I have had it up to here waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be remastered

Forgot to mention, 1+ has the original uncropped academy ratio 4:3 picture. I'm not sure if they scanned the original camera negative or an interpositive though - even if it was cropped for original theatrical projection, the IP could still be full-frame, and sometimes people like to scan the IP over the OCN (despite the loss of detail and increase in grain) because all the original color correction is baked into the picture. I'm guessing they scanned the OCN, but I could be wrong.

i can’t wait to see this, it looks so great

plus the whole, “beatles just beatling about together in the studio” is the kind of shit that fully undoes me

I'm going through the music on the new box set, and it's not as bad as I feared, but I'm hoping the book and everything else is really good because the musical content doesn't really live up to the price tag.

The new mix (disc one) feels pointless, and disc two and three could have fit easily on to one CD with room to spare. That leaves the 1969 Glyn Johns disc (which is a bit of a mess - I won't go into the details, it's too exhausting), and the EP CD which is kind of worthless too. It feels like it would've been more reasonable to put out a double-CD with the '69 Glyn Johns acetate on one disc and a bonus CD that could have included all of the box set's other extras once you drop the pointless 2021 mixes. Too bad they didn't do that in 2003, but ah well, enough complaints, something is better than nothing.

That leaves the 1969 Glyn Johns disc (which is a bit of a mess - I won't go into the details, it's too exhausting)

Is it a mess only compared to boots? Or would someone like me who’s never heard it before in any form also find it disappointing?

(For whatever reason, I never sought out the Johns mix, mainly because there seemed to be a lot of conflicting information on what the “real” Glyn Johns mix was.)

Also, I can’t imagine there was a serious dearth of usable material to fill out the outtakes discs considering how much was recorded. I’m mainly thinking of the feedback jam with Yoko after George left (but it’s also likely that the compilers wouldn’t have considered that “usable”).

Also, I can’t imagine there was a serious dearth of usable material to fill out the outtakes discs considering how much was recorded. I’m mainly thinking of the feedback jam with Yoko after George left (but it’s also likely that the compilers wouldn’t have considered that “usable”).

Absolutely. I got a drive of all 40 or 80 or whatever the hell it was discs back in the '00s - basically the entire stash of Nagra tapes that leaked out to the internet via the "Purple Chick" fan project - and I boiled it down to four CD-R's covering the Twickenham sessions and two hastily-compiled CD-R's of the Apple sessions, with all approaching 80 minutes per disc. That doesn't even include the entire rooftop concert or the Glyn Johns acetates (which I had on separate discs). That's still too much for most listeners, but it wouldn't have been difficult to fill out those two outtakes discs with quality material and to replace that lame four-track EP with, say, the entire rooftop show. It's a missed opportunity, but to be fair a six-hour documentary of presumably all-vintage footage does a lot to mitigate that. (Even if it is horribly de-grained, but that's another topic...)

Is it a mess only compared to boots? Or would someone like me who’s never heard it before in any form also find it disappointing? (For whatever reason, I never sought out the Johns mix, mainly because there seemed to be a lot of conflicting information on what the “real” Glyn Johns mix was.)

The simple version is that there are only two set of mixes compiled by Glyn that were ever considered for release. The first (we'll call the "1969 version") was considered by Glyn to be THE album and submitted to Apple. Of course, the Beatles hated it and rejected it. Months later, after Abbey Road, the Let It Be film and really the band itself were finished, they decided to put out Get Back but asked Johns to tweak the track list (i.e. drop "Teddy Boy" which Paul was taking back and add "Across the Universe" and "I Me Mine" since they were in the film). Glyn did that, but he also made a few new edits and did some remixing - nothing drastically different but they're noticeable if you carefully compare the new mixes with the previous ones. This new version of Get Back (we'll call the "1970 version") was of course also rejected - out goes Johns, in comes Spector.

The new box set advertises the inclusion of the "1969 version" but fans comparing them track-for-track say it's actually the "1970 version" with "I Me Mine" and "Across the Universe" removed and the missing bits flown in from the "1969 version." What's stranger is that the "1970" versions of "I Me Mine" and "Across the Universe" are advertised as being on that four-track EP disc, but for whatever reason they seem to be sourced from the bootleg of the "John Barrett cassette" that's famous among collectors - bizarre because it sounds like they used a superior source (presumably the master tape) for every other track when they Frankenstein-ed together the "1969 version."

