Glyn Johns, a sound engineer and producer who has worked with The Rolling Stones, The Clash and The Band, is promoting a new book titled Sound Man. Back in November, an excerpt of the book made headlines after it was revealed that Bob Dylan wanted to record an album with The Stones and The Beatles. Johns, who also worked with the Fab Four, talked to The New York Times about his experience with the group's final album, Let It Be. Even with tunes like "Across the Universe," "The Long and Winding Road" and "Get Back," Johns labeled the record "a bunch of garbage."
According to the sound engineer (via NME), he wasn't too enthused about working with producer Phil Spector on the album in place of longtime Beatles control man Geroge Martin.
"I was disappointed that Lennon got away with giving it to Spector, and even more disappointed with what Spector did to it. It has nothing to do with The Beatles at all. 'Let It Be' is a bunch of garbage. As I say in the book, he puked all over it. I've never listened to the whole thing, I've only listened to the first few bars of some things and said, 'Oh, forget it.' It was ridiculously, disgustingly syrupy," he said.
Johns said the record was suppose to sound like Dylan's The Basement Tapes, but that never materialized. The record was the first and last time Johns would be able to work with the band. He remembered the experience as "pretty astonishing."
"I didn't know them. I was the same as every other punter on the planet, who saw them as these extraordinary icons of marvelousness."
