1971 - Through Many Years

After a year apart from each other, John Paul George and Ringo regroup to record another album. Even though Let It Be was released the year before, this is actually the first album of brand new material from the band in almost two years. Let It Be was recorded before Abbey Road with two songs (Get Back/Don't Let Me Down) from those sessions released as a single. This is a fine album worthy of the Beatles name.

1. Maybe I'm Amazed
2. Hold On
3. Beware Of Darkness
4. Look At Me
5. Every Night
6. Oo You
7. Isolation

8. Love
9. Man We Was Lonely
10. Remember
11. I Live For You
12. Early 1970
13. Teddy Boy
14. Let It Down

-
Reality Notes:

Track 3 - I used an alternate mix found on the second disc of the Art Of Dying bootleg.

Track 11 - This is an outtake from the All Things Must Pass sessions. It was later released on the anniversary edition CD as a bonus track. This mix comes from the Through Many Years bootleg

Track 13 - This was a tough call knowing George's dislike for the song, but seeing it is essentially a solo recording I kept it in.

Track 14 - this is the acoustic demo version from the Beware Of ABKCO bootleg. My biggest problem with using the official versions of any song from All Things Must Pass was the over the top Spector production, while it sounds great and as much as I love Phil Spector, it's just not Beatley enough. There are early mixes at various stages of overdubs but none of them have the same impact as this demo version. I did tighten the stereo field a bit and added a touch of reverb to smooth it out. After I finished this compilation I found a pre-overdub mix of the album version that would have fit just as nicely, I'm saving that for the last project.

My biggest dilemma with this album was whether or not it was even needed. I really did not want to take apart John's Plastic Ono Band album but if I used his singles instead the time frame shifts and I can no longer use Ringo's single which leaves him with no contributions to the disc. Paul's album was a no-brainer. As good as that album is, with the exception of a few songs, it really lacks a certain amount of polish.

As far as taking apart George's All Things Must Pass, I had less concerns due to the quantity of material available including outtakes and demos. Besides, we already took songs off and used them for his 1968 solo album.

BBI:

This album gets very high marks and is overall a very believable Beatles product. From the opening Maybe I'm Amazed (which I thought was a Beatles song when I was younger) to the closing acoustic Let It Down.

Some of the elements that make this project believable are:

Paul plays all the instruments on his songs, including drums. I've always said that the next best thing to Ringo on drums is Paul.

John is backed by Ringo and Klaus Voorman. I'm also fond of saying that the next best thing to Paul on bass is Klaus.

Ringo is also present on George's songs although due to Phil Spector's pruduction style there is at least one other drummer.

Ringo's song Early 1970 features only George and Ringo and is almost a companion piece to John's Ballad of John and Yoko which features only John and Paul.

The only odd thing is the prominent pedal steel guitar on George's I Live For You played by Peter Drake. Although it was not unusual for a Beatles song to feature an outside musician if the song required it, those parts are usually not placed so prominently in the mix.