The Beatles- Let It Be, 1970
Label: Apple
Producer: Phil Spector
As the 1960s progressed and The Beatles skyrocketed to prominence as one of the greatest pop-culture phenomena of all time, it would have seemed blasphemous to even imagine that by the dawn of the following decade, their musical journey would be over. But as the 1970s opened, the most popular band in history lay irreparably splintered into toxic pieces. The origins of Let It Be, chronologically the final album in their epic catalog, date back to the early-1969 Get Back sessions, an album/concert/documentary project that Paul McCartney conceptualized to recenter the group back to their basic rock roots and ease the frictions that spilled over during the creation of The Beatles. These efforts infamously floundered, leaving the Get Back recordings aborted and unfinished while the group moved onto complete their final creation, 1969’s masterful Abbey Road. John Lennon officially departed the group at the onset of 1970, leaving the three remaining members to finish a handful of additional recordings without him. The sessions eventually landed in the hands of pop’s mad scientist, Phil Spector to complete production on what ultimately became Let It Be, the most polarizing release in the Fab Four’s lexicon.
While its commercial success was always undeniable, especially given the fearful speculation that it would indeed be the Beatles’ final album, Let It Be spent much of its early existence as one of rock’s most contentiously regarded LPs. Criticism against Spector’s notoriously on-brand and heavy-handedly syrupy production was fierce, not only from critics and fans, but from McCartney as well. He felt that the orchestral trappings of much of the record flew in the face of the sessions’ original intentions, and the Beatles’ sonic identity in general.
And it’s unquestionably a flawed record, at least in the context of the high-standards that have defined the Beatles’ catalog. The lush arrangements of “The Long and Winding Road” particularly sounded out of place, and marred McCartney’s soulful intentions for the soul-tinged ballad, though it became a classic hit regardless. The rough interludes of “Dig It” and “Maggie Mae” serve very little purpose and ring as awkward bookends surrounding the timeless beauty of the gospel-esque title track. These elements, as well as the growing knowledge that the project was not completed within the lifespan of the band, would cause many to question whether it should have ever seen release in the first place.
With all of that said, history has proven to reflect favorably upon Let It Be, and for good reason. Because while it may forever retain some of its black-sheep status, the positives of the record do ultimately far outweigh its flaws. The title track today stands as a glowing centerpiece in their recorded legacy, and rightfully so. It’s one of popular music’s most gorgeously endearing moments, in terms of performance, song-craft and yes, production. While Spector’s treatment of moments like “Winding” have been bastardized plenty, he did also exercise plenty of restraint throughout the production. Opening track, “Two of Us” shines as one of the group’s most charmed, folksy performances while “Dig a Pony” is pure and greasy Lennon-style blues in all of its wondrously gritty glory. “Across the Universe”, while updated here with Spector’s choral tendencies, is still given enough room to breathe and spotlight the captivating, trippy beauty of Lennon’s signature voice. Finally, tracks like “I Me Mine”, “One After 909” and an essentially unaltered version of “Get Back” do feel effectively representative of a return to the group’s primitive rock roots. So, while these recordings rightfully will never unseat Abbey Road as the true, high-water farewell worthy of the group’s legacy, their existence in the universe is something to be thankful for. And Spector’s part in making their release a reality certainly deserves to be a part of his remarkable, albeit grossly marred, musical legacy.
As the 1970s music scene reeled from the toll of the Beatles absence, and each of the four members carried on with their own successful solo ventures, hope and anticipation remained cautiously high that the world’s most beloved band would one day reunite. Tragically, all hopes of that event ended on December 8, 1980 when John Lennon was murdered outside his New York City apartment. This devastating event has forever left the Beatles’ musical legacy trapped in its mystical 1960s rock & roll era, which has only–albeit bittersweetly–added to the timeless aura of their art. As for Let It Be itself, Paul McCartney would commission a re-mixed version of the album, titled Let It Be…Naked in 2003. This release would restore the performances to their more stripped-down intentions, further extending and evolving the troubled but utterly fascinating legacy of the Beatles’ forever-infamous swan-song.
Track Listing:
- “Two of Us” (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
- “Dig a Pony” (Lennon, McCartney)
- “Across the Universe” (Lennon, McCartney)
- “I Me Mine” (George Harrison)
- “Dig It” (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Ringo Starr)
- “Let It Be” (Lennon, McCartney) *Single Release 1970
- “Maggie Mae” (Traditional, Arranged by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starr)
- “I’ve Got A Feeling” (Lennon, McCartney)
- “One After 909” (Lennon, McCartney)
- “The Long and Winding Road” (Lennon, McCartney) *Single Release 1970
- “For You Blue” (Harrison)
- “Get Back” (Lennon, McCartney) *Single Release 1969
Previous: Abbey Road
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