Naked's under-producing.
Which do you prefer, the Phil Spector production or the bare bones demos?
I have to agree with John, that the raw tapes from the Get Back sessions really pull the curtain back on the band and "breaks" the illusion. It really shows how instrumental George Martin was to their success and the image so many have of them as this perfect band. Without his careful hand, I think both versions here are significantly flawed though (obviously) still good.
Let It Be Naked starts off really interesting, but I think after 15 or 20 minutes it starts to grate on me. I have nothing against an acoustic or "rough around the edges" style, but I don't think it particularly suits the Beatles, or at least these particular songs, very well. Maybe it's just the takes used, but I think some overdubs would have helped a lot. I know this will piss a lot of people off, but the Beatles weren't a good enough band (or if you prefer, not a good enough LIVE band) to release a "raw" album that sounded very good.
With Let It Be, despite its reputation as overproduced, I actually think is pretty good for the most part. I do agree that Spector went too far in at least a couple tracks, defeating the whole point of the album, which was supposed to be "back to basics." This version of "Across the Universe" sounds kind of off to me. I would prefer this version of "Let It Be" were it not for the unnecessary guitar solo--Paul's right that this song works better as a simple ballad at the piano. Same with "The Long and Winding Road"--I prefer the simpler version, though Spector's mix isn't too bad until the ending when I just want to vomit. If you dropped the vocalists and trimmed that saccharine ending it would be perfect I'd say. I don't know what the hell's going on with "For You Blue" in this version. The arrangement is just so weird, and for no discernible reason either. "Get Back" doesn't have the energy or loudness that it desperately needs. It should have been (and is, in the demos) the Beatles' last great rocker. In Spector's cut, it just sounds way too quiet, slow and subdued to my ears. It's so underwhelming that when it ends, you're just left mouth agape like "What??? That's it???" By far, it's the weakest closing track on any Beatles album in this incarnation. "I Me Mine" sounds noticeably better in this version, though.
In the Spector album, I like the idea of leaving spoken chatter between the tracks, but I don't think the execution does it justice. The only instance of it that works is John's "pass the audition" at the end.
I think the tracklist for LIBN is better. Am I crazy, or does "Get Back" just scream to be the opener, and "Let It Be" the closer? To me that just makes so much more sense. "Maggie Mae" is also a noticeably inferior track and does not belong in my opinion. "Don't Let Me Down" is one of their best later period songs and should have been included on Let It Be from the beginning. Overall, it's very hard to pick since they're both about equally flawed in different directions as far as I'm concerned. But these differences in track order are the deciding factor for me--Let It Be Naked wins by a nose.
The real winner here is George Martin, though. If ever you wanted proof that the Beatles' needed George, that he was the fifth Beatle, this is it. Why they didn't just use him I have no idea. Frankly, I'd say the definitive cut of the Get Back/Let It Be era songs has yet to be released. For me, that would be the midpoint between Spector's over-producing and Naked's under-producing.
