Why I’m Frustrated and Excited by The Beatles "Get Back" Documentary
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
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When the documentary ended, I felt like experiencing the loss of the Beatles a second time. It left an emptiness inside after being on the journey with them for many days. It's like saying farewell to them. Suddenly, the Beatles are gone. The world is not the same without them.
I was 18 when that footage was shot. I am now 70. Seeing this documentary has somehow reminded me of where I came from and where I am now. Watching Beatle songs that I loved and knew so well actually being created was astounding for me, like seeing how something very important as it really happened. Strange.
Well said. I read a great comment on another video which basically said .. seeing this film is like watching real footage of how the Universe was created.
yep, same here only I was 15, but it shot me straight back there like it was yesterday.
I'd say for me it was a bit like watching a video of Jesus being born .. but then I'd probably be accused of saying something John Lennon would say ;)
My father passed away when I was 8 years old and my mom had to take over the family business. She basically kept me busy by giving me Beatles LPs and Archie comics. I am also approaching 70 and have only recently realized where the ethics, moral values and joy of life that sustained me came from..
@@kevinpunter7960 I suspect the American south would find it harder to trash their laptops than LPs.😆
Having watched the entire documentary, was expecting a "story of the Beatles" - but was pleasantly surprised that it was 9 hours of creative process, seeing how they fleshed out songs we know and love.
For the “story,” The Beatles Anthology is an excellent and in-depth multihour documentary that involved the three surviving Beatles (at the time of production).
Was never mentioned as such. Only ever known to be use of very old film as fly on the wall with a deadline to produce new songs for a show - a documentary version of their first film, "Hard Day's Night"
Well said.
Wow I'm sure you speaking just for yourself the album is terrible by far the Beatles worst
We also got a real good glimpse at the breakup too. More than the music media at the time would never cover.
Ringo was the consummate pro. His patience while John, Paul and George were working and then delivering magnificently when called upon. I love the moment when he's telling the director that he could just watch Paul play piano for an hour. I'm sure Paul never heard that until he watched the doc a few weeks before it was released. I talk about it on my channel as well.
You have to remember, Ringo was the "old man" of 28(!) at this point... John, too. Paul wouldn't be 27 until June of '69, and George would turn 26 in February of that year. And this film happened at the twilight of this band as a band. Incredible.
Ringo was Mr cool. He kept himself together. It's clear from the documentary that he and Paul didn't want it to end. In hindsight, maybe Paul and George could have formed a songwriting partnership and carried on with Ringo, minus John. I think it must have been all too much with P,J and G all wanting their songs on the album's. Plus all the business side, and no proper manager or direction. Respect to Paul for taking up the mantel and trying to drive the band forward and innovate. I think he's had alot of undeserved criticism for this over the year's. As Ringo himself said recently, it's Paul we have to thank for the phenomenal amount of songs in such a short period.
i fell mad in love with Richard Starkey after this doc. I am not kidding.
I was very impressed with Ringo attentiveness, not fidgeting, just being present, listening, adding just what the song needed. I consider Ringo a zen drummer.
You know that’s just a reflection of how this was edited, right? There are probably hours of Ringo talking his head off but it was not edited in, at Ringo’s request.
If you've ever been in a band...This documentary should blow you away as to how ultra talented and on another level these men were...all of them. It is an astonishing film to watch. I realized how far I had to go to reach anything close to the Beatles feel for the music and each other....It is WORTH EVERY MINUTE.
When Billy Preston appeared, the dynamics went from just Beatles to Beatles on steroids. Just adding to or changing the band means so much. I loved every moment of the series and the tension between the members through the whole process of making this great music.😊
The Beatles had a dynamic chemistry. Rather than most bands where a guest performer sits in with a band, I get the impression the Beatles would bring their "A Game" and get the same level of creativity and performance out of whoever is joining in.
That's because they didn't want to act immature and unprofessional in front of him.
This is a great comment and Plunderkid hits it below too. I think when Preston joined, it was the same best-behavior dynamic that you'd find when having friends over for a meal and putting family squabbles on the back burner. It all died down and smoothed out and brought forward the business of taking the thing home to the finish line. What an amazing series it was.
Definitely! They were actually kind of stuck and stagnant before they brought Billy in. Billy brought a whole new infusion of energy.
Billy Preston was amazing. His contribution is seen and felt throughout. It bummed me out that they broke up after.
I'm so happy that this document exists. To be together with the band in this way is unbelievable! I saw Beatles live in Stockholm when I was 12 years old and that experience was so strong that it absolutely gave my life a never ending influence! The art of pop music is amazing! I'm 69 and still music is the source of my freedom.
Thank's Mary for your always interesting RUclips channel!
So very heartening to see someone of your generation who actually "get" The Beatles. The Beatles did change lives and points of view, other ways of looking at stuff. Apart from the well documented genius of the band, a lot of what they achieved was by bouncing ideas off each other with humour and off the wall thinking. Yes, they bickered and were spiteful with each other but they also had a very deep respect and affinity with each other. Siblings in all but name.
It should never be underestimated how much of a radical and social impact they had on the youth of yesteryear. How they really did move the goal posts and were ultimately a force for good.
I was 16 going on 17 when The Beatles broke up and still quite impressionable but I'm so, so glad that I witnessed such a phenomenal era first hand.
They were special. They were unique. They certainly changed the direction of popular music. They were The Beatles and I'm so, so glad that you get that by understanding how and why they were and realising how hard they worked to get there. The only thing I would say on a point of observation is that it's only with the benefit of years passing that you realise just how profound the effect on popular culture The Beatles were. Yes, we understood that they were a force for change and Yes, we thought their music was brilliant. It was the effect and depth of that brilliance that only manifested itself over the years since then. That, I think, even surprised The Beatles themselves.
What stuck me? A few things. One, how un-deva they were. They were the most famous people on earth yet they treated crew and staff members with respect and valued their contribution. Two, George's change in attitude after the second meeting. I would have loved to hear what was said in that meeting because obviously some significant healing took place. Three, how very much of a family they were even as they grew apart. They had lived in the most incredible bubble, just the four of them, for years, having to rely on each other so much to remain somewhere close to sane. Eric Clapton said (paraphrasing) it was like they were one person, a self-contained unit). Four, how young they were. They were still, in ways, children, horsing around as kids. But when the time came to "put it down" boy could they bring game. I was 15 when they appeared on Ed Sullivan and for a lot of my generation there was life before the Beatles and life after.
They were young, yes, but something old about them too. Made me think of George's comment about them being force-grown like rhubarb.
"for a lot of my generation there was life before the Beatles and life after." Absolutely true!
Jeff, good observations. Your last sentence was Poignant and I would add some verbage. I was 12 going on 13 (Oct of 1964) when The Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan. I first heard of The Beatles while standing at Bus Stop going home from Catholic Elementary School in Queens, NY and another student shows a the Cover of Life Magazine (in the fall of 1963) with a picture of The Beatles. I can't say if we had heard any of the music yet. So, to add to your last line... :and life after", BUT The Beatles Changed Our LIves of our Generation like Nothing Before it or Nothing After It.
Jeff, (nice name by the way), excellent observations. Whether the Beatles knew it or not, they had a profound impact on the world, and for us Boomers, we experienced coming-of-age with those 4 dudes and I could not imagine my life without them or their music. Always shrouded in mystery, we never got to fully see them as people, all we had was the occasional TV performance or the latest articles written about them. Articles that now seem so naive - most writers of the day really had no idea who they were.
The documentary showed us they were four hugely different and compelling figures. We also got to see them as they truly were and just like that we're back in 1969, in the studio, watching and marveling how this band is still the most amazing and profound group that ever existed - even 50+ years later.
@@jlionz Yes - we should all be grateful for the vision of Peter Jackson in realising there was another much fuller story to be told with all this film footage that has been languishing in the vaults like the bones of some revered but long since extinct animal. By using such crystal clear footage, the time distance drops away and we're there in the room with them. It's like Jackson has actually successfully cloned a mammoth so we can all see how it actually moved and spoke. Something of the mystery of NOT knowing is lost - but so much is gained - to true Beatles fans like me it's a highly personalising experience to be able to spend so much (quality) time with a band that split when I was six. Jackson should be a shoe-in for any People's Choice award for this revealing and well-executed documentary.
