My 100 Favorite Albums: #94 The Beatles’ “Let It Be”
Oh come on. A top albums list without the Beatles? I don't think that's even possible.
Ever since I was a kid, I can remember listening to the Beatles. Why not? They're a very playful, very catchy band. Take “Yellow Submarine”for example. But as I got older I came to realize that they have a great deal of complexity added to their pop rock songs. As a general rule I think that it is ESSENTIAL for any music fan to posess Help! through till the end if you want to be able to take a look at how music gained sophistication.
So when I was considering how many The Beatles would make my list, I had a lot to contemplate. Not only are near all their songs entertaining, but they also definitely hold a special place in my life. Let It Be, not really their last album but might as well be considered so, is made up of songs that have both the trappings of simplicity (such as “Get Back”) and the culmination of studio work in their career (“The Long and Winding Road”). Each track is vibrant and hook laden. After taking a refresher listen to the album to prepare to write this I found myself singing “Dig a Pony”, even though I would hardly say its my favorite track on the album.
I know Paul McCartney may not have liked the way Phil Spector mixed the album (look at Let It Be… Naked) adding layers of sonic excess really seem to work. Take my favorite track, “Let It Be”. It starts in a very austere way, almost as a song of longing. But as it builds, it takes a kind of spiritual sound, with layers of organ and electric piano. Build this into George Harrison's mos t excellent solo and you've got a song of both pain and triumph. I like this song so much, that I consider this among others to be my girlfriend and mine's song (though we like to tell the neighbors “Addicted to Vaginal Skin” holds this spot). “Across the Universe” is a good example of the way that music and lyrics interplay, creating the very spacey sounds that John Lennon sings about. My only complaint would be ”Dig It”, which is just a fragment of a song, thusly breaking up some of the unity of the album.
It's also sad to listen to this album at time. It was the Beatles during their collapse. Many of the songs signal what their solo careers would become. But every time I listen to it, I feel better about the world for its existence. Its not every day any music can do that.
Favorite Track: "Let It Be"
Ever since I was a kid, I can remember listening to the Beatles. Why not? They're a very playful, very catchy band. Take “Yellow Submarine”for example. But as I got older I came to realize that they have a great deal of complexity added to their pop rock songs. As a general rule I think that it is ESSENTIAL for any music fan to posess Help! through till the end if you want to be able to take a look at how music gained sophistication.
So when I was considering how many The Beatles would make my list, I had a lot to contemplate. Not only are near all their songs entertaining, but they also definitely hold a special place in my life. Let It Be, not really their last album but might as well be considered so, is made up of songs that have both the trappings of simplicity (such as “Get Back”) and the culmination of studio work in their career (“The Long and Winding Road”). Each track is vibrant and hook laden. After taking a refresher listen to the album to prepare to write this I found myself singing “Dig a Pony”, even though I would hardly say its my favorite track on the album.
I know Paul McCartney may not have liked the way Phil Spector mixed the album (look at Let It Be… Naked) adding layers of sonic excess really seem to work. Take my favorite track, “Let It Be”. It starts in a very austere way, almost as a song of longing. But as it builds, it takes a kind of spiritual sound, with layers of organ and electric piano. Build this into George Harrison's mos t excellent solo and you've got a song of both pain and triumph. I like this song so much, that I consider this among others to be my girlfriend and mine's song (though we like to tell the neighbors “Addicted to Vaginal Skin” holds this spot). “Across the Universe” is a good example of the way that music and lyrics interplay, creating the very spacey sounds that John Lennon sings about. My only complaint would be ”Dig It”, which is just a fragment of a song, thusly breaking up some of the unity of the album.
It's also sad to listen to this album at time. It was the Beatles during their collapse. Many of the songs signal what their solo careers would become. But every time I listen to it, I feel better about the world for its existence. Its not every day any music can do that.
Favorite Track: "Let It Be"