In all honesty, unless you're really, REALLY particular, the differences between the mixes used for the "1969" and "1970" versions are negligible. The only significant difference is basically the track sequence with "Teddy Boy" or preferring the later one with "I Me Mine" and "Across the Universe." Quite frankly, "Teddy Boy" blows - the Beatles all hated that acetate for good reason, especially John. They hated the later one too, but at least it was an improvement (just not enough of an improvement).

Wow, thanks so much for that info. Years ago — around 1990 — a coworker of mine had a bootleg cassette of some of these outtakes. What I remember most about it was the sound quality — I just hadn’t heard a bootleg, live or studio, by any artist, that sounded so pristine — and Lennon’s ad-libs in “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” (“a bloody spoon, bloody spoon, bloody spoon”). But truthfully, that boot mostly bored me. Granted, it wasn’t intended for release, and they were still working through the songs, but it didn’t make me want to investigate further. But I also haven’t heard it in 31 years, so I may dig through some of this stuff soon.

The mountain of Get Back sessions can be tedious and overwhelming, but it can be fascinating if you like "making of" documentaries. Like it's cool to hear them have just scraps of what would become classics, and you're hearing them basically struggle to get the next bits you're already familiar with. This is especially true for solo material - you get a glimpse of "Gimme Some Truth" (that Paul helps on), a few ATMP songs besides the title track, "Every Night," "Back Seat of My Car," etc. There are a few covers that are nicely done like George playing late '60s Dylan.

There is a lot of repetition as they play the same material over and over again (easily avoided with judicious editing) but the spoken word parts are entertaining. Lots of hilarious jokes, some too inappropriate for release. (I hope Peter Sellers's visit makes it out - as he leaves, John yells at him not to leave too many needles lying around as they've got a reputation to think of.) I also love it when they talk about music. For example, John and Ringo are huge fans of Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison and hilariously re-enact a few bits. You can sense Paul and John drifting further and further apart - not just because of Yoko's presence but Paul asks about the cover to "Two Virgins," about the black bag, etc...he's at least curious enough to ask about John's new endeavors but it's clearly not something he gets. The best part may be the long conversations about the band itself - there's one particular day that has the bulk of it (I think it's the day after George leaves), and it's both the low point of the sessions and the most fascinating one. I'm sure most of it is transcribed in the new book that just came out.

For pure entertainment, the rooftop show is by far the best thing outside of a finished album, and a large chunk of it DID make the finished album.

That should be PAUL and Ringo are huge fans of At Folsom Prison

I also love it when they talk about music. For example, John and Ringo are huge fans of Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison and hilariously re-enact a few bits.

Ha wow that sounds so cool. One of my favorite moments in the Abbey Road outtakes is when, after yet another take of “Maxwell’s,” George says, “‘Kick Out The Jams’ take 8!” and Ringo shouts “Brothers and sisters!” You realize, yeah, they never stopped being fans, and really kept up with what was happening musically.

So this release proves they were right to reject the Glyn Johns mixes, horrible. Horrible mixing, mostly bad takes. Remix of the proper album is great. Outtakes are what you expect.

Pretty much, but after revisiting them again, it's not quite as bad as a I remember. There's no getting around the fact that everything Johns included on his rejected albums have already been released in better form elsewhere, either on 45's, Let It Be or the Anthology collections.

Anyway, the set has other faults, but people seem to be happy so I won't be too hard on it. I have my own idea of what Get Back should have been - or at least what they should have released in 2003 when they finally were able to put something out - but so do a million other fans.

Ha wow that sounds so cool. One of my favorite moments in the Abbey Road outtakes is when, after yet another take of “Maxwell’s,” George says, “‘Kick Out The Jams’ take 8!” and Ringo shouts “Brothers and sisters!” You realize, yeah, they never stopped being fans, and really kept up with what was happening musically.

Yeah, that was pretty great! It's too bad George became so hermetic in his tastes later on - he was pretty open about not getting punk or post-punk and later on not getting alternative or even Neil Young after Ragged Glory and Weld were already in shops - but I don't doubt Yoko when she says John would have loved hip-hop from the very beginning.

i just saw some footage recently (maybe even posted on ilx, i cant remember) of George talking in the early 90s where he straight up is like "I hate Neil Young's voice and he doesnt know how to play guitar", lol

He expressed close-minded sentiments about Bowie, too.

