Let It Be (Super Deluxe)

I'm a Beatles fan but I never got round to buying this Album on its original release. I bought this box set mainly because it was at a bargain price and its in excellent condition for a previously owned item.

Excellent

First things first if you find anything to complain about with this super deluxe edition then you are not in the group of people it is aimed at. You have just spent a small fortune and already have a fairly good idea of what you are getting, and to those who choose to waffle on about reverb on the vocals or there being too much compression, well the truth is neither you nor I are sound engineers! Remember the project has been signed off by the surving Beatles or thier spouses who are much more likely to know how it "should sound".Right ok rant over! The item itself is quite exemplary, the quality is unimpeachable and beautifully packaged. In a nut shell it is as you would expect from The Beatles! As the Beatles obsessive that I am I was never going to criticize the music due to it being excellent but would like to point out that this is not for the casual listener being the super deluxe pack but for those like me who should know better but would buy the phone book if it was sung by The Beatles, so to sum up if your a Beatles super fan you won't be disappointed and if not why are you spend over £100 on an album? I bought it I think it's great and that's that!

The run up to this issue has allowed excellent coverage of the contents and presentation. There has been so much from these sessions issued in "unofficial" versions over the years and there is a wealth of variations which could still be given the "official" treatment but this 5CD / Blu-ray set is an excellent start. As with most Beatle re-issues one could complain that the surplus CD space could be used but this is countered by the desire to let the old LP stand alone. Given that disc 5 is only four tracks in a new compilation I believe both views have validity here. That disc could have taken up a bit of the surplus material in stock.The book is well framed and the six discs sitting in individual sleeves which then slot into a folder separate from the book is a good idea. The cover holding the two items is well thought out. It is sturdy and resistant to fingerprints (ie not black & glossy) with a nice texture.I recommend this version for its scope but also suggest that the "Get Back" hardback book issued at the same time be purchased to give even greater insight to those interesting times.

Excellent value and product

* Well, there is a song called 'One After 909'.The penultimate album they recorded, ‘Let It Be’ was the last the group released and, despite being delayed for 18 months, has now been given the 50th Anniversary treatment. Available in six configurations, this is the six disc super deluxe edition.CD1:The remixing of the original LP makes everything clearer and allows you to discover things previously difficult to hear. ‘Across The Universe’ comes over as softer and really does sound heavenly but ‘Dig It’ and the sea shanty of ‘Maggie Mae’ are still throwaway ditties. It’s worth noting that parts (or all) of some performances here were issued on the ‘Let It Be...Naked’ CD.CD2:Looking like an Apple acetate, the casual listener might not notice anything different in these takes but the die-hard fan will. And that’s at whom the deluxe set is aimed. I don’t think speech tracks mix well with musical ones but there are a couple here. To counter those is take 3 of ‘One After 909’*, with a rock ‘n’ roll piano from Billy Preston right up in the mix.CD3:The most interesting of all the discs here simply because ten of the songs never appeared on the album and three didn’t find a release on anything, like CD2, this replicates an Apple acetate. Unfortunately, the most enticing songs are no more than 90 seconds or so of a few lines because, as Ringo states after the single verse of ‘Octopus’ Garden’, “That’s all I have”. Despite being just rehearsals, they’re all still a tempting listen, nonetheless. And it does make you wonder what might have been had they taken these further at the time. The best thing on this disc is Billy Preston's blues vocal on 'Without A Song'.CD4:Called ‘Get Back’, this is what the album was going to be had it not been rejected by the group at the time, but I think some versions here are better than what we’re familiar with. ‘For You Blue’ being one, which has a different, and I believe, better vocal, and the McCartney ballads sound more intimate. This has an appeal of its own, sounding more human than the polished versions. It’s also a truer reflection of the original aim; raw with no overdubs or corrections Others, however, might get the overall feeling of unhappy musicians generally not that interested in what they’re doing. You decide. What is nice about this CD is that the sleeve copies the ‘Please Please Me’ LP, but the text on the reverse is a bit hard to readCD5:Strangely, this is just a four track EP. An unreleased January 1970 mix of ‘Across The Universe’ (and this is the seventh time this song has been issued in various mixes and versions and is by far the best of them all, lowering the backing vocals and making more of the tamboura) is joined by the original sub two minute version of ‘I Me Mine’, also from January1970 and featuring three real Beatles, and new mixes of both the single of ‘Let It Be’, as it was a different version to that on the LP, and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. The latter with an amusing chat beforehand.CD6:A Blu-ray disc that contains a Dolby Atmos mix of the original album, alongside a 5.1 Surround Sound mix and a High-res stereo mix. It’s also on the red Apple label.BOOK:As with the other anniversary reissues, the 105 page hard back book contains a plethora of unseen photos, tape boxes, etc. alongside extensive recording information that makes all other books on the subject somewhat redundant.BOX:The white book and CD folder slide out from the black box from the left and if you have the latter on the top, you can have yourself a completely different cover.VERDICT:Certainly not their finest work, and probably not too high in the list of favourite albums of any fan, it would still be the pinnacle of most other artists career. The alternate versions and takes aren’t too dissimilar and whilst I don't think there’s enough variety here to excite as many as the other Anniversary sets did, it’s still worthwhile. Anything the Beatles release generates column inches most other artists can only dream of and with the film due late November, maybe it will encourage a new generation of fans.

Wasn't sure I needed it after Let it be Naked, but it is well worth it. A worthy addition. As is thegetnack video and book!

When this box set was originally released, I was underwhelmed to the point of not bothering to buy it. Also, while an excellent album and a career highlight for 99% of other artists, Let It Be is arguably the Beatles least brilliant Long Player alongside Beatles For Sale.Let It Be is a good album, just look at the songs, and at the much reduced price of £40 I wasn't going to turn my nose up, and I'm glad to have got it.