The Beatles Appreciation Thread

[phanan]

It’s not just the film. The Get Back book came out last week, and the super deluxe version of Let It Be came out today.

Haven’t had a chance to go through it yet myself.

 

[lazarus]

I was happy to get the White Album super deluxe but I'm hesitating on spending over $100 on this set, even though I actually prefer these songs to Abbey Road's (I didn't get that super deluxe or Pepper's either).

But I'm really psyched for the film.

 

[phanan]

I didn't get it for Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper's either, but I've always been fascinated by these sessions, so it's a must buy for me.

And yes, the film looks superb. I'm pumped as well.

 

[lazarus]

So I just "acquired" the Super Deluxe, and while I was at it found a decent copy of the original 1969 film, and I'm not sure how I didn't notice this before (because I saw it ages ago and have seen clips of the rooftop show multiple times), but John is the one playing lead guitar on Get Back instead of George. He's not only doing the little licks after Paul's lines in the verses, but he takes the solo as well.

Maybe others familiar with their styles knew this already but it still sounds like something George would have played, IMO.

 

[the tourist]

Yeah, I’ve known that was John for a good couple decades. I remember when I went into guitar center as a high schooler and plugged a casino into a twin reverb and just had to play that song cranked in one of their fairly soundproof booths.

 

[lazarus]

Nice.

For what it's worth, I am able to identify who's playing each of the alternating guitars on The End solo!

 

[the tourist]

Nice.

For what it's worth, I am able to identify who's playing each of the alternating guitars on The End solo!

I think I could as well, but I’m less sure on that than I was on Get Back, so you’ve got me there. Haha!

 

[lazarus]

It goes Paul/George/John and repeats this way until the end.

George's is easy to spot, it's the other two that might have you wondering.

 

[the tourist]

Yeah, I kinda thought that’s how it went but truth be told I haven’t listened to The Beatles much over the last year. Sometimes I go in phases with bands where I devour them and listen to almost nothing but them for a month or two and it’s been a couple years since I did a deep dive with The Beatles. I just remember John’s parts were more chord-like with the heaviest distortion.

 

[cobl04]

OutKast are better than The Beatles.

 

[lazarus]

So the first thing from this LIB set I decided to listen to was the new Giles Martin mix. Granted I had mp3s and was listening to them on a car stereo, but I can't really detect much difference. Perhaps the choir and orchestra isn't as loud/obtrusive on The Long and Winding Road. Need to give it another spin on headphones, I suppose. And I plan on doing another update on my "Let It Be Better" playlist which I've had for over 10 years, which implements bits from the original release, the Naked release, and other bootlegs. Hopefully this boxed set will allow me to improve the quality on most of the tracks (though unfortunately the long version of Dig It that I've been using is nowhere to be found it). It might be the alternate tracklisting I'm most proud of (and that includes U2 stuff), and I really believe it makes Let It Be a fantastic album that deserves to be ranked alongside the other classics.

Can't wait to dig into the two discs of sessions, rehearsals and jams, as well as the 1969 Glyn Johns version of the album.

There's a good interview with Giles Martin that talks about his approach to the new mix, the selection of the outtakes, and future re-release plans:

Giles Martin on Remixing and Expanding the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’

 

[namkcuR]

Been spending some time with the LIB set on Spotify, and have some thoughts, mostly about the Glyn Johns mixes. I've never listened to any of the bootlegs over the years, so this is my first exposure to this version of the record.

I enjoyed his mix of the album quite a bit, and I guess my main thought is, what was the problem? Why did the band reject it? I could certainly see cutting the covers, and I guess Paul wanted to hold "Teddy Boy" out for his own album, but aside from that, what was the issue here? It sounds pretty good to me. The natural guess is simply that there was disagreement within the group. That Paul wanted it rougher and more stripped down, and John(and maybe George) wanted it to be polished up. This jives with the fact that John brought Spector in, and that Paul hated Spector's mixes and put out the Naked album decades later.

Some specific observations:

Both the Glyn Johns mix and the "Single Version/2021 Mix"(which sounds the same as the Johns' version) of "Don't Let Me Down" are longer than any of the other official versions I know of(Past Masters and Naked). This is due to a guitar solo about two minutes in that is wholly absent from the versions we've been listening to for the last 50 years. I don't know if any of you have heard this longer version before, but I haven't, so it was a welcome surprise. I kind of love that solo.

Johns' mix of "Across The Universe" features what sounds like George playing a sitar prominent in the mix - though the personnel section of the album's wiki page says it's actually a tambura. I think it is present on the regular album version, but it's much more upfront in the mix here.

