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This week, Disney+ premiered the remastered version of Let It Be, the 1970 film which chronicled the Beatles' recording sessions for what would end up being their final album of new material. It's also the film that provided the raw stock for what would become Get Back, the 8-hour documentary which premiered in 2021. Many people have said a lot about Let It Be over the years. Most if not all of that has come from people who weren't able to see it in its initial form. After 54 years we can finally look at this film and decide if it truly deserves the reputation critics gave it.
If you really want to know the backstory of Let It Be, you'll watch Get Back. Get Back is a vastly superior film documenting a month when The Beatles planned to produce a live concert album. That plan didn't work out, and out of the ashes came the Let It Be album and accompanying film. By the time the film premiered, The Beatles themselves had dissolved, and enthusiasm for the ideals which permeated youth culture in the 1960s was rapidly fading.
As a result, critics panned the film. Distributors pulled it and for a long time you could only watch it on bootleg video of one sort or another. I think the first time I saw it, it was on a copy of a copy of a VHS. A few years ago, I watched it on Vimeo. A recent Google search turned it up here. This is how we all came to have a relationship with this film, for most of our lives.
And then, Peter Jackson got the opportunity to look at the original 16mm film negatives and magnetic tape audio recordings. He found that with 2020s technology, it was possible to create high-quality masters, and even extract audio that was impossible to hear before. The result of that effort was Get Back, but in creating that 2021 film, it became clear that the 1970 film could benefit from the same treatment.
And now, we get to see that result. We can see the film in a way it couldn't be seen in 1970. The film that premiered in 1970, according to contemporary accounts, was dark, grainy, and muddy. Today, it's not. Does that make a difference to our perception of it?
Having watched Let It Be, it's an interesting document of the time. It's not terribly good, to be honest. It's choppy and there's no context to the story. Supposedly this is because The Beatles demanded cuts that removed all of the important events that took place. George quit the band. I mean, that's huge, and you don't see it in the film at all. The film's presentation is bright and clear unlike its 1970 release. This only highlights the feeling of malaise and boredom from The Beatles. There are so few light moments and they're presented as misty memories, as if you were smiling at a happier day while you were terribly sad.
I think reviewers of the time got it right. Yes, when the film came out, The Beatles were over and many people felt that "the 60s" themselves were dead. Surely that colored the critics' perceptions. But despite that, I think they got it right. At the time, The Observer wrote,
I'd say that pretty much matches my feelings about the film too.
Other online reviewers, both professional and amateur, have said that the film's poor reception was undeserved. The general feeling today is that people were just sad about The Beatles breaking up so they projected that into the film. I disagree. Simple as that.
What's most interesting is that Let It Be and Get Back are such vastly different films despite being based on the exact same source material. Maybe they wouldn't have been if original filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg had been allowed to make the film he wanted. But Let It Be shows the world a group of tired musicians, assumes the viewer knows why, and tries so hard to hide the tension under the surface that it only amplifies it. It's an uncomfortable film to watch, more so because it's slow, ponderous, and unimaginative by 2024 standards. The only thing you can say about it is that it's compact, at under 2 hours compared to Peter Jackson's sprawling Get Back.
Get Back tells the actual story. It starts with the idea that there will be a live concert album and behind-the-scenes documentary. As days go on, it becomes obvious that the live concert can't happen. The musicians don't want it. The logistics are impossible. Everyone's running out of time. There's genuine tension in the dialogue about what comes next. Along the way though, you get to see 4 men who grew up together, willingly enjoying the process. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they get nostalgic or silly. But throughout it, you get a feeling that they understand each other. Of course they do, they've spent a decade together.
Of course the penalty you pay for really knowing the story is that it takes over 8 hours to tell. If you're not a Beatles diehard, this is going to be a tough sell. Get Back demands that level of commitment, and sometimes it doesn't pay off. Watching the 75th rehearsal of "Dig a Pony" (not the group's best song anyway) is tough even for a true fan.
