During a recent road trip, I had the chance to listen to a few of my favorite albums end to end. It’s always a joy to find albums that you can appreciate in their entirety instead of skipping over the bad songs and playing only the good ones. Here are some notes on my weekend listening choices including some connections that I hadn’t thought about when I packed them in my suitcase.
The Beatles - Let It Be... Naked
It’s amazing that the “Let It Be” album exists at all. It was recorded as the band was falling apart, intended to be the centerpiece of a film and concert promotion project (read: business people probably came up with the idea), and pieced together after the breakup by a producer whose vision did not match that of the songwriters. The “Naked” version of the album, released in 2003, was meant to undo some of the production decisions that are burned into the version that we have listened to all of these years.
So, someone had this bright idea. Let’s make a film to chronicle The Beatles as they develop and record new material, rehearse the material, and then play it in concert. The project immediately ran into problems. The band hadn’t played live in years. The rehearsal hall was chosen for the benefit of filming, and The Beatles hated it. John was grieving over a personal tragedy and showed little interest in the project. Paul’s efforts to rally his mates were seen as pushy and overbearing. George backed out at one point and wouldn’t return until the live concert idea was taken off of the table. Arguments were tense and performances were half-hearted.
After the band broke up, a tragic day in music history to say the least, the tapes were handed over to producer Phil Spector - yes, the same Phil Spector who was convicted of shooting an actress to death in 2003. Spector had popularized a recording style that became known as the “wall of sound.” He added orchestras and choirs and extra instruments to the arrangements in order to make the recordings wouldn’t full and lush. Not everyone was a fan of his sound or of his impact on the albums that would become known as “Let It Be.”
Paul McCartney hated Spector’s version of the recording and tried unsuccessfully to prevent it from being released. John was more forgiving, noting that Spector had created something listenable out of what John considered to be a bunch of uninspired performances.
The Beatles’ producer George Martin had recorded the original tracks but was not given a production credit on “Let It Be.” Later, he remarked that the credits should have read: “Produced by George Martin; over-produced by Phil Spector.”
Happily, today we have the choice of listening to Spector’s version of “Let It Be” or “Let It Be... Naked” which strips the production down to more fundamental elements.
Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
I love the songs on this album - “The Boxer” and “The Only Living Boy In New York” are two of my all-time favorites - but I find it difficult to listen to this record. I don’t care for the overall sound.
The problem is actually similar to McCartney’s complaint about “Let It Be.” No, Phil Spector did not produce “Bridge Over Troubled Water - it was produced by Simon and Garfunkel themselves along with engineer Roy Halee - but I have a sneaking suspicion that they were trying create the Phil Spector sound. Listen to the almost overwhelming orchestra sounds in “The Boxer” and the title track to see what I mean.
If the Phil Spector sound rubs you the wrong way, imitation Phil Spector is even worse. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is full of great songs. It deserves a “naked” version.
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
“Let It Be” was the last Beatles album. “Core” was the first Stone Temple Pilots album. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. Forget that I mentioned it.
But don’t forget, as I had, sadly, that “Core” is full of amazing songs, songs that helped to define the “grunge” sound of 1990s, just as The Beatles helped to define the sound of the 1960s and usher in “the British Invasion.”
There are so many great songs on this album, and young Scott Weiland’s voice just soars through the whole CD. My only complaint is that a couple of the songs run a little long, but that was part of the grunge ethos. - What’s the hurry? It’s not as though we have to get up and go to work in the morning. Now, let’s do some stage diving!
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Acknowledgement: I researched the making of the “Let It Be” album in Wikipedia. I donate to Wikipedia annually. If you find their website helpful, I would encourage you to do the same. Even small donations are appreciated. Thank you!
