Let It Be, not the Beatles' final album, but the 1970 documentary of the same name has long had a bad rap. But the restored version of the film -- which begins streaming on Disney+ on Wednesday (May 8) -- isn't a bummer at all - it's fab.
The documentary, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, was theatrically released in 1970, but didn't have a long run and was seemingly shelved. It only briefly appeared on home video in the '80s, though bootleg copies of the film have circulated for years.
That's likely because it was perceived as a bummer. It showed the Beatles beginning to disintegrate before our eyes as George Harrison didn't feel like his contribution was valued, Paul McCartney took a full leadership role in the band, and John Lennon was focused on Yoko Ono. Meanwhile Ringo Starr seemed to keep his sense of humor intact and did a yeoman's job behind the kit.
True, it was a fraught time for the Fab Four, as Harrison confirmed to me in an interview for The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. "It wasn't very much fun," he said. "Everyone was fed up and everyone wanted to leave the band. Although we salvaged it and we did some good tracks, it generally was done in a depression. It was done in a trough."
While that tension is evident in Let It Be, in the run up for the release of Peter Jackson's fabulous docuseries The Beatles: Get Back in 2021, the company line was that the nearly eight hour-long, three-part epic would tell the whole story of the Let It Be sessions, and rectify the notion presented in Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 doc. At the time, Beatles fans believed it.
Part of the problem was likely that their memories of Let It Be were linked to the time of the film's original release when The Beatles actually had split. Also, the original film hadn't benefitted from technology to clean up the print that appeared dark and muddy, and the bootlegged copies were of even worse quality.
Now, however, Let It Be has been restored by Jackson and his team for release on Disney+ with the blessings of McCartney, Starr and the estates of Lennon and Harrison, and I'm hear to tell you that it's fab.
While it doesn't offer the exhaustive view presented in Jackson's Get Back, it does show an interesting glimpse of the band during those same sessions in a mere hour-and-29-minutes. For that reason, it might be the better option for casual fans who aren't dedicated enough to wade through Jackson's epic take but interested enough to spend some time watching the Beatles' creative process in action. For Beatlemaniacs, it's simply more invaluable footage that shows their heroes in action towards the end of their legendary creative run.
The screening Music Times attended Monday (May 6) at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, was preceded by a short, filmed discussion between Jackson and Lindsay-Hogg, who noted his original film "didn't get a fair shake" as it was released at "the worst time." He added that he hoped that in retrospect his film will now be appreciated "for the curious and fascinating character it is."
Still, be forewarned that Let It Be isn't your typical rock doc. It has no narration and no interviews. Instead, it gives viewers a fly-on-the-wall look at the Beatles in the studio working on what would be their 12th and final studio album. Originally, the project was designed to be a TV documentary and concert, but that plan went sideways when the band couldn't agree on the details behind what could have been an epic live performance.
Instead, we get the Beatles working out songs for the next album, and dipping into some choice covers, ending the film by taking things up to the roof of the Apple Records headquarters for a brief but legendary live performance.
And yes, we do see some scenes showing the tension in the band. At one point an exasperated Harrison says to McCartney, the designated band leader, "I'll play, you know, whatever you want me to play, or I won't play at all if you don't want me to play. Whatever it is that will please you... I'll do it." Harrison later walked out of the sessions, but that's not shown in Let It Be, though it is addressed in Get Back.
Later, we see Harrison on acoustic guitar singing and playing "I Me Mine" for Starr, who seems interested in his contribution, while in an incredibly sweet and touching scene, Lennon and Ono are seen waltzing to the song as it's performed by the rest of the band.
Harrison is also there for Ringo, working out "Octopus's Garden" with Starr on piano and George on acoustic guitar. Lennon, smoking a cigarette, later joins in on drums.
Harrison isn't in a dour mood throughout. He seems to enjoy the band's run through several oldies and as they wrap up a take of "Shake, Rattle and Roll," he's smiling as he plays and then takes the reins and leads the band into "Kansas City."
There are also tender moments between childhood friends Lennon and McCartney. The two are seen sharing a microphone working through an early version of "The Two of Us." Later in the film, though, the song is performed in its recorded version with the focus on McCartney and Lennon almost out of the picture with Ono, until he ends the song with some whistling.
McCartney also shows off his sense of humor, exaggerating his vocals on several rehearsal takes for some comic relief, and he even leads the band through a wonderfully kitschy samba version of "The Long and Winding Road" before urging his band mates to get back to business, saying, "Alright lads, that's enough. We don't have all bloody day."
Elsewhere, Lennon often seems preoccupied with Ono, who is a constant presence in the studio but doesn't seem to disrupt the proceedings. In a take of "Dig a Pony," Ono is seated on a stool between McCartney and Lennon, which might be fuel for the Ono haters, a camp I do not belong to.
Ono isn't the only guest in the studio. Keyboard ace Billy Preston is seen playing organ on several songs. McCartney's then 7-year-old daughter Heather also makes a cameo, showing off some of her artwork on the studio wall and in a hilarious scene with Ringo, she hits a drum that sends Starr, who pretends to act startled, falling off his drum stool.
As the studio footage ends with back-to-back McCartney ballads "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road," with the camera mostly focused on McCartney's face while the rest of the band plays along earnestly, the mood gets a bit reflective, but we're revived with a jolt of electricity once the band plugs in on the rooftop for an absolutely thrilling version of "Get Back." It's also a kick seeing the reaction of unsuspecting pedestrians and workers coming out of their offices to check out the racket on the roof of the Apple offices.
By the time the brief rooftop gig is shut down by police, after the second take of "Get Back," we've witnessed the Beatles in all their glory. Watching Let It Be, there's no doubt they were one of the greatest - if not the greatest - rock 'n' roll bands ever.
