Well, I recently finished watching The Beatles – Get Back documentary. And I was finally able to find some time to jot down my somewhat lengthy, random, personal thoughts and observations about it.
First, I think that any discussion of the Get Back documentary needs to start with the acknowledgement and understanding that (1) The Beatles were intent on showing these sessions in a more positive light than was shown in the original Let It Be film, and (2) all of the content contained in the documentary was apparently vetted and approved by the Beatles (Paul & Ringo, along with Yoko and Olivia) in advance. I note this because I have seen certain discussions in various forums pronounce that some “Beatle myths and assumptions” surrounding the Get Back/Let It Be sessions have either been debunked or should be declared incorrect as a result of what was shown in the Get Back documentary. But, I think it is important that one consider the deliberate process by which Get Back came to light when evaluating these kinds of judgments and pronouncements. And I also think that like most things in life, the truth often lies somewhere in between two sides of a given narrative.
The Documentary.
Overall, I think Peter Jackson did a masterful job of arranging and creating an ordered narrative out of the often chaotic, and at times directionless, Get Back/Let It Be sessions. I think his effort to more succinctly frame and present the documentary as a race to an end goal of a performance/concert on a date certain, in comparison to Michael Lindsay Hogg’s original Let It Be film, was brilliant. Although the first episode often bordered on tedium at times, especially if one isn’t an absolute Beatles junkie, overall I think there was a much more distinct plot and purpose in the Get Back documentary than there was in the Let It Be film. I also particularly liked that Get Back was presented in a brighter and more colorful filming presentation than the original Let It Be film. I think the Let It Be film was terribly dark and depressing at times. And I believe the blame for that can be laid primarily at the feet of Michael Lindsay Hogg. I suppose every decent film needs an antagonist or villain, and for me, MLH surely claims that role. Every time he appeared in the documentary, he made my skin crawl. He appeared to be self-centered, and to consistently put his personal interests ahead of his client’s interests, which annoyed me to no end. Overall, I think that Get Back is a far more pleasant viewing and listening experience than the original Let It Be film is.
As for the main protagonists:
JOHN LENNON:
Let me just start by saying that heroin is an awful drug. In the first episode, it is abundantly clear that John (and Yoko) were strongly under the influence of that drug, and not in a good way (if there is such a thing). In the initial episode, John appears disengaged, unfocused and unkempt. Thankfully, his demeanor and appearance improves significantly in the second and third episodes, but for me, never quite enough to overcome the drug’s negative affects on him. I cannot help but wonder what might have been had John not been so inhibited by his vice of choice at the time. I also will never understand exactly why he and Yoko felt the need to be so completely attached to one another like conjoined twins. I certainly understand and appreciate two people being madly in love, but being glued to someone 24/7, especially while one of the persons is supposed to be working in a group, seemed unnatural and bordered on creepy to me. I mean Paul and Linda were also new love birds at the same time, and yet they exhibited none of that type of behavior. Linda appeared at the sessions, but maintained her distance, and she and Paul appear to respect each others space, and Paul’s obligation to his bandmates. Some will likely disagree with my depiction of that behavior, but that’s how it felt to me. I appreciate that the other 3 Beatles appear to accept and tolerate John and Yoko’s arrangement at the sessions (at least as it appears in the documentary), but I think that there probably were underlying tensions within the group that may have been suppressed or omitted from the Get Back documentary. As I said earlier, the truth probably lies somewhere in between. Finally, as to John’s song output and contributions during the sessions, I feel they would have to be regarded overall as somewhat weak. Don’t Let Me Down was quite good. Dig A Pony was good. But there really wasn’t a whole lot of other complete contributions of substance. One After 909 was originally written by John and Paul around 1960, and was first recorded back in 1963 (but not used at that time), and was resurrected and reworked for these sessions. John’s contribution to I’ve Got a Feeling worked well with Paul’s part. Other than that, there were only fragments of his other tunes that would be worked on, some of which would find their way onto Abbey Road where they would blossom. But during these sessions his production appeared hampered by a notable vice.
PAUL McCARTNEY:
I will start by saying Paul is a genius. But (there is always a but, isn’t there), that genius at times bordered on obsessive, dictatorial control and overbearingness. His ability to understand and construct a song, its tempo, the instrumentation and composition is perhaps unmatched in rock by almost anyone. I particularly like how he stood up to Michael Lindsay Hogg and even gave him a bit of a dressing down at times. As I said earlier, I generally think MLH is a douche, so it was nice to see Paul stand up to him. Despite Paul’s tendency to be overbearing and somewhat self-centered (he never hesitates to pivot to one of his tunes when he can or to dictate to one of his bandmates how to play), I must say that he is to be commended when it comes to involving and immersing himself in one of the other member’s tunes (once he commits to it). He appeared to put his full effort and attention into working on whatever tune eventually became the focus of a take to try to make it better. Although he appeared at times to be more reticent to work on George’s songs than John initially did, once work began on George’s tunes, it seemed to me that Paul was more willing to put in a greater effort on those tunes (such as Old Brown Shoe) than John did (although in fairness, John seemed to improve in that area as the session rolled on, just like his overall attitude and demeanor seemed to improve). But watching Paul spontaneously come up with Get Back on the spot was a real “holy sh!t” moment in the documentary, and it just reinforced the notion that Paul is an extremely talented individual. Paul definitely appeared to be the grownup in the room much of the time. But, it also often appeared to me that he kind of assumed The Beatles were his backing band, for him to use to primarily work on his tunes. 3 number one songs came out of these sessions – Get Back, Let It Be and The Long And Winding Road – all Paul tunes (astonishing when you think about it). But (again with the but), for every Get Back or Let It Be, there was a Teddy Boy or Maxwell’s Silver Hammer that he would awkwardly force on his bandmates. But overall, Paul was a force to be reckoned with, and as John Lennon once said, he’s a special talent.
