We're Going Home: The Beatles Get Back
A love that lasts forever, the Beatles with a new past
In an early moment in Peter Jackson’s new Beatles documentary Get Back, a hari krishna is in Twickenham Studio with the band. As they’re getting settled, John Lennon asks “who’s that little old man?” Paul McCartney chimes in, “he’s very clean.” It’s an inside joke that sets the tone for the next eight hours of the documentary and reveals that this is truly for the diehard fans. The joke is a reference to a character, Paul’s grandfather, in their 1965 major motion picture A Hard Day’s Night. It’s a beyond obscure reference and I’ll be shocked to learn if others pick it up, however it signaled to me the power this new film would encompass. The rest of the documentary is an intimate look into the demise of the world’s greatest band, but with new details that will change their story once again. It’s a great glimpse for music fans, but an absolute treasure trove for Bealtemaniacs.
At times, there are uncomfortable moments. Watching the Beatles on the verge of collapse isn’t unlike watching parents get divorced or close friends through their darkest moments. Their grievances aired out in front of a camera crew while under massive creative pressure and it’s no wonder they couldn’t keep things going. However, while anyone watching knows their breakup is imminent, it doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re experiencing a first hand account of the Beatles during their most vulnerable creative process. It’s a remarkable sight and seeing these classics come to life gives the album a brand new perspective. It also rewrites history with additional chapters. Yes, the band was at odds. George takes off and quits the group for an extended weekend. John tells Paul he’s being too much of a boss. Ringo is the first to arrive every day and encourages the other three so they can make it through the day. It’s like being invited to a party with the coolest people you’ve ever known only to find out they have issues too. Still, deep down, they have that special bond.
In the first third, Twickenham feels like the office they all dread attending and the Bealtes a job they’re all on the verge of quitting. “Don’t Let Me Down” is the first song we hear in the film and probably the one the group plays more than any other, the countless takes all resulting in wildly different variations. The looseness in which they play is never not remarkable, their freeness and improvisation incredibly out of character for a band that is known for their immaculate takes and recording processes.
Anyone who has seen a Paul McCartney documentary, especially his recent Hulu series with Rick Rubin, shouldn’t have been shocked to see Macca walk into the rehearsal space one day and slowly work out the riff to “Get Back” while strumming on his bass. Watching Ringo and George eye him in the process was magnificent and when he hits his groove only for the others to join him, it was as if watching something come to life under the most majestic of circumstances. As John enters and also joins in, the magic once again reveals itself as to the true geniuses at hand and just how impressive they were at their peak. George rolls in one day and shares that he wrote “I Me Mine” while watching television the night before and the song is already pretty much ready to be joined by the others.
Watching Paul lead the group through rehearsals is challenging. John is strung out, George is presenting ideas that Paul doesn’t want to hear, and Ringo is just hoping everyone can get along (when he’s not asleep). The band is in a time crunch and it shows. They play some of their oldest numbers dating back to their days as the Quarrymen and settle on “One After 909” as a successful choice, but pass on George’s “All Things Must Pass.” It’s a shocking moment that is never revisited, but holds a cloud over the remainder of the sessions. It’s not too long after that George announces he’s leaving the band and exits the studio.
In the afternoon following George’s exit, John, Paul, and Yoko record some extreme noise tracks full of reverb and primal screams. Watching McCartney hold his bass up to the amp and stir up distorted walls of sound was mesmerizing and another ahead of their time moment. Seeing these figures create something so visceral in 1969 at this moment in their friendship and career was mind blowing and revealed yet another layer of their relationship. Even at their most tumultuous, they could still write and create music unlike any other duo in history.
Once they make their way to Apple Studios in London, George rejoins the group and things progress at an incredible pace.
It’s unclear what exactly changes for the group, but something happens once they begin to pick the songs back up in this new environment. Looking for someone to add electric piano to the mix, Billy Preston drops by the studio to say hello and the band asks him to stay. A powder keg of creativity hits upon his arrival and the band hits a stride that feels like a dream. Imagining the band in the studio is a dream, but to see them peel back the curtain and watch their creative process in motion feels like a true fantasy.
Even as tensions ease, it’s clear that they’re not interested in the longevity of the band, but rather how to make it through the Get Back project at hand. With a live television show cancelled, other ideas begin to also feel hopeless and unappealing to the majority of the group. Of course, we all know where this will end up so watching the turmoil feels even more upsetting. There are moments where each of them see close to being back on board and in the moments where they do appear to be having fun, it’s unlike anything else in the world. Their joy is transcendent. Their connection as a band, unparalleled.
At its astounding running time, this documentary really isn’t for anyone even remotely uninterested in the band. There is a lot of footage of the band attempting tracks in repetition, sometimes without a care in the world and others when they know they can still do it better than the rest. The ability they posses to go from takes through clenched teeth and bizarre accents to near perfect recordings will never not be one of the most fascinating and miraculous talents of all time.
Still, this isn’t them recording Revolver or Sgt. Pepper’s, this is the group at their heaviest and most straightforward rock and roll. They’re playing it all live so we’re not previewed to their studio tricks that led to some of their most innovative recording methods, but rather them going for it just one last time as a rock band. That’s not to say this is anything but impressive. Seeing the group play each take live is impressive every time and when the subtitle flashes to reveal that the take being filmed on screen was the one that ended up on the album, it’s damn near impossible to not get goosebumps.
Personally, I wish we’d have seen a bit more of John’s process behind “Across the Universe” and a few more takes of the band pulling that one together. Of course, the non-stop playing of “Don’t Let Me Down” certainly hit the spot. The best Beatles song to never make it on a studio album finally gets its time in the spotlight and by the time they play it on the roof, it’s the best they’ve sounded in the entire film and perhaps the best they ever sounded live. The trajectory of the song over the entire film helped explain why the band may have never felt as if they were able to record the definitive version, so hearing the journey more than made up for it. Plus, hearing Abbey Road tracks like “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “Polythene Pam,” “Oh! Darling,” “She’s So Heavy,” “Her Majesty,” and Ringo introducing “Octopus’ Garden” for the first time are also helpful reminders that this wasn’t in-fact the end and that they’d still have some of their best work ahead of them.
As noted, we end with the band’s final public performance which is set on the roof of the studio. Even as the documentary led to the event, it felt uncertain as to whether the group would actually be able to pull off the show. Barely any full takes under their belt (at least based on what we’ve seen) and they take to the stage for the last time and blast through their electric numbers with brutal force and total confidence. “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “One After 909,” and “Dig a Pony” all made it as final cuts on the album and it’s incredible to watch the performances side-by-side with simultaneous footage of the police entering the building to break up the show as they jam away for the last time.
As the credits roll, we’re left with the band’s final day in the studio so they could cut the acoustic and piano driven numbers that weren’t captured on the roof. After hearing “Let It Be” workshopped throughout the film, we’re left with it as the last song the band recorded for the record. It’s another incendiary moment that shows the best band of all time in the moment of one of their most major accomplishments. It’s a dream come to life for so many and one that can now give a new, more joyful ending to the most important rock band of all time.