Lovely thoughts. I found it so humanizing and, like you, profoundly endearing to see my beloved foursome in the midst of angst and joy at the same time. It made me fall in love with them all over again. And, along with your posts, inspired me to want to write again. I’m 63 and in a band. Until recently, I thought I had nothing to say anymore. Thanks for your encouraging words. Means a lot to those of us on the back nine, as it were.
So many things for me… most striking is that for the whole thing they hardly ever got through anything, but when they up on the roof they were JUST. INCREDIBLY. GOOD!!! Also, it was so weird wanting to feed them the lyrics they were searching so hard to find. And just surreal to see Get Back go from “not existing” to “existing”. Spooky, goosebumps weird moment, that one!
Yes, both John and Paul said that they are at their best when their backs are against the wall and they proved that on the roof. Brilliant performance.
yeah, watching "Get Back", a song I know and love and have since I was a kid, go from not existing yet, to first embryonic strumming/humming, through fleshing it out, to being the song we know being played on the roof was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I realize all songs go from not existing to the songs we know but watching it happen like that blew my mind.
I’ve read a lot about the Beatles, but learned more about them from this documentary than any book!
Many false narratives proven wrong. Finally
Yes, life is larger than ...well, life! Lol This documentary certainly brought everything to life. Great achievement, PJ.
Dear Mary,
Your 14+ minutes of stream-of-consciousness thoughts and opinions about “Get Back” was wonderful. I’m writing you from the coast of California, just outside the city of Los Angeles, and I am old enough (born in 1955!) to remember the world before there was such a thing as The Beatles. They truly did change everything. Up to now, I have only seen short bits of the documentary, but I do play many instruments, starting with the guitar at the age of nine. I spent much of my life playing in many bands, and more importantly, many kinds of bands - bands that played music from the 1940’s through bands that played music from the ‘60s to the ‘80s (when I wasn’t being a Radio Personality or a TV Director). But even playing the hits on the air, I was learning from the people who made the records (and digital music) I played through transmitters for vast numbers of listeners. It was very interesting to me listening to YOUR take on The Beatles, having actually studied them in school. Those of us who became musicians while there was an actual living band by that name must have looked at them differently than you do. But there is one thing that is the same: you love The Beatles, as people of my generation love The Beatles. It was a bit of a revelation for me to just watch your face as you ad-libbed your way through your video, just knowing you could have gone on much longer had you wanted to. Seeing the love for these same four guys that people of my generation had as we watched these guys take over the world gives me hope for the future of this planet. What do I mean by that? Simply that if we can all agree on THIS one thing, maybe there are a lot of other things we can all agree about. Thank you, Mary, for your willingness to share your feelings about The Beatles, almost losing your composure on several occasions, but moving ahead anyway. It was very obvious to me that you are sincere in your beliefs, and I was proud to listen to someone your age tell me so honestly about your feelings for this band which produced an amazing amount of great music in so few years, starting when I was still a kid.
I smiled and cried all the way through it. Looks like it was filmed yesterday and so beautifully produced. The discipline and endless tea were definite stand outs as well as the humour and how natural the band mates are. McCartney is just amazing throughout, trying to drag the project along by sheer will alone. His musicality is breathtaking and it made me appreciate what good musicians they all were / are. Ringo is just a joy throughout and the very obvious love between John and Paul comes through in some really special moments. The music all the way through is just spellbinding, feels like a privilege to watch the creative process of such profound genius. Best thing I’ve seen in a long time, glad that everyone here loved it too.
The bond between John and Paul was truly special. I always had the impression John was the dominant one, but John idolized Paul.... it may have been the opposite in the early days of the band but Paul became the leader...
But John made Paul better...
Magical stuff
Not to mention endless toast.
Agree very much... Macca -both his character and musicality were/are amazing!
Honest friends together, making some beautiful sounds...
Lo all their characters so much, even more after this.
'Let it Be' was my joint-favorite album, along with the gorgeous 'Don't Let me Down' too, so this bluesy, warm music was already thoroughly loved by me!
@@xyzcomp08 I noticed that too. There were always plates and plates worth of toast sitting there just in case somebody got hungry.
Spot on. Smiling and chopping onions here too. Its a beautifully upscaled picture and the new footage dispells so many myths about the band.
John was not the sarcastic comic he often appeared to be. He was open and likeable and the long glances between him and Paul clearly shows real friendship and love.
The George thing was handled well and the candidly taped conversation was amazing to hear, Paul and John recognising George's talent and their own impact on his growth. "Is this song called 'I've Got a Feeling'?" 😁 Best line! Especially as George is totally about the music for the most part here.
McCartney is just incredible. He comes out of this very well, as a driving creative force, and displaying humility and understanding of the changes in the band dynamic. The space and respect that Paul gave John and Yoko, dispite the weight on his own shoulders as a result was incredible. How old was he? 26?
Ringo was a joy to have in the room - the glue that bonded the songs and the band together. Seeing Ringo watching in awe as Paul was working out a song was beautiful.
As you say it was a privilege to watch.
“…trying to end this video…” I actually didn’t want you to end that video. I watched the documentary a couple weeks ago and it made a huge impression on me. Hearing you share your impressions of it and recalling the falling guitars and the music stand brought me closer to the feeling I had watching the thing. I know watching it a second time will not be the same so thank you for allowing me to use your recollection to revisit how I felt about it. They were an outstanding act and it’s nice to see that more than 50+ years after their breakup, they are still making headlines.
"If I'd seen this documentary at 15, it would have changed my life", exactly this, bravo! I had a band back in the 80s, we were creative 'n all, but what was missing is this 'I'll come and strum and mumble and maybe something will appear, some spark that the other guys would pick up and build up right there in the rehearsing room'. This documentary could have thought us to "dare to suck", to be a creative team there in the rehearsals, instead of each of us sitting frustrated in his room at night trying to make a complete song to bring to the guys as a finished product. The moment in the first movie when out of Paul's strumming and humming nonsese (daring to suck big time) the first notes of Get Back start to pop up... those few minutes alone would for sure changed the lives of me and my band mates.
It was fascinating - and to think that very shortly after this doc, they went in and did Abbey Road is insane !!
Agreed, and only weeks before this doc they had released The White Album.
Too bad they didn't go out with Beatles '71. Open with Ringo's It Don't Come Easy. Then take the best songs off of Ram, Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and All Things Must Pass. Not quite a double album. But they would have come up with other songs to make it a double album. Would have been incredible!
And a few months earlier, released the 30 song double Lp The Beatles
Do some research on how Abbey Road was actually recorded....If you paid attention and didn't let the mythology narrative of the Beatles hypnotize you, you will understand that Let It Be/Get Back is the precursor to the end of them as an actual working together, collaborating group.
@@johnk.4018 What's your point? The finished Get Back, took three weeks off, and then started recording Abbey Road. And they worked together as a group on Abbey Road. You know, like they are all singing on Carry That Weight. Paul's exquisite harmonies on Something, Here Comes the Sun and Because. They all had guitar solos on The End. On and on.
There's a good reason why Ringo Starr is regarded as possibly the best drummer in pop/rock history. He wasn't flashy, fast or technically perfect. But he was a metronome & created a DIFFERENT pattern/groove/feel to virtually every Beatles song!! No one else in a long running band can claim this.
Ringo was precise and sometimes sounds like a drum machine that cannot fail. But he also was flexible, imaginative, very musically, and with Paul they create a precision with space to breath.
@@pablov1973 ...he was so good, I get nauseous listening to him....being a drummer...
Phil Rudd from ACDC is the only one i see as close to Ringo in terms of rhythm and groove, but Ringo really played more patterns and never overdid it
@@jerrymammoser9857 Thanks to drummers like you, the old narrative from years ago that Ringo was just in the right place at the right time in 1962, has been buried forever.
@@rubygreta1 ...you misunderstood. I was not being facetious.
Someone once said The Clash was the “only band that mattered”, but as you said Mary, The Beatles was the only band that mattered first, and after more than 50 years continue to be.
