"Get Back" Beatles Documentary

[matclone]

I can never tell if Paul is a heel or the good guy. My gut tells me he's a heel deep down or at least has a very strong ego behind that peace and love exterior.

Listening to him in interviews I really want to like him, but there's just something.....

In John and Paul's defense Don't Let Me Down is a far superior song.

My impression for a long time has been that Paul's ego was a little too inflated. He made all this brilliant music but even today--by his continued self-references to his music in interviews--still seems to need adulation--needs assurance that his stuff was good. To be fair, there as been this idea floating around for years that Lennon's music was better--which is nonsense (to say that either one was a stronger songwriter than the other--they were individually, or in combination, nothing short of great).

My pet theory
Sgt. Pepper received great critical acclaim and it just so happened that (more than any Beatles record) it was a Paul record--and I think it went to his head a bit.

 

[matclone]

Some speculation (couple with what I've read through the years) - specifically to the late-period Beatles situation, I think Paul became overbearing somewhat inadvertently ... when Brian Epstein died, the group was sort of rudderless -- Epstein's role itself had changed when the band decided to quit touring (about a year before his death) -- but in that year or so Epstein was still "there," so the band was kind of wondering about sense of direction.

Paul took the reins and that probably didn't sit well in bigger picture. He felt they needed someone "in charge" and he assumed the role as kind of default.

There's a scene in "Get Back" when they're sitting in the studio ... Paul says something like, "We need a Daddy." I think he craved at least some direct leadership — John was more content to "do whatever comes."

I posted my thoughts above before I saw yours. I think we're more or less on the same page.

 

[cyclones500]

For those who like the doc and want to go a little deeper — Details about non-band members who appear in “Get Back.”

Here’s What Happened to Get Back’s Non-Beatle Characters

One was shot by the police. One started a cocktail podcast.

slate.com

 

[KnappShack]

My impression for a long time has been that Paul's ego was a little too inflated. He made all this brilliant music but even today--by his continued self-references to his music in interviews--still seems to need adulation--needs assurance that his stuff was good. To be fair, there as been this idea floating around for years that Lennon's music was better--which is nonsense (to say that either one was a stronger songwriter than the other--they were individually, or in combination, nothing short of great).

My pet theory
Sgt. Pepper received great critical acclaim and it just so happened that (more than any Beatles record) it was a Paul record--and I think it went to his head a bit.

Pepper is so much different than Paul's initial solo album. Almost like he just needed to go radically different and cut it to the bone.

Paul was at the top of the world before 30. I'm sure he was/is pulled in ways I can't imagine. Can't fault him for keeping his guard up

 

[ISU4NH]

Too bad something like this wasn't done while they were doing the Rubber Soul, Revolver or Hard Day's Night albums. Thankfully, we do get this deep look into the creation of the Let it Be album. Who wouldn't want to see them create the soundtrack for Hard Day's Night! That's likely a whole different dynamic, but sadly, we'll never know. Perhaps it's best that way.

 

[TXCyclones]

Some speculation (couple with what I've read through the years) - specifically to the late-period Beatles situation, I think Paul became overbearing somewhat inadvertently ... when Brian Epstein died, the group was sort of rudderless -- Epstein's role itself had changed when the band decided to quit touring (about a year before his death) -- but in that year or so Epstein was still "there," so the band was kind of wondering about sense of direction.

Paul took the reins and that probably didn't sit well in bigger picture. He felt they needed someone "in charge" and he assumed the role as kind of default.

There's a scene in "Get Back" when they're sitting in the studio ... Paul says something like, "We need a Daddy." I think he craved at least some direct leadership — John was more content to "do whatever comes."

While watching the series and listening the band members read the crap in the papers I thought about all I had "read through the years" and thought "wow... everything was speculation and bullsh*t". And to see that it was George who was the real disenchanted one rather than John really shocked me.

It is quite ridiculous how writers don't have to be accountable for their conjecture and bs. Humorous how sports writers and entertainment/gossip writers are so closely related.

 

[Bigman38]

Also doesn't do much for the Yoko broke up the Beatles narrative. While you can't know what was going on behind the scenes, she certainly didn't insert herself much in the musical sessions. From best I can tell she literally just sat there the entire time.

There was a moment where a bunch of the extras were asking Paul about her, kind of asking if it was annoying to have Yoko always there, even in the group meeting they had trying to get George to come back. And his response was basically that he respected that in their relationship they're trying to be as close as possible and it wasn't anyone else's business.

Surprised me because I would have gone insane with her always there, and when they ask him John wasn't around so it'd be easy to take some shots at her.

 

[MeanDean]

my take...

I think Paul, as default leader (or maybe facilitator is a better word) took the need to produce a product (movie/tv show/album/live show) a bit more seriously than the rest. It seemed to me that the group was spending a lot of time kind of screwing off instead of working on the songs. I understand that's partly how they develop their muse. But while watching I was kind of, "wow, shouldn't you be doing something more concrete with your time instead of oldies and screwing around?" It actually made me a bit nervous. That said, I LOVED watching all that - it just felt very unproductive.

And while I definitely like George's approach to collaborate on everything and wished it could have worked, I also understand Paul's exasperation - that he can't concentrate while George is noodling. Have you ever tried to workout some task while someone is doing something that's distracting you? It just didn't work for him to write/develop. Not George's fault or Paul's fault, just different creative methods that were incompatible.

 

[KnappShack]

Too bad something like this wasn't done while they were doing the Rubber Soul, Revolver or Hard Day's Night albums. Thankfully, we do get this deep look into the creation of the Let it Be album. Who wouldn't want to see them create the soundtrack for Hard Day's Night! That's likely a whole different dynamic, but sadly, we'll never know. Perhaps it's best that way.

A weird thing to me is how a song like Rain can be the B-side to Paperback Writer. Those songs don't sound like they are from the same era

But maybe it really shouldn't be a surprise since they were really almost a conglomerate vs being a cohesive band in a lot of ways