Let it Be Fried

Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10

Look, I don't really want to get in the argument of whether or not Phil Spector's overproduction completely ruined Let it Be. All I know is that the end-product is great! In 2003, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who were the two remaining Beatles at the time, re-produced this album in a package called Let it Be ... Naked. I have just very recently received this album, but I haven't yet listened to it! I've been listening to the regular Let it Be for some years and I want to review it now just in case if I end up liking that version better than I do this.

I'm sure everybody and their pet hamsters know the story behind Let it Be. It was originally meant for release in 1968 after releasing The White Album. The original title for it was going to be "Get Back," signifying that The Beatles (who were prone to quarrel) were ready to be rejuvenated and 'get back' to what mattered! However, these plans backfired in their faces. They bickered throughout the whole thing, and pretty soon, the project was disbanded. Fortunately, though, The Beatles were able to bear with each other to leave the world with Abbey Road before they broke up.

When The Beatles were long gone, they still had the "Get Back" tapes. The Beatles certainly weren't going to produce this album, and keeping it under-lock would have absolutely been a crime! So, somebody had to produce it. And, who better to do it than Spector? And so he produced ... Unfortunately, unlike a regular producer, he didn't have the band at his disposal, so they couldn't re-cut a track, provide a voice-dub, give input ... or anything. All he had were a bunch of sketchy tapes! So quit yer complaining about Phil Spector! He had a very hard task.

Nevertheless, even more than murdering somebody recently, producing Let it Be is the guy's most notorious act. And there's some good reason to this. Although, the only *good* reasons to this are found on "Across the Universe" and more prominently on "The Long and Winding Road." I really do enjoy the Spectorful "Across the Universe" ... you see, he really made it soar! "The Long and Winding Road," while it remains to be a fully-enjoyable song and stuff, he did a rather poor job of mixing, and his instrumentals drown out Paul McCartney's voice. You would also win an argument by bringing up that these added-instrumental sound really fake. But they were just fine. "Get Back" was not butchered.

A wonderful little bonus that Spector added were a bunch of sound clips from the studio sessions. Preceding a lot of these tracks, we hear a squeaky voice of John Lennon saying goofy things! ... These were a welcome addition simply because it gives us serious insight into what John Lennon was like (and besides ... what he says is fairly humorous but not really riotous). Two tracks on here, "Dig it" and "Maggie Mae," were recorded candidly during warm-up sessions. This also gives us wonderful insight to how dang talented these guys were! ... It was better that these things were included here instead of making me trek all the way to a bootleg store and getting it there! All in all, Let it Be is a satisfying album!

Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 (A wonderful album! Whether Phil Spector ruined this or not, it turned into an excellent album.)

Average Song Score: 9.5 (These songs aren't as wonderful as they were in previous Beatles albums ... but they are still classic!)

Album Tilt: 9.5 (This is an entertaining album! I can sit through this sucka and enjoy it like nobody's business.)

Artist Rating: 9.5 (I'm not convinced that Phil Spector really did *that* awful of a job producing this album. Although, The Beatles would have done it differently ... and, since they were The Beatles, they would have done it a lot better. At any rate, Let it Be is by no means an artistic failure. It is packed-to-the-brim with wonderful songs and it even gives us insight to what The Beatles were like.)

Track Reviews

Two Of Us 10/10

And The Beatles start this one with this totally wonderful little ditty, which sports a rather touching duet with Lennon and McCartney. This was probably meant to fool their fans into thinking that everything was OK in Beatles-land. And, we all know that it wasn't! Oh well. The melody here is as top-notch as The Beatles have always been ... and ... everything is quite peachy!

Dig a Pony 9/10

Of course, any other band would be thrilled to have this rather heavy-put song into their discography! For the Beatles, it isn't perfect. I can't really pinpoint exactly *what* drags this score down a point ... It's probably due to the fact that it isn't very infectious or particularly catchy.

