::Let It Be...Naked

[james1985]

ah, but Strawberry Fields wasn't pretending to be stripped down, live in the studio. The promoted LIBN as that, something it wasn't.

I must reiterate that i love listening to the album, but I just don't know why they didn't release "Get Back" instead of or as well as LIBN.

[RickStark79]

Let It Be Naked doesn't do much for me. If this was "the way nature intended" Let It Be to be, then why put completely new versions of I've Got A Feeling, Don't Let Me Down, etc?!? It's all completely unnecessary. And personally, I find The Long And Winding Road and I Me Mine MUCH improved by the strings and back-up vocals!

[Steve-o]

79-er. Have you seen the movie Let It Be? If you have not, I can understand your wanting to stay with what you've remembered. If you have, I cant imagine why you would NOT love "Naked", or at least favor it over the Spector puke-a-thon. It is closest to the sound of the movie (the well-rehearsed versions near the end), without question.

[2 of 3]

I prefer the Spector puke-a-thon too.

[RickStark79]

79-er. Have you seen the movie Let It Be? If you have not, I can understand your wanting to stay with what you've remembered. If you have, I cant imagine why you would NOT love "Naked", or at least favor it over the Spector puke-a-thon. It is closest to the sound of the movie (the well-rehearsed versions near the end), without question.

Oh yes, seen the movie many times! But I don't think, for instance, that just because The Long And Winding Road was very simplistic and basic in the movie, that I should find that version superior to the Phil Spector version. I think that LAWR is definitely a song that benefits from the orchestration. As well as I Me Mine. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the songs as they are portrayed in the movie! But I view them the same way that I do Strawberry Fields (Take 26) or A Hard Day's Night (Take 7) -- Completely awesome, but also unfinished demos!

[ANGRY]

"...unfinished demos..."
but, if the thrust of the original recordings was to be as natural as possible, how could the spectorized versions, done w/o total agreement by all, be any more in line with the original intent ?
wouldn't it by, by proxy, farther from that intent ?
maybe, the spector version has a preference simply because it is the one we know the best ?
i find, these days, that i like both, for vastly different reasons.
i tend to agree with james, for the most part, but i've had a listen at extensive bits of the rehearsal stuff...hours of it, in fact...they rarely completed anything close to a usable take,so i'm not surprised that they had to cull bits and pieces to get closer to the original intention....would a 'get back' version be even closer ?
or would it come across as a mess ?

[james1985]

I'm listening to it right now. It sounds freakin fantastic, but there's a tiny man in me crying out: "it's not real!"

But great to listen to though, wish they'd remaster the whole catologue.


And Macca's bass playing on this record is off the map, outrageously good

[2 of 3]

What I like about the Original is the performances. I prefer the original vocals.....I'm not really concerned about what Spector added to the rest of the song. Even the addition of Don't Let Me Down.....let's me down. The Lennon vocal isn't as good, ad neither is Prestons solo. Still, I guess this discussion it a bit silly...sort of like trying to decide which one of your children you love better.

[RickStark79]

Ok, I just listened to the album straight through -- here's my thoughts:

Get Back is awesome! Sounds a lot crisper and cleaner than the original! A+

Dig A Pony -- Love it! Sounds refreshing, I really can feel the transition from the sweet and subtle verses to the blaring powerful chorus. But they still cut out the "All I Want Is..." that you hear on the rooftop versions. Shouldn't they have included that on this "way nature intended it" version? A

For You Blue -- A little different, but about the same for me. Never been one of my favorites. B

The Long And Winding Road -- It just sounds unpolished to me. Even if this version was released first, and then re-released later on in it's PS form, I would still like the PS version better. It's a beautiful song no matter what, but it just seems like it's missing something in this form. D+

Two Of Us -- I always thought that this was kind of a weird first track on the original album, so I like it much better in the middle of the record. Other than the remastered sound, I don't hear too many differences from the original. A

I've Got A Feeling -- I love this, totally rocks out! But this is a different version of the song than on the original. Why!? What was wrong with that version that they had to use this one!? Still sounds good to me! B

The One After 909 -- Awesome, the sound is just fantastic! The added "Yes I did" from John is a pointless addition in my eyes though. But I'm glad that they didn't try to take away or add anything from this one too much! A+

Don't Let Me Down -- What the hell is this?! This is a horrible version of this song! John is half-assing the vocals! The original is so sweet and sincere and this is an insult to it. I have no problem with the inclusion of this song on this, but the version they chose is HORRIBLE!! F-

I Me Mine -- They way nature intended it huh?! So why get rid of the overdubs, but then keep the repeated verse instead of returning it to it's minute and a half form?!? It's a contradiction! Still a nice song, they don't really do anything to it but take away the overdubs, so I'll give it a B!!

Across The Universe -- Ok, I don't get it! I don't believe The Beatles ever intended this to be on the record in '69, so why keep it on this new version? It's so studio, that it seems out of place with the 'rawer' tunes. This version is just so-so. C+

Let It Be -- This version sounds like a rehearsal compared to the finished single and original album versions. Not horribly different, but not as good as the '69 version. B-

This version just doesn't bring much to the table for me. I will probably listen to this version once for every 4-5 times that I listen to the original.

[Steve-o]

The entire package sounds better to me than the orig, but I'm not a huge strings/choir guy, admittedly. But..LAWR (NAKED) gets an A+ from me for the awesome vocals...a few more stand out, and the lot are maybe a grade up for me over the orignal.