Not the best album or the best Beatles film, Let It Be served in 1970 as a way for people to put the past in perspective. The future of music and culture was going to be very different. For the next five decades, people could still love The Beatles, but it was never going to be a love based on anything current. From the moment that film premiered, it was always going to be nostalgia.
In recent years, The Beatles have, surprisingly, suffered in popular perception. There are now four generations of adults who grew up never knowing the group as a current thing. Rather, depending on who you hung out with, you may have not heard much of them at all, or you may have thought of them as almost classical in nature, like Beethoven or Brahms. Today though, as GenZ dominates and Gen Alpha waits in the wings sharpening its teeth in preparation, the overall feeling has changed.
It's common to hear younger people say The Beatles weren't that good. That they lived in a time where real creativity wasn't possible, that there wasn't real diversity in the listening experience, and where "experimental" was often just a code word for "bad." I'm not sure I believe any of that, but I do believe that good music affects people different ways at different times. If today's young people don't see any resonance in 60-year-old music, I don't blame them. On the other hand, if greybeards like me want to occasionally look back at songs that defined their lives, that's ok too.
For me, Let It Be (2024) gives me the opportunity to think about other types of music, perhaps even current music. It tells me that I don't need to live in my Beatles era, as the kids would say. I can visit it, but I can feel closure about it if I want. So I'll thank both Lindsay-Hogg and Jackson for that, and move on.
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: Let It Be appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
The story of Let It Be
If you really want to know the backstory of Let It Be, you'll watch Get Back. Get Back is a vastly superior film documenting a month when The Beatles planned to produce a live concert album. That plan didn't work out, and out of the ashes came the Let It Be album and accompanying film. By the time the film premiered, The Beatles themselves had dissolved, and enthusiasm for the ideals which permeated youth culture in the 1960s was rapidly fading.
As a result, critics panned the film. Distributors pulled it and for a long time you could only watch it on bootleg video of one sort or another. I think the first time I saw it, it was on a copy of a copy of a VHS. A few years ago, I watched it on Vimeo. A recent Google search turned it up here. This is how we all came to have a relationship with this film, for most of our lives.
And then, Peter Jackson got the opportunity to look at the original 16mm film negatives and magnetic tape audio recordings. He found that with 2020s technology, it was possible to create high-quality masters, and even extract audio that was impossible to hear before. The result of that effort was Get Back, but in creating that 2021 film, it became clear that the 1970 film could benefit from the same treatment.
And now, we get to see that result. We can see the film in a way it couldn't be seen in 1970. The film that premiered in 1970, according to contemporary accounts, was dark, grainy, and muddy. Today, it's not. Does that make a difference to our perception of it?
A new review of the film
Having watched Let It Be, it's an interesting document of the time. It's not terribly good, to be honest. It's choppy and there's no context to the story. Supposedly this is because The Beatles demanded cuts that removed all of the important events that took place. George quit the band. I mean, that's huge, and you don't see it in the film at all. The film's presentation is bright and clear unlike its 1970 release. This only highlights the feeling of malaise and boredom from The Beatles. There are so few light moments and they're presented as misty memories, as if you were smiling at a happier day while you were terribly sad.
I think reviewers of the time got it right. Yes, when the film came out, The Beatles were over and many people felt that "the 60s" themselves were dead. Surely that colored the critics' perceptions. But despite that, I think they got it right. At the time, The Observer wrote,
I'd say that pretty much matches my feelings about the film too.
Others have been kinder, but I stand by what I write
Other online reviewers, both professional and amateur, have said that the film's poor reception was undeserved. The general feeling today is that people were just sad about The Beatles breaking up so they projected that into the film. I disagree. Simple as that.
What's most interesting is that Let It Be and Get Back are such vastly different films despite being based on the exact same source material. Maybe they wouldn't have been if original filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg had been allowed to make the film he wanted. But Let It Be shows the world a group of tired musicians, assumes the viewer knows why, and tries so hard to hide the tension under the surface that it only amplifies it. It's an uncomfortable film to watch, more so because it's slow, ponderous, and unimaginative by 2024 standards. The only thing you can say about it is that it's compact, at under 2 hours compared to Peter Jackson's sprawling Get Back.
