The Beatles – Let It Be (1970)

It’s sad that The Beatles disintegrated so quickly. The greatest rock group of the 1960s, and possibly the most influential of all time did not have a very happy ending. Many different factors, from drugs to the presence of Yoko Ono in the studio made tensions that never before occurred become real.

Still, the group got their act together recording and delivered Let It Be. This is not the last recorded album by The Beatles. It is their last main album release, due to complications with some of the production of the material here. After 1969, The Beatles were finished. Legendary producer Phil Spector saved this album with his “wall-of-sound” production which made some of the otherwise ordinary material sound better. George Martin initially attempted to produce the album but recommended that The Beatles scrap it.

Still, does it stand up to the test of time? Let’s find out.

Two Of Us begins with some nonsense talk by John Lennon, before going into a decent acoustic-based song. It’s a nice and gentle tune to hear about the simple things in life, and road travels back home from an adventure. A nice and simple piece to hear. It’s about simple British life back in the day. It ends with a whistled melody. Nice.

Dig A Pony is next. It’s a nonsensical song with a great singalong chorus. Not bad for songs that were initially considered rubbish. The album has a semi-blues feel to it, particularly in the lead guitar work. There are some rather surrealistic lyrics to it as well. A nonsensical but good listen.

The introspective Across The Universe is a really good song, more so than you’d expect typically. The extra production of gospel backing vocals and orchestral parts in the chorus really brings this song to life. It’s a semi-spiritual sort of listen as well, using the description of words making themselves project across space and time infinite. Good stuff.

Next up is I Me Mine. It’s gentle and reassuring listening with some great drumming from Ringo Starr, indicating the changes in a stop/start fashion. The lyrics are nonsensical, but hey, it’s a good listen. Some great added string sections and extra production touches make this come alive.

Dig It is a short and nonsensical piece to listen to. It’s interesting, but merely just a short nonsensical interlude. Good though.

Let It Be the title track is a beautiful piano piece by Paul McCartney. It’s really profound and good to hear. The other instrumentation comes in gradually, making this a unique pop gem. It’s really excellent listening, and a nice way to show what The Beatles had to offer as a pop/rock group. A wonderful song, and great to hear.

The interlude sort of song Maggie Mae is pure nonsense and is less than a minute. It’s entertaining though.

Next is I’ve Got A Feeling which is an upbeat and great listen. The Beatles still had great songs, even at the end of their career. It’s a good mixture of the four of them doing what they did best. The production and arrangements sound expensive, but it is worth listening to. Paul McCartney and John Lennon take different vocals here, making it a different listen. Upbeat and awesome.

One After 909 may refer to a road or rail route in either the UK or the USA. Still, it’s upbeat and energetic listening. A good sort of song to listen to in the car. The mix of instrumentation here is really excellent. An upbeat and enjoyable song.

The Long And Winding Road is absolutely beautiful with Paul’s singing, description in the lyrics, and string-based instrumentation in the background. It really does sounding very lovely and is worth your time to listen to. An underrated gem by The Beatles, and refreshing to hear.

Next is For You Blue. It’s a slide guitar romp which is extremely catchy and listenable. It is a great listen, Elmore James sure doesn’t have anything on it to compete with either. A great melodic and interesting listen. A great mixture of rhythm and melody is in this song, worth your time.

Lastly, Get Back is a great pop song, as we say goodbye to The Beatles on their main albums. It’s a great swansong and listen to one of the finest pop/rock groups to date. It has a very traditional feel to it as well. The talk at the end is quite funny.

This album is very underrated. Received with mixed reviews, The Beatles were never to release a proper album again. Ignore most of the criticism of this album, it is a refreshing and rewarding listen. A must-have for fans of The Beatles.

9/10