Getting back
An interesting thing happened a couple of years ago: a new documentary came out and shed light on a band the world assumed they already knew inside and out. That band is arguably the biggest to come out in the 20th century, the Beatles. And that documentary is Peter Jackson’s 8+ hour-long monument of film-making that is Get Back…
Everything about this project is interesting. For starters, there already was a documentary on that very same topic — and using the very same material: it was called Let It Be and got released in 1970 along with the Beatles album of the same name whose making it was meant to chronicle. That album, famously, was also the last one ever put out by the band, although it was not the last one they recorded — that would be fellow cult classic Abbey Road. What is specific about Let It Be, and that is common knowledge, is that it marked a tension peak within the group that foreshadowed the untimely end of this creative force made out of four kids hailing from post-war Liverpool…
But that’s not all that happened.
The Get Back documentary meticulously went through the dozens of hours of material recorded by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the original documentary’s director. And Jackson’s team set about detailing the complex set of events that unfolded in a matter of weeks. For the other incredible thing about this venture is that, in under 20 days, the Beatles were able to assemble, partially compose, rehearse and record an album of brand new material at the height of their fame, with people literally running to them anywhere they went. The impetus for that seemingly crazy schedule came from a shooting they had recently made for classic single “Hey Jude” in which they were surrounded by an audience. This gave them the idea to work on a new album meant to be recorded live, something they were entirely remote from since their 1966 decision to stop touring because they couldn’t hear themselves play anymore.
The short answer is, they succeeded in producing an album. But, in many ways, it only cemented the underlying problems that lay between these four extraordinary individuals — and their near-equally extraordinary collaborators, starting with guest keyboardist Billy Preston, producer George Martin, sound engineers Glyn Johns (who effectively produced the album, although never got credit for it) and Alan Parsons (who later became a star in his own right), road manager Mel Evans… Not because of Yoko, mind you: she was barely there, doing calligraphy while the boys were playing. More because of the effects time, otherworldly fame and individual creative urges can do to the best of men. In other words, the Beatles breaking up was all but a matter of time given the impossible pressure that they were under.
The documentary actually shows how, despite all of that, the guys were still able to be incredibly creative, with McCartney composing “Get Back” while waiting for Lennon to show up at the studio, or Harrison writing “I Me Mine” after watching waltz on TV one night. Perhaps more to the point, you can also see them have a lot of fun playing all sorts of covers, parodying their own songs, or just plain goofing around… If Lennon hadn’t found music, chances are he could have made a career in comedy. But then again, when you’re a rock god, where do you go from there?
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Like no other document in recent history, this beautifully curated footage shows the outstanding brilliance of these four men of ordinary origin that found — and got — themselves in extraordinary situations:
John Lennon, of course, leader of the Quarrymen-turned Beatles, a whimsical kind of creative genius who can turn from doing comedy bits to playing complex harmonies at the blink of an eye. Although he may appear more remote in the Beatles’ affairs at that particular point of his life, having met Yoko and started working on personal projects, he still shines whenever there is a need to record a track with his bandmates — or decide on the next step for this project. “When I’m up against the wall, Paul, you’ll find I’m at my best”, he quips days before the intended live recording of an album that still doesn’t look like one…
Paul McCartney, who may not have the stark vision of a Lennon, more than makes up for that in sheer musicality. Watching him work out a new song or arrangement is truly out of this world. At one point, he can be seen essentially giving piano lessons to a young engineer who cannot believe his luck: such is the man that he will stop and talk about his craft no matter how tricky the situation is, with business and organisational concerns thrown into the creative mix… As was the case for all latter productions in the Beatles’ catalogue, McCartney is the one “directing” the album, coming up with a lot of material and arrangements, making sure everything is clean and proper, rehearsing every bit… To a fault, some might argue, but if it wasn’t for that man, we might never have had Let It Be or Abbey Road, so there is that.
George Harrison, the “kid” who the Lennon/McCartney duo never quite looked at as a peer, even though he 1) played incredibly well fitting bits in any song he was involved in, 2) increasingly came up with tracks of his own that were arguably as good — if not better — than what the famed duo offered, “I Me Mine” being a good example of that. You can tell that he is eager to help the band move forward, and his relentless creativity throughout those sessions is quite simply outstanding. McCartney not quite being able to listen to him sparks quite a bit of tension (all the way to briefly leaving the band), but there you have it: everybody is human. Famously, Harrison was the first Beatle to release an album after the band broke up — a triple album…
Ringo Starr, the unsung hero of this story. He is always there, on time and chipper. He always provides the tempo needed for any bit the other guys are playing with, whether or not they are serious about it. You can see him observing everybody else, while remaining quite discreet himself, seemingly looking for the best way to move this merry band of musical travellers along. Meanwhile, you almost forget the fact that his actual drumming is among the greatest ever recorded — and he doesn’t even mind when other members give him notes. Crucially, when the time comes to decide whether or not to have a live recording, he is the first to support the idea, thereby ensuring it actually gets traction. Every group needs a team player, and Starr was very much that for the Beatles…
In short, the true reason the Beatles did what they did is that they were all geniuses in their own right — and in their very own way. The Get Back documentary beautifully shows that: the fact that these shooting stars got to meet, work together and produce seminal music together is remarkable, and we should all be thankful for it. Watching them interact, work together, feed off of each other is a unique testament to human creativity, one that we should all examine in detail and hopefully get inspired by…
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The pinnacle of these almost 9 hours of footage, and the reason why any of it actually came to be, is the famed rooftop concert that the Beatles performed on the roof of their newly opened London recording studio on January 30th 1969 — unannounced and unsanctioned. Ostensibly, that concert was meant to provide the live recording for the album; in effect, it acted more as a conclusion to the whole ordeal. To be fair, 3 songs did make their way to the final album, which is a testament to the quality of the people involved: having set the stage mere hours before, unsure how long they would have before the police showed up — or if the roof would even take the weight — the guys nevertheless did their thing with an energy that would rival their early Liverpool days performing at the Cavern. Whether or not they feel this is the end of an era, you can tell you are watching something unique.
But that is not even the most incredible part of the documentary, as far as we are concerned. No, that moment comes way earlier in the process — and without video: after Harrison has left the band and with other members struggling to find a path forward, Lennon and McCartney go to the cafeteria to talk. What they do not know is that Lindsay-Hogg actually put a microphone on their table, hidden in the flowerpot. What comes out of that is the most revealing conversation between two creative geniuses ever recorded: McCartney beautifully reiterates to Lennon the fact that he always considered his elder to be the de facto leader of the band, with him as a second in command. Although Lennon objects and points to the fact that McCartney has been increasingly controlling in the studio, they do agree on the fact that they want to keep going, aware of the magic that comes from them working together. And going they keep, albeit for a little while…
To put that into context, what we are hearing there are the two most important and successful musicians on the face of the earth in January 1969, adored by millions (if not billions), topping all charts across the globe, having effectively revolutionized popular music, the way it is consumed and the industry that comes with it. Yet, they are still able to let their guard down and open up for a one-on-one discussion, as they stand days away from yet another challenge, for all the world to see — or hear…
The moral of the story, if anything, is this: the greatest minds on earth are those who are able to navigate the accoutrements of fame without mistaking them for actual achievements. The geniuses of this world are able to look past challenges, even leverage them to some extent, all in pursuit of a great goal that is theirs and theirs alone. Achieving something that truly expresses who they are, the talent that they bring and the change they can make onto the world as a result. That is why, 50+ years on, we still listen to the music John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr made — with a little help from their friends…