Paul against The Wall: What is "Let It Be... Naked" and why this album exists?

— a thread for 50th anniversary of "Let It Be" album #LetItBe50

Let It Be... Naked is an alternative mix of The Beatles' album Let It Be (1970), released in 2003. It was initiated by Paul McCartney, who felt that the original album's producer, Phil Spector didn't capture the group's back-to-their-roots intentions for the album.

Paul had long been aggrieved by the Let It Be album, particularly the Spector’s 1970 post-production work which added his Wall of Sound signature to several songs.

Main Paul's objection was The Long and Winding Road, which had been transformed from a simple piano ballad to a full-blown orchestral epic without his consent.

The project came about following a chance meeting between Paul and the Let It Be film director Michael Lindsay-Hogg.

They discussed the lack of availability of the film and spoke about the possibility of remixing the soundtrack to accompany such a release.

In Feb 2002 Neil Aspinall called Abbey Road Studios’ Allan Rouse to ask him to remix the Let It Be recordings.

pics: paul mccartney, 2002

George Harrison gave the project the nod before his death.

Let It Be… Naked contained a number of significant differences from the original 1970 release. The running order was changed, with the album opening ‘Get Back’ and closing with 'Let it Be'

'Dig It' and 'Maggie Mae' were left off after being judged to be ill-fitting.

The list of differences:

• Get Back - dialogue removed from introduction; song is the single version recorded on 27 Jan 1969, without the coda recorded following day.
• Dig A Pony - remix of the same recording from rooftop, without the false start and closing dialogue.

• For You Blue - remix of the Let It Be version, includes an acoustic guitar part by George Harrison originally omitted.

• The Long and Winding Road - The final take recorded on 31 Jan 1968, includes guitar and electric piano, omits orchestral and choral overdubs.

• Two Of Us - remix of the original album version.

• I've Got A Feeling - edit of both versions from the rooftop.

• One After 909 - remix of Let It Be version from the rooftop; omits the version of Danny Boy at the end.

• Don't Let Me Down - edit of both versions from the rooftop.

• I Me Mine - re-creation of Spector’s edit, which increased the length; remixed to omit Spector’s orchestral and choral overdubs.

• Across The Universe - Remix of the February 1968 recording at the original...

...speed, without maracas and keyboards, backing vocals, orchestral overdubs and sound effects; tape delay added.

• Let It Be - remix the version used on the album, without orchestral and choral overdubs but including two edit pieces from take 27b.

The album was issued worldwide on 17 November 2003, two days before Phil Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

The album sold well, but faced wide criticism.

The cover image of the album features monochrome negatives of the original photos from the "Let It Be" cover. Harrison's photo has been replaced with another where his teeth less prominent, as a monochrome negative version of the original would show them "blackened".

A widely held response was that Apple should've focused on the reissue of the Let It Be film or the remastering of album, instead of remixing songs "to settle a 30-year grudge held by Paul McCartney".

The Rolling Stone review said that idea of the album is "ridiculous", because John and George are dead and the album exists only as "an excuse" for Paul to finally remove effects from "The Long and Winding Road" after "decades of complaining"

Anthony DeCurtis in that review said, that Naked is "vaguely interesting demo" rather than "lavish emotional epitaph" of Let It Be.

"Naked has little to do with the early bootlegged versions of Get Back — which, for better or worse, really are naked"

The Guardian said that "technically, they've done a fine job", but the material itself was criticized and called "far short of the group's best"

But their review was more positive, remixes of Get Back, One After 909, I've Got A Feeling were called "pleasant surprise"

"Paul has stripped the original album of both John's sense of humor and Phil Spector's wacky.. What's left is a great batch of songs, in higher fidelity than you've ever heard them before, but still oddly unsatisfying"

("oddly unsatisfying" AHAHA)

Paul McCartney about Naked: "It's just the bare tapes, just the bare truth and the great thing now about remixed versions is that, with today's technology, they sound better than ever"

*insert a picture of tired people and concentrated paul here*

So, the album has mixed reviews, there's no one opinion on it amongst beatles fans - some call it the best, some can't stand it. But I think we all can agree, that after decades and decades of waiting and because he's f*cking Paul McCartney, he deserved a chance to create it.

And he did! He showed his point of view for us, how he saw it back then. He finally destroyed the Spector's "Wall of Sound" and I think finally, after the Beatles broke up, Paul slept well without hearing the orchestra from "The Long and Winding Road" in the middle of the night.

Thank you for your attention, I hope you liked this thread! But before you leave, I'm asking you one simple question: Which version is better for you and why?

Have a good day, stream The Beatles and happy 50th birthday to Let It Be!

Photos: Ethan A. Russel
Linda McCartney (1969)

Reviews:
• https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/let-it-be-naked-87936/
• https://www.salon.com/test/2003/12/01/let_it_be/