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Let It Change!

I was pretty glad to hear the news that Apple Records is releasing a de-Phil-Spectorized version of "Let It Be" later this year. Like many people, I've always thought that "Let It Be" could have turned out to be the Beatles album with the longest shelf life, if Lennon hadn't brought in Spector to add all the ghastly choirs and wall-of-sound gloss to what should have been showcase for something we have almost no record of: what the Beatles really sounded like as a live rock band in their "late" period.

The Anthology series has given us a little glimpse of that sound, but "Let It Be... Naked" should be an essential recording, I'd wager. I hope that it's just the beginning, though. The Beatles' main catalogue has really been woefully rendered in digital format -- all the classic albums have that britttle, tinny sound of the first generation CDs, before they improved the analog-to-digital mastering process. (For one, all those early CDs are too quiet.) The studio outakes that they've mixed and mastered recently for the Anthology releases sound much better than the "official" Beatles recordings -- as do the songs on the compilations "One" and the new "Yellow Submarine." But if you want to sit down and listen to the White Album, it still sounds horrible. Hopefully, this new "Let It Be" is a sign of things to come...

September 19, 2003 in Misc |

Comments

Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Amen. Anyone who doubts the truth of this should listen to the recent "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" release, all songs on which were nicely rebalanced and remastered for CD audio. The actual song "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" sounds like it's going to punch through a wall. It's amazing what bad sound we've put up with, for such good music.

Posted by: Patrick Nielsen Hayden | September 19, 2003 at 08:05 AM

Oliver Morton

I've been thinking about this ever since the beautiful opening of Lew Shiner's "Glimpses", in which the version of Long and Winding Road the protagonist wants to hear magically replaces the version he is hearing. Its a wonderful moment. Now it may happen.
Shouldn't the new version be called "get Back", though?
Meanwhile, where did I misplace my Laibach...

Posted by: Oliver Morton | September 29, 2003 at 05:41 AM

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Posted by: uhoiuh | November 26, 2003 at 06:51 AM

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