Wish the set would have included the feedback jam w/Yoko yokoing. The Billy Preston solo performance was a nice surprise.

The book is supposedly a good read, and probably a fast, easy way to absorb all the dialogue recorded for the film without having to sit through hours and hours of footage while struggling to hear half of the words.

It's probably no surprise that much of the unhappiness came from George, but Billy Preston played a bigger role than just getting everyone to be on their best behavior by simply being there. He more or less takes on all the fills that George would have done, something that led to the most contentious arguments during the Twickenham sessions. That takes the excess pressure off of George, and from there everything falls into place.

(Just to clarify, that last part is what some gather from the book.)

anyway, having given the box set a few listens, I can say that IMO there aren't many giant revelations in this one, certainly nothing as gratifying as "the long one" on the abby road deluxe or some of the pepper takes; but the actual remixing of the Spector version is superior to the original if only because it mixes the orchestra better. I'm a freak who likes the Long and Winding Road and the mix on here is the best of the 10000 released versions. As for the outtakes: if you want to hear 10000 attempts at Let It Be, they are here for you. I think the biggest revelation to me is the run through Gimmie Some Truth including some chatter at the beginning that indicates Paul wrote half of it, which I don't recall hearing before and which I'm sure he insisted on getting into the box set because that's the kind of thing he does.

There's a rumor going around that the original Let It Be film will be separately released on DVD/Blu-ray (probably in 2022) while the physical releases of Get Back (the Peter Jackson project) on DVD/Blu-ray/UHD Blu-Ray will include an extra six hours of footage, making it 12 hours overall. I guess Jackson really likes sticking with that Lord of the Rings template on how to cut and release his films.

Part one of the doc now streaming on Disney+, planning to watch it over the weekend.

If the doc doesn't have this, I'm not interested- John and Paul inventing Reeves and Mortimer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1c2KKMknH4

If the doc doesn't have this, I'm not interested- John and Paul inventing Reeves and Mortimer:

No dice. From comments: "The F face bit is edited out in the new Get Back movie."

And after all the hype, both the Guardian's mixed review and Pitchfork's detailed positive make it sound like it's pretty much what anyone who's already listened to the leaked Nagra tapes can expect. Different reactions from the reviewers sure, but their detailed descriptions are completely familiar with no surprises. Pitchfork put it best: the original film was NOT wrong, just not complete.

*detailed positive review

Pitchfork put it best: the original film was NOT wrong, just not complete

But if it wasn't complete, because it only showed the bickering and not the times when they were getting on, then it gave a misleading picture which to my mind is tantamount to being wrong.

So I'm enjoying how a film this long rends received ideas about the band. Even when stoned out of his mind in the first third, John still clearly enjoys Paul's company. When Preston joins the band in the second third after John, Paul, and Ringo coax George into returning, his good cheer is infectious; everyone snaps back to life, remembers why they remain a band (moving to Apple after recording in that bloody warehouse helped too).

One thing remains true: it's Paul's band now. He's in charge. The only competition, often offering sound musical suggestions, is George.

But if it wasn't complete, because it only showed the bickering and not the times when they were getting on, then it gave a misleading picture which to my mind is tantamount to being wrong.

― joni mitchell jarre (anagram),

And it's no joke to say they get on for, like, 95% of the time. There's a version of "Two of Us" with John and Paul trying to impress each other with who can offer the most cartoonish imitation of an Irish brogue, poncey English accent, etc. and they're cracking each other up.

But if it wasn't complete, because it only showed the bickering and not the times when they were getting on, then it gave a misleading picture which to my mind is tantamount to being wrong.

But that's not an accurate description of Let It Be. There's plenty of joking and happy moments in the original film and the whole thing builds up to the rooftop show. I saw the film first then waded through the Nagra tapes over two weeks while I was snowed in the winter they leaked - in a general sense, the original film seemed to capture the overall mood pretty accurately if not every detail - basically the Twickenham sessions get off to a good start, then descend into hell. Then they get out of there and things improve dramatically at Savile Row before the great climax of the rooftop show. There's a lot of nice details that can flesh out the story, but I don't get the impression the overall trajectory has ever changed in any format, whether it's the book of select transcriptions, the movie, the complete Nagra bootlegs, etc.

