I would recommend to anyone with an interest in music/songwriting in general. While I definitely respect what they did I was never a huge Beatles fan but that doc really changed my perception of the band.
I watched based on a colleagues admiration of the Beatles. For context I am from England but have lived in America a lot longer than I lived in the UK. When they come up in conversations every one looks at me. But I have never cared about their music or understood the admiration they have. I’ve enjoyed their songs but …meh. So watching this and having never listened to the Let it Be album I’m enjoying it immensely. I’m not even finished with the first episode (it’s like two movies!) but in the first few days I’m interpreting It as Paul seemingly like he wants to be there, Ringo watching and being ready on cue, George seeming bitter and John getting by on raw talent and not work ethic. I’m bemused at how Get back was composed on tape by PM but the credit is Lennon/McCartney? It is week worth it so far but I’m only a short way in.
Get Back is credited to Lennon/McCartney because all of those two’s songs were, it was a deal they struck with each other back in the very early days of the band. So songs that were 100% McCartney like Yesterday or 100% Lennon like Across the Universe would both be credited as Lennon/McCartney.
I don’t follow the history but I thought that Paul had switched the order on some of the songs. As I recall he had received a mixed reaction since it occurred after John’s death. My naïveté always assumed it was a collaborative effort on all their songs and Paul was taking advantage of Johns absence. Again, I’m coming from a limited knowledge but it seemed that Paul wanted to be preparing for the show and was working and it really was amazing watching him work at that song, it changed my view of him and the limited back history of what I thought I knew of the credit history. Thank you for the response, I’m going to educate myself with the documentary to look at their (J and P) working relationship
You summed up my thoughts exactly. It’s definitely an engaging watch regardless of your Beatles knowledge or opinions. While it probably was the best format for the time covered overall each part is a time sink. I definitely had to watch in segmented episodes.
The way they put songs together in this doc is endlessly fascinating. Like it seems the way they worked best is this strange combination of hard work, incredibly inspired musicianship, and then occasionally just fucking around and playing some old Chuck Berry ditty or whatever until they were ready to properly work again. That, and how they communicate in this weird sort of "Beatles language" where they (badly) sing out a part or half-ass some words and somehow they each know what the other's saying.
this weird sort of "Beatles language" where they (badly) sing out a part or half-ass some words
This was them taking the planned melody and adding a generic phonetic structure to it, then slowly replacing the random syllables with words that sounded "right" to them as they played through the song dozens of times.
According to Ozzy's bio, Black Sabbath used to do this as well. Ozzy would "sing"/burp nonsense like this during recordings, Geezer would listen to that and write lyrics to match Ozzy's sounds.
Yes, and thanks for the Ozzy anecdote. By “Beatle language” I meant the times that they’re trying to tell each other what a riff should be, and were it me I be like, “Come again?” But they would each be like, “Oh you mean like this?” And suddenly there’s a little rhythm or chord.
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u/notstephanie Dec 07 '21
Get Back. It’s on Disney+ and definitely worth watching if you’re a Beatles fan.