AUDIOPHILE BOOK Let It Be /Let it Be sessions from Bruce Spizer, a book reviewed by Paul Rigby.

THE BEATLES FINALLY LET IT BE Author: Bruce Spizer Publisher: 498 Productions Price: from $20

f you’re reading this in the hardback edition which UK or elsewhere in Europe costs a princely $100. and you’ve never heard of That features a poster, an Bruce Spizer then think of art print of the roof-top him as the UK’s version of concert from an aerial Mark Lewisohn...or vice versa, perspective, a Beatles book dependingI on your loyalties. That is, mark and the book resides Spizer is one of the world’s premier in a sleeve. The book is Beatles experts. numbered, dated and signed by Spizer how the bootleg recordings emerged. Recently, Spizer committed to a too. For the book, the standard series of books he terms ‘The Album Which is all rather nice but if hardback edition costs $30 while a Series’. Earlier productions have you do order just be aware that the digital version retails at $20. included ‘Get Back to Abbey Road’, Customs man will kidnap and ransom One note: this book was due to ‘The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper: A Fan’s your desired book until you give him feature information on a new Peter Perspective’ and ‘The Beatles White something like £50. The rascal. So I Jackson film of the Get Back/Let It Album and the Launch of Apple’. ended up buying this book for round Be sessions, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’. This new release covers the £150 in the end. I still feel a little Disney has pushed the release back ‘Get Back’/‘Let It Be’ sessions, the dizzy. to 27 August 2021. unreleased ‘Get Back’ albums, the ‘Let Presented in a square format and Spizer has said that a supplement It Be’ album and film, the noteworthy spanning 200 pages, you might be will be added to feature information ‘Get Back’ bootlegs, the ‘Anthology’ forgiven for thinking that you don’t from this film “...the Beatles album tracks from the sessions and the get a lot for your money but scanning series books are intended to be more recently released ‘Let It Be... the contents, your mind is changed as complete as possible and cover Naked’. pretty pronto because there’s closely all releases through the date the What you will also find here are packed text and a gamut of images book goes on sale. So while the the album and related releases from and photographs in there, plus a heap print edition of ‘The Beatles Finally the American, British and Canadian of choice information that you’ll be Let It Be’ cannot cover something perspectives, there’s newsworthy pushed to find anywhere else. released a year after its publication, events of 1970 and the music and There’s an excellent track-by- 498 Productions can supplement the films from the first half of 1970. track examination with plenty of rare book in late August 2021. The digital There are also chapters on the information and insight, recording edition of the supplement will be ‘’ and ‘In The Beginning’ information such as who was in and available for free download. The print albums released in 1970 plus fan around the studio and even what edition can be ordered separately. recollections. each Beatles member was playing And, for those who order the I pre-ordered mine and (shock, at the time. The evolution of the Collector’s Edition, the print edition horror) actually gave Spizer money album from its original ‘Get Back’ of the supplement will be mailed to for this review copy. Oh, how the incarnation is thorough and again, you free of charge. It will be called moths did fly from my wallet. More detail packed and in the section ‘Let ‘The Beatles Finally Finally Let It Be’. than that, I ordered the collectors' it Bootleg’ there is an explanation of PR

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk DECEMBER 2020 HI-FI WORLD 93

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