For You Blue
LIB - Recorded on 25 January 1969 (except for Lennon's “Queen says 'no' to pot smoking FBI movement” comment). The lap steel is panned hard left and the 'prepared' piano hard right. Harrison's acoustic guitar is almost non existent except for the intro.
LIBN - A remix of the original version – piano and steel panning is reversed - lap steel right, piano on left with the piano a lot louder and the lap steel quieter. The Lennon quote is removed. According to engineer Hicks a lead vocal which was overdubbed in the original session was used and an incomplete guide vocal was removed, but it isn't clear whether the guide was used alongside the overdub on LIB on instead of it. I can't hear any difference. I almost wonder if he meant guitar track, as the acoustic guitar is much louder and clearer especially during the solos.
A3 - A different take recorded same day as LIB. Harrison's meandering (but cool) acoustic intro is replaced with a piano intro. The piano (right) is not 'prepared', the acoustic guitar is left and the steel centre. The song a much more laid-back feel overall and Lennon's vibrato is much more restrained. The piano solo and Harrison's humorous asides (“Elmore James got nothing on this baby”) are missing. Oh, and the drumming on the intro sounds like a typewriter.
Dig It and Maggie Mae
These songs only appear on the original Let It Be as does Lennon's “and now we'd like to do 'Ark The Angels Come” comment which was perceived as a sly dig at the hymn-like Let It Be which followed Dig It on the original album.
The mix of For You Blue on LIBN is far superior to LIB. However since both mixes feature the worst sounding instrument the Beatles ever committed to tape (McCartney's prepared piano) and one of the worst played (Lennon's lap steel) I'd take the less energetic but far more listenable Anthology version. I would have loved a complete take of Maggie Mae but there isn't one and I'd happily lose Dig It completely.
Best Versions
For You Blue – Anthology 3
Dig It – LIB
Maggie Mae – LIB
I have to agree with the assessment of Dig It. I could quite easily LET THAT BE!!!
ReplyDeleteI like For You Blue, but do think they could have done a better job.
Maggie Mae (not the Rod Stewart song) is probably a decent "traditional" song, but I have only heard it on Let It Be to be honest. I'm sure there was probably other material they could have used such as Don't Let Me Down
Yeah - I'm glad they included don't let me down on the naked album - even though it isn't a stellar song...
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