Let it Be vs. Let it Be...Naked?

The original Let It Be. I think Naked is well produced but it's revisionist history. It's not "naked" -- there's editing on every single track. And while it retains some of Spector's ideas, it doesn't use any of the pre-Spector ideas on Glyn Johns' versions of the album at all.

It's good in the same way "Yellow Submarine Somgtrack" is good -- a latter day remix that is completely different from anything considered for release in the 1960s.

My comment the last time this question came up:

The truth of the matter is that Spector's version is superior to the three mixes Glyn Johns prepared, and Spector was only brought in b/c all four Beatles were disappointed with Johns's work. Tellingly, "Let It Be Naked" uses some elements from what Spector did (lengthening "I Me Mine", sweetening and virtually rearranging "Across The Universe", using the rooftop version of "I've Got A Feeling", editing out the beginning and ending lyrics of "Dig A Pony") while leaving the orchestra and choral voices off of it. "...Naked" is a misnomer, since pretty much every song on the album has been cleaned up to eliminate mistakes.

While I do think "...Naked" did do a good job (specifically, "Across the Universe" is good, and it's nice to hear "I Me Mine" and "The Long and Winding Road" without orchestra, plus "Don't Let Me Down" is back in the running order), I also think it missed some opportunities (no longer version of "Dig It!"--it's left off completely, which John would not have allowed had he been alive to approve it, and the bonus disc could have been so much more.)

None of the versions are perfect. "Let It Be" and "Let It Be Naked" both have good elements, but both also don't do the sessions justice completely. But I guess that's all we'll ever get.

/r/beatles Thread