To see the machinations of how these things came together was a real privilege. Especially after 50 years in the can.
It's a largely riveting 7+ hours of watching despite having large sections of time where you'd love to crack a few skulls.... But that's exactly why we're watching isn't it?
You see a fractured band arrive. Upset with each other, out of sync, in various states of hangover - and after a few weeks, they're back to being the boys in Hamburg or The Cavern. Able to read each other's musical minds and play instinctively as a group.
My big takeaways were plentiful...
Paul McCartney is a genius and the backbone of the band. He should be more lauded than he already is for what he brought to the group. Let's face it, pretty much every song here came from him. With a bass or at the piano, he was a creative genius. And he was the driving force to get them to actually do something!
George Harrison was a surly little shit here and he seemed a nightmare to have to put up with. His own worst enemy.
Ringo looked like he had checked out at first but at the end you realise he was just happiest playing for a crowd. He's probably seen the rest of the histrionics non-stop for a decade or so.
The folks around them were a right mixed bag. Patience of saints though. And that young guy smoking big cigars talking about Libya needed a slap! :)
Billy Preston. RIP to you sir. What a cool dude and a master of the keys. His arrival turned a squabbling herd of cats into a professional unit. Without him, this wouldn't have happened. I think they'd have aborted it all amidst an argument.
What a tremendous job in restoring the video and audio. I can't wait for the technology used here to trickle down to the layperson. It was a quite astonishing upgrade and was wholly worth the effort as it really put us in the room with them.
To see the rooftop concert footage and the brilliant multi-camera of the (mostly) appreciative crowd below being interviewed - as well as the knobheads and misery-guts who have to piss on any joy - was a real view of miserable Britain in that period. And I'm British! (I'd hope that 5 years ago, people would've embraced it for as a break from the norm. In 2021 though, I fear now they wouldn't...)
Fabulous. A must watch.
Why not a 10/10? I feel the song titles and the significance of each peformance was missing some vital info. "Was it the first time that song was played? Was it them noodling? Did that song appear on the album or was it used later as a solo effort?" Just a little more info would have added some much needed colour or even gravity to them.
The moment Paul conjures up Get Back from the ether was magical. His playing Golden Slumbers to Ringo another. And to see how fluid these classic songs were right up until the take we know as the final recording was staggering.
Bravo to all involved! And thanks for the music, lads.
Review by PorterUkVIP 5BlockedParent2021-12-05T00:51:45Z
Quite fantastic.
To see the machinations of how these things came together was a real privilege. Especially after 50 years in the can.
It's a largely riveting 7+ hours of watching despite having large sections of time where you'd love to crack a few skulls.... But that's exactly why we're watching isn't it?
You see a fractured band arrive. Upset with each other, out of sync, in various states of hangover - and after a few weeks, they're back to being the boys in Hamburg or The Cavern. Able to read each other's musical minds and play instinctively as a group.
My big takeaways were plentiful...
Paul McCartney is a genius and the backbone of the band. He should be more lauded than he already is for what he brought to the group. Let's face it, pretty much every song here came from him. With a bass or at the piano, he was a creative genius. And he was the driving force to get them to actually do something!
George Harrison was a surly little shit here and he seemed a nightmare to have to put up with. His own worst enemy.
Ringo looked like he had checked out at first but at the end you realise he was just happiest playing for a crowd. He's probably seen the rest of the histrionics non-stop for a decade or so.
The folks around them were a right mixed bag. Patience of saints though. And that young guy smoking big cigars talking about Libya needed a slap! :)
Billy Preston. RIP to you sir. What a cool dude and a master of the keys. His arrival turned a squabbling herd of cats into a professional unit. Without him, this wouldn't have happened. I think they'd have aborted it all amidst an argument.
What a tremendous job in restoring the video and audio. I can't wait for the technology used here to trickle down to the layperson. It was a quite astonishing upgrade and was wholly worth the effort as it really put us in the room with them.
To see the rooftop concert footage and the brilliant multi-camera of the (mostly) appreciative crowd below being interviewed - as well as the knobheads and misery-guts who have to piss on any joy - was a real view of miserable Britain in that period. And I'm British! (I'd hope that 5 years ago, people would've embraced it for as a break from the norm. In 2021 though, I fear now they wouldn't...)
Fabulous. A must watch.
Why not a 10/10?
I feel the song titles and the significance of each peformance was missing some vital info. "Was it the first time that song was played? Was it them noodling? Did that song appear on the album or was it used later as a solo effort?" Just a little more info would have added some much needed colour or even gravity to them.
The moment Paul conjures up Get Back from the ether was magical. His playing Golden Slumbers to Ringo another. And to see how fluid these classic songs were right up until the take we know as the final recording was staggering.
Bravo to all involved! And thanks for the music, lads.
9.5/10