Let It Be Special Edition (Super Deluxe) ［5CD+Blu-ray Audio］

同名映画製作と同時進行したレコーディングの膨大な音源をフィル・スペクターがリプロデュースしたザ・ビートルズ最後のアルバム(全英チャート8週連続、全米チャート4週連続1位)のスペシャル・エディション [スーパー・デラックス]。

スーパー・デラックスに付属された豪華ブックレットには、ポール・マッカートニーの序文を初めとして、ジャイルズ・マーティンによるイントロダクション、グリン・ジョンズの回想記、ザ・ビートルズ研究家/ラジオ・プロデューサーのケヴィン・ハウレットによる詳細な解説、伝説化したあのセッションの実像を探るジャーナリストのジョン・ハリスのエッセイが掲載。

この本はスクラップブック・スタイルで図版を多数収録しており、イーサン・A・ラッセルとリンダ・マッカートニーが撮影したレアな未公開写真に加え、手書きの歌詞、セッションのメモ、スケッチ、ザ・ビートルズのメンバーが交わした手紙、テープ・ボックス、フィルムのフレームなどの未公開画像も散りばめられている。

●CD全57曲収録
●CD1:オリジナル・アルバム ニュー・ステレオ・ミックス:12曲
●CD2&3:未発表アウトテイク、スタジオ・ジャム、リハーサル:27曲
●CD4:未発表の1969年『ゲット・バックLP』(グリン・ジョンズ・ミックス)新マスター:14曲
●CD5:『レット・イット・ビー』EP:4曲
●ブルーレイ:オリジナル・アルバム ニュー・ステレオ・ミックスのハイレゾ(96kHz/24-bit)、5.1サラウンドDTS、ドルビー・アトモス・ミックスのオーディオ収録

●ダイカット・スリップケース
●本文100ページの豪華ブックレット付

The only Beatles album to occasion negative, even hostile reviews, there are few other rock records as controversial as Let It Be. First off, several facts need to be explained: although released in May 1970, this was not their final album, but largely recorded in early 1969, way before Abbey Road. Phil Spector was enlisted in early 1970 to do some post-production work, but did not work with the band as a unit, as George Martin and Glyn Johns had on the sessions themselves; Spector's work was limited to mixing and some overdubs. And, although his use of strings has generated much criticism, by and large he left the original performances to stand as is: only "The Long and Winding Road" and (to a lesser degree) "Across the Universe" and "I Me Mine" get the wall-of-sound layers of strings and female choruses. Although most of the album, then, has a live-in-the-studio feel, the main problem was that the material wasn't uniformly strong, and that the Beatles themselves were in fairly lousy moods due to inter-group tension. All that said, the album is on the whole underrated, even discounting the fact that a sub-standard Beatles record is better than almost any other group's best work. McCartney in particular offers several gems: the gospelish "Let It Be," which has some of his best lyrics; "Get Back," one of his hardest rockers; and the melodic "The Long and Winding Road," ruined by Spector's heavy-handed overdubs (the superior string-less, choir-less version was finally released on Anthology Vol. 3). The folky "Two of Us," with John and Paul harmonizing together, was also a highlight. Most of the rest of the material, by contrast, was going through the motions to some degree, although there are some good moments of straight hard rock in "I've Got a Feeling" and "Dig a Pony." As flawed and bumpy as it is, it's an album well worth having, as when the Beatles were in top form here, they were as good as ever. ~ Richie Unterberger