Johns' version of TLAWR sounds extremely similar - if it's not exactly the same with some minor polishing - as the Anthology 3 version. Which is fine by me, as I like that version. With this, I see little need for the Naked version of the song, which is by some distance the worst imo.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first official release of the full version of "Dig It". Again, since I'd never listened to any of the bootlegs, I'd never heard it before, just the abridged version from the album. On first listen, I like it and I think I'd take it over "One After 909".

Aside from the Johns' mixes...

I found the early renditions of the Abbey Road tracks to be interesting, like a window into what that album might've sounded like if they'd stuck with the stripped down approach. "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" is particularly interesting in this regard(though it's very similar to the Anthology version).

I found the conversation in "I Don't Know Why I'm Moaning" to be rather illuminating. It's basically John complaining, in a calm way, about the band working on something Paul had written, how it had gone from "his number" to "our number", but Paul not liking it. Which is obviously a theme of those sessions. Also, I'd love to know what's being played on the guitar while John is talking. I don't recognize it.

I enjoyed the band breaking into "Please Please Me" at the beginning of that one take of "Let It Be". Reminiscent of the "She Loves You" callback at the end of "All You Need Is Love".

It's only when looking at the tracklisting for this release that I'm realizing that "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe" were put on the Abbey Road re-release(albeit as alternate takes instead of the final versions) instead of this one. This makes sense looking at the recording dates. They were recorded smack dab in the middle of the Abbey Road sessions. Which makes me wonder why some of us(I include myself here) include those tracks on custom LIB playlists.

Those are my thoughts at the moment.

 

[phanan]

I have a crazy week and really won't be able to go through this for a bit, but related to this post:

I enjoyed his mix of the album quite a bit, and I guess my main thought is, what was the problem? Why did the band reject it? I could certainly see cutting the covers, and I guess Paul wanted to hold "Teddy Boy" out for his own album, but aside from that, what was the issue here? It sounds pretty good to me. The natural guess is simply that there was disagreement within the group. That Paul wanted it rougher and more stripped down, and John(and maybe George) wanted it to be polished up. This jives with the fact that John brought Spector in, and that Paul hated Spector's mixes and put out the Naked album decades later.

Short answer: they always considered it unfinished and a bit scattershot, which was originally the whole point in the first place. They just didn't care for how it turned out.

And Paul didn't want to hold out Teddy Boy. It didn't go any further because John hated it.

Both the Glyn Johns mix and the "Single Version/2021 Mix"(which sounds the same as the Johns' version) of "Don't Let Me Down" are longer than any of the other official versions I know of(Past Masters and Naked). This is due to a guitar solo about two minutes in that is wholly absent from the versions we've been listening to for the last 50 years. I don't know if any of you have heard this longer version before, but I haven't, so it was a welcome surprise. I kind of love that solo.

I was surprised by this comment, since I've heard the Get Back bootleg before and didn't know what you meant by a guitar solo, so I took a quick listen to the tracks you referenced. There isn't a guitar solo really; I think you are just hearing it a bit more upfront in the mix while they are singing the bridge. It certainly isn't any longer of a track - the time overall is longer due to them talking at the start. The 2021 single mix is based off of the original single on Past Masters.

It's only when looking at the tracklisting for this release that I'm realizing that "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe" were put on the Abbey Road re-release(albeit as alternate takes instead of the final versions) instead of this one. This makes sense looking at the recording dates. They were recorded smack dab in the middle of the Abbey Road sessions. Which makes me wonder why some of us(I include myself here) include those tracks on custom LIB playlists.

Actually they were recorded specifically for a single release before the Abbey Road sessions truly got started, in April 1969. Yes, they went directly into Abbey Road after that, but for all intents and purposes, it's really in between both projects. George and Ringo weren't even there for The Ballad Of John And Yoko.

It came out while Get Back was topping the charts, and personally I think it just fits better on Let It Be. Abbey Road shouldn't be touched anyway.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Been spending some time with the LIB set on Spotify, and have some thoughts, mostly about the Glyn Johns mixes. I've never listened to any of the bootlegs over the years, so this is my first exposure to this version of the record.



I enjoyed his mix of the album quite a bit, and I guess my main thought is, what was the problem? Why did the band reject it? I could certainly see cutting the covers, and I guess Paul wanted to hold "Teddy Boy" out for his own album, but aside from that, what was the issue here? It sounds pretty good to me. The natural guess is simply that there was disagreement within the group. That Paul wanted it rougher and more stripped down, and John(and maybe George) wanted it to be polished up. This jives with the fact that John brought Spector in, and that Paul hated Spector's mixes and put out the Naked album decades later.



