The Beatles - Get Back Documentary

Juniper

Juniper

Gold Member
Has anyone started to watch this documentary?

Added to Disney+ in recent days. It's a 3 part series coming up to 8 hours, covering the making of Let it Be and the bands ill fated plans for a live show at Twickenham Studios, before they changed the idea to the rooftop show.

They set themselves a target to write an album and play it within a couple of weeks before Ringo had some acting commitments.

Very much shows a breakdown in the band, with an insight to their (by then) dysfunctional creative process.

Some highlights, George Harrison quitting the band mid session (the band then gets drunk and clowns around for the rest of the day) John Lennon having pretty much mentally checked out of the group, Ringo having fun mostly and Paul McCartney desperately trying to keep things together but not able to let go of control - and getting certain things very wrong causing more tension.

Also it dispels the long rumour about Yoko Ono being present as a major cause for the split, with McCartney talking positively about her.

It's fascinating throughout, especially seeing the band come up with songs that end up being the album Let it Be and songs they later record for Abbey Road.

Well worth checking out. Due to its length we're watching it over a number of days but enjoying it immensely.

Well worth a month of Disney+ if you haven't got it already, in my view.

Plus, lots of shots of Ringos gear.

 
It's on my to do list. I have the original let it be DVD which doesn't quite paint a happy picture but it's cool to see them in the song writing process.

Whenever I hear the whole Yoko thing......


Let's be honest guys if it wasn't for her what else would you call someone's missus who insists on hanging around the band like a bad smell?
 
mikyok said:
It's on my to do list. I have the original let it be DVD which doesn't quite paint a happy picture but it's cool to see them in the song writing process.

Whenever I hear the whole Yoko thing......


Let's be honest guys if it wasn't for her what else would you call someone's missus who insists on hanging around the band like a bad smell?
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Oh yeah, it comes across that with Yoko being there that they aren't completely happy with it but don't blame her as it's John who has made it clear that with him she now comes as part of the package.

I'd put that down to John more than her and she doesn't interfere with the creative process, she's sat there knitting or writing/making art. Very much comes across that Lennon is more interested in her than the band or writing songs for the project, at times.

I very much warmed to McCartney watching it. He's the only one that's at least trying to steady the ship and hold it together at times, despite making some mistakes that you see.

I very much cooled on Lennon also.

Fascinating series, probably the most in depth insight to the band and it's dynamics we'll ever have.
 
I think peter jackson did a brillant job with this !! He allowed us to see the beatles as real human beings , he allowed us to enter the creative space of the band to see the real musical genius that they were.

Note : Ringo still using his original black oyster snare drum !

* 1963 i'm 9yrs old Presedent JFK assassinated ,the USA is bleeding, 1964 the beatles bring us hope with there music singing peace and love !
* 2021 i'm 66 yrs old ,i feel the USA is in a state of bleeding again, and once more after watching get back i feel the beatles have given me hope once again !!
 
Icetech said:
Man.. watched the first ep at like 3am last night and it's just unreal... seeing the seeds of songs when they were barely a thought it just unreal.
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Great isn’t it.

There’s that one day especially where Paul arrives in the morning to Twickenham
and he’s got the basics for songs like The Long and Winding Road, Let it Be, Golden Slumbers, Carry that Weight, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window….etc

Seemingly having come up with the ideas the night before!

Also, seeing him pretty much coming up with the main parts of Get Back within a few minutes too, while he waits for the band to arrive.

His songwriting skills and process really comes across well in this documentary.
 
Icetech said:
my favorite was george coming in "yeah i wrote this last night" and plays like 3/4 of i me mine... which is one of my favorite songs :) it seemed george was uncomfortable through the whole thing though
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He was certainly less keen, his mood only seemed to improve when they abandoned the film studio and headed to an actual recording studio.
 
Watched all three episodes and of the many surprises, perhaps the biggest was that Yoko being there just wasn't that big a deal. If there had been five people in the room, in total, and she was the fifth and only non-Beatle, then yeah. But there were never fewer than seven or eight, including not only the camera operators and the boom mic operator, but George's Hare Krishna pal. Plus, of course, Mal Evans, George Martin (surprisingly few appearances, actually), Glyn Johns (far more!) and various and sundry other people.

