Album Summary: Let It Be

I have to say it (and I'm sure it's been said plenty of times before): Let It Be was not an impressive Beatles album. The fact that it was compiled from "leftover" Beatles songs, from before Abbey Road was even recorded, really shows. I now fully understand and agree with the majority of Beatles critics and fans who consider Abbey Road to be the official "final" Beatles album; the alternative is trying to swallow Let It Be as a goodbye, and it just doesn't work.

That's not to say that there weren't any noteworthy songs on this one. My favorite was "Across the Universe", a very well-written song, and I also enjoyed "Get Back" and "Let It Be" a great deal. Maybe the issue I had with the album as a whole was that it felt unfinished and raw, for whatever multitude of reasons there no doubt were. 

To be honest, I'm glad Let It Be exists. It feels like an encore performance--the band has already performed its best, having saved it for last, and they've exited the stage, only to come back and play one or two more songs. Those extra songs are never the most popular, but they're well-received and the crowd always cheers and almost always leaves happy. With The Beatles' break-up forefront in the fans' minds, Let It Be might have provided a therapeutic service: perhaps audiences would have been even more distraught over the break-up if The Beatles had left off at Abbey Road, definitely one of their all-time best albums. In that way, Let It Be tapers off the career of the greatest band of all time.

Although Let It Be is officially the unofficial end, I'm nowhere near done with this adventure. We still have to catch up with all the singles we've missed along the way (including the wonderful "Hey Jude", among others), so stay tuned. :)

Get Back

"Get Back" is the final song on Let It Be and the first Beatles song to credit another artist at the Beatles' request--the credit is officially "The Beatles with Billy Preston". Additionally, Wikipedia notes that "'Get Back' was the Beatles' first single release in true stereo in the US."

Also from Wikipedia:

The Beatles performed "Get Back" (along with other songs from the album) as part of the "The Beatles Rooftop Performance" which took place on the roof of Apple Studios in Savile Row, London on 30 January 1969. "Get Back" was performed in full three times. During the third, which marked the end of the rooftop performance, The Beatles were interrupted by the police who had received complaints from office workers nearby. After the police spoke to Mal Evans, he turned off Lennon and Harrison's amplifiers only for Harrison to switch them back on, insisting that they finish the song. It was during this period that McCartney ad-libbed, "You've been playing on the roofs again, and that's no good, and you know your Mummy doesn't like that...she gets angry...she's gonna have you arrested! Get back!"

The song has an interesting history, especially when compared to its fellow tracks on Let It Be. For a song purportedly about going home (generally a very positive idea), that history wasn't always happy: "John Lennon in 1980 claimed that 'there's some underlying thing about Yoko in there', claiming that McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang 'Get back to where you once belonged.'" 

Also, personally, I'm not so sure about the second verse, about Loretta Martin, who "thought she was a woman, but she was another man." I can't decide if this character's sexual ambiguity is meant to be positive or negative, or if by telling Loretta to "get back to where you once belonged" the singer's gently recommending a reconnection with the people Loretta loves, or commanding Loretta to "get back" to being a woman, to being "normal". It's a very strange and uncertain verse for me. The fact that Loretta has both a woman's name and a man's name makes the character even more interesting--which is pretty good considering the length of the verse is only a few lines. 

That's it for now... Album summary coming up. :)

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Heard It Tally: 50

Songs Completed: 200

For You Blue

"For You Blue" is a George Harrison composition which features John Lennon on "lap steel guitar using a shotgun shell as a bottleneck." Also, apparently the title of the song was "an error in writing and the title was actually meant to be 'For You Blues'." The quiet line spoken by Lennon in the beginning is "Queen says no to pot-smoking FBI members," an introduction added by Spector.

Although it's not my favorite Harrison song, "For You Blue" nonetheless holds a certain charm. It's a bluesy kind of song, and a love song (as all the best blues songs are), and if George excelled at anything, it was writing love songs (and playing bass). :) For those reasons, I'm a fan of this one. I particularly enjoyed the laughing lines that George says. He seems to be having fun.