Plus, the original film was like "any band in rehearsal" and it shocked the audience who were expecting the loveable moptops having a laff and that.

I've seen about 20 mins of ep1, already you can see it's George who's a bit hohum, John and Paul are in good moods, Yoko is there but not jumping in or anything. Already knocked the idea of overseas on the head cause Ringo doesn't want to, but "so it looks like it's just us and Jimmy Nicholl who's up for it"

Yeah, I think I'll watch this in tasty bites.

Plus: there's a plot!

Will they finish the rehearsals there before they need the warehouse back for "The Magic Christian"

Paul: "what, you own this place?"
Director: "Well,... Yeah"

So has this all been “AI upscaled” like some reviews suggest? Is it obtrusive?

I can't remember if it's in the original film, but there's a nice bit with John teasing Heather, Linda's daughter, about her kittens. ("You can make cat pie, you know"). At one point Heather starts yelling into a mike during a jam session. "Yoko!" John exclaims. The real Yoko smiles.

just heard Peter Jackson in an interview saying he's got no interest in music. that is all.

why isn't he doing an Oasis documentary then

So has this all been “AI upscaled” like some reviews suggest? Is it obtrusive?

It's very tastefully done

https://i.imgur.com/vl0v6Hv.jpeg

Oops, that's not the 8k remastered version

https://i.imgur.com/xs3nD3g.jpeg

All the Beatles are played by Andy Serkis.

Jeez, Jackson and his fucken CGI.

think the Neanderthal clan will be watching this tonight

that retouch looks like a baby with a beard

Jeez, Jackson and his fucken CGI.

Scorsese cut

https://i.ibb.co/c8NBTK3/Face-App-1637865379970.jpg

Lol

1hr in and my highlights so far are the outfits and the bit where they order drinks

are they expecting normal people to watch all 8 hrs do you think? I am a casual Beatles fan with a high boredom threshold wrt art films and i’m questioning my commitment a little

I think they made it to please themselves, and if other people etc

xxxp LMAO

Glenn Kenny sarcastically offered his excitement of seeing the new Beatles movie shot by Guy Peellaert.

The de-graining is distracting, and makes some sequences look unnaturally blurry. Also, the energy level is all over the place. There are stretches of near-interminable boredom and then suddenly the energy level picks up for a few minutes. The thing is, when they’re working on a great song — “Get Back,” say — it’s fascinating to watch it slowly evolve. But when they (or really, just Paul) get into “The Long and Winding Road,” it’s back to snoozeville.

One thing remains true: it's Paul's band now. He's in charge. The only competition, often offering sound musical suggestions, is George.

It’s only Paul’s band now because no one else gives a shit. Or, more accurately, George gives a shit, but only gets shut down. They spend what feels like hours on “Two Of Us,” not getting it near completion, and in walks George with the more-or-less complete “For You Blue,” “I Me Mine,” and “All Things Must Pass.” Paul barely gives the latter half a listen and then it’s on to Maxwell and his blinky-bloo hammer. And even then, fucking 50+ years later on McCartney 3 2 1, when Rick Rubin compliments the bass on “Maxwell’s,” Paul doesn’t even say, “Actually, that’s George on bass.”

So far (I’ve only watched the first episode) the highlight is the feedback jam with Yoko. I was hoping for more of “A Quick One, While He’s Away” — they did the “we’ll soon be home” bit — but all that’s in the film is Lennon playing that guitar figure for a few seconds.

So I’m 90 minutes into this thing and Ringo’s grandfather has just bought a hat

(Jk, shout out to Mark Lewisohn)

I don’t totally follow the exact issue behind the Paul-George dispute; they seem to be communicating a lot non-verbally. I only get that Paul has had it up to here with the others not taking any initiative when they’re all on a tight deadline. But I love seeing the whole texture of the moment here: what people are eating and drinking, the shoes they’re wearing, their complexions on any given day. And it just seems like so 1960s that they would give themselves only two weeks to do this whole project lacking even a solid plan. Truly, everything happened faster in those days.

It seems like there was plenty of time for Linda Eastman, Yoko, and the Krishna dude spectating from the back of the room to form a side project of some kind.

So I’m 90 minutes into this thing and Ringo’s grandfather has just bought a hat

(Jk, shout out to Mark Lewisohn)