Get Back tells the actual story. It starts with the idea that there will be a live concert album and behind-the-scenes documentary. As days go on, it becomes obvious that the live concert can't happen. The musicians don't want it. The logistics are impossible. Everyone's running out of time. There's genuine tension in the dialogue about what comes next. Along the way though, you get to see 4 men who grew up together, willingly enjoying the process. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they get nostalgic or silly. But throughout it, you get a feeling that they understand each other. Of course they do, they've spent a decade together.
Of course the penalty you pay for really knowing the story is that it takes over 8 hours to tell. If you're not a Beatles diehard, this is going to be a tough sell. Get Back demands that level of commitment, and sometimes it doesn't pay off. Watching the 75th rehearsal of "Dig a Pony" (not the group's best song anyway) is tough even for a true fan.
Let It Be isn't a good film. But it's a good way to move on.
Not the best album or the best Beatles film, Let It Be served in 1970 as a way for people to put the past in perspective. The future of music and culture was going to be very different. For the next five decades, people could still love The Beatles, but it was never going to be a love based on anything current. From the moment that film premiered, it was always going to be nostalgia.
In recent years, The Beatles have, surprisingly, suffered in popular perception. There are now four generations of adults who grew up never knowing the group as a current thing. Rather, depending on who you hung out with, you may have not heard much of them at all, or you may have thought of them as almost classical in nature, like Beethoven or Brahms. Today though, as GenZ dominates and Gen Alpha waits in the wings sharpening its teeth in preparation, the overall feeling has changed.
It's common to hear younger people say The Beatles weren't that good. That they lived in a time where real creativity wasn't possible, that there wasn't real diversity in the listening experience, and where "experimental" was often just a code word for "bad." I'm not sure I believe any of that, but I do believe that good music affects people different ways at different times. If today's young people don't see any resonance in 60-year-old music, I don't blame them. On the other hand, if greybeards like me want to occasionally look back at songs that defined their lives, that's ok too.
For me, Let It Be (2024) gives me the opportunity to think about other types of music, perhaps even current music. It tells me that I don't need to live in my Beatles era, as the kids would say. I can visit it, but I can feel closure about it if I want. So I'll thank both Lindsay-Hogg and Jackson for that, and move on.
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: Let It Be appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
2 Replies
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640 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68506 Replies
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2671248 views
Marques Brownlee
Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
0 Replies
·
5 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
·
12 views
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
168 Replies
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7488 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Has anyone subscribed to NBA League Pass for 2026-27 and try to link their account to NBA.com to stream League Pass? I purchased it for 2026-27, and when I linked, I got a message saying success, but then I receive an error that my linked subscription does not include the preseason games for NBA League Pass. Is that how it has always been? I know satellite doesn't have the preseason games on the NBA League Pass channels, but I thought that I was able to stream the preseason once I linked my account on NBA.com?
2 Replies
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82 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
143 Replies
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1461 views
Nah, you just don't understand how ignore works, which is why you made your own NFL thread thinking there wasn't one
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
530 Replies
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18118 views
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. 
WTF… …What the Foxbat!Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat.
S
wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming youWTF… …What the Foxbat!
I know. Here's what Scott has in store for me if I get out of line:wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming you
S
OMG to freaking funny
You're no fun.
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
7 Replies
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154 views
Supporting Founder
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
20 Replies
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323 views
S
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade..
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
You should have looked in the APP STORE instead.
Supporting Founder
Several Dish offers showed up today in my account. Once you choose one the rest are removed. Offers were Showtime, Starz, AMC and others.
35 Replies
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1700 views
Not for me, mines has no mention of how long aka the offer period and the Terms and conditions the $0.00 is good for. All I see is one can lose $5.00 if you decide to remove it before day 31 after you add it to the account.
You have a different offer that is free for a shorter timeframe which is different than the one that I and bnewt saw without defining the promotion period as I sent the question to DISH Care via Facebook Messenger and this is the response I got back 20 minutes ago.