Actually it was the second thing they released on Parlophone and in England on the whole, after the previous fall's 'Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You' single. What they had behind was two and a half years (not non stop, of course!) of playing in Hamburg, where they had backed Tony Sheridan on his album 'My Bonnie' in 1962.
Then Mr George Martin came along and introduced them, with no pains this time, to studio work. He knew nothing about recording rock bands, they knew little about recording in general. Soon everybody was to pick it all up quickly and more and more of us would have a chance to enjoy it...
I knew the music first before I saw the movie. And
it were rather the songs that are not featured in the film which I took
to then. When I was 15, so it could be put down just to a taste that emerged
from teenage fascination for the lads and an overall disgust at contemporary
music, which, I have to admit, I didn't know well yet, but who does at
that age?
All these songs, anyway, were written by The Beatles. It was a strategy
they wouldn't stick to later, but half way through 1964 it certainly wasn't
a common thing to do. Did Frank Sinatra write his lirycs? I'm not sure,
but I don't think he didn't. Of course Elvis didn't and almost none of
the rock and rollers up to then had. With the exclusion of Chuck, sure
thing. They'd written much from the start, but it was the first time to
make an entire album exclusively with their own compositions.
Nothing very much revolutionary. They were developing instrumentally,
though. I can never remember what instrument that was they played for the
first time on 'You Can't Do That' -but I think you may easily guess.
The soundtrack was also composed by them -the instrumental version of 'That Boy' being the most significant, also because it came together with the best sequence (according to the critics).
John -in his biggest Dylan period, Paul -fully developing his ballads, George -turning into a complex instrumentalist, Ringo -well, for the first time a leading role... (to be followed by many more spaghetti westerns [-was 'Act Naturally' a preludium to that?], 'cavers' and 'Alices...' after 1970). And all tired of the incessant paranoia surrounding them in the generally poorly amusing film and, what's worse, in reality.
Anybody tell me this woman, Eleanor whatever her name, that partnered
them is a good actress, well... Any other roles to prove it...? This one's
not a supporting argument here. The Beatles are really the ones who keep
it up, who keep the film running, they dig the most out of many scenes
otherwise sloppy and tight.
It's obvious, however, that they didn't their hearts to it like to
'A Hard...' Instead they played on the side, kind of next to the script.
And some of the scenes, in my opinion, ended up great by accident, like
the last moments in Austria, with John arriving to the ticket office on
ski(e! -originally that's what I wrote, you know)s and asking for
tickets to London. Of the rest I especially like the band
playing in front of Stonehenge, George on the car's roof and
windscreen, going back to the temple on bikes, and the defence of the Beatles'
flat by the Beatles against the attack of the Hindus (first) and scientists
(secondly). Maybe some other bits and pieces, too, like presenting spies
to the head of Scotland Yard in the Bahamas, but... these are just the
fine bits of not the greatest Beatles film ever made.
The music had something of the characteristic way of being downhearted, dissapointed, or simply 'Help!'/'I'm Down' single says it all. Then come 'Yesterday' and 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away' (belonging to the songs generally considered the most beautiful), in the same mood. On the whole, it is a totally different album than all the previous ones. Commercial, but not intentionally, really. I heard Elvis' version of 'It's Only Love' -could there be any more precious a praise? Again, the movie does not include all the LP's songs -'Yesterday', 'Tell Me What You See', 'It's Only Love', 'I've Just Seen A Face', 'Act Naturally' and 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' left out.
John at his best singing Williams' classic rocker. Did you notice that only in the two years of their work as a band, 1966-7, they didn't record traditional rock and roll tunes? We don't know if they didn't play them at all, I think at least on the last tours in 1966 they probably did in America or Japan. And what they practised on privately? Like the psychodelic and India-inspired music were only long episodes, side-tracks of their musical ways, to rock and roll they stuck ('...like glue , yeah-yyy-yeah, because I'm Stuck On You...' -1960, on return from the army, on stage with Sinatra...) well, how to say it, always.