Punk was my thing - but I couldn't get into Clash. Whisper it quietly, but I found them a bit fake - they had been a standard rock band and changed when the new thing started to happen
@@cuebj I honestly never 'got' the Clash thing either... I thought their first two albums were decent, and that they transitioned well into post-punk, but both London Calling, and Sandinista each seemed like filler built around an EP's worth of solid material, Combat Rock was pretty much a pop album, and Cut the Crap was horrific. I'd take The Ruts "The Crack" album over anything the Clash released even if I was able to make a favorites mix.
No one that mattered ever said the clash was the only band that mattered. Stop.
Enjoy my very candid video about “Get Back” - if you want me to concentrate on any of the topics I touch upon here - let me know x
Dearest Mary , you are in a wonderfully unique position as a musician ( artist) to write music about how this film impacted you.
It's curious how images synchronized with music ,edited in a thought out order can evoke long past emotions and parallels to life itself
Thank you for sharing the video.
"More than Music"
☮️kevin
Mary love your videos, love watching and listening to you.Mary Marry me😊❤️cheers from Holland
I would have to say that being a musician and rock band "person" for many years beginning in the late 70's the things that come across with the Beatles in this film are things that many may overlook today. The first is discipline, personal and band. Even though you are a huge star on your own at this point, you show up ready to play and collaborate honestly. You have worked on material that you honestly feel is good to present and your bandmates listen, and contribute with politeness and integrity.
Second, it is about the songs, not the individual personalities, ego's, career, or any hidden agendas.
Third is respect. You respect each other, respect the standard of excellence that your band represents musically and in performance.
These seem self evident in this film but I can tell you they escape, or never show up in the character or mind of so many musicians and artists in general. People showing up wasted, showing up late, unprepared, arrogance, dismissiveness, not listening to what others have to contribute, distracted by nonsense like upcoming socializing, whose got the money, drugs, romantic relationships etc...
Seeing John Lennon show up early with George and plugging in, immediately his guitar playing sounds so melodic and focused rather than just riffing and effects. Then he starts singing and playing an early version of what later becomes "Jealous Guy" . From a musician and songwriters point of view you would know right away that this guy is extraordinary and super talented. Then later its Paul's new song "I've Got a Feeling" , then George's "All Things Must Pass" . Get outta here! This can't be real. These guys have three songs of original melody, depth and beautiful songwriting that most bands would spend months on, with songwriting teams, producers etc... in the first 15 minutes of the film.
And all done with Fender Reverb and Bassman amps, plain guitars, and a four piece drum kit.
God bless the Beatles.
I have been watching more and I have to say there was a very dynamic and fluctuating situation. I regret saying above there is an outstanding discipline evident here. After about an hour you start seeing a mopey George, a bossy Paul, a late and ambivalent John and what seems like a frustrated Ringo. Actually Ringo is the only one here who is disciplined. He shows up on time even when he doesn't feel well and plays well for everyone. Paul's response to "I,Me, MIne" is awful. That is a great song. John's response is also not good. It seems like the better George got the more the other two would find something wrong. All in all, these guys create such great material, they are young and talented but they don't seem to realize this. Instead they all seem to be living in their own little egocentric worlds and can't find room for each other anymore. Sad.
And they should have been more attentive to their fans and representing.
I think they should have kept going with John shredding and increasing the volume, Paul belting it out and Ringo playing bigger. And put Yoko and Linda in the band as a wailer and back up vocalist. Get a great blues guitarist from the US to come in for lead. They would have been ahead of their time. In 1970 Iggy and the Stooges put out their first album. If George wants to walk out and be mean on film let him go.
@@johncoppola8105 yes, I think one can see that George had already made a decision to leave right from the start and was acting like it.
stripping away the fat
TLDR. Beatles fanz are the taliban of music.
I still find it amazing how much great music they created in such a short amount of time. Within one 365-day period, they released Help, Rubber Soul, and Revolver? And like 3 weeks after the rooftop concert, they were back in a studio for Abbey Road? Incredible. I loved getting a peek at their work ethic in this doc.
What I think is amazing, if this is a band "breaking up" how many bands ever achieve this level of teamwork EVER! They truly were greater than the sum of their parts, but each part was as good as any one musician has ever been. What??!?? Mary, talk to Norman at Norman's Rare Guitars about the guitar that fell over, he has an amazing story about that specific instrument. You should have him on Guitar Stories!
Here goes. Your emotional reaction is splendid. And as an American Yank, our fascination with all things British, and listening to your beautiful gorgeous stream of conscious rant - it, you are priceless. I just finished watching it for the second time. And it’s way way way better the second time. This documentary is epic. Historical. Biblical. It will be studied for years, analyzed for generations. Grazie for your comments.
I think Get Back is a masterclass for musicianship that had been deprived from everyone for decades. I would be very surprised if the documentary in itself doesn't affect numerous upcoming musicians in the decades and centuries to come. One striking thing I also wondered was how intensely they must have been focusing on music 24/7 when they had no smartphones as distraction. There was something truly beautiful even in the very act of Yoko just sitting there, being enamoured by John and the music, without a screen in between them. ... Anyway, what a time trip it was, truly astounding. If it doesn't win numerous awards for the best documentary of the year, of the decade, I don't know what's what. Peter Jackson and the others have truly done a service for history.
Thanks for pointing out the lack of smartphones. It had to made a huge difference. Imagine Paul starting to get into his Get Back riff and he gets a text message from Linda. "Hold on, it's Linda, gotta take it." After a minute or two on the phone, does he get his groove back?
@@rubygreta1 Haha - good point. Then again, no serious musician having booked studio time would have their smartphone in there with - would they?! There were times, knowing what genius these guys were capable of, that I felt they were being very undisciplined and Macca was trying to get something tangible out of a lack-lustre sense of direction and commitment from the others. It was evident late in the movie that there was a conversation about the actual nature of the project that they should have resolved much much earlier on.
I thought some of the other peripheral players were often seeing the Beatles as a bit indulgent - given movie makers and engineers are used to getting things done to a clock and know there's a lot of money that can be wasted if you don't plan thoroughly. What is on display in LiB is what happens when a creative outfit are indulged by their own record company and no-one's really watching the budget and purposeful output. Hence Sir George's response when asked if he'd produce another album with them: 'If you'll let me.' Wise man, GM.
For much of Get Back, he seemed to me to be manfully struggling to contain his professional horror at the lack of purposeful progress towards a predetermined goal. There were very few truly open smiles from him, though it's true he was seeing his traditional producer's role usurped by Glyn Johns, then Phil Spector.
Personally as a Beatles geek (aged 63), I loved every minute of the documentary. I’d watch all 60 hours If I could. Agree on bands…..it can be great and it can be awful…….
so true- also 63
Keith and also @michael Gorman. I too am 63. I was taken to see the Beatles on 5th December 1965 by my Dad's brother. It was their last ever gig in their home town of Liverpool. I was only 7 years of age at the time but I can still remember it to this day. I have no idea why he had a spare ticket but I feel so fortunate. I suspect that he was stood up on a date 😃
@@ObjectiveDynamics you are very lucky!
I'll be 40 in January, and I love the Beatles, I've been a fan since I was a little baby, thats what my mom says,lol! But yeah, ive been a fan for as far back as I can remember!
@@wesleyalan9179 Testament to the magic that is The Beatles!
You said it all in one sentence…. The Beatles truly mattered. For everyone who seen them play, who knew them, were inspired by them…. They mattered. And may they continue to inspire.
I’m so pleased that people who weren’t born before The Beatles have had a chance to see the magic that us lucky ones experienced back in the 60s. They were truly magical, and I think the documentary shows the magic to the full.
Still watching it. Not finished yet. It's seriously wonderful as a piece of history and as a filmmaking project. I'm blown away by being a fly on the wall witnessing the creative process unfold. There is so much to learn from that. I keep wanting to walk into that studio and tell them "Don't break up!"
As well as that it's like a time machine - a stunning reminder of what the world was like back then. I was young but I was there and I swear to God it was a different place. Tangibly different. A lot has been lost. Innocence? Hope? I wish I could impress upon young people today what the world was like, not to go back, but just to know what is possible.
Also a lot of sadness looking at John Lennon and knowing that he didn't realise in 12 years he would be no more.