That's it for now. See you tomorrow as I wrap up Let It Be with my 200th song (!) and hit up the Past Masters for all the singles we've missed along the way. :)

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 199

The Long and Winding Road

Paul McCartney's ballad, "The Long and Winding Road", "became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet." A beautiful and melancholy song, it nonetheless has a somewhat litigious reputation:

While the released version of the song was very successful, the post-production modifications to the song by producer Phil Spector angered McCartney to the point that when he made his case in court for breaking up The Beatles as a legal entity, McCartney cited the treatment of "The Long and Winding Road" as one of six reasons for doing so.

The version I listened to was the 2009 stereo remaster, which fits the description for the low-key version that McCartney preferred rather than the Spector-ized version he hated. Since I trust Paul's judgment when it comes to his songs, and after listening to both versions, I much prefer the original. 

Another important and much-discussed aspect of the song is John's poor bass playing. According to Wikipedia, "Lennon, who played bass only occasionally, made several mistakes on the recording. Some writers, such as Ian MacDonald, have postulated that the disenchanted Lennon's ragged bass playing was purposeful." MacDonald also said that John's bass was "'atrocious' to the point of sabotage". I wouldn't doubt that, considering the tension and backhanded dealings between the guys at the time. 

My thoughts on the matter are that things must have been truly terrible for John to betray his own musicianship in order to hurt Paul in any way he could. The morose lyrics of "The Long and Winding Road", begging for reconciliation, must not have spoken to John--he sent a very clear message of his thoughts on the matter.

That's all for today... see you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 198

One After 909

Today we hear the "One After 909". It was written as early as 1957 by Lennon with help from McCartney, and definitely sounds like one of their earlier songs. It's much more rock-and-roll, both musically and lyrically.

According to John, the number 9 held a special significance to him. 

In his 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon explained, "That was something I wrote when I was about seventeen. I lived at 9 Newcastle Road. I was born on the ninth of October, the ninth month [sic]. It's just a number that follows me around, but, numerologically, apparently I'm a number six or a three or something, but it's all part of nine."

Paul was also fond of the song, saying that although it wasn't a great song, it held many fond memories for him of writing music with John, specifically their attempts to write more "bluesy" songs. At the end of the song, we can hear John jokingly singing a couple of lines, a variation on the classic Irish song "Danny Boy": "Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling." 

As I've mentioned many times before, I'm not a huge fan of early Beatles, but this song--written by the "early" Beatles and performed by the "later" Beatles, is pretty entertaining. We get the fun lyrics and the excellent musicianship. A perfect combination.

That's all for today... see you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 197

I've Got a Feeling

"I've Got a Feeling" was performed by The Beatles during their rooftop concert, and according to Wikipedia:

It is a combination of three unfinished songs: Paul McCartney's "I've Got a Feeling", and John Lennon's "Everybody Had a Hard Year" from the White Album sessions (where it was demoed as "Everyone Had a Hard Year") and "Watching Rainbows."

From Paul's perspective, it was a very good year--he eventually married his girlfriend, Linda Eastman, "the girl he had always been looking for". For John, however, it was not one of his better years. 

While McCartney's song was very optimistic, Lennon actually had a hard year—he divorced his wife, Cynthia Powell, his girlfriend Yoko Ono had a miscarriage, he was arrested for drug possession, and had grown deeply unhappy in the Beatles.

Musically, the song is fun, combining the three unfinished songs with smooth ease. The lyrics represent the duality of Lennon/McCartney at the time--McCartney's lyrics are cheerfully honest and open, while John's are somewhat more negative and esoteric. It's intriguing and I enjoyed listening to it. :)

That's it for now. See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 196

Maggie Mae

Today we meet the dirty, no good "Maggie Mae", which was The Beatles' version of a traditional Liverpudlian (love that word) folk song about a prostitute who robs a sailor. According to Wikipedia, "it has been the informal anthem of the city of Liverpool for about 180 years."

