Let It Be... Naked

The album is presented in a form which Paul McCartney considered closer to its original artistic vision: to "get back" to the rock and roll sound of their early years[3] rather than the orchestral overdubs and embellishments which were added by Phil Spector to three of the songs in the production of the final Let It Be album. McCartney in particular was always dissatisfied with the "Wall of Sound" production style of the Phil Spector mixes of these three tracks, especially for his song "The Long and Winding Road", which he believed was ruined by the process.[4][1] George Harrison gave his approval for the Naked project before he died.[5]

McCartney's attitude contrasted with Lennon's from over two decades earlier. In his December 1970 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Lennon had defended Spector's work, saying, "He was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit – and with a lousy feeling to it – ever. And he made something out of it ... When I heard it, I didn't puke." Harrison and Ringo Starr also remained complimentary about Spector's contribution,[6] with Starr saying: "I like what Phil did … There's no point bringing him in if you're not going to like the way he does it".[7]

Two songs that had been included on the original album – the traditional Liverpool folk song "Maggie Mae" and the improvisational piece "Dig It" – were excised, as they "didn't fit comfortably with the concept of a straight album".[3] Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down" was added to the running order, although Naked features a composite edit of the two versions from the rooftop concert, rather than the B-side from the "Get Back" single.[3] "I've Got a Feeling" was also presented in a new composite edit of its two rooftop concert takes.[3] On "The Long and Winding Road", the Naked producers used the final take, recorded five days after the rough run-through Spector had selected for the original album.[3]

Track-by-track details[3]

• "Get Back" – A remix of the take recorded on 27 January 1969 used for both the single and album; without the coda recorded on 28 January or framing dialogue from the studio and rooftop concert added to the album version.
• "Dig a Pony" – A remix of the take from the rooftop concert on 30 January 1969; framing dialogue and false start removed; error in second verse (the "because" in Lennon's vocal track) digitally corrected.
• "For You Blue" – A remix of the 25 January 1969 take used on the album, including Harrison's re-recorded lead vocal from 8 January 1970; framing dialogue removed.
• "The Long and Winding Road" – The final take recorded on 31 January 1969, instead of the album take from 26 January. Previously unreleased.
• "Two of Us" – A remix of the take recorded on 31 January 1969 used on the album; framing dialogue removed; minor error in Lennon's acoustic guitar performance digitally corrected.
• "I've Got a Feeling" – A composite edit of two takes from the rooftop concert.
• "One After 909" – A remix of the take from the rooftop concert; impromptu rendition of "Danny Boy" removed.
• "Don't Let Me Down" – A composite edit of two takes from the rooftop concert. Previously unreleased.
• "I Me Mine" – A remixed, slightly different recreation of Spector's edit (which had increased the track's length by copy/pasting the second chorus at the end) on the track recorded on 3 January 1970; orchestra mixed out, guitar overdubs and organ parts mixed in and out to make the repeated verse sound different.
• "Across the Universe" – A remix of the original version recorded on 4 February 1968, played at the correct speed; sound effects, piano, maracas and backing vocals mixed out; tape echo added.
• "Let It Be" – A remix of take 27A from 31 January 1969 used for George Martin's single version and Spector's album version, with edit pieces including Harrison's guitar solo from take 27B edited in.

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	68/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
The Guardian	[10]
Pitchfork Media	7.0/10[11]
Rolling Stone	[1]

On 13 November 2003, the completed Let It Be... Naked album had its world premiere with a two-hour radio special from Infinity Broadcasting. The special featured: a 50-minute documentary of the original Get Back/Let It Be sessions, including interviews with all four Beatles; an uninterrupted broadcast of the new Let It Be... Naked album; and a 20-minute roundtable discussion hosted by Pat O'Brien. The roundtable discussion featured analysis from musicians Sheryl Crow, J.C. Chasez, Billy Joel and Fred Durst, Breakfast with the Beatles host Chris Carter, record producers Alan Parsons and Jimmy Iovine, music critic David Fricke and journalist Geraldo Rivera.[12]

Contemporary review comments include:

• Allmusic's Rovi Staff called Let It Be... Naked an "overall slightly stronger ... a sleeker, slicker album", in comparison to the 1970 release.[9]
• Adam Sweeting, writing in The Guardian, commented: "Technically, they've done a fine job ... it may be intriguing to hear a version of 'Across the Universe' featuring only Lennon and some echo effects, but the new mix merely emphasises the song's droning vapidity. 'The Long and Winding Road' is indubitably improved by the removal of Spector's wall of schmaltz, but it's still teeth-clenchingly mawkish" ()[10]
• Dominique Leone, at Pitchfork.com, called the album "not essential [...] though immaculately presented"[11]
• Anthony DeCurtis, writing for Rolling Stone, noted that "[while] the sonic improvements to the album as a whole are undeniable [...] novices should still get the original"[1]
• Salon.com's Thomas Bartlett lamented that Let It Be... Naked "stripped the original album of both John's sense of humour and Phil Spector's wacky, and at least slightly tongue-in-cheek, grandiosity"[13]
• Producer Rick Rubin said he has "mixed feelings"; excited about a new Beatles release and especially the sound of "Two of Us," but he expressed admiration for the Phil Spector production that Let It Be… Naked stripped out, especially on "The Long and Winding Road."[14]

All songs published by Northern Songs, except tracks 3 and 9 published by Harrisongs.

The Beatles

• John Lennon – vocals, guitars, bass guitar, lap steel guitar
• Paul McCartney – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitars, piano, Hammond organ, electric piano
• George Harrison – guitars, vocals, sitar, tambura
• Ringo Starr – drums

Additional musicians

• George Martin – Hammond organ, percussion
• Billy Preston – Hammond organ, electric piano