'You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead'
Paul McCartney is a Genius , and to watch up close how that process unfolds is really a mystical experience . Inspiring ! Lennon also a Genius ! Notice how they free associated by jamming and changing the words , and rhythms, tempos of already written songs . They did that so didn’t become fixed or stuck in the left hemisphere . They created by walking the thin line between analytics and holistic: Zen Mind!
I thought the exact same thing as I was watching it. Next level Genius!
Although, Paul definitely needed John to push himself. This was McCartney’s peak that he never quite got to in his solo career.
@@jejmoss11 The rest of the band needed Paul to push themselves. That is what Ringo said. I think he said without Paul''s pushing they would have only made several albums. Sgt. Pepper (perhaps the single most consequential album ever in regards to what could be done in the studio) and Abbey Road would have never been done without Paul pushing the others working relentlessly to make each album great. Don't get me wrong: I love the Beatles. Period. One Band with three writers capable of Let It Be, I Me Mine, Across the Universe. The greatest band ever. Love and Gratitude forever for John, Paul, George, and Ringo!
@@dave15333 I don't think that's quite true. Paul handled The Beatles' rights and everything, but he also took everything. George didn't want it, Ringo couldn't do it, and John was dead.
John was and still is THE reason for The Beatles. Yet, Paul has captured so much more audience in the last 25/30 years. I remember back on the early 90's, people used to consider Paul a footnote to John's importance. Of course that was wrong, but what I mean is that Paul and Ringo are the only two left and whilist Ringo speaks of how he misses John and George, Paul just recently gave an interview about how John was always upset and didn't care for him. Which is also utter nonsense.
To me it sounds like Paul never got over the end of the band or even how he saw a girl, Yoko, taking his friend away and they never recovered. George was always love letters to John and Ringo too, but Paul was his best friend and yet he's the one doing all the downplaying John's importance in the band.
And btw George used to be very upset with John and so did Ringo. So.. i don't think they needed Paul to be what they were. But Paul's still act like he does because of all of what happened, giving meaning to that Paul really needed John to be at his best. Which is why maybe he's still punching John after all these years.
@@jejmoss11 Paul reached this peak in his solo career many times. RAM is as good as anything he ever did in the Beatles. So is Band on the Run, McCartney II (experimental wise), and Chaos and Creation. He also has many other albums that almost reach Beatles heights
I was in awe of Paul's ability to sit in the middle of this chaos and create melodies and harmonies out of thin air. Then they would just start throwing lyric ideas at the wall. Just amazing to watch!
Mary I loved your reaction to this.
This documentary covered only one month of the Beatles. We fans enjoyed years of following their progression. They made us feel like part of the band. Please watch Beatles Anthology to see all the
phases. They were always unique, Paul sang acoustic solo Yesterday on Ed Sullivan. Not your typical rock band ever.
Having grown up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, The Beatles were a massive part of my musical life. I loved watching the interaction between each of them and the roles each played. Paul was so focused on getting the songs written and recorded that he steamrolled over George at first. I could also see how Paul just wanted to work with John and how they were all missing the days of playing in live clubs. Ringo was the dependable one, as you’d expect, and I just felt for George and his struggles. He obviously had a catalog of songs and he wasn’t getting the space on the albums to publish them. The fact that all this was going on before any of them were 30 years of age is the kicker. It’s so amazing to get this candid look at geniuses working their craft.
I almost think it gets lost a little bit how good their performance was on that rooftop. Cold and awkward setup and they hadn't played a live gig in years. For a long time, I didn't actually realize that Get Back and Dig a Pony on the album were actually cuts from that rooftop performance. You actually seen in the documentary that they did a few takes of each and they nailed it each time. Billy Preston stepping into the middle of all that and just raising the level of everyone was something to see.
The performances where a subtitle would state "This performance made the final version that appears on the album" brought goosebumps. Especially the Let it Be track. Listening to that track all these years and then actually seeing Paul doing it at the piano, that exact cut, is astonishing. Like having film of Van Gogh painting The Sunflowers.
That moment you cite, when John tells Paul, "I'm at my best when my back is against the wall", immediately follows John's awfully condescending dismissal of George presenting "I Me Mine" (George remarks that he'll save the song "for me musical" if nobody likes it and John actually pats him on the top of the head -- in another band it might have come to blows right there), and it seems that this is what then prompts Paul to call out John (paraphrasing), "Do you have the goods, Lennon? We're going to be facing a crisis..." This was the pivotal moment of Part 1, I thought, that spoke volumes about the band's dynamics.
Ironically, I Me Mine was in my head for days afterwards.
There is indeed much to say about that super short interchange: We see John being patronizing (so George wasn't just being paranoid) + John was 100% right about writing well under pressure. Exhibit A: He wrote A Hard Day's Night AFTER the movie'd been filmed and was under pressure to come up with something. He took Ringo's line and the rest is history.
I loved the documentary! That group is my inspiration, especially Paul McCartney. Thanks to them I started playing guitar and making videos on my RUclips channel :) Beautiful video as always and greetings from Italy!
I loved watching the emergence and development of 'Get Back' in real time.
But let's step back and remember they had 3 weeks to come up with new songs for a live show. Has any other musical artist produced so much high quality work in such a short time?
NO! And I think 3 weeks later they started working on Abbey Road. And I think about 6 Months earlier the Hey Jude video. And to think that McCartney wrote Get Back, Let it Be, and The Long and Winding Road at the same time. Mind-Boggling!
Dylan and The Band's Basement Tape recordings in the summer of '67 comparable probably.
There were so many different emotions watching the series. The obvious one is where George had already walked out, and the following morning John was a no show. The "And then there were two" from Paul McCartney clearly showed in his face that he was unsure if the band had finished at that moment. The music creativity among them was outstanding. The frustrating part (which Peter Jackson has mentioned in one of his interviews) is where George is trying think up the line in his song "Something" "Like no other pomegranate" . You were shouting at the screen in encouragement "Like no other lover" !! 🤣
The stalling tactics that the Apple employees used to delay the two bobbies from going up to the rooftop was so hilarious. Even the naive copper said "Can't you dub the music on later" .
I absolutely relate to the Something lyric bit. I was doing it too. 😄 It's impossible to know if it would be so obvious had we not known the song, but it really seems like it would be, right?
@@FakingANerve Ha. Yes, one is reminded of Amadues where Mozart speculating about which particular notes ought to be taken out when the Salieri character criticises Mozart's music! It all seems so easy till you find yourself having to do it...yourself.
Bit like watching someone else turning perfect cartwheels. "Here, you have a go - I'll hold ya coat." [cue looming disaster music!]
But yes, I think we were all willing George 'over the finishing line' to create one of the most beautiful love songs of all time. Lennon's mind worked in strange ways though - I mean, 'pomegranate....!? Lol
I really enjoy these introspective soliloquies from you, Mary. I've not seen the whole documentary (My U.S. cable service is the lowest tier, so I don't see Disney), but what I have seen is revelatory. So much more hard work and inspiration than the average person would be aware of. Paul McCartney is a genius, as were the others in their own way. What impressed me most was that they accomplished as much as they did when they were so young!
john lennon = GENIUS in just about every way
The Beatles, my first love as a young boy. It was the songs and their singing. It was something in Johns voice that resonated within me. To me they will always be very special. It is a mystery how they managed to paint the songs in just the right colours and avoided overdoing the arrangements. Pure geniuses, and that includes Ringo btw.
Beautifully put, Keke. The power and authority of John's rock'n'roll singing coupled with his vulnerability in later years as he branched out is a force of nature. It deeply affected me too. Paul's voice is a technical miracle - versatile almost beyond belief - but John's voice could move entire populations. As original and uncopiable as Kate Bush. Then there was his songwriting voice which broke new boundaries and is, again, almost impossible to fully categorise. Few voices moved me like this either before or since: special mentions go to Neil Young & Neil Tennant.
Modern rock really did start with the Beatles, no matter how many folks want to argue otherwise. Well done w/this video, Mary.
