Getting Back To Where I Once Belonged + A Film Review

Stop what you're doing right now and answer my impossible question: Who's your favorite Beatle?

Think about it, now, really think about it.

It's a hard one, isn't it?

If you were to ask me, I don't think I'd be able to answer. My answer often fluctuates depending on my mood, general maturity level, and whether or not I am feeling particularly pretentious.

When I was little, my answer was always Ringo. And I mean, ALWAYS Ringo. I would've married the song Don't Pass Me By if I could've (and I would've done it with a ring... get it). But seriously, I loved Ringo; his infectious adaptability, genuine charm, peace-loving perspective, and funny name. There was something about him that felt so overlooked. He seemed to always find a way to be the side character, even in the biggest band in the world.

As I grew, I really liked John. I guess it must be a typical teenage angst thing. Most of the songs he wrote for the Beatles were about anguish and misery and heartache and all things intellectually unpleasant. Listening to his compositions, you feel like he's the only one in the world that knows what pain really feels like. To me, there's something so poetic about his identity. There's something there that only his own words can express; a kind of literal irony between what he stood for and his true character.

Recently, I've picked up some of my favorite Beatles tracks. I've been giving them another, more mature, listen as I've finally reached the age they once 'saw standing there.' On top of the early day tracks, I've re-explored their more experimental side, diving into their characters as they matured and eventually grew apart. This led me to watch all 8 hours of the new Beatles documentary, "The Beatles: Get Back." And let me tell you, it was an eye-opening experience that took me roughly three weeks to fully finish and digest.

Here's the thing: it would be wrong to call this film a documentary. It's not structured at all like a typical docu-series. There are no sit-down interviews, music-expert commentary, or end conclusion. Instead, it's almost as if you were watching the video surveillance footage from their studio.

The series starts with a summary of their career. The year was 1969 when the Beatles decided to release an album recorded in front of a live audience. The problem at hand is that Ringo has signed on to film a movie, The Magic Christian, at the end of January. With all of this in mind, the quartet set off for Twickenham studios. Too much surprise, this plan to write and record an album in under a month does not necessarily go smoothly.

When watching this, I first noticed that they seemed very discombobulated. The four guys didn't really have a method to their madness, nor did they seem particularly interested in formulating a plan. It almost gave me anxiety watching these 4 very different individuals try to figure out how to compose and record an entire album in just two weeks. Possibly what was most brutal to watch was their differing personalities.

At this stage in the band's career, all four members have found their own interests, meaning that they are bringing completely different things to the table. George is bringing his spiritual, psychedelic, and obviously, Indian-inspired sounds as he wants to become a more significant part of the writing and composition process. John is bringing his songs about philanthropy and activism and change to the table as he writes about growing immigrant tensions in the U.K. Paul is bringing the slower stuff, the "Let It Be," the "Golden Slumbers," while also doing what he does best: making music the Beatles are known for (this can at times get under the nerves of the other three as they seem to say "it sounds like the same old stuff" repeatedly). And Ringo... Ringo, Ringo, Ringo. He's pretty much bringing "Octopus's Garden," and that's about it.

Side note: The style in this docu-series is incredible. As I watched it, I couldn't contain my excitement when a new day would start because that meant you would get to see their new outfits (at least 3/4 new outfits as John didn't change clothes very often). The person with the absolute best style in this whole thing is George, with his pin-stripe suits, turtlenecks, and obnoxious boots. His outfits are superb to the rest of the group. It had to be said.

Moving along through the first of three 2 and a half-hour-long episodes, George pitches multiple songs for the band, including the infamous "All Things Must Pass." To this, Paul and John quickly dismiss it, turning a blind eye to his ideas. At the very end of the episode, George simply gets up and declares, "well, I think I'll be leaving the band now." He walks off when someone yells cut, and the video freezes. Over a black screen, the text states that George told the rest of the Beatles, "see you 'round the clubs," and then left. This concludes the first episode, leaving the audience shocked at what they just witnessed.

I got out of this that things were not going particularly well. They all seemed to want completely different things for their careers at this point, Paul being the only one content with doing what they've always done. Ringo wants to be a movie star, George a solo artist, and John with Yoko. Tensions are high and George leaving is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quitting the band.

When the second episode starts and Paul and Ringo are the only ones to show up to rehearsals, it is almost heartbreaking. Paul is nearly moved to tears as he talks about Yoko and John and how close John and him used to be. As he discusses this with the producers, desperately waiting for John to show up, the staffers ask about the show-location issue, to which producer, George Martin, often referred to as the "fifth Beatle," says, "location isn't really our main problem at the moment." My face fell when Paul quickly responded, agreeing with Martin, saying, "it's breathing, actually."

One thing I should've mentioned earlier: Yoko. Is. There. The. Entire. Time. The thing is, I don't hate Yoko like everyone else does. Not all the time, at least. I honestly envy what John and Yoko had. Although their relationship was twisted and uncomfortable to look at sometimes, I think they were indeed soulmates. Something bounded their souls together, and I really respect their infatuation with one another, no matter how weird people think it is. Also: sure, sure, sure, Yoko broke up the Beatles. But they were already falling apart anyway.

I've seen a lot of people who have watched this series complain about how Yoko is in the studio with them almost the entire time. And, it's true, it's a little odd. She, no joke, sits in a chair beside John the whole time, reading, eating, or sometimes screaming into the microphone while the others try to write and record an album. Weird stuff.

Yoko comes in mid-recording and whispers something to John at one point in the series, who then stops playing altogether. He then announces that Yoko's divorce has just gone through, liberating her at last. Everyone in the studio celebrates, even an awkward-looking Paul.

This scene, all though minor, got me thinking about the other Beatle women and the personal issues they were all facing. George is with Pattie Boyd, who loves George's best friend, Eric Clapton. Ringo is married to Maureen Starkey, but Maureen has an affair with George. Paul isn't married to Linda Eastman just yet, but they are going pretty strong. And John, well, he had just been recently naked alongside Yoko on an album cover. Suddenly, the songs on Let It Be start to make more sense; "For You Blue" by George, ""Don't Let Down" by John, "The Long And Winding Road" by Paul, and well, give it about a month and you'll have "Octopus's Garden" from Ringo.

There is pretty much no structure to this blog post, if you haven't noticed. If anything, this is merely a rant I've been compiling over the last week. Well, I might as well continue on.

My favorite collection of scenes in the series is the parts with Heather Eastman. Later, Heather McCartney, the little girl, is Linda Eastman's daughter. She was adopted by Paul when him got married. In the final episode of Get Back, Paul brings Linda and Heather into the studio. This is my favorite recording day of theirs as they all seem to be having real fun. John has an adorable and slightly morbid convo with Heather about eating kittens. Ringo, who looks like he is wearing the same outfit as Heather, teaches her how to play the drums. In these scenes, Paul seems like the best dad in the entire world, picking her up and sitting her on his lap. At the same time, he plays piano, letting her scream into the microphone, completely