Let it Be...Naked

[LessThanZero]

This sounds more like a Lennon side-project than a Beatles album!
Let It Be is one of my least-favorite beatle albums anyway...
What do you think people?
Worth it?

[Jackson Monk]

It is definitely McCartney's album and I've often wondered if it would have ever been released at all if the Beatles had held it together a few years longer.

Personally, the idea of a best Beatles album poll sounds great.....see to it LTZ!

[LessThanZero]

Oh man, I wouldn't want to pick!!

But it just struck me....

My Aim is True is a lot like Please Please Me!

They're both great albums with a little different sound than the rest of the catalogues!

ok people....which one's a better album?!?!?!?!?!?

yikes.

[spooky girlfriend]

Why do you do this to yourself, LTZ? Who cares which one is better - just enjoy them both!

[LessThanZero]

I don't know pooky.

Comparing them, Please Please me seems a LOT simpler. Do you guys agree? But that can be good right?

[BlueChair]

They are trying to change history. I understand removing the string/horn overdubs, but removing "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae", resequencing the tracks, and that stupid title? They should focus more on putting out a really good DVD of the film.

[martinfoyle]

They are trying to change history. I understand removing the string/horn overdubs, but removing "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae", resequencing the tracks, and that stupid title? They should focus more on putting out a really good DVD of the film.

There is a dvd in the pipeline. Michael Lindsay Hogg, the director, contributed to a documenatry and did a commentary, I think, a year ago. Whats probably holding it up is the tapes relaimed in Amsterdam and elsewhere earlier this year. These need sorting out and then the definitive dvd will be done.

[selfmademug]

I know I'm very much in the minority here, but LET IT BE has always been one of my fave Beatles records. It may be mostly Paul, but they're great songs, and I love the raw feel of it. How can you not love I DIG A PONY, cranked up and rumbling the floor?? To say nothing of the more recognized classics on it. Maybe it's cause when it came out, I was actually a cognizant music lover, so I was conscious of its being new, and loving something that was new... but it was one of the first of theirs I bought on CD, cause it's just a great listen.

[bobster]

To me, "Let it Be" is really only for those who've got to have all the Beatles official albums (which is just about where I am). It's got a couple of great tracks -- particularly "Across the Universe" and, I think, "One after 99" -- and even the title track and "Get Back", I suppose. But otherwise, eh.

And yes, BC, the DVD will be very cool. I've been wanting to see the movie for years.

[Joe Porterhouse]

The DVD, for most musicians(with taste that is) will be required viewing to see the equipment used and in what respects.It shall be cool.I look forward to hearing the less cluttered version of this album.It will definitely be interesting.

[verbal gymnastics]

Just to throw a little spanner into the works, what are people's views about Mr Thumbs Aloft - all this McCartney/Lennon pettiness and Let It Be Naked with its running order changed with John Lennon's comments taken out?

[HungupStrungup]

Just to throw a little spanner into the works, what are people's views about Mr Thumbs Aloft - all this McCartney/Lennon pettiness and Let It Be Naked with its running order changed with John Lennon's comments taken out?

I'll be really pissed if any of the songwriting credits are messed with. McCartney-Lennon indeed!

Mind you, I'm not saying Paul wasn't the main songwriter on some songs. He was the only songwriter on some of them, I'm sure. But they had an agreement that the songwriting credit on their songs would be Lennon-McCartney no matter what. If Paul wanted to change that, the time to do it would have been while John was alive to have a say about it.

[verbal gymnastics]

I totally agree HungUp - McCartney really annoys me with his pettiness. How come all this "We agreed it" nonsense comes up 20+ years after Lennon died? Why didn't they do it pre-1980 if that really was the intention?

He must have some poor advisors unless he is overruling everyone.

I wonder if there was any Macmanus/McCartney agreement...

[noiseradio]

I really look forward to this release. Especially "The Long And Winding Road" without all the elevator (that's lift to some of you) music in the background.

[BlueChair]

noiseradio, check out Anthology 3 for that version.

[Poppet]

somewhere i've got a tape (an eight-track, i think, ewwww!) onto which i taped the soundtrack of Let It Be. musta watched that a billion times, every time it was on the telly (it was being run on TMC or something, once every couple days for like a month). i was a beatlemaniac at that point in my life. i MUCH PREFER the straight sound, w/o the extra 'crap' added.

i also have eight tracks of all the Xmas issues to the fanclub. anybody know where i could get these on CD? i treasured those, kept them even though i ditched all the other eight tracks.

always *loved* (sarcasm) that pop in the tape every 1/4 of the way thru. switch tracks. switch tracks. switch tracks. start over. kerCHUNKle chunk.

[bambooneedle]

Is that George on the Let It Be guitar solo? (John: "I can make it howl") I just heard the Past Masters Volume 2 version and it pales in comparison (again, George?) I did do a search but both George and John have 'lead guitar' listed after them on this track.

[BlueChair]

George plays the guitar solo, which is played through a Leslie rotating speaker normally used for organs. Lennon actually plays bass on the track, since Paul is on piano.

[bambooneedle]

Thanks BC. One site I saw even had George on bass/leadguitar...

I don't mind Let It Be (the album) as it is. It's all too easy to criticize Spector in hindsight after the album has been out for 30 years.

[BlueChair]

My theory is that only Paul really had a problem with what Phil Spector did to the album. Phil Spector went on to produce several John Lennon albums, and George's All Things Must Pass, and did a beautiful job. I love what he did on the Imagine album in particular.

At the same time, I think Paul has a right to decide whether or not his own songs should have overdubs on them. BUT, like I already said, the single version of "Let It Be" doesn't have Spector, and the Anthology 3 version of "The Long And Winding Road" doesn't have Spector.

Other than that, everything is pretty straightforward. Though it'll be nice to have a remastered version of the album. They should have done it as a 2CD set. Disc 1 original album, Disc 2 let it be naked.

[noiseradio]

You can already buy the Spector version in any store. Double packaging would have driven up the price and forced people to buy something they already have.

I just hope they release a few of the songs as singles, so that the Beatles can have a couple more #1's on their hands and steal the crown back from that bastard Elvis Presley.

[LessThanZero]

How can you not love I DIG A PONY, cranked up and rumbling the floor

SELFMADE, WOULD YOU MIND 2 MORE ROOMMATES?!?!?!

Jody wants to move to NYC, but I would prefer Boston FOR SURE!


I love that song SO SO SO MUCH!

[BlueChair]

Yes, but like the Costello, Dylan, Stones and countless other catalogues, the Beatles catalogue is in a dire need of a sonic upgrade. Which is why, like Elvis, I think it makes more sense to release the album in remastered form, with a bonus disc of different material.

[LessThanZero]

That other Elvis IS a bastard. The Beatles deserve every crown....wait a minute....isn't there something on the ptc bonus disc about 4 guys? anyway, they NEED another number 1 and I'll do anything to make it happen.

[bambooneedle]

The cost of throwing in the original Let It Be Cd (and a bit extra on packaging), along with -- but not counting the cost of -- the 'naked' one, would be negligible... (the production cost of the paper and plastic for CDs would be less than a dollar). Getting money back for a remastered one (already with the cost of the 'naked' one) would be a different matter though. They could also throw in all the different 'single' versions etc without much cost... Ah, but they won't -- that's why you need to buy the Anthologies, Past Masters, et al.