Could I Recommend It? There Will Be An Answer, Let It Be!! (Let It Be - The Beatles)

Member Name: Caveat-Emptor

Product:	Let It Be - The Beatles
Date:	03/07/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Raw, Strained Beatles At The End Of Their Teather... But The Height Of Their Talent!!

Disadvantages: A Couple Of 'Joke' Tracks That Won't Please Everybody

My review of the 'Let It Be' Album - by The Beatles

INTRODUCTION
Let It Be is like no other Beatles album, it represents to me the Beatles at their most raw - when their interpersonal inter-band relationship were often at their most strained.

This was the bands attempt to recapture the 'feel' of their early days (John especially always felt that The Beatles music lost something when they got signed - and that although they became very creative -they regressed as a cohesive 'live' entity)...

...but as anyone who's watched the (well worth a look for the roof top gig alone!!) film footage knows; the project failed.

Let It Be became the 'falling apart' soundtrack of the greatest band in history. Now I might have given you the impression that I don't like this album much; Nothing could be further from the truth!!

Let It Be is the end of the Beatles as a band (they couldn't even be bothered to compile the album form all the songs recorded, choosing to walk away and hand the job to Phil Spector), but it's also (perhaps because of the competing factions within the band) brilliantly raw, creative and interspersed with a healthy helping of humour (no really!! - ranging from the silly to the acidic and weird!).

I think this marks a brilliant end to the Beatles career, because it's so rough around the edges. I don't believe that a polished album wouldn't have been as impressive as the final release (ironically Abbey Road - which was highly polished and great - was recorded after the Let It Be session's - but since Let It Be was released last, it carved it's place in music history as the fab four's final fling!!)

THE SONGS;
There are no tracks on the Let It Be album that I don't enjoy on some level;

there are only a couple of weak tracks - the shambolic 'Maggie Mai' and 'Dig It' - (which aren't really songs, but are quite funny to listen to -lol!!), and there are some really interesting tracks like 'one after 909' and 'I've Got A Feeling'.

One after 909 is a must have track (for those who know their Beatles history) because it's the first (the VERY first) track that John and Paul wrote together (while they were still in their early teens). It's rack n roll of course lol! But listen out for George playing his trademark '7th augmented 9th chord' (I know it sounds complex, but when you hear it you'll know it -it's jazzy and angry all at the same time).

The brilliant Jimi Hendrix was often credited with the first use of this chord - and it features heavily (no pun intended :-) in Jimi's classic Purple Haze. But among most guitar players -the general consensus is that it was George who came up with the chord first, and Jimi who quickly adopted it.

THE BEST TRACKS IMHO;
Two Of Us - is a beautiful, unpolished Lennon happy go lucky tune (with whistling in places) with some great lyrics and a real 'feel good' factor. Paul's clever key changed middle-eight part is a welcome surprise too!!

I Me Mine - This George Harrison song is one of the two greatest melodies I've ever heard in my life (the other being Brett Huckfield's 'Here Again').. It sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it, and George does some kick ass guitar playing in the rocked up chorus too.

Get Back -This is the proper live version, from on top of the Apple Building (now a legendary bit of film footage). It kicks along better than the well known album version of Get Back, and John and Paul joking around at the start (and end) of the song, still makes me smile (and I've heard it a gazillion times lol!!).

Let It Be - Paul's beautiful hymn to his mother... Not to be confused with the 'other' tame version of this song on other albums. This one starts with the amusing (if slightly tasteless given the song's subject matter) Lennon comment 'Now we'd like to do; Hark The Angels Come!'. What sets this version of Let It Be apart is the raw, explosive and awesome guitar playing that appears in the last 3rd of the song; it's George at the top of his form... Trust me, you won't want to hear the tame version after this one!!

AND THE REST;
Although the 4 tracks above are my faves, the remaining songs are such a close second to them; you couldn't fit a hair from Ringo's moustache between them :-)

Songs like Across The Universe -with it's introspective poetic verses interspersed with an ancient Hindu chant for the chorus (inspired by John's visit to India during the Beatle's meditation/ mystic yogi phase;. Later John would lose faith in the Maharaji, after catching him indulging in err...ahem...'more than spiritual pleasures' with one of the young ladies present - but just like Ranger Smith said; you can't trust a Yogi, lol!)

...and The Long And Winding Road - which is such a beautiful (Grammy Award winning) 'Paul' ballad. Incidentally, Paul hated the strings and cellos that Phil Spector had added to his song - though personally I think the 'strings' are very tasteful addition to Paul's song, and lift the track brilliantly!).

ACTUAL TRACK LISTING;
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. Long And Winding Road
11. Get Back


The whole album would be worth buying for anyone of the above tracks - let alone all of them. People have often said unkind things about this album -I'm not one of them, I love it and I heartily recommend it!!

Hope you found my review of some help, and good luck with your bargain hunting!!

Best wishes,
Caveat Emptor

Summary: This Album Is As Raw And Wild As The Beatle's Hair On The Album Cover Artwork!!