Some specific observations:



Both the Glyn Johns mix and the "Single Version/2021 Mix"(which sounds the same as the Johns' version) of "Don't Let Me Down" are longer than any of the other official versions I know of(Past Masters and Naked). This is due to a guitar solo about two minutes in that is wholly absent from the versions we've been listening to for the last 50 years. I don't know if any of you have heard this longer version before, but I haven't, so it was a welcome surprise. I kind of love that solo.



Johns' mix of "Across The Universe" features what sounds like George playing a sitar prominent in the mix - though the personnel section of the album's wiki page says it's actually a tambura. I think it is present on the regular album version, but it's much more upfront in the mix here.



Johns' version of TLAWR sounds extremely similar - if it's not exactly the same with some minor polishing - as the Anthology 3 version. Which is fine by me, as I like that version. With this, I see little need for the Naked version of the song, which is by some distance the worst imo.



If I'm not mistaken, this is the first official release of the full version of "Dig It". Again, since I'd never listened to any of the bootlegs, I'd never heard it before, just the abridged version from the album. On first listen, I like it and I think I'd take it over "One After 909".



Aside from the Johns' mixes...



I found the early renditions of the Abbey Road tracks to be interesting, like a window into what that album might've sounded like if they'd stuck with the stripped down approach. "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" is particularly interesting in this regard(though it's very similar to the Anthology version).



I found the conversation in "I Don't Know Why I'm Moaning" to be rather illuminating. It's basically John complaining, in a calm way, about the band working on something Paul had written, how it had gone from "his number" to "our number", but Paul not liking it. Which is obviously a theme of those sessions. Also, I'd love to know what's being played on the guitar while John is talking. I don't recognize it.



I enjoyed the band breaking into "Please Please Me" at the beginning of that one take of "Let It Be". Reminiscent of the "She Loves You" callback at the end of "All You Need Is Love".



It's only when looking at the tracklisting for this release that I'm realizing that "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe" were put on the Abbey Road re-release(albeit as alternate takes instead of the final versions) instead of this one. This makes sense looking at the recording dates. They were recorded smack dab in the middle of the Abbey Road sessions. Which makes me wonder why some of us(I include myself here) include those tracks on custom LIB playlists.



Those are my thoughts at the moment.

That's great and all but will the Bulls be in the play in game this year or will they make the playoffs outright?

 

[phanan]

Seriously, where are his priorities today?

 

[lazarus]

Johns' version of TLAWR sounds extremely similar - if it's not exactly the same with some minor polishing - as the Anthology 3 version. Which is fine by me, as I like that version. With this, I see little need for the Naked version of the song, which is by some distance the worst imo.

I haven't heard the Johns mix yet, but I thought the "Take 19" of TLAWR that's on disc 2 (Apple sessions) to be fantastic. I kind of wish I had the liner notes to consult but to me this doesn't have the bad parts that are on the Naked version.

It's only when looking at the tracklisting for this release that I'm realizing that "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe" were put on the Abbey Road re-release(albeit as alternate takes instead of the final versions) instead of this one. This makes sense looking at the recording dates. They were recorded smack dab in the middle of the Abbey Road sessions. Which makes me wonder why some of us(I include myself here) include those tracks on custom LIB playlists.

Actually they were recorded specifically for a single release before the Abbey Road sessions truly got started, in April 1969. Yes, they went directly into Abbey Road after that, but for all intents and purposes, it's really in between both projects. George and Ringo weren't even there for The Ballad Of John And Yoko.

The sessions didn't really start until July. According to Wiki there was one Feb session working on She's So Heavy and another in May for You Never Give Me Your Money. But they didn't do any work for 2 months after that.

Old Brown Shoe was rehearsed in January during the Apple Studio sessions for Let It Be, so it's definitely an older song. The final recording was done in April but it did pre-exist Abbey Road.

John & Yoko is a different story. It wasn't written until early April and recorded in the middle of the month, which is indeed after She's So Heavy was first recorded. But during March, April, and May it was Let It Be that was being worked on, so I don't know that John or anyone had really shifted into the aesthetic mode that is seen on Abbey Road.

John wanted it released as a single immediately (it was delayed a month due to Get Back's release), I believe to combat the bad press him and Yoko had been getting. So it clearly wasn't intended for the next album. The question that can't be answered is, if he didn't want it to be a single, would he have thrown it in with the Let It Be material, or saved it for Abbey Road? Musically, it really seems to have more in common with the sound on Let It Be, as does Old Brown Shoe.

And considering Across the Universe was recorded back in early 1968, I think it's ok for Let It Be to have some of these stray tracks.