Wikipedia also mentions that "the performance, which trails off after just 39 seconds and was obviously tongue-in-cheek, is truncated" and that it was clearly meant as merely a warm-up for the recording session. Luckily for us, it was included on Let It Be (though not its Spector-less sister, Let It Be... Naked) and we get to enjoy The Beatles singing with great accents. :P

As a traveler, I'm a huge fan of local songs, from "Rocky Road to Dublin" to Cajun music and everything in between. :) So, "Maggie Mae" really sparks my interest. It reminds me of my time in Dublin and, though I've never been to Liverpool, I imagine it's just as lovely and fascinating. :)

That's it for today... see you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 195

Let It Be

"Let It Be" is one of The Beatles' most famous and well-loved songs, and was the last single released before McCartney officially left the group (Lennon, as Wikipedia mentions, had already left the band at that point).

McCartney was inspired to write the song after having a dream about his mother, who passed away from cancer when Paul was 14. In his dream, she said to him, "It will be all right, just let it be." He later said he found the dream very comforting and reassuring, a feeling he channeled into the song very well in my opinion. 

While Rolling Stone ranked "Let It Be" at number 8 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", "Ian MacDonald had a dissenting opinion, writing that the song 'achieved a popularity well out of proportion to its artistic weight' and that it was ''Hey Jude', without the musical and emotional release.'" John Lennon also commented on the song, with his usual disdain for Paul's work:

That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with the Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes "Let It Be". I think it was inspired by "Bridge over Troubled Waters" [sic]. That's my feeling, although I have nothing to go on. I know that he wanted to write a "Bridge over Troubled Waters".

[He was mistaken, however, as "Bridge over Troubled Water" was released almost a full year after "Let It Be". Perhaps Simon & Garfunkel were inspired by McCartney rather than the other way around.]

I find "Let It Be" very relaxing, though I don't relate to its religious overtones or absorb them on a personal level. Also, I of course really enjoyed the version from Across the Universe, which was sung by Carol Woods and Timothy T Mitchum. The church choir singing in the background was, I think, a fitting substitute for the organ in the original version. 

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 194

Dig It

"Dig It" is one of a kind; it's one of the few Beatles songs to be credited to all four Beatles, and I'm positive it's the only one to mention all of these characters and entities: "the FBI, and the CIA, and the BBC, B.B. King, Doris Day, Matt Busby". 

There are at least four versions of "Dig It". The version from Let It Be was only 51 seconds long, while the version I heard on YouTube was 4 minutes 20 seconds (including the joking quote at the end, "That was 'Can You Dig It?' by Georgie Wood, and now we'd like to do 'Hark, the Angels Come'."). The full version clocks in at a sizable 8:20, while the "jam" version is a lengthy 15:05. So, really, there is a version of "Dig It" to fit into anyone's busy (or empty) schedule. :P

This one leaves with me with a strong sense of its superfluousness. It's interesting in a fleeting way, but it's not saying anything, nor is it accomplishing any musical feat. Many people, myself included, believe that songs and music don't need a purpose beyond their own existence, much like art. "Dig It" is just one of those songs that give me the impression it's not doing anything but existing--whether that's positive or negative, I'm not sure. 

That's it for now. See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 193

I Me Mine

Today's song is "I Me Mine", a song that has the distinction of being the last new song recorded by The Beatles (until 1994--which I don't really think should count). Harrison's ode/lament to the ego has a Hindu context, consistent with his Indian inspiration and spirituality:

For example, the Bhagavad Gita 2:71-72 can be translated as "They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of "I", "me" and "mine" to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality." Perhaps subconsciously, the song also reflects Harrison's reaction to the clashes of egos in the Beatles' painful closing days as a group.

The song's musical patterns coincide with its lyrical stylings. For the verses, George sings in a high octave and the music keeps a slower, waltzing pace. Then, for the "chorus", the repetitions of "I me-me mine", the guitar comes in more heavily and the vocals are harsher and louder. This duality is a vital aspect of the idea behind the song itself--everyone has to battle their ego in some way and for some goal, whether it's for spiritual or simply self-improvement reasons. I like this song; I'm generally fond of George's compositions, and this one seems both personal and universal in a way that attracts even me, an avowed secular being. :P

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 192

Across the Universe

Today we travel "Across the Universe" for Halloween. John Lennon, after Cynthia Lennon's incessant talking, was first inspired by a line that came to him through his irritation: "words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup". Wikipedia gives us some background on a particular line in the song:

The flavour of the song was heavily influenced by Lennon's and the Beatles' interest in Transcendental Meditation in late 1967 – early 1968, when the song was composed. Based on this he added the mantra "Jai guru deva om" (Sanskrit: जय गुरुदेव ॐ) to the piece, which became the link to the chorus. The Sanskrit phrase is a sentence fragment whose words could have many meanings. Literally it approximates as "glory to the shining remover of darkness".