It is said that this LP was a breakthrough, a major turning point for them, which John let us predict on 'Help!'. In an abstract, philosophical way rather than musically, that is. Now the lirycs were finally sharp, like The Rolling Stones', almost. In 1965 Kinks turned up, the Stones got harder, in America the Beach Boys made the great and already the Byrds (were singing) -no, they only started recording, as far as I know. And were soon sure to prepare ground for the Psychedelic stream and make way for Janis, Jimi Hendrix and others who there's no need to mention here, really.
Going back to the main thing, it was a wonderful piece of music. 'I'm
Looking Through You' -any contemporary rock band wouldn't be ashamed of
this one. 'Michelle' awaited tens of cover-versions, 'Girl,' 'Nowhere Man,'
Norwegian Wood' became hits and the bands trademarks for (well, not long,
because 'Eleanor Rigdy' was soon to come out...) and remained them to this
day.
Did Paul really write a satire on himself and his love songs in 'Michelle?'
Almost all these tracks are either sad or express rejection, boredom or
threat. Excluding 'The Word,' 'Michelle' and 'In My Life,' though in every
one of them there's a feeling of a loss, of the past or coming up. Well
there's also something that could be interpreted (and still is, in a way)
as a message to the fans, I mean of course 'Wait' and the female fans.
Which was the most innovative track on the LP? 'Being For The Benefit
Of Mr Kite?' 'A Day In The Life?' 'Lucy In The Sky...?'
I think 'Mr Kite' comes first, even of 'A Day...' because the subject
itself is so totally brought up from the ashes or reinvented and rearranged
and put through in such an imaginary crazy vision. Arright?
P.S. I love the Reprise!
What's even more important, John cut himself off the rioting in France,
or that's what he said directly. Didn't he also approve of the race and
anti-war riots in the States? It is strange for us today, and wasn't it
for the protesting people then?
They've been through some shaking experiences shortly before and during
the making of this album. Tomention just the death of Brian Epstein, not
terribly successful voyage to Maharishi's meditation school in India, the
breakup of John's marriage, Paul's breakup with longtime girlfriend Jane,
use of drugs, balancing on the verge of abuse in John's case, a definite
goodbye to touring (true -back in 1966), the under-expectations interest
in their films Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine and so on.
Then 'Something', George's masterpiece, to quote the author of a compilation of Beatles lyrics for guitar, piano and I think the third book was organ, wasn't it?
Polish rock magazine 'Tylko rock' put it on the third place in the chart of 100 records that influenced our rock the most, after two Led Zeppelin albums.
Anyway, it was a tear squeezing goodbye with a range of pearls that
are to be forever, the title song coming first here.
'The Long And Winding Road', 'Across The Universe', 'I've Got A Feeling',
'Maggie May', 'Get Back'... I heard them when I was a little child, when
I was a kid and as I was a teenager it gradually appeared to me what they
really are like and how I appreciate them. But 'Let It Be' I knew from
childhood, I could remember it, something like 'Love Me Tender,' the kind.
I knew it was a band called like this and that they were very famous once.
They used to drift in that mild mist, not here, but quite close, ready
to emerge unexpectedly.
As a child I was out of the music field, never having the chance to
learn, I rather prefered drawing and reading, I didn't associate it with
the need to study so much. How different it would turn out one day! It
was those couple of songs in the beginning, which were some totally virtual
plain of a whole bunch of unknown possibilities, tempting and promising.
'It's a kind of Magic' is a good description of the impact that 'Let It
Be' had on me. To put it bluntly, it was my guide and introduction to the
world of popular music, and everything new that I once heard I compared
to it.
And in the end, it's got to be said here that this album proves that rockers don't have to be shouted in an unpleasant hoarse voice, they can be sang properly! Listen to this all you metal supporters and hide under your beds! It's a beautiful rock.
The pictures that appear on this page were downloaded from the web a really long time ago. I'd like to thank the authors anyway, and hope they don't mind I put them here. It's not a commercial site and '...it seems all right to me'.