I was amazed by the documentary - I expected to be, being a huge Beatles fan, but even so... Great reaction video - McCartney writing Get Back in front of us was a high point for me, as was the rooftop concert. It was very cold and windy that day. Blows my mind that those songs were performed under those conditions. The guitar that fell off the drum platform was "Lucy", a 1957/1958 Goldtop Les Paul, original purchaser unknown, obtained second hand by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful, traded to Rick Derringer who sold it after having it refinished in red at the Gibson factory, purchased by Eric Clapton and gifted to George, who lent it back to him to record the solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps and used by George on Revolution and in the guitar duel in the End and throughout the White Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road sessions. It was stolen from George in LA in 1973 but recovered and he kept it until he died in 2001. Still part of his collection, now owned by Dhani Harrison. A very storied instrument and we watched it casually slide to the floor!
Thanks for the history/recap! "...and we watched it slide casually to the floor" gave me a good chuckle. 😂🍻
Enthralling from start to finish . Having been in a band myself, you can totally understand the character dynamics between them all. And for all the drama , by the time they got to the rooftop, they were all ON. I'm going to watch again soon. So enjoyable. Thanks for this review. Respects from New Zealand 🇳🇿 🙏
I’m only a third of a way into the documentary, but with Abbey Road being my number-one favorite album, it’s slightly mind bending for me to see some of those songs being born -not to mention the realization of just how young these lads were at the time. 🤯
This is the most emotional and personal review I have ever watched on youtube ( and I have watched about probably 10 ). Some of the reviews are very technical and some complained that it is too long. Just by watching, you could tell which reviewers are the fans and which are not. I don't need to hear those comments from a non- fan. So this is one of the most favorite reviews I have ever seen. Your video would be attracting so many new fans to watch Get back like no other cauliflower.
Cuteness overload when you're this happy Mary, wonderfully infectious reaction to one of the best documentaries of the last decade.
great job, mary. i'm the only one i know who has seen the doc and want to talk to someone about it badly. thanks for posting. ringo rarely spoke and he is caught sleeping a lot. maybe he was bored. but he was spot on once he started playing. all of them are so well versed in the music. people ask can music or a film or a painting change the world. indeed it can. cheers!
As a drummer I’ve always felt Ringo is criminally underrated. I love Rush, for example, but Neil Peart’s drumming would sound ridiculous in Bealtles music. This documentary showed how Ringo truly was the musical glue that held the bad together and it was fascinating watching him develop the drum parts alongside his bandmates as they wrote the songs. Nobody’s better than Ringo at coming up with the right parts for the music. Anyway, Ringo aside it was just a real treat to see the Beatles’ personal dynamics, songs as they unfolded, and so many “facts” disproven.
congrats for being RUclips’s 10 trillionth commenter that someone is. "underrated"
I am also a 39+ year drummer, and I 100% agree with you.
Ringo was the perfect match for what he needed to be for them at that time.
He definitely gets beat down by the music community as a shitty drummer but I can't disagree more.
And he still ricks today, I hope I'm as lucky to be playing drums at age 60,70,80 + years old.
He's not at all underrated. He's one of the most highly praised drummers in rock - I could write a list as long as my arm of prominent musicians who've waxed lyrical about how amazing he is and not even cover half of it. Just because people make cracks about him doesn't mean he's underrated.
@@w1lf1ewoo Damn it! I was hoping to slip my comment in before the tracker hit 10 trillion. I guess I need a new life goal.
@@PerfectSense77 Let me rephrase my comment. Seasoned drummers and professional musicians understand how great Ringo is and how perfect he was for the Beatles. I would, rather, say Ringo is underappreciated, especially among the general public and frequently among new/young drummers. I remember having a "discussion" when I was a teenager with another drummer who said Ringo sucked and when he named the drummers he thought were great were all drummers like Keith Moon and Neil Peart. Basically, he thought Ringo was a bad drummer because he generally played simply. Even as much as I loved the Beatles and Ringo I admit at the time I wanted to play like Peart and Stewart Copeland.
If you were to ask the general public who the best drummers are few would mention Ringo, also probably because he isn't flashy. I think a lot of people misunderstand the role of the rhythm section in a band and underappreciate a lot of drummers and bassists. Geddy Lee is amazing but Paul McCartney was, like Ringo, perfect for the Beatles and underappreciated as a musician. Listen to the bassline of "With a Little Help from my Friends," for example. Wonderful.
I'm 2/3 of the way through "Get Back", and I'm not disappointed at all. One often forgets that The Beatles were all human. Extremely talented and dedicated humans, yet still human. I think that's what I appreciate most out of the whole documentary.
Also, this was their job. They showed up (mostly) and worked (mostly) full days.
Your frustration with the teenage band years reminded me of my own path- my friends and I talked about starting a band, yet I was the only one that bought a guitar and bass. I'm also the one that wrote songs. They weren't good, but good enough for 80s teenage socio-political punk rock.
Thank you for this, Mary 🙏
Enjoy your adventures!
Watching The Beatles "Get Back" Documentary is like watching the first ever reality show.
And after all this time, arguably, the best. Another Beatles first?
The thing that stood out to me was Paul McCartney's ability to see the effect that his song writing talent had on the rest of the band. It felt like amazing musical ideas were just falling out of him and you could see in his eyes that while he knew exactly what he wanted from the rest of the band he realised the effect that has on them and preferred to give them room. Like all of us though he often forgot about that in moments of creative enthusiasm and then you could see in his expression the moment he would remember.
I watched all 9 hours of this documentary and at the end of it, above all else, I realized one thing: I was Yoko. For 9 hours I sat silently observing the shenanigans, the tension, the heartache and the undeniable genius of what was happening. I'm not sure yet how I feel about this realization, but it's something I will have to continue to think about. Perhaps while watching it again. Then again.
Where did you get the extra hour? It was only eight.
@@missbeevan So I fat fingered a 9 instead of an 8 - Twice. Thank you Time Police for catching that.
@@brianbrown543 sorry Brian, saw 9 hours mentioned on a few posts, thought I had missed out somewhere.
I'm sure you have lovely slim fingers.
It made me have a whole lot more respect for George and Ringo.
Why?
What a weird post
I guess I’ve placed the Beatles on a pedestal since childhood. Then to see the lovely havoc and ordinariness of their days in studio. They also look so young and wonderfully unfashionable. McCartney’s almost effortless brilliance. Lennon’s versatility and absurd humor. Ringo’s patience and heartbreakingly sad expressions. Gearge’s testiness at not being taken as seriously. I loved it, Mary.
Jackson did indeed to a fantastic job even down to showing the calendar and the days Xed off as the deadlines approached. As Ringo sat and watched Paul play piano and create songs and music it said much of his love for Paul and for creativity. Also, I was struck by the pain that George went through as he explained how he had grown as a guitarist but yet seemed to be rejected. I hurt for him. But it was so well done and had a sense of reality.
I am still on the first part, but this humanized the members for me. By the time I listened to the Beatles, they were legends, not people.
Great comment..
@@TheDirge69 Yes, and these something very cathartic about reuniting the people with the legends. Sad at times, yes but ultimately uplifting. To paraphrase the Floyd: And after all they were just ordinary men. Not quite - they were ordinary men who did absolutely extraordinary things both as a team and as solo artists! As evidence, I only have to tender a) their music, and b) their influence. Who can follow such influence? Probably only Dylan - and possibly Bowie. But not after only ten years work. The team dynamic mattered.
I was 15 when this occurred, so I had seen the Beatles come to fruition and then go away. This was a wonderful recap of those years. This is required viewing for any one who ever was in a band or wants to be in a band, so real and down to earth. Truly life changing to see them as humans!
I will preface by saying i've never really been a "Beatles guy". I'm a musician and a songwriter so I of course respect them. (how could you not?). I watched the whole thing and have had it on in the background multiple times since. First big takeaway. If you are a musician (especially if you have made records in a band setting) or you are a Beatles or just music finatic, you are going to love it. If you are a casual film or music fan...i fell like you would be bored to tears in about 30-40 minutes. That being said, this feels like the truest version of being a fly on the wall of a band making a record that has ever been released. if you have made a record in a band (especially on a deadline)...so much of this is going to trigger your memory of that experience. Granted the rest of us aren't pumping out Get Back, Two Of Us, Let It Be, I've Got A Feeling, Don't Let Me Down etc, but just all the beats of the experience are there. finding the songs, procrastinating and joking around, tensions raising and getting in arguments etc...it's all there. One thing that feels like gets glossed over though in both the documentary and history is just how truly unique it was that they were a full time studio band. Like they literally treated it like a 9-5 going in everyday 5-6 days week as a full time job. There are plenty of bands that have maybe done that in spurts while making A record. but they basically did that from sometime in 66 until late 69. The only thing comparable i can even think of is maybe the motown house band and writers...but even then, more of them in very compartmentalized roles working with dozens of different artists.