 

[DaveC]

the best thing about this new mix on first listen is that the instruments are finally now s e p a r a t e d properly - my biggest beef with the original phil spector treatment is that everything sounds like it's smashing you directly in the face at all times. the super heavily orchestrated moments don't feel as overwhelming in this mix. it's a bit like a 2D album went 3D, in a sense.

the new mix of get back is fucking KILLER. on a good pair of headphones it's a full order of magnitude better than the original mix.

 

[phanan]

I haven't heard the Johns mix yet, but I thought the "Take 19" of TLAWR that's on disc 2 (Apple sessions) to be fantastic. I kind of wish I had the liner notes to consult but to me this doesn't have the bad parts that are on the Naked version.





The sessions didn't really start until July. According to Wiki there was one Feb session working on She's So Heavy and another in May for You Never Give Me Your Money. But they didn't do any work for 2 months after that.

Old Brown Shoe was rehearsed in January during the Apple Studio sessions for Let It Be, so it's definitely an older song. The final recording was done in April but it did pre-exist Abbey Road.

John & Yoko is a different story. It wasn't written until early April and recorded in the middle of the month, which is indeed after She's So Heavy was first recorded. But during March, April, and May it was Let It Be that was being worked on, so I don't know that John or anyone had really shifted into the aesthetic mode that is seen on Abbey Road.

John wanted it released as a single immediately (it was delayed a month due to Get Back's release), I believe to combat the bad press him and Yoko had been getting. So it clearly wasn't intended for the next album. The question that can't be answered is, if he didn't want it to be a single, would he have thrown it in with the Let It Be material, or saved it for Abbey Road? Musically, it really seems to have more in common with the sound on Let It Be, as does Old Brown Shoe.

And considering Across the Universe was recorded back in early 1968, I think it's ok for Let It Be to have some of these stray tracks.

Obviously there's some overlap between Let It Be and Abbey Road when it comes to the songs that ultimately appeared on the latter. But work on Abbey Road didn't begin in earnest until after the single release, as you stated.

Agreed that musically The Ballad Of John & Yoko and Old Brown Shoe go with the Let It Be material better anyway.

 

[phanan]

I've had the chance to listen through this. I don't normally get the super deluxe versions of these albums as, quite honestly, they aren't worth the money, but I have a fondness for this album and the accompanying sessions (probably because I like putting my own version of it together), and I received it as a birthday present anyway.

The remix stays quite faithful to the original, so much so that there really isn't a major difference to my ears, for the most part. Yes, the strings and choir on The Long And Winding Road are toned down slightly so you can hear Paul's voice better, but they are still there, so who cares. And for most of the other tracks, I have to say the mixing on the Naked versions is superior. They just have a certain degree of clarity that the original album and this remix don't have.

That said, I thought I've Got A Feeling and One After 909 were the most improved. I've Got A Feeling, in particular, just jumps out of the speakers. Considering that it's one of the few tracks where I prefer the original over the Naked version, this was quite welcoming.

I've had a version of the Glyn Johns mix on bootleg for years, but I've never utilized it for any custom track listing, simply because I wanted to keep the same level of sound quality throughout. Having this finally released allows for the inclusion of a few things, such as the longer Dig It. I also forgot how I like this version of Teddy Boy, if only for Lennon hilariously mocking it with his do-si-do vocal, and then it goes right into Two Of Us. Pretty cool. All in all, it's great that it's finally released.

The EP adds updated single mixes of a few songs, in particular the single versions of Don't Let Me Down and Let It Be. I love having this version of Don't Let Me Down with the banter at the beginning. It's a travesty they didn't include it on the original album. As for Let It Be, it pretty much sounds the exact same as the version they already did for the remixed 1 album in 2015.

The alternate takes/jams/rehearsals are fascinating. The Long And Winding Road take that Laz mentioned stood out for me too. It uses the same piano instrumental as the Naked version, but is less prominent. And hearing the beginnings of songs like Gimme Some Truth are really cool.

The accompanying book is great reading. While I already have The Complete Recording Sessions book (which is a must have, btw), I like how they go track by track and update the info with these mixes and how they differ from both the original AND Naked versions. Great stuff.

That said, as I mentioned at the start, it's not worth the cost. Why? Mostly because they could have done so much more. The rehearsals/takes/jams CDs are only around 40-45 minutes long. There are hours upon hours of material - why not cherry pick some more and put out as much good material as you can? Something like the rockier version of Get Back with Lennon on vocals would have been incredible to hear in this sound quality - why hold back?

