The Beatles: Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, piano, bass
instrument); John Lennon, George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Ringo
Starr (drums).
Additional personnel: Billy Preston (keyboards).
normally regarded as the Beatles' last album, LET IT BE was
actually recorded in 1969, before the recording and release of ABBEY
ROAD. LET IT BE was greeted with mixed reviews when it came out in
1970, and is still a controversial disc in the band's
catalog--many fans reject it, while others defend it fiercely.
Notable for its difference from anything else the Beatles recorded,
LET IT BE has a raw, ragged, muscular sound that recalls the band's
very earliest rock roots. The songs Were mostly recorded live (save
Phil Spector's overdubs on "The Long and Winding Road," "Across the
Universe," and "I Me Mine"), and the result is a world away from the
meticulous, high-sheen sophistication of the group's George
Martin-produced releases.
No one is likely to argue that LET IT BE is the band's best album,
but it is a strong release nonetheless. From the easy-rolling folk
feel of "Two of Us" to the interlocking vocals and screaming guitar
of "I've Got a Feeling" to the epoch-making title cut (one of Paul
McCartney's finest moments), the album bristles with good
songwriting and gutsy energy. There are moments of filler--the rock
and roll rehash "One After 909," for example--but at its best, as on
John Lennon's meditative "Across the Universe" and the driving "Get
Back" (which features Billy Preston on keys and is the record's high
point), it shows the Beatles for what they always Were: a top-notch,
hard-working rock band.
© Muze/MTS Inc.