John was most proud of the lyrics in "Across the Universe", saying, "It's one of the best lyrics I've written. In fact, it could be the best. It's good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin' it. See, the ones I like are the ones that stand as words, without melody. They don't have to have any melody, like a poem, you can read them."

Interestingly, "Across the Universe" is the first song to be purposefully beamed into space.

I'm a fan of the song, though I like various covers more than the original. In particular, I find Rufus Wainwright's version to be rather fantastic. :)

That's all for today... see you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 191

Dig a Pony

"Dig a Pony" was written by John (who considered it a "piece of garbage") and was the penultimate song performed during the Beatles' rooftop concert. It consists of various randomly-chosen words and phrases, like the titular "dig a pony", and was originally called "All I Want Is You". Lennon reportedly wrote it about Yoko Ono, who at the time was soon to be his wife. 

The song "begins with a false start, with Ringo Starr yelling "Hold it!" to halt the other band members because he was holding a cigarette and had only one drum stick in his hand." (This factoid makes me laugh. :P ) My first reaction to "Dig a Pony" was neutral, bordering on negative. However, as the song progressed and I read the lyrics (to figure out what John was saying), I grew more fond of it. 

The lyrics are undoubtedly weird, which is what makes them interesting and entertaining, and the music combined with the way John sings the chorus reminds me of nothing more than Joe Cocker's version of "A Little Help from My Friends". Overall, not too bad of a song, despite Lennon's animosity for it (he was admittedly and openly less than fond of many of his works, though, so it should be taken with a grain of salt). 

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 47

Songs Completed: 190

Two of Us

Let It Be was The Beatles' ninth and final studio album, and yet most consider Abbey Road to be The Beatles' final album. Wikipedia explains the simple reason:

Most of Let It Be was recorded in January 1969, before the recording and release of the album Abbey Road. For this reason some critics and fans, such as Mark Lewisohn, argue that Abbey Road should be considered the group's final album and Let It Be the penultimate.

I happen to agree, so I've summarized Abbey Road in the mindset that it was the end for the guys as a band. Let It Be was originally supposed to be released in 1969 before Abbey Road, but it was put on hold since the guys weren't pleased with how it sounded. After Phil Spector was asked to come around and shape it up (an extremely controversial and not-at-all-unanimous decision by the Beatles), it was finally released in 1970, after The Beatles had already broken up. 

The album also served as the soundtrack for the 1970 film of the same name, a documentary about the Beatles recording and rehearsing in January 1969; it featured their unannounced rooftop concert that was their last "public" performance, which ended with a joke from John.

The rooftop performance closed with the song "Get Back", and afterwards Lennon said, "I'd like to say 'thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition."

However, due to the tensions within the group at the time, the documentary "has frequently been referred to as a documentary intended to show the making of an album but instead showing 'the break-up of a band'."

Let It Be starts with today's song, "Two of Us". Wikipedia states:

The song was originally titled "On Our Way Home". McCartney claimed it was dedicated to his wife-to-be Linda Eastman, though the lyrics (e.g.: "you and I have memories/longer than road that stretches out ahead" or "you and me chasing papers/getting nowhere") sounded to author Ian MacDonald like they were actually addressing Lennon.

So, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, "Two of Us" sounds like it could've been included on the Juno soundtrack. The bad news is that personally, I'm surprised this song passed muster in the Abbey Road studio. It feels clunky and out-of-tune, and it goes on much too long--probably because I'd like it to be over sooner rather than later. The harmonizing might be the worst part--no doubt an effect of the acrimonious relationship between John and Paul at the time. 

Too bad to start the album this way, but hopefully tomorrow will be better! See you then. :)

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Heard It Tally: 47

Songs Completed: 189