The Beatles - Let It Be

This final studio album of The Beatles (which wasn't recorded finally, but was released so) is an album I personally feel is underrated and finds many treasures on, perhaps especially with the new Beatles In Stereo-mixes released 09.09.09.

For those who's interested in a bit of history, this album started its recording sessions earlier than the album "Abbey Road", but was held back, because of different reasons. "Let It Be" is an album with more tension between the members of The Beatles than what "Abbey Road" is. It's also said to be more of a Paul McCartney album, because he was the main "fighter" for this album, but he was very displeased with the fact of that the producer Phil Spector used his famous Wall Of Sound effect on this album, especially on "The Long And Winding Road", which he personally (Paul) felt was wrecked by this effect. (Paul got the song released as he initially wanted it to be on the newly released re-release of "Let It Be", which was called "Let It Be...Naked".) This album was supposed to be The Beatles going a bit back to the basics they started out with, and the original cover for this album was going to be a remake of the "Please Please Me" cover. It was just supposed to be rock'n'roll/rockabilly and having fun.

But when you hear this, you might think it's not such a great album, and can't really understand what I like about it. That's because I haven't told you about the songs. There's some EXCELLENT compositions from Paul, John and George. Ringo didn't have a single song on this album, and doesn't have a solo vocal performance here either.

The opener, "Two Of Us", is a song which is sang as a duet between Paul and John, just like back in the old days, though it wasn't written by them together, it's Paul's song written to his (now late) wife, Linda. It is pretty traditionally made, with "just" guitars, bass and drums...and vocals. It's a very happy tune.

As a follower comes "Dig A Pony", a song which seems to stick to my mind all the time, but it's a lovely companion to have there, because it's so fragile, yet something you could easily overlook if you don't really LISTEN.

"Across The Universe" is one of the songs with a reputation that expands beyond this album, which has been released with five different guitar solos on different releases (Let It Be, Let It Be...Naked, 1, Anthology 3 and as a single). But the "Let It Be" edition is pretty psychedelic and a bit lazy, actually. Fits if you just wanna lay around and relax on a sunny afternoon.

"I Me Mine" is possibly my favorite song on this album...okay, it isn't completely so, but it's damn near. It's one of the strongest George Harrison songs ever at least. It's about how he felt like everything in his thoughts was just about him (hence the title) and how sick he was of that. It's a song that can work as so many different things for me. It can be a real sad song if that's what you need, or it can be a bit of a rocker or it can be a song to make you think, if you know what I mean.

"Dig It" is short, and unnecessary and it's a great thing it's been taken away for the "Let It Be...Naked" version. It's just a session jam which Phil Spector found nice, so he included it.

"Let It Be" is a song we've probably all heard of, and there's a reason to it. It's got great lyrics, a subtle bass guitar, drums that are MAGNIFICENTLY played (kudos to Ringo on that one) and the story behind the song is beautiful. When Paul was 14 years old his mother died of breast cancer. He was very close to his mother. Around the "Let It Be" sessions (which was 12-14 years later), he had a dream, where his mother came to him and said some words to him to calm him down. When he woke up, he didn't remember the exact words, but it was something like "Let It Be", and it helped him so much, he felt it should become a song, so perhaps it would help others as well.

After this beautiful song is a short song of 40 seconds, based on a traditional song from around Liverpool, where The Beatles was from. This song is called "Maggie May". It shouldn't be so close to "Let It Be" in my opinion, but it's an okay song.

Then comes the real "rocker" on this album, "I've Got A Feeling", which brings out the best in The Beatles. That hard sound that definitely hooked me onto The Beatles for ever.

"One After 909" is a song which tries to be a bit like the first stuff The Beatles made, where they were more plain rock'n'roll.

"The Long And Winding Road" is a song with great piano and drum playing going on, but I gotta agree with Paul, it's better on the "...Naked" edition (link to a YouTube video with the "...Naked" edition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfaO8NWu4nM )
But it's some of the best lyrics ever written. It takes some time to really fully understand it.

"For You Blue" is another great Harrison song. It's playing with a tune that will make you dance! It's just a song I could listen to forever and ever, with that beautiful slide guitar playing all along the way, even with a slide guitar solo. It's a bit of a rock'n'roller/blues-piece/something catchy.

"Get Back" is a song I just can never get enough of, and though I usually like songs being plain, I like the dialogue before and after this version of the song. Especially funny is it to hear John Lennon tell the audience at the end of the song "I hope we passed the audition". Unfortunately, this is the last song on the last released studio album by The Beatles.

Favorite songs:
-Two Of Us
-Dig A Pony
-I Me Mine
-I've Got A Feeling
-For You Blue
-Get Back

Rating:
4 out of 5, because it's got some of the best material of The Beatles and it's a great album throughout, but Wall Of Sound is not THAT appealing and it's got it's downsides ("Dig It" and "Maggie May" embracing "Let It Be", which kind of wrecks it a bit to be appearing in the middle of those two).