The Beatles
Let It Be... Naked

THE REVIEW

Finally, Sir Paul has done himself justice. He must have stopped eating his liver over what he considered, probably rightly, a colossal injustice: Phil Spector's tampering with the original tapes of "Let it Be," particularly on "The Long And Winding Road." In this case, however, the discussion should be split in two: on one hand, the artistic side, and in this case, the album has definitely benefited (I never particularly liked Spector's heavy arrangements on tracks that were light and simple), on the other hand, there is yet another speculative endeavor by the record industry on the millions of Beatles fans who will surely make this album a Christmas bestseller. Was it really necessary to extort more money from a public already saturated with publications from the four of Liverpool? And if so, couldn't they at least include some gems on the album, given the hundreds of hours of music from the 1969-70 period lying in the Abbey Road archives?

Let's get to the album description. "Get Back" is the same version that was released in 1969 as a single, different from the album version as it's longer and ends with a fade-out instead of John Lennon's lines. "Dig A Pony" begins with Paul McCartney singing the chorus "all I want is you...", and the track is not the rooftop concert version but recorded in the studio, in a lighter version. "For You Blue" by George Harrison is essentially the same as the official album (minus the chatter at the beginning). Then there's the scandal stone. It's a bit surprising to hear a track that for many years was "that one" in such a different version, but "The Long And Winding Road" with only Paul's piano and Ringo's drums is even more magical than the original. "Two Of Us," which on the original was placed at the beginning of the album, is here missing the chatter and is slightly slower, still beautiful, with only acoustic guitars. "I've Got A Feeling," perhaps one of the "minor" Beatles tracks most appreciated by fans, is also a different version here, perhaps missing some of the grit of the rooftop concert, with John responding to Paul in some lines. "One After 909" is the same rock 'n' roll from the official album with a bit more talking at the start. "Don't Let Me Down" is in a slightly more "dark" version, even if the arrangement is more or less the same, given that originally this track did not appear on the album but was the B-side of "Get Back." "I Me Mine" originally suffered from Spector's heaviness, here's the "stripped" version. "Across The Universe" is as beautiful as ever, even in this version that appeared on a benefit album titled "No one gonna change our world," for a nature organization. To close, "Let It Be" in single version, less electric with a different guitar solo (well done George!)

Perhaps John Lennon wouldn't have appreciated it, as on more than one occasion he had expressed appreciation for Phil Spector's work on an album he had despised, but if it had really been released like this, the Beatles might have ended their fantastic story better. (P.S.: the 3 stars are obviously for the sly commercial operation that resulted from it).