Across the Universe 10/10

Gorgeous! This is a lovely tune that basically just features Lennon and his acoustic guitar ... as well as a bit o Phil Spector production. With or without Spector, "Across the Universe" is wondrous and touching. Spector's touch even makes it more soaring. Classic!

I Me Mine 9.5/10

And here is one of George Harrison's contribution to this album! It's a light, Italian-tinged little ditty that illustrates greed. GREEEEEEEED! And we all like it ... we all enjoy it. George is Ghandi ... etc ...

Dig It 4/5

Oh dear ... this is one of those weird Beatles warm-up sessions that Spector decided to just put in ... It's utter nonsense ... and that's what I laaaahke!

Let it Be 10plus/10

Le crème of the crappe ... I mean ... croppe. Sorry. This one, I'm sure everybody on this good green planet of ours has heard seeing that it is probably in the Top Five most famous songs from the world's most popular rock-and-roll group. So, I really don't have to say anything about it! Everyone's heard it before! So, I'm just going to sing with it ... ahem ... Let it be, *beeeeeeeeeeeee!*

Maggie Mae 4/5

And here is another mighty-fine band warm-up song (or something) that The Beatles never intended to be put in an album. Nevertheless, the goofy vocal performances here give us wonderful insight to what The Beatles were really like! ... And we like The Beatles. They're way cool.

I've Got a Feeling 9.5/10

Here is a not-quite-as-wonderful-as-"Let-It-Be" track that exhibits all the talent that The Beatles had. It's not as moving/infectious/memorable as their more classic tracks, but ... you really can't complain about these trivial things. "I've Got a Feeling" is as enjoyable as shooting suction-cup darts at elderly people.

One After 909 9/10

This one was written by Lennon back in the old days of The Beatles but never recorded, and it was included here to coincide with the "Get Back" theme they laid down for this album. And it *does* bring us back to those old days. Yet, at the same time, it sounds like the late-period Beatles ... although, that might just be because it's surrounded by late-period Beatles songs. It's pretty good ... but it probably wasn't recorded before this for a good reason.

The Long and Winding Road 9.5/10

This one has the most resentful of Beatles-fans spouting venom at Philly Boy Spector. Surrrrrrrrre, he completely overproduces this with a fake orchestra and boy-choir that nearly drowns out Paul McCartney's singing ... but I really don't think it's so awful. The "not-so-awful" bit might be due to the fact that Paul's original song was so awesome that even a production by Britney Spears couldn't totally screw this up. It's probably one of the album's more memorable tracks, actually.

For You Blue 10/10

GEORGE IS AWESOME! (Sorry ... but I *really* like George ...) Unless you count Phil Spector's arrangements as bizarre, this George Harrison song is the album's craziest delight! It's characterized by some wonderful, stifled, high-end acoustic guitar licks, a delightful drum-beat by Ringo, and even some half-hearted (and funny) vocal bits that is encouraging some mighty-fun solos by Lennon and McCartney. Take my word for it ... It's really great.

Get Back 10/10

Originally, this was the album's title track. And a mighty-fine title track it would have been! Even though The Beatles didn't really "get back," they still made a really kickin' song about it! I'm not sure that this one was really the wisest song to close the album with. "Let it Be" would have been much more appropriate. But it's fine. And, I can assure you, John Lennon, that you passed the audition.

Don't let it be! Leave your opinions and idears about this album here!

Milb78@yahoo.com (Shane) received June 19, 2007

I think your review is very accurate of these songs, and I also agree with you that these songs are wonderful. Phil Spector did great on this album. Some people who were audio-philes, said Phil's eq of the album was very good, he mixed the album very well. And Let It Be Naked is very good, too. It's hard to say which version is better, because I love both versions. But Let It Be or whatever version is out there, is very raw, stripped, has more emotional weight compared to the band's last album, Abbey Road. All in all, I give this album a 10/10.