Get Back—the Beatles doc

[Doctor Jeff]

It’s here! I saw the first installment last night with my kids…it was revelatory. I’ve seen every doc available on the boys, and this is the best yet, at least at showing them as distinct individuals and highlighting the creative process.

As I’m sure you all know, in 1969 they wanted to make a dramatic move to recapture some of their old magic as it were, so they planned to write songs for an album and put on a big public concert, with the entire process to be filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a friend of theirs. They had 2 1/2 weeks to write all the songs and polish them up…a tough standard for anyone, especially the most famous rock group in the world…

Of course the songwriting and polishing process is just astounding to watch. The tensions between the 4 are undeniable. This is a reality TV show before reality TV—it is almost as though the cameras weren’t there. I think they acted so natural because A) they were used to being photographed and filmed all the time, and B) Michael LH was a friend, not an outsider.

Anyway, unless you hate the Beatles, and there are a few of you out there, you will enjoy this.

Cheers!

[Litterick]

I would watch an edited version. I do not want to sit through hours of film.

[docsteve]

The first part had me literally on the edge of my seat. It was so thrilling, watching them create together, and watching the dynamics shift from Paul and George to Paul and John. A lot of Beatles lore is put into context too, like the infamous exchange where George tells Paul „I‘ll play anything you want me too, or not at all“. They are trying to find a way to work together without annoying each other. My wife loved it, too, and she is not a die-hard fan.

The second one features some great jamming, but is definitely too long. They couldn’t get anything done without Billy Preston, and you don’t need half a hour to prove that.

Third part is due tonight


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[Michael Neverisky]

Of course the songwriting and polishing process is just astounding to watch.

It is, indeed! My wife was listening from another room while Paul noodled chords on his bass. The three were waiting for "Lennon" to show up.

"Sounds a little bit like Get Back", she said.

Paul is reaching into the dark, just seeing what he can pull into the light.

[Doctor Jeff]

It is, indeed! My wife was listening from another room while Paul noodled chords on his bass. The three were waiting for "Lennon" to show up.

"Sounds a little bit like Get Back", she said.

Paul is reaching into the dark, just seeing what he can pull into the light.

Yeah I always thought those great songwriters would sit down at piano and write out a song, and play it for the group with the words and chords on a sheet in front of them, and they would add little bits here and there until it became a record track.

This process is much messier and more interesting!

[lammie200]

I finished watching it last night. I enjoyed it but have no want to go back to watching any of it over. I think that is more of a testament as to how well it was put together IMHO.

The highlight was definitely the full roof top performance for me. No where near what the original film made it out to be. They were tight. Harrison was engaged. The bobbies didn't really shut it down as much as they ran out of material that they probably wanted to play.

I thought Peter Jackson did a great job through out but I was puzzled by the ending, or what was shown as the last day. I really appreciated when the captions would say that a take was the actual LP published take when that would come up periodically through out all of the footage. But at the end there were only snippets of actual takes for Two of Us, Let It Be, and The Long and winding Road. The latter has always bored me to death so I didn't care about not seeing an actual take of that but the other two would have been cool to see in their entireties. Lennon whistling at the end of Two of Us would have been priceless IMHO. My only guess is that footage doesn't exist. Either Lindsay-Hogg screwed up and didn't capture it all or it got destroyed because I doubt that Jackson wouldn't have shown it by evidence that he showed many parts of things that were pure drivel. I imagine that it was destroyed at some point. I think that the roof top footage was heavily altered by Lindsay-Hogg to narrow the format. You can see that with how it fits the screen and how split screens come up. It wouldn't surprise me if Lindsay-Hogg or Magic Alex messed with the last day footage. Anyway, that was my only disappointment with the whole thing.

[Litterick]

If you don't like it, blame it on Magic Alex.

[lammie200]

Someone on TDPRI posted a link to the take for Two of Us. I may have seen that before and it jogged my memory. I guess maybe that stuff will be in the Blueray edition or something.

[marcwhy]

The second one features some great jamming, but is definitely too long. They couldn’t get anything done without Billy Preston, and you don’t need half a hour to prove that.

Ha! True -- Billy's sound added so much to the music, and the boys realized that immediately!

[Litterick]

Either Lindsay-Hogg screwed up and didn't capture it all or it got destroyed because I doubt that Jackson wouldn't have shown it by evidence that he showed many parts of things that were pure drivel. I imagine that it was destroyed at some point. I think that the roof top footage was heavily altered by Lindsay-Hogg to narrow the format. You can see that with how it fits the screen and how split screens come up. It wouldn't surprise me if Lindsay-Hogg or Magic Alex messed with the last day footage.

Your suppositions are unfair to Lindsay-Hogg.

[matt.guitarteacher]

It’s here! I saw the first installment last night with my kids…it was revelatory. I’ve seen every doc available on the boys, and this is the best yet, at least at showing them as distinct individuals and highlighting the creative process.

As I’m sure you all know, in 1969 they wanted to make a dramatic move to recapture some of their old magic as it were, so they planned to write songs for an album and put on a big public concert, with the entire process to be filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a friend of theirs. They had 2 1/2 weeks to write all the songs and polish them up…a tough standard for anyone, especially the most famous rock group in the world…

Of course the songwriting and polishing process is just astounding to watch. The tensions between the 4 are undeniable. This is a reality TV show before reality TV—it is almost as though the cameras weren’t there. I think they acted so natural because A) they were used to being photographed and filmed all the time, and B) Michael LH was a friend, not an outsider.

Anyway, unless you hate the Beatles, and there are a few of you out there, you will enjoy this.

Cheers!

Wow. Thanks. Been so busy lately. I completely forgot about this. Made my week.

I’ve only seen most of the first one, but it’s just great stuff. I was just done when Ringo started tap dancing early on in with Paul? At the piano.