And the EP is a joke. Don't get me wrong, I like what's on there. But it's not even 20 minutes long. They at least could have done new remixes of The Ballad Of John & Yoko and Old Brown Shoe. And hey, even though it had a long and complicated recording history, You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) was completed during these sessions and released as the B-side of Let It Be. Why not give this quirky oddity the complete stereo remix it deserves? It's only available in mono on Past Masters.

There's enough good updates and changes here that my custom track listing will have to be upgraded with a few different versions, and maybe additions. Will be fun to go through.

 

[DaveC]

And hey, even though it had a long and complicated recording history, You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) was completed during these sessions and released as the B-side of Let It Be. Why not give this quirky oddity the complete stereo remix it deserves? It's only available in mono on Past Masters.

isn't the version on anthology 2 in stereo?

edit: wikipedia says yes but there's some changes to the song itself between the two mixes. the stereo anthology mix is apparently shorter, so i guess that means i've probably never actually heard the full song.

 

[phanan]

Yeah, it’s a different edit. I prefer the original version.

 

[lazarus]

Great write up, Phanan. I don't even understand what that EP is in the first place. Why is this stuff separated from the other discs?

Glad you agree on Long & Winding (Take 19). It's going in my custom tracklisting, the only issue is Paul saying "Anyway you'll always known" instead of "Anyway you'll never know" but I can live with it. Something about Paul's piano playing just stands out as better than the other versions.

Personally I thought most of the Glyn Johns mix was subpar. Two of Us is one of my favorite Beatles tracks and it sounded lifeless compared to subsequent mixes. The best thing about it is that longer Dig It you mentioned, but it's a little too long. Like, the longest song on the album if you include it. Unfortunately iTunes only lets you alter the in and out points of songs on a playlist (under the Options tab when you right-click on the track), but doesn't allow you to make it fade in or fade out (you can only choose a setting that makes all the tracks cross-fade). So unless I can find a way to make a clean abrupt edit a minute or so in, I'll have to keep the whole thing. Not the worst thing in the world.

Adding Don't Let Me Down, John & Yoko, and a longer Dig It makes the album a little lopsided towards John, and I suppose I could add Teddy Boy to balance it more, but I don't think the track is very good? Like, it would be the worst song on there IMO.

I hadn't thought about keeping anything from Naked as it seemed like the Giles Martin mixes were all good enough, will have to do a little comparison I guess, though my hearing might not be acute enough to tell. And of course, the Naked versions have all kinds of revisionist stuff going on: omitted all the funny studio chatter, the versions of Don't Let Me Down and I've Got a Feeling are each combinations of two rooftop takes, which if you want to be a purist is kind of against the spirit of the thing. And Dig a Pony on Naked has a line "digitally corrected". Fuck that. What I'm definitely keeping from Naked is Across the Universe, which doesn't need all of Spector's bells and whistles.

I'll publish my revised tracklisting soon.

 

[phanan]

In the past, here are the Naked versions I preferred:

Two Of Us (just a clearer mix to me, although the updated remix is ok)
Dig A Pony (the drums are not buried in the mix as much)
Across The Universe (no contest here)
I Me Mine (although I don't mind the remix, and this is the one song where Spector's strings aren't too bad; also let's give him credit for expanding the song in the first place)
One After 909 (I found the original to be quite the muddy mix - new remix is MUCH better)
The Long And Winding Road (no contest)
For You Blue (I like the prominence of the acoustic guitar on this version)

Original versions:

I've Got A Feeling

Single versions:

Let It Be
Get Back
Don't Let Me Down

Right now, I'd still keep the original I've Got A Feeling, and switch One After 909 to the new remix (which would allow the fun Danny Boy ending to stay as well). I'd take either version of I Me Mine, and keep the single versions the same. And I'd switch The Long And Winding Road to the Take 19 one. I'd keep the Naked versions for the rest.

 

[phanan]

Unfortunately iTunes only lets you alter the in and out points of songs on a playlist (under the Options tab when you right-click on the track), but doesn't allow you to make it fade in or fade out (you can only choose a setting that makes all the tracks cross-fade). So unless I can find a way to make a clean abrupt edit a minute or so in, I'll have to keep the whole thing. Not the worst thing in the world.

You can use Audacity to do fading. Works well and is fairly easy to use.

In my custom list, I made my own Get Back reprise, where I faded in the album version with about 45 seconds to go, so that I can still close out the whole thing with John's "passed the audition" line. The official reprise version on the Glyn Johns mix is just Paul going "ha, ha, ha" over and over, which is kinda lame.

 

[namkcuR]

I guess I'll share my updated custom LIB after exploring the Super Deluxe on Spotify.

