The Beatles Without Their Shells

Everyone knows The Beatles, who John, Paul, George and Ringo were. Everyone knows the story of their rise to greatness and eventual dissipation of one of the greatest musical acts of all time. Everyone knows their transcendent discography, from the beginning of the white boys who sang the blues to the near-perfect blend of the East meeting the West. Everyone knows their recent Anthologies, where we were given a peek into the raw world of their studio. Everyone has heard their melancholy yet soothing ballad, “Let It Be,” and its respective album…but no one has heard it like this. It starts out as the original, minus the glossy, finished coating by producer Phil Specter, with a few alterations, simply; different studio-takes. The mini-songs “Dig It” and “Maggie Mae” have been omitted. Some harmonies and instruments used are subtly different. “I’ve Got a Feeling” is sung in a round at one point, putting a new spin on an old classic. The guitar solo on the track “Let It Be” is different, not such a strident piece, but more gentle and delicate, though no less poignant.

The main change is the bits and pieces of conversation laced throughout. As opposed to the witty banter chosen for the Anthology submissions, we are given emotionally-charged, nearly aggressive and tense snippets; little windows into what life was like during the making of their final released album. We, as the public, are allowed to eavesdrop on their self-destructive exchanges, which is something that rarely happens. We should feel lucky for this. We have been given a little glimpse of what it was like to be in the studio with The Beatles.