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Album Review
by Harry Palmer
20-11-2003
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| The Beatles: 'Let It Be'/Macca's version |
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The Beatles: 'Let It Be... Naked'
(Apple)
The Beatles’ bassist messes up the facts
If someone told me that in the year MMIII AD [er, 2003 - too many Asterix stories, M’Lord] I were to review a ‘new’ album by The Beatles, I’d tell the person to have a sex-change op! But, there is nothing stranger than reality, as Keith Richards might be prone to saying. And, it only proves how bad feelings can outlast anything but life itself.
Any endings are never easy and are driven by an emotional commotion and full of most awful feelings. But, having Sir Paul McCartney still harbour bitterness 30-odd years after the fact… ‘Let It Be’ was made at the time when the Fab Four were in the final days of The Beatles legend and animosity was the name of the play. After finishing recordings, the result was dubious, to put it mildly and when Allen Klein came in - to lawyer for Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison - he decided that the album could only be saved by adding strings, chorus and general need of tarting up.
“So he brought in Phil Spector,” Macca told Word magazine. “Poor old Phil, it‘s not really his fault. He had to tart it up - literally, put tarts singing on it and a few strings. When the album came out, I liked it, but I’d had an early copy before all of Spector’s work. It was The Beatles stripped back, nothing but four guys in a room with (keysman) Billy Preston.”
“I remember listening to this and getting a thrill. It was very minimalist and I was impressed.” But he got outvoted by the rest of the band to have the ‘orchestrated’ version issued and Macca boycotted it. 33 years later he got the album the way he wanted it: “Close your eyes and it’s exactly like being in Abbey Road making those records. And to anyone who argues that The Beatles’ music ought to be left well alone - well, then, get the original release. It’s all still out there.”
Maybe within your membrane, mate, but most of The Beatles-maniacs weren’t even born then, probably. Thus, is it new/old version better? Well, in general, the sound’s been cleaned up, the vocals are more upfront and the drums can be heard. Two tracks have undergone the biggest transformation: ‘The Long And Winding Road’ and ‘Across The Universe’ that sound sparser and more… well, like demos. Although some tracks sound better [the title one, for instance], ‘The One After 909’ plays like a pub rocker.
The tracklisting has also been altered, so the album ends with the title track and stars with ‘Get Back’, the songs that closed the ‘original version’. The two weakest songs, ‘Maggie Mae’ and ’Dig It’ are dropped but, ’Don’t Let me Down’, left off the album by Spector and relegated to the b-side of ‘Get Back’ single, is rightfully reinstated. Thus, 11 tracks over 35 minutes…
‘When I’m 64’, they mused over three decades ago, and - what happened? Macca’s become a cantankerous new father who is revising history. Men, don’t mess with our memories; we suggest you go and change few f**king nappies and play with rattles. Have you not got a new wife who needs all the attention and cuddles? History is done and gone. After changing songwriting credits and re-mixing/de-Spectorising ‘Let It Be’, what next? Sir, you should take a hint from the title of your former band’s final album…
Ringo is alleged to have said, upon hearing the new versions, to Macca: “You were right. As you always are.” Having met and interviewed Mr Starr several times, a very affable man whose IQ we wish not to question, he is just a drummer. It is interesting that Macca hasn’t attempted this while George was alive… It is more than intriguing that EMI has shipped 5 million albums to meet the “expected demand”. Beatle albums traditionally sold well over Xmas periods and went to the top spot; the band’s last compilation of ‘No.1s’ two years ago sold more than 20 million copies around the world.
Thus, we really don’t feel this re-issue should be rated because today’s standards do not apply. Still, it’ll give Oasis new ammunition [can’t call it - inspiration] for their next disc…
Harry Palmer
20-11-2003
The Beatles’ LP ‘Let It Be… Naked’ is released 17 Nov. 2003 by Apple/EMI
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