There are multiple approaches one can take to this - you can try to make a version of the album that is most true to the original spirit and intent of the sessions, or you can try to make a version of the album that is simply the way you most want to listen to it. I know Laz's custom version attempts the former. I've gone back and forth, but ultimately I try to find a balance between the two. The Spector stuff never, ever bothered me the way it bothered others, and too much of the Naked album feels sterile and overproduced(in its own way) to me. So the Glyn Johns mixes are a great substitute to use in place of the Naked versions. So without further ado:

Side A
1. Get Back(Album Version)

There are a number of songs on the album that never had much if any Spectorization on them and thus never needed to be stripped down or fixed at all. This is one of them. I love it as an opener, so much energy.

2. I've Got A Feeling(Album Version)

Ditto the above.

3. One After 909(Album Version)

Ditto the above. This is the song on LIB I've liked least over the years, and I've never had it in my custom versions before, but it's growing on me as I listen to the Super Deluxe version, so I'm putting back here. There's a pattern of the 'rockier' songs being on Side A.

4. Dig A Pony(Glyn Johns Version)

I don't feel that strongly about which version to use, but I do think the guitar solo sounds a little cleaner in this one vs the album version.

5. I Me Mine(Album Version)

Glyn Johns Version is much shorter, and I like the way the guitar is mixed here better than the Naked version.

6. Let It Be(Album Version)

We've had this debate before, but I have always preferred the 'big' guitar solo in the album version, and I like George having that moment to shine on an album where he doesn't have a big presence. Every other version - Single, Naked, Glyn Johns - has the more subdued solo. I know a number of you disagree with this, and I know it's like an 80s power ballad lighter waving solo, but I love it.

The song itself is an epic way to close out Side A.

Side B

7. Two Of Us(Album Version or Glyn Johns Version)

This is the opener on the original album and I think it does a great job opening either side. Either version is fine, but I do think the dual vocals between McCartney and Lennon or more clearly audible on the Glyn Johns version, whereas there's other instrumentation drowning the harmony out a little on the album version.

8. For You Blue(Album Version)

Another one of those that never needed to be fixed. Not much difference between this and the Glyn Johns version, but this one is a bit cleaner.

9. Dig It(Glyn Johns long version)

I'd never heard this until this new set came out, but I like it, even if it does a go on a bit too long. I'd never bothered including the short version on any of my custom versions, but I'm putting it here.

10. Don't Let Me Down(Glyn Johns Single EP Version)

So, last week I said something a guitar solo being here that wasn't on any other version - I was wrong about that. I misheard it, and I forgot about the studio chatter adding length. My bad. This is still the best sounding version of it I've heard, as it's a 2021 mix. It's got studio chatter at the beginning, which makes it sound more like a part of the album, the sound and mixing is fantastic, but the studio chatter that's at the end of the original Glyn Johns version is removed, which makes it segue better into...

11. The Long And Winding Road(Glyn Johns Version)

Once again, we reach perhaps the most polarizing of all Beatles topics.

There's a bunch of different versions, but I think there's actually just two versions.

There's the Glyn Johns version, which sounds to me exactly like the take captured in the Anthology 3 version, which in turn, I think, is the same take that made the final album(with Spector's stuff added to it).

Then there's the Naked version, and this 'Take 19' version that you guys are singing the praises of, sounds nearly identical to the Naked version to my ears, though the Naked version is more polished up.

I always liked the Spectorization of TLAWR, but Spector aside, I still prefer that take - the Johns/Anthology/Album take - by a lot. I always though it was one of McCartney's greatest vocals ever, and I just think it's a better vocal performance than what's in the Take 19/Naked take. Especially at the end. On the Johns/Anthology/Album take, the last 'lead me to your door' ends on what sounds to me like a major note, followed by that soft 'yeah yeah yeah yeah'; on the Take 19/Naked take, 'your door' ends on what sounds to me like a minor note, and there is no 'yeah yeah yeah yeah'.

I know this seems pedantic, but I'm just trying explain why I so strongly have a preference here. Additionally, the toy-sounding piano interlude towards the end of the Naked version is there in Take 19 as well, and I just never cared for it.

Anyway, the song itself is the epic show-stopping conclusion, and this is the only place I could ever put it.

Moving on.

12. Across The Universe(Glyn Johns version)

There are now four versions of this.

A. The Album version, which is Spectorized.

B. The Wildlife/Past Masters version, which has the most involved backing vocals of any version.

C. The Naked version

D. This version

The Naked version is almost too naked. I like both the album version and the Past Masters version a lot, but I think the Glyn Johns version fits my 'balance' approach best for right now. I'm really enjoying the tambura or sitar or whatever it is that's so prominent in this mix.