GEORGE HARRISON:
There is no doubt in my mind that George Harrison no longer wanted to be a Beatle or a “Fab” during these sessions. Having recently returned to England from the United States after spending Thanksgiving 1968 with Dylan (and the Band) in Woodstock, NY, I believe George had come to the conclusion that being a member of the group was no longer working for him. It seems apparent to me that George had grown weary of not being taken seriously as an equal by John and Paul, especially after the treatment that Dylan afforded him in Woodstock. George appears tired of fighting John, and probably more so Paul, to be taken as a serious creative force who warranted a greater allocation of tunes on their LPs. At one point in the documentary, George talks to John and Yoko about issuing a solo album and he remarks something to the effect that given his current allotment of songs on Beatle records, he has enough material to cover the next 10 or 15 or 20 Beatle releases (I don’t remember the exact number he stated). And in several points in the documentary, John is blatantly rude and dismissive of George’s suggested contributions (I Me Mine in particular). I am also fairly certain that it was George who had the best relationship with Billy Preston and suggested he join the sessions. That would be consistent with George’s prior strategy during the White Album recording sessions of having a guest join the band. During the White Album sessions, George brought Eric Clapton into the sessions to work on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I recall George stating that by bringing in a “guest”, he felt it would cause John and Paul to modify their behavior when working on George’s tunes. It seems that toward the end of the group’s existence, George often looked for an additional counterbalance to combat the John and Paul tag team in an effort to level the playing field a bit. It seems apparent that George was growing tired of the Herculean efforts he needed to take to be treated as an equal. During the documentary, I see George coming to the realization that his vision of who he is, and what he wants to be, is no longer consistent with that of the others. Plus, one must remember that during these sessions George was still only 25 years old (his 26th birthday being about a month away). Pretty remarkable accomplishments for a person that age. He was really just starting to come into his own at that point. While it seems like John is also very close to moving on from the Beatles during these sessions, it seems to me that George is even more determined to do so. So, while it is often Yoko who shoulders much of the blame for the band’s break up, George may actually be the most responsible, or at least as equally responsible as John, for the inevitable break up of the band. Yoko might actually come in third (or 4th behind Paul) in that race.
RICHARD STARKEY (RINGO STARR):
First random thought – it appears that Ringo really enjoyed being stoned. And if he wasn’t actually high all the time, he certainty looked like he was high all the time (but George and Paul weren’t far behind). One thing the documentary showed and reinforced is that Ringo is absolutely one of the nicest, most lovable, likable, decent human beings on the planet. Who doesn’t like Ringo? And Ringo was the ultimate diplomat – The Switzerland of The Beatle planet. His ability to remain close to the others and maintain their confidences seemed critical to their ability to continue to function as a unit. His ability to sit through all the bickering and aimless meandering and perform like the true professional is heroic. And while George was generally known as the quiet Beatle, it appears Ringo may have stolen that title from him during these sessions. Ringo also had a great sense of humor, and one of the funniest scenes in the documentary is when Ringo is sitting amongst a group of people and he casually announces “I farted”. Too funny. Ringo (along with Mal Evans) is severely under appreciated for all he contributed to the overall group experience. I also loved when the group was asked if they wanted to play live (or who wants to go up on the roof), and Ringo is quickly the first one to chime in and say “me”. Thank you Ringo. But it doesn’t surprise me, because he is such a professional. His playing is so wonderfully enjoyable and great. It seems to me that by this time, Ringo was the common thread that generally held the Beatle quilt together. I think Ringo added so much to their sound and I believe they were very lucky to have him in the group.
BILLY PRESTON:
What a talent. He added so much to the sessions. It’s almost impossible to imagine what the result would have been had he not been included. Billy appeared to jump start both John and George at the sessions after he showed up. He lit up the whole studio and his playing elevated the entire band. He was a perfect fit at just the right time. Billy and George would go on to have a very close relationship for years after these sessions. The documentary got noticeably more interesting and enjoyable once Billy took a seat at the Fender Rhodes. Thanks Billy, we all appreciate your efforts and contributions.
Final thoughts:
It seems readily apparent to me that most, if not all, of the members were ready to move on to other things by this point. George and John very much so, Ringo perhaps ambivalently, and Paul reluctantly but ultimately sensing the inevitability of the end of the group. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of the documentary, especially in light of all the historic commentary and myths that surround these sessions, which generally portrays a group coming apart, was just how incredibly tight and close the four Beatles remained even during trying times such as this one. And the most important point of the documentary to me, is that when their backs were up against the wall, they each rose to the occasion and delivered as a team like few others could. I’m so glad Peter Jackson took the time and effort to give us Beatle fans this gift. It was a wonderful audio/visual experience. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.