Lots of people get sucked into the pipedream of being a working musician or "beatle" but the reality of the business is much crueler. Nothing is free and that includes writing songs and making records. I liked the lyrical ideas they brought to life and the way they expanded musically from the early days to the end of the their run. But I am not a Beatles fan boy or a fan boy at all. I enjoy music, making it, listening to it, and appreciating the craft. The rest of it is bullshit.
I compose and play jazz and disagree. I don’t respect the Beatles. They ruined pop music. They gave us nonstop unchangeable nonsense like Partridge family, Backstreet Boys, Bieber, Brttney spears, Taylor swift, Billie eilish etc.
@@newagain9964 And how were they responsible for all that. If you’re giving them all the blame for what bad came after them, then why not acknowledge the good that came from them ( like inspiring band like The Eagles, etc.).
Is it that you blame them for creating a cult of celebrity…where everything about the band matters…not just the music. I just don’t get your comment.
Me encantó! Watching Paul exploring the chords of Let it be, trying to find the lyrics that the generations after have sung with hearts out, all while Yoko and Linda are just chatting and John doesn’t seem to be into the song really, is illuminating of the hardships of the creative process.
Am I alone in thinking how utterly fascinating it would be to hear ALL of the audio recordings and see ALL of the film footage? What a job that would be! I wonder how many deleted scenes there will be on the inevitable (hopefully) box set?
There’s no mention of a physical release. As for deleted scenes, I don’t know if that will happen - they would have to do a ton more work to create that stuff.
Just finished watching the entire series. I really loved watching the creative process. Seeing songs we know and love develop was amazing. Also seeing the guy having such great fun hitting the anvil with a hammer, actually having a small part in the song was awesome.
Also loved this, especially how it recontextualizes the footage to its original intent and not the former ‘break-up film’ (and also puts Yoko in a neutral light). But I also found in my house that it is a ‘band geek paradise’ but not so much for non-musicians. My wife made it through the first episode but had checked out about half-way through! I was excited throughout. So many cool details.
Neutral light... I guess she would have put her veto otherwise. That scene at the end of episode 1 is so sad. Paul, John and Ringo together and that zoom effect to avoid the presence of Yoko getting closer to John to be in picture. I hated that moment. I hate that girl. But anyway, it was John’s choice.
@@anyversionofme I love Yoko. I have more Yoko Ono albums than John Lennon albums. She is very original and very creative. And she seems like a very nice and friendly person too. Did I tell you that I loved already?
@@jawaka1000 Great. That’s your point of view. I don’t particulary like her screamings. Her artistic work is fine. It’s not the question. I don’t like her personality. That’s all. John was in love with her. It was their choice. It didn’t work with the other three. That’s life.
@@anyversionofme It had nothing to do with the other three, that's why. If you want to hate on anyone for the breakup of the Beatles, try Alan Klein. But really, it was obvious that they were outgrowing each other by this point.
@@StockportJambo I don’t blame her for the breakup. It was meant to be. No problem with that. Georges was ready to fly. Ringo was already bored in 68. And Paul, seriously, Maxwell Silver Hammer in 1969. It’s ok. They had to break up. I found her annoying. That’s all.
I was 12 when the Beatles hit the USA. So, like you, watching this was nostalgic, eye opening, motivating and frankly the best 9 hours of TV. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to see how you relate to it along with the comments below. It wasn't lost on me that the 9 hours of viewing time represented 100's of hours of real time that they spent 6, 7, 8 or more hours a day taking taking 4 or 8 bars of an idea or one line of lyrics and relentlessly and sometimes painfully slowly turned them into songs that are now so iconic. I did not see any shortcuts or willingness to accept unbaked music as "good enough." After each take someone would ask if that was good enough and sure enough one of them would chime in " I think we got a betta one in us..." THANKS MARY!!!
The proverbial fly on the wall film. It's a master class in being in a band and pulling it together with every ounce of your talents. Also I now know they call Ringo "Ring".
Boy, can I relate to the band experience. The process of success (not neccessarily fame) was always on my mind. That we could be so much more. Im afraid I was a bit of a Paul in this way.
Going in watching this my main focus was to see finally the process of A-Z. The embryonic stage to the finished song. While I did get a better grasp, I was still left with "Wait, how did you do that? Did you just come up with that part and it fit perfectly?" Particularly with some of John's moments of small yet powerful contributions. Yet, I was still left with a feeling of "Ok, that was some kind of voodoo magic you guys just did. How did you get from there to here again?" 🤷🏻♂️
Marvelous film footage and for what Peter Jackson had to work with a great great effort and results.
I remember originally seeing the rooftop concert in the original Let it be movie. Of course I loved every minute of it. What amazed me about Get Back was watching how the songs evolved melodically and lyrically. And also how at times it looked like they were goofing around and never got enough serious rehearsing in time to do a live show. We saw Lennon clowning around a lot (hilarious) and showing up late for rehearsals. We saw George temporarily leave the group. Then came the rooftop scene and it was like a total metamorphosis. They were once again a tight band performing perfectly as a cohesive unit. It made me see the rooftop concert in a different light. It showed how great and professional they were when it counted. Peter Jackson did a great job.
Now let’s see the Rooftop Concert without the interruptions. Just show them playing the music.
In addition to the documentary, a book was published in which everything that happened day after day is texted with pictures and also the recorded conversations among them. For me it was important that everything has been translated into German so that it is much more understandable than if it was only shown in a film. I am deeply impressed how the Beatles remained ordinary people in spite of everything and were still able to produce this enormous creative output.
The Beatles wrote the rule book on being a band. The 50s were really focused on solo artists, and The Beach Boys were a vocal group masquerading as a rock band with one leader. Collaboration would come much later. The Beatles were a real band. Not four equal parts. John and Paul absolutely dominated. But four *essential* parts.
It was so new, they were actually accused of trying to be 4 camp Elvis's.
Not a bad take. Bands in the 50's operated mainly as backing bands for the singer. It was usually the Singers name and then the rest of the band name. The Beatles were really the first band where each member developed their own notable following, and were analyzed individually. Which had never happened before. So you are correct. It did change the way people looked at bands going forward. From that point on, people mainly look at the band as a whole.
@@billybob5337 Yes - all the early talk was for Johnny and the Moondogs. Lennon was the clear leader: it was never Paul Ramon and the Moondogs. You are right: the team became the fashion marketing platform which was why they dressed alike (boots and hair also) and used visually compatible instruments. They were a sort of super group of personalities and the social media of the day (fan mags & radio interviews) worked the angles on each member's slight distinctiveness as parts of the whole.
@@ianbartle456 Well in fairness, they didnt start the "everyone dresses the same" thing. You can go back to Bill Haley and the The Comets for that. The Beatles just followed in that trend. HOWEVER, the Beatles were one of the first groups to break that trend, and have each members start wearing different looks. They started that in the Pepper era. Each started wearing different hairstyles, Lennon started wearing glasses, they started wearing different clothes, etc. That WAS different compared to what usually came before.
A friend of mine in Spain sent me this link. We watched the documentary together at my home in California during his recent trip here. For anyone who is a musician/songwriter and who loved the Beatles music, watching the “Get Back” doc. Is essential. It “explains” them to us and if we take it personally, it explains us to us. While watching and listening to them play I realized how much I miss rock and roll music, (not “rock” music), as interpreted by the Beatles.