It's a gorgeous song and acts as the sort of encore after the big climax.

Last thing - a word about Old Brown Shoe and The Ballad Of John And Yoko.

I had them in some previous versions of my LIB, but my decision to add One After 909 and the long version of Dig It this time, combined with the fact that those songs weren't recorded during the Get Back sessions, have led me to remove them.

The initial Get Back sessions were in January of 1969. Wikipedia says that Abbey Road was recorded from 22 February to 20 August 1969, and that Old Brown Shoe and Ballad were recorded on 16/18 April 1969 and 14 April 1969 respectively. This, along with the fact that demos of the two songs were included on the Abbey Road Super Deluxe, have led me to conclude that they should go there, if anywhere, even if they sound more like LIB. An Abbey Road running order I'm experimenting with that fits them in reasonably well is

1. Come Together
2. Something
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4. Oh Darling
5. Old Brown Shoe
6. Octopus's Garden
7. I Want You
8. The Ballad Of John And Yoko
9. Here Comes The Sun
10. Because
(album order from there onwards)

I don't know. AR is the hardest Beatles album to mess with but this is probably the way to do it that screws with the flow the least.

 

[lazarus]

As stated previous posts, the Abbey Road sessions didn't really begin substantially until July. Old Brown Shoe was rehearsed during the Let It Be sessions back in January so I don't think there's really any case to be made for it being an Abbey Road track.

John & Yoko is a different case entirely, but I have it in my LIB due mainly to personal preference, and I guess I can justify it because it was a stand-alone single that doesn't officially belong to either album; since both were still being worked on throughout 1969 (and Let It Be into 1970), it's a toss-up.

The good news is that you've convinced me on The Long and Winding Road. The Glyn Johns mix vocal is a bit "ghostly" and could use some better treatment, but like you, I'm happy to get rid of Billy Preston's electric piano (and I normally love his contributions).

I couldn't find the Glyn Johns mix of Across the Universe until I realized it wasn't on the tracklisting they used for the Super Deluxe, and that it was on the EP. It indeed sounds great, but the sitar you love sounds pretty prominent on the Naked version as well to my ears. They're very similar, so it's probably not much of a difference, but I don't like the little goofy chatter at the beginning of the Glyn Johns mix. For this song, I prefer to keep it serious I guess.

I've written about my custom playlist before, but I'll reprise the main points: Two of Us might not be the best opener from a sonic perspective, and doesn't represent the looser vibe of the whole album, but we're not listening to it in a vacuum; the Beatles DID break up, there was tension during these sessions, so there's something moving to me about hearing John & Paul harmonizing so closely on this track, the sense of their history and this brotherhood. So while I'm in the camp that considers Abbey Road to be their actual last album (regardless of release date), I still think that this opener is some kind of testament for people who know the story.

Next, I think For You Blue is one of the all-time worst Beatles songs. It does absolutely nothing for me. While there's a better version on the bonus Apple Sessions disc, it ain't enough. So if I'm keeping Harrison to two songs, Old Brown Shoe is a far superior track that gives this underrated track more prominence.

Regarding the Glyn Johns mix, one of its biggest crimes is failing to adhere to the tradition of alternating John and Paul songs. Putting Don't Let Me Down and Dig a Pony right next to each other, or worse, Let It Be and Long and Winding Road, is just baffling.

Anyway, here's my current iteration of "Let It Be Better":

Side One
1. Two of Us (Giles Martin mix)
2. One After 909 (Giles Martin mix)
3. I Me Mine (Giles Martin Mix)
4. Don't Let Me Down (Single version/2021 mix)
5. I've Got A Feeling (Giles Martin mix)
6. The Ballad of John & Yoko (2009 stereo remaster)
7. The Long and Winding Road (Glyn Johns mix)

Side Two
1. Get Back (Giles Martin mix)
2. Dig A Pony (Giles Martin mix)
3. Maggie Mae (Giles Martin mix)
4. Old Brown Shoe (2009 stereo remaster)
5. Dig It (Glyn Johns mix)
6. Let It Be (Giles Martin mix)
7. Across the Universe (Let It Be...Naked)

 

[cobl04]

There are some good songs on Revolver.