[lammie200]

Your suppositions are unfair to Lindsay-Hogg.

Actually I meant to be equally unfair to Magic Alex.

[docsteve]

The Rooftop Concert is worth the price of admission alone. From the 1970 film, you wouldn't guess how much power the band had. I thought that listening to three versions of Get Back might wear itself out, but it's just getting better and better.

OTOH, if I'd been in a band with John Lennon in the form he was in during rehearsals, I would've quit, too. No wonder they are making such slow progress. He spoils every single take. Don't tell me it was Paul's fault. John wanted out, and he let the others feel it. Only when he's finally on stage he is 110%.

[Doctor Jeff]

The Rooftop Concert is worth the price of admission alone. From the 1970 film, you wouldn't guess how much power the band had. I thought that listening to three versions of Get Back might wear itself out, but it's just getting better and better.

OTOH, if I'd been in a band with John Lennon in the form he was in during rehearsals, I would've quit, too. No wonder they are making such slow progress. He spoils every single take. Don't tell me it was Paul's fault. John wanted out, and he let the others feel it. Only when he's finally on stage he is 110%.

Yes but was John always like that? Maybe that was always the way they worked? Pretty chaotic…as an engineer or producer it would have driven me crazy…

It certainly wasn’t Paul’s fault. The boys needed a strong hand at that point in their relationship, and Paul stepped up to provide it, which irritated everyone else quite a bit. Lennon because of the rivalry and his generally smart-ass view of life, and Harrison because he was maturing as a songwriter and guitarist and wanted to be taken more seriously, not given orders.

Addendum: I just read today that John, in a 1970 interview, talked about using heroin during this period. So I think that was likely a major factor in what was going on, and probably why Paul was intermittently so dysthymic during the filming of the documentary.

[Litterick]

Actually I meant to be equally unfair to Magic Alex.

Making baseless accusations does you no credit.

[lammie200]

I will fade in infamy. Boo hoo.

[Stevebol]

I'd like to see a doc about their days in the pimp house. Unfiltered.

[alltunes]

Imagine if the lads had clip-on tuners!

The doc is definitely for the completist Beatles fan. I enjoyed it but echo the sentiment I will not be diving back in anytime soon.

Takeaways:

Linda Eastman was cuter then previously thought
The boys loved tea, toast, white wine and cigarettes
Billy Preston did add the mojo
McCartney’s daughter Heather(?) nails Yoko’s primal scream technique

Was the orange stuff they were drinking at Twickenham, Tang?

[Doctor Jeff]

Imagine if the lads had clip-on tuners!

The doc is definitely for the completist Beatles fan. I enjoyed it but echo the sentiment I will not be diving back in anytime soon.

Takeaways:

Linda Eastman was cuter then previously thought
The boys loved tea, toast, white wine and cigarettes
Billy Preston did add the mojo
McCartney’s daughter Heather(?) nails Yoko’s primal scream technique

Was the orange stuff they were drinking at Twickenham, Tang?

I like the part where John sticks his cigarette on the end of one of his untrimmed guitar strings...tuners? Just imagine if they had wire trimmers back in those days??

I agree about Linda--I can see why Paul liked her.

I am not anti-Yoko in the sense of blaming her for breaking up the Beatles...as if they needed any help!...but I was not impressed with her at that point in time. She comes across as extremely annoying, as is John's cloying relationship with her. Maybe she pushed John in certain ways, but she also seemed to sap some of his energy for contributing to the band then. (She seems to have matured well, though, as did John.)

I am just going to throw this out there, that if you are in a high-profile rock group made up of guys, it's best to have girlfriends who are models and stay in the background. Don't interfere with the work too much, ladies.

I don't have any opinion about women in rock groups. But dating the lead guitarist is usually a bad idea.

[pingu]

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I am just going to throw this out there, that if you are in a high-profile rock group made up of guys, it's best to have girlfriends who are models and stay in the background. Don't interfere with the work too much, ladies.

I am just going to throw this out there

that is just male chauvinism ....

[M-ster]

This thread is almost as interesting as I’d guess the documentary to be.

For the clueless, where are y’all finding this series? (Never mind. I see it’s a Disney+ offering.)

[Stevebol]

I like the part where John sticks his cigarette on the end of one of his untrimmed guitar strings...tuners? Just imagine if they had wire trimmers back in those days??

I agree about Linda--I can see why Paul liked her.

I am not anti-Yoko in the sense of blaming her for breaking up the Beatles...as if they needed any help!...but I was not impressed with her at that point in time. She comes across as extremely annoying, as is John's cloying relationship with her. Maybe she pushed John in certain ways, but she also seemed to sap some of his energy for contributing to the band then. (She seems to have matured well, though, as did John.)

I am just going to throw this out there, that if you are in a high-profile rock group made up of guys, it's best to have girlfriends who are models and stay in the background. Don't interfere with the work too much, ladies.

I don't have any opinion about women in rock groups. But dating the lead guitarist is usually a bad idea.

John was always the mother hen in the group. More life experience. I think Yoko got sick of him complaining about the band all the time and said, why don't you quit?

[TheGrandWazoo]

I love the Beatles, but I kinda felt like I was watching a bunch of tired guys trying to figure out how to "half-ass" put together a gig they had to do. They all seemed like they'd rather be doing something else.

[Doctor Jeff]

I love the Beatles, but I kinda felt like I was watching a bunch of tired guys trying to figure out how to "half-ass" put together a gig they had to do. They all seemed like they'd rather be doing something else.

As they very soon were...

Agree...it's like Scenes from a Marriage. Still intriguing to watch the process of making these last 2 great albums, and to see what happened as they were reaching the end of their partnership.

[Stevebol]

John said Paul was with the SS.