The big surprise for me was just how little tension there was between John and Paul. George and Paul, sure, but George was also unkind to John, who was completely dismissive of George's songwriting. But John and Paul veered between thick as thieves and pleasantly not engaging at the moment.

Now. The real question is: why did Ringo's toms go back and forth between being over the kick and offset?
 
Chris Whitten said:
For years there has been this thing, mostly in America, that John was the edgy genius and Paul was the sappy dope.
This attitude has even affected McCartney, making him defensive in interviews and trying to recover some edge (by working with Elvis Costello and Youth). I think they should always share the credit.
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Well thats the american media crap for sure, the docum. has made me realize that McCartneys musicianship ,composing, and discipline skills are near genius as well. and him and john together were incredible !!. I give the UK a big thank you for those 4 lads who changed my life back in1964 !!
 
Its definitely on my to do list...this is the one thing that's pushing me into setting up a streaming account. Really looking forward to seeing this.
 
Chris Whitten said:
For years there has been this thing, mostly in America, that John was the edgy genius and Paul was the sappy dope.
This attitude has even affected McCartney, making him defensive in interviews and trying to recover some edge (by working with Elvis Costello and Youth). I think they should always share the credit.
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Paul made his own bed with "Silly Love Songs," "Uncle Albert" and "Ebony and Ivory" with Michael Jackson. It was pretty clear during Ep. 1 that he was determined to not get tagged with the responsibility of breaking up the Beatles. I love McCartney and, in retrospect, Lennon would probably have done more stuff we don't like if his post-Beatles work pace came anywhere near McCartney's.
 
Juniper said:
Oh yeah, it comes across that with Yoko being there that they aren't completely happy with it but don't blame her as it's John who has made it clear that with him she now comes as part of the package.

I'd put that down to John more than her and she doesn't interfere with the creative process, she's sat there knitting or writing/making art. Very much comes across that Lennon is more interested in her than the band or writing songs for the project, at times.

I very much warmed to McCartney watching it. He's the only one that's at least trying to steady the ship and hold it together at times, despite making some mistakes that you see.

I very much cooled on Lennon also.

Fascinating series, probably the most in depth insight to the band and it's dynamics we'll ever have.
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That's very interesting - I cooled a LOT to McCartney and Lennon at their treatment of George's amazing tunes.

I get the feeling the that's the Lennon/McCartney show - which I understand happens when you're one of the most prolific song writing duos of all time...but with a talent like George in the midst - I absolutely hated the whole lot when they attacked his grammar and John literally patted him on the head, etc.

This was an immensely interesting watch - I'd always assumed Lennon and Yoko were considerably MORE of the problem than they actually seemed to be...Truly Epstein's death really deflated the band and left them trying to keep the professionalism and drive up that Epstein brought and I'm only now guessing that he'll receive credit for in the future.

Granted it's just one moment in time for them - but it speaks volumes on their interpersonal relationships and roles in the band.

All I can is that I still love the music they produced - my envy of Abe Laboriel Jr. severely dissipated - and I'm even more appreciate of "All Things Must Pass".
 
GretschedHive said:
Now. The real question is: why did Ringo's toms go back and forth between being over the kick and offset?
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I'm midway through ep1 and I was going to recommend his kit for the tom angles thread.

I'm not a Beatles fan, but it's interesting to watch them work on new material surrounded by a bunch of randos in an place not really meant for music.
 
SYMBOLIC DEATH said:
it's interesting to watch them work on new material surrounded by a bunch of randos in an place not really meant for music.
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ROFL

Then throw a couple Hare Krishna dudes in the background.
Then the short schedule.

“C’MON BOYS! SH*T IT OUT! MAKE IT RAIN!”
 
Chris Whitten said:
For years there has been this thing, mostly in America, that John was the edgy genius and Paul was the sappy dope.
This attitude has even affected McCartney, making him defensive in interviews and trying to recover some edge (by working with Elvis Costello and Youth). I think they should always share the credit.
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Never cared for John too much. Quick wit, articulate, great writer and so on but to me a bit of a bully, and on the whole quite insecure. Ironically he became all about peace and love. I do remember watching the original Let it Be movie and thinking without a doubt Paul was the musical genius if any of them. It truly showed post-Beatles.
 
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