 

[phanan]

Always interesting to see other’s interpretations of Let It Be. And it’s warranted because no release has ever fully gotten it right. The premise of the original Get Back is there but, in most cases, does not include the strongest versions of songs. Spector made some good moves but combined that with some terrible overproduction, and Let It Be…Naked has some of the best mixes done alongside others that are puzzling choices, and also left out a lot of the chatter that gave the originals that “fly on the wall” aspect which provided some endearing moments to what was otherwise a difficult period. And it’s clear that none of us thought they quite got the track order down on any of these albums, although for me, there are some strong sequencing runs embedded within.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that my Get Back album contrasts to the others in a few ways.

I utilize Naked for four songs – Dig A Pony, For You Blue, Two Of Us, and Across The Universe. They are, to my ears, the superior mixes with the most clarity, and even more importantly, are the exact same versions as the ones found on Let It Be and not tampered with like others were.

Quick aside on For You Blue – I love the track. It’s got a fantastic blues groove and Lennon on lap steel guitar is such a treat to listen to, and Harrison’s ad-libbing is fun, especially since his voice is otherwise missing from most of the other chatter on the album.

I Me Mine, Maggie Mae, I’ve Got A Feeling, and One After 909 are the 2021 album remixes. With I Me Mine, the orchestration is not as prominent in this new mix, and I do like the extra guitar, so that was good enough for me to switch. I’ve Got A Feeling was always the original and never the bastardized Naked version, and One After 909’s remix is fantastic.

Here’s where mine has some unusual characteristics. The single version of Get Back is my opener (it’s actually the same version as the one on the Glyn Johns Get Back album), but I use the remix from the 2015 release of the 1 compilation, which doesn’t have quite the pronounced fade-in as the others. The reason I do this is because I have lifted the intro of the original album (“I dig a pygmy…”) and edited it to go right into Get Back. This allows me to keep that part while utilizing Get Back as the opener, which is really where it belongs.

I also use the 1 remix version of The Ballad Of John & Yoko. As for Old Brown Shoe, the only option is the 2009 remaster, which is a real shame. A remix would have no doubt brought Harrison’s vocals a bit more up front. Sorely needed and a glaring admission to the remix series.

Aside #2 – neither are part of the Abbey Road sessions. I went back and looked through the recording sessions book I have, and the July 1 entry is when McCartney went to George Martin and said they wanted to do another album. So, to Laz’s point, even though there were some intermittent sessions between February and June, it really didn’t coalesce into Abbey Road until July. Makes sense to integrate them here instead.

I included Dig It from Get Back – just have always loved this version of them having fun in the studio and glad it finally has a proper release.

Let It Be is the single version as newly remixed on the EP. The 2021 remix of Don’t Let Me Down from the same EP is the clear winner for that song and is also included.

As for The Long And Winding Road, Take 19 is the best in my book. The electric piano break is not as up front in this mix as it is on Naked, and I like McCartney singing over it. The Get Back version is fine, but McCartney just sings the same line again at that point (which he needs to I guess because he’s filling in blank space there), and I don’t like his vocal as much. For the Take 19 version, I did edit out his “are you alright” remark beforehand. Don’t care for it.

Finally, at the end of my custom album, I took the album version of Get Back and made a fade-in with about 45 seconds remaining to create my own reprise version of the song, so it can conclude with the famous “pass the audition” line. The one on the original Get Back album is a different take of the song and is not nearly as good.

Get Back

1. Get Back (from 1 2015 remix – with Intro as noted above)
2. Dig A Pony (from Naked)
3. For You Blue (from Naked)
4. Two Of Us (from Naked)
5. I Me Mine (from 2021 remix)
6. Dig It (from Get Back)
7. Let It Be (2021 remix single version from EP)
8. Maggie Mae (2021 remix)

9. I’ve Got A Feeling (2021 remix)
10. One After 909 (2021 remix)
11. Don’t Let Me Down (2021 remix from EP)
12. The Long And Winding Road (Take 19 – intro chatter edited out)
13. The Ballad Of John & Yoko (from 1 2015 remix)
14. Old Brown Shoe (from 2009 Past Masters)
15. Across The Universe (from Naked)
16. Get Back (Reprise) (fade-in of original album version)

 

[lazarus]

I totally forgot about the #1 remix album. Will need to replace my John & Yoko with that version.

Obviously we differ on a couple things but I'm glad we agree on the additions, at least (I notice you also opted out of including Teddy Boy). And I'm ok with making this being more of a "John" album despite the project being Paul's idea, because the latter has a much more dominant voice on Abbey Road.

 

[phanan]

Yeah, Teddy Boy is just not as good of a song, and still unfinished anyway. I'd rather keep Dig it.

It was important to incorporate Lennon more. I know he was distracted with Ono at this point and wasn't coming up with as much new material, but he started the whole thing. For this to be the end, we need to hear him as much as possible.