The Beatles "Let It Be... Naked"

In 2003 "Let It Be" was re-released in a new version. The tracks were remixed stripping away Phil Spector's contributions, they also deleted "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It" and added "Don't Let Me Down," which was recorded during the session but only released as a single. The album has also been completely reordered.

I got this album as a Christmas Gift in 2003. It is not necessarily better or worse than the original "Let It Be" album but it seems more complete as all the songs now appear finished. The new sequencing also gives a more completed feel to the album. "The Long and Winding Road" is returned to its original incarnation without the choir and orchestra. The songs are as good as they were before so depending on your personal opinion of this album will determine if that is a good or bad thing. There is a good booklet with lots of photos from the recording sessions and very good liner notes about the history of the "Let It Be" recording/album. What most Beatles fans will find interesting is the bonus CD titled "Fly on the Wall" which is 22 minutes of recordings edited from hours of tape that captures the Beatles discussing their final concert (which ended up being on the roof of Apple Studio) and rehearsing various songs. There is even a rehearsal of "All Things Must Pass" which is particularly intriguing considering it became a Harrison solo song. Its a nice addition for the collectors and fanatics.

This redo is simply another version of an often controversial album. I don't listen to it all the time but I am not sorry I have it. In the end I guess it is best to just let it be.

The Beatles "Let It Be"

The "final" release of The Beatles career. This album was a gift from my mom I think in 2002 or so. As many already know and as I mentioned in my last post this was recorded before "Abbey Road" but released after it in 1970. Originally intended as a large concept album that would coincide with a movie documentary. The idea of the album, originally titled "Get Back," was to capture the Beatles in studio rehearsing and recording. The original album was supposed to be a mix of demos, dialogue, rehearsals and finished songs. The theory seems similar to their "Anthology" albums that were released in the 1990s.

The "Let it Be/Get Back" recording sessions collapsed under its own weight and the Fab Four were barely speaking to each other. They had days of music recorded but none of them wanted to deal with it, so they gave all the recordings to super producer Phil Spector, a friend of Lennon and Harrison, to try and make an album out of it.

He eventually created the "Let It Be" album as we know it. Spector has received a lot of grief over the album but really he was not working with the best Beatles material, the title track, "Get Back" and "Two of Us" are some of their best songs but the majority of the album is not up to par; "Dig it" and "Maggie Mae" are just outtakes and in a way these throw away songs coincide with the original idea of having demos and rehearsals mixed with finished songs. The only song Spector really changed was "The Long and Winding Road," by adding an orchestra and choir over Paul's vocals. Paul complained about this version until the original was released in the 1990s. Also the version of the song "Let it Be" as it appears on this album is different from the single version. The guitar he is much more pronounced and much more raw sounding.

Most people interested in The Beatles will have this album and there is some great music on it but it is one of their more scattered and lesser works.

The Beatles "Abbey Road"

I first heard the Abbey Road album when I was a senior in High School. A friend of mine had received the album of as a gift and he did not really care for The Beatles, he liked underground music I think solely because it was underground. Anyway he did not want the album and thus gave it to me, without the case which he lost the case somewhere along the line. Anyway I listened to it for the first time that day. I thought the album was excellent, sure I could do without "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "I Want You (She's so Heavy)," but other than that I thought the album was excellent. I still think it is excellent

By now most know the story of this album's creation, it was their last album to be recorded but not the last to be released. After the painful "Let It Be/Get Back" recording sessions the group was ready to break up but decided to record one last time and return to their earlier style of recording. Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album and what I consider their most unified and concept oriented work. The first eight tracks (side one of the original record) are individual songs and the next eight tracks (side two) are one long song suite where individual songs link to make a larger piece of music.

The reason I call this their most complete album is that ideas and sounds from the album's previous songs appear in later parts of the album. The lyrics from "Here Comes the Sun" appear in "Sun King" although slightly altered and sung completely different. The lyrics and instrumentals from "You Never Give me your Money" appear in "Golden Slumbers" and "Carry That Weight." The harmonies from "Because" appear in "You Never Give me Your Money" and "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window." The characters in the songs also interact "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam" are siblings, "You Never Give me Your Money," "She Came in through the Bathroom Window," "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End" seem to all be about the same two people though they are never named. There are probably numerous other ideas and concepts in the songs that I have yet to find but whether you search for ideas of not the music is some of the finest ever recorded by the greatest group in Rock History. The Beatles certainly went out on a high note.

I love this album and like the Fab Four said, "In the End the Love you take is Equal to the Love you Make."