I never realized how much Paul was the driving force behind how much work they produced. Ringo once stated that he, John, and George all wanted to relax a little and slow down. And they’d be sitting in the garden having a tea and Paul would be calling them back in to the studio saying “We’ve got work to do boys.” And they would all moan and roll their eyes and trudge back in to the studio. Paul was a workaholic. He was constantly wanting to do more, and I think the other three just got a little overwhelmed, and they would have to push back a little to get any kind of a break. I mean they recorded 3 full albums in less than 18 months at one point! Who does that?
Brilliant comment.
No one does that, and that's why there is the Beatles and then everyone else. The quality of output in that short a time is unmatched. That is why we are still talking about them decades later like no other band. They are still as relevant as ever and that's saying something considering how many good bands there have been.
I think he's done around 50 solo/collab albums after Beatles too. The man is relentless!
@@robcasaccia4723 Dylan did it.
Paul was also a perfectionist. That added to frustration with the other 3 too. But without him, they'd have given up after Pepper.
What's so humbling about you is how blown away you were watching this doco given your own training and talents... yet, for me, what blows me away the most, is how absolutely stunning you are in this clip 🤎
The thing about the Beatles that is quite rare and astounding is that they were just 4 working class kids from Liverpool that spent years pretty much playing covers in dive bars for beer money and in after about 5 years of that became pretty much the most famous people on earth. During those early years they lived together in small rooms and were like family. You just don't see that with many other bands. Not just that level of success but the kinship they had. I know it had to be hard for any of them to leave that situation but there came a time when most if not all of them felt married to the Beatles and just wanted to be married to their wives.
Then you have the fact they were all such great writers who could also sing and play it stands to reason they would end up going solo. That said, if not for Klein the break up would have went much smoother and who knows.. maybe they would have worked together as a band again. But if they did it for the wrong reasons such as only for money or for the fans and any of them felt trapped or forced the music might have suffered.
Leaving us with Let It Be and Abbey Road was a way to go out in style.. at their best and leaving us wanting more.
They didn't grow up working class. That's a rumor that needs to die. They were middle class for the most part.
@@erestube no Paul, George and Ringo grew up working class. Their Families lived in state house , but their families were loving families. Mimi was more middle class. I remember George said only 3 rooms for 6 people and he and Paul said the house was cold in winter.Paul and George were lucky to have been accepted in the Liverpool institute because they were good at school when they were young , it changed their life, a better school than the school in their area.
Mostly I was surprised at how much they screwed around. I loved the documentary, though. Deep access to the music making process of the most important rock band of all time. I've seen the whole thing twice at this point. Paul was always my favorite and for good reason, but I do think that George doesn't get enough credit. He wrote some killer songs.
Only watched some of it but I always wanted to be in a band never really did for any length of time but watching the style of the documentary is a complete one off. Don’t think there is anything to compare to it. Loads of tutorials on RUclips but this is the mother of tutorials. Wanna form a band ? watch the the Beatles doc ! Discipline of it all! Good comments Mary spender !!!
I agree with all you said, and more. They were so civil and open to each other. I loved it. Peter Jackson did an awesome job.
One of the most poignant and prophetic moments was when Paul gets a bit teary eyed, and says “and then there were two.”
I felt that too !
That was hard to watch. Paul was welling up. He loved his mates to a degree most will never know …
So often commentators try to interpret what they think those on the screen are feeling. Usually, they don't have a clue, this time however there is no doubt. McCartney is visibly shaken, it was hard to watch. And then as if on cue, JL calls and Paul jumps. Simply amazing.
Absolutely, that hit me too.. . Ringo was welling up as well...
There was another moment in episode 3 - stop reading if you haven't got that far yet! - when everyone seemed really happy, and Glyn was saying as much, yet Paul seemed disillusioned about how the thing was going to end - presumably as he felt that the band would end with a damp squib??? - and then when Glyn & Michael suggested going on the roof, his mood changed just like *that*, his eyes lit up, and he finally saw the ending that he was looking for...
Oh my gods! I didn’t think about that!
A truly authentic review of the best charismatic musical phenomenon of all time your passion shows for the true greats is inspiring
It was really well done/put together. All these years later, I was amazed at how they talked about all of the things I've only read about before. They told their story on film for us.. well the story of where they were at at that time and making that record. What they didn't talk about was clearly visible otherwise.. so cool. The one "frustration" as you say it (for me) was that there were no guitar stands! LOL I mean didn't they have guitar stands in 1969?
The other nice thing to see was how many cover songs they knew! Probably a result of all the years playing/working as younger guys. Such a good band in so many ways and even though they were heading in different directions ultimately, when they were together you could still see how they enjoyed making music together. you can't fake that.. it was pure.
The Joy in your eyes is a beauty beyond description. You ARE a Beatle!
I saw the lads in 1966 at Shay stadium . I bought every Beatles album they released but also any record any of them made after the band broke up. I am left handed so Paul being a lefty made my self esteem increase and then Jimi Hendrix was lefty. They all had to play the guitar upside down but strings in proper order. I played Gibson SG’s upside down it’s just what lefty players put up with back then. . Them coming up with Get Back, just pulling the tune and lyrics out of the either was inspiring. I was very fond of John and have been heartbroken since the day he was killed. I have mentioned in your comments about your checking out The Grateful Dead’s tunes and lyrics. Jerry came up with the tunes and Robert Hunter the lyrics. As a song writer yourself he is a serious study of a young poet who evolves into a mature writer. I suggest you watch The Closing Of Winterland. Here’s a band that held together for 30 years. I like your exuberant smile over how happy the documentary made you. You have an endearing lovely smile. Thanks for sharing as always. ⚡️🖖🏽⚡️
Mary I felt the same way, it was amazing, painful, funny, intimate, ect. What I got most out of it is it gave me permission to write songs. Watching Paul bang out Get Back was so inspiring. Also, it made me realize that in some ways I’m a better guitar player than they were. It’s crazy to say that out loud, But I’m not even near on their level for creativity, and Pauls voice was truly incredible. I was humbled to see that creative talent in action. I’m so glad I watched it, it affected me as deeply as it seems to have you.
Not only Paul's voice which I agree is spectacular, but writing Get Back, Let it Be, and The Long and Winding Road at the same time, that is truly unbelievable. Thank God we have it on film forever. Thank you Peter Jackson for your work to restore and present without commentary the greatest band on earth creating some of the greatest songs ever written.
“Get Back” filled in some details in the mythology of the launching of three solo musical careers and why having a live, selfless drummer really knits a performing band together. Good to hear a UK citizen’s take on one of your country’s most historical exports. 50 years on, it was like watching how they made a Charlie Chaplin movie.
It was looooong...and I never wanted it to end! Your observations are great, and your slight rambling made it even more authentic. We felt the same way, the "fly on the wall" aspect, like we were IN the band, and seeing talented humans captured at a moment in time. Ringo's professionalism, George trying for more song time, John's non-focus, then flashes of genius, and Paul, at his creative peak. The concert on the roof was glorious, the fun they seemed to have, and the fantastic music put out while cold!
They were A BAND! Thanks for your thoughts...
Loved the "we are the fly on the wall" point of view in Get Back. Watching music history being made. Awesome when after all the fucking around, fighting, struggling - they get up on that Rooftop, and become tight, pro showmen - absolutely rising to the occasion with their backs to the wall. Just like Paul said would happen.
A lovely heart-felt description - very sweet
I'm so happy to see that this was a really emotional experience for a lot of other people too. I thought I might be the only one who wanted to watch 9 hours of the Beatles being themselves, and I'm so grateful that Peter Jackson had the guts to leave so much in. I love that a little rock band from Liverpool (a city full of beautiful people, and a true symbol of what it is to be working class) with their name being in itself a terrible pun, somehow rose from being a gang of cheeky lads being playing skiffle on cheap guitars to being somehow the cultural fulcrum of the last 100 years. All through just making incredible music. It feels like the emancipation of the human spirit came when the Beatles took us out of suites and chastity and into a world of colour. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still cares, and to realise that no, half the world still really really cares, really makes me feel a lot less alone :) x
My frustration was when they would play songs you only got about 30 seconds before he would edit on to something else. For instance For You Blue, they would all be playing the song and then it would abruptly end and move on to something else. I hope he has a separate DVD for more complete songs. I enjoyed the process of making the songs but would also like to see them playing the finished product. I would also like to see the Rooftop Concert without any interruptions. Just the music.