The Beatles "The White Album"

After the psychedelic excesses, particularly of Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles return to a more rock based sound. They have not completely abandoned excess though, as this is their only double album. Many have often argued that this would work better as a single album. I will admit half the album is superb while half is often near parody and sometimes downright silly. I don't know in my opinion even the seemingly throwaway songs are quite enjoyable. In fact this is my second favorite Beatles album, after Abbey Road.

As history has shown us the group was splintering and wanting to go in their own directions by the time this album was being recorded. Ringo quit the group for a period during the recording sessions. The album does have a bit of a scattered feel as the Fab Four perform in every style they can think of from rock to country to 1930s pop. The four Beatles individual musical tastes really come through and many of the tracks seem like they were recorded without the input of each other. Many of the songs feature one Beatle on lead and it is hard to discern if the others were involved and if the others are involved they often act as backup. A number of McCartney's song seem to be him alone with an acoustic guitar. Most of the songs are Lennon and McCartney tunes but Harrison gets in four tracks, including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and Ringo gives us his first song writing with "Don't Pass Me By."

I think that is why I like this album each member gets to show his own interests and they run all through the face of music. There are also some spectacular songs here. Heck I recommend this album I think its great.

The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

Considered by many, including Rolling Stone Magazine, to be the Greatest Album of all time. Well, it is certainly a valid title for this album. Though it is probably my third favorite Beatles album there is no ignoring Pepper's cultural and historical importance as well as just being a bunch of great songs.

John Lennon once said, in regards to this album being heralded as a concept story album, that aside from the first two tracks and the Reprise near the end all the songs are individual and could have appeared on any album. Lennon is right to a degree, but because the concept story is about a long time band that play all different styles it pulls the varied musical ideas together.

Paul McCartney's brain child, inspired by The Beach Boys Pet Sounds, he writes and sings a number of the lead vocals. Lennon and Harrison also get in some fine tunes as well. Also since there were on singles taken directly from this album, these songs do not appear on any other compilation (aside from The Blue Album compilation). Listing good songs would be pointless. People will forever argue whether or not this is the Greatest Album of all time. Sgt. Pepper broke all the rules and made way for more adventurous music and bigger concept albums. If you need me to tell you this album is good or if you have never heard of it, you probably don't like this type of music or have been hiding under a rock.

The Beatles "Revolver"

Back in the early 2000s VH1 had a week long TV special which chronicled the 100 Greatest Albums of all time. The special listed The Beatles album "Revolver" as number one, the greatest album of all time. As I mentioned in a previous post there was a time when I was really obsessed with The Beatles, I had not heard of this album. Since it was listed as the greatest album of all time I was interested in hearing it, so I picked it up on sale at Tower Records.

Personally I don't think this is the greatest album of all time, its a really good album but personally my favorite Beatles album is Abbey Road. However, this is a major stepping stone for the band. Revolver is really the album where you see them transitioning from their earlier style to the more eclectic style of their later years. The cover is definitely a precursor to Sgt. Pepper's famous cover that would be seen about a year after this album's release. The Beatles here expand from writing only love songs to include slice of life stories, "Eleanor Rigby" and "Doctor Robert," and pure fantasy songs like "Yellow Submarine." Lennon also forays, for the first time, into tape loops and sound collages with the album's disturbing closer "Tomorrow Never Knows." Harrison begins his forays into the indian music that would forever impact his art and life. McCartney also writes a number of gems like "Good Day Sunshine," "Here, There and Everywhere" and "Got to Get You into My Life." Revolver has great historical importance as the beginning of the Beatles abandoning of rules and styles and creating new music, it also has some great tracks along the way.

The Beatles "Rubber Soul"

There has been so much written, said and documented about The Beatles that it is hard for me to know where to begin, let alone what to say.

Let me start by saying that I purchased this album at Tower Records on sale. I was going through that Beatles discovery period that many (if not all) teenagers go through. Where we find out musical identity whether it be rock, pop, classical, jazz, or something else or some combination. Anyway at this point in time I was really into The Beatles, reading books about them, wearing a t-shirt with John Lennon's picture and the phrase "Give Peace a Chance" scrawled across the bottom.

Anyway back to the album, Rubber Soul was actually one of the last Beatles albums that I purchased. I enjoy their later album much more, particularly Abbey Road and The White Album, but this is still an excellent album. I think I originally purchased this because my Dad and I really like the song "Drive My Car" which is the opening track here. But basically every track is a highlight including George Harrison's first great song "If I Needed Someone." Their lyrics were getting more complex and this was where they began to expand their context and musical ideas outside of just straight love songs. All in all I have passed my Beatles phase, I still love their music but it is not the only music I listen to. I will always be glad to have their albums as part of my collection.