You gave a beautiful observation of the documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I once was in a band too.
I never knew this film existed. Why did it not come out sooner? I think about so many adoring fans who have passed away that would have enjoyed seeing this. Also, two of the Beatles are gone.
Anyway, it was so interesting to see their personalities and their creative process as never before seen.
✌️
So far I have only seen clips, but I immediately saw my own experiences there, reflected in the most amazing band ever. Even in 10 minute clips I have been moved to tears at the recognition of them as working musicians, slogging their way through the process of writing songs, supporting one another, ribbing one another, being serious, and funny, and anxious. And little old me and my band having gone through similar moments. It was beautiful to watch and I felt such a deep connection to them as musicians and as people, working together toward something. I am looking forward to watching the rest.
Thank you, Mary, for your heartfelt reflections on this series.
I've watched Get Back 3 times now and so many revelations continue to bubble up. Seems the more I watch, the more revelations. I am gobsmacked by their intimacy; by how deeply they know and accept one another. It reminds me of my 4-friend group from when I was a teen into my twenties. My quest to understand the Beatles (I'm 66 now, I was 9 when they played Ed Sullivan the first time) started several years ago and I have read a lot about them, sometimes very contradictory narratives - my quest is to answer the questions, Why? How? How and why were we all so captivated by them? How did they "win" the world? A good many of my questions were answered by watching their friendship in full blossom (or perhaps starting to wither on the vine), but abiding respect, good humor, certainly some missteps... but the love and caring among them... just astonishing. I want to mention Yoko... I am not anti-Yoko. I think she and John had a magnificent love. But we must admit that it's very hard to know her impact by watching her in this setting. The better setting to judge her impact would be to be a fly on the wall in their living room or their bedroom and be privy to their private conversations. That is where her impact truly lies. There is very little in the way of conclusions to make regarding the band's breakup from her behavior in this film. She is lovely! She seems engaged and kind. And Mary Spencer! Whom I've never seen nor heard of....so captivating ! Thank you for your commentary!
Loved the film. Related to it on so many levels, having been in and out of more bands than I remember. So few bands manage to stay together as long as the Beatles did. By the time this was filmed, they were more than just band members. They were old friends, compatriots, co-workers and more. So glad this film exists. Thank you Peter Jackson.
What is so amazing about the Beatles is that they recorded 20 studio albums, 5 live albums, had multiple hits one after another and they were only in their 20's. John Lennon and Ringo turned 30 in 1970 after the band broke up. It took them only 7 years to accomplish all of that. There will never be another band that can match that. I was blown away to hear The Beatles play George Harrison's song All Things Must Pass. Beatles Forever. Great documentary
It’s a masterpiece. I loved it. My GF too, and she’s not even a major Beatles fan. What a privilege to be in the room with those beautiful geniuses x
I played in two bands over the course of 13 years. I can relate to exactly how you felt when watching this. There were so many moments that I could put myself in, except for the fact that I was a nobody and they were the greatest thing ever. Aside from that it was very human and beautiful.
Here's what I think, for what it's worth: The Beatles booked a rehearsal space, and that rehearsal space was your living room. They were the greatest band ever to have existed, and yet the problems they suffer are those that every one of us has experienced. They were the greatest songwriters in the history of the pop/rock idiom, and yet they worry they haven't got enough songs. If I was in a band with George Harrison, I would be in a band with one of the world's greatest songwriters, but yet George is suffocating under the weight of two other songwriters, only John Lennon and Paul McCartney. They dump 'All Things Must Pass,' 'I Me Mine,' 'For You Blue' and, temporarily at least, 'Something.' They dump John Lennon's 'Child of Nature (Jealous Guy)', and 'Gimme Some Truth.' They dump Paul McCartney's 'Another Day,' 'Junk,' and they worry they haven't got enough songs! I've just quoted enough songs to fill an album, and they're the songs The Beatles rejected! Most of us would kill to write songs that good. Jesus Christ. And yet this band, this stratospherically-great band of legends, can't get a decent 8-track recorder off EMI. They leave themselves in the hands of chisellers like Dick James and Denis O'Dell to make this documentary or TV Special because they've got no ideas themselves and anyway, it's not their job to find a decent location to rehearse in, because they're The Beatles. That's what let them down in 'Get Back/Let it Be.' They allowed themselves to be led by clueless, profit-hungry management-types, the ones who needed a film off them to fulfill a contract, rather than to show The Beatles doing what they did best. They are responsible for the end of The Beatles, not The Beatles themselves; and it is Peter Jackson's fly-on-the-wall approach to the existing footage that finally makes us realise this. This documentary is up there in that sense with The Lord of the Rings, in that they both take an existing text and finally make us understand it. Well done to all concerned in making 'Get Back.' x
I agree, the film project may have been the real culprit. one can see in the film that it was not Yoko who broke up the Beatles.
I'm not sure because other bands have found management they could live with so why couldn't the Beatles?
The Beatles were musicians. They can't be expected to also be expert businesmen in a sea of financial and corporate sharks. They needed a Peter Grant not a Klein.
Watching this over Christmas, whilst ill with Covid, made me feel better. I have a completely different perspective on them after watching them as four friends having a laugh, getting stroppy and making music. What a fantastic window into their lives at that time. I think ‘Relatable’ is the word that made it so amazing for me to watch.
I watched the whole film and was spellbound. My general takeaway was that the greatest band in the world were trying to figure out how to remake themselves as a band. What they ultimately realized is that they had each grown so much from where they started, they now had their own interests outside the group. Paul was talking about how John and Yoko were together 24 hours a day and he was having trouble adjusting because he and John used to live together and write all the time and now they weren't able to share ideas immediately. He was not angry of Yoko, he was having trouble adjusting to the new circumstances. George was talking about wanting to go off and take all his unused material and doing his own album, Paul and John understood what he meant.
I think George was having the biggest problem which is why he left. He was a few years younger than the others and when you're in your mid-twenties, 2-3 years is like a lifetime. For those of you who reading this and are not musicians, or never played in a band, the best way I can describe it is this way: As we all, as individuals move toward our thirties, we are trying to adjust to life talking friends and family in different directions. Everyone is getting married and spending more time with their families and you still want to "hang out". They were kids, in the studio they just laid their guitars on the floor, George reached for something and knocked a guitar crashing to the ground. I feel they all really wanted to stay together but when their manager died they lost their direction as a group and their individuality took over.
Ultimately, I feel they got scared and frustrated that they could figure things out. They kept making references to Mr. Epstein. They called him Mr. Epstein reverently. What eventually happened is their frustration and love for each other ended up separating them. they all became human and adult in their own way. Long live the Beatles!!
Wrong. They would have continued if Lennon wouldn't have walked out on them. Lennon ended the Beatles. No one else and he didn't have the backbone to rectify in all the false narratives that evolved after the break-up blaming Paul, the one person who fought to keep them together and who ended buying into all those false rumours although he was present. Terribly wrong. It shows the power of narratives- if enough people believe them, they can corrupt even those who know better....
My guy has always been Paul. I am 70, and I don't think I bought any solo albums by any of the Beatles. I think a lot of people feel, like I do, that to ask anything more of any of the Beatles than they gave to me as the Beatles would be rude and ungrateful. There is noone and nothing that gave me anywhere near the Joy that the Beatles did while they were the Beatles.
And keep giving me. I still LOVE the songs. They are still the most meaningful songs in pop music to me. Still. Always. Forever.
Beautifully said Mary. You have eloquently expressed the observations and feelings that I also experienced watching this film. I was 13 when I first saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. Of course that event was amazing. And to now see this wonderful film of the boys 5 years later completes the circle for me. My life has been richer because of the Beatles.
OK - stand up all those whose lives have been enriched by the Beatles? - (Planet tilts off its axis.)
The most significant event of the entire film was watching Paul create the song "Get Back" out of thin air in a matter of minutes.
It’s a pretty simple and cheesy blues riff.
@@newagain9964 If it’s so “simple” let’s see you create one and have over a million copies sold.
My wife and I watched it all and were fascinated. I loved it.
My friend Jarrod loved it, but his wife thought it was boring.
I will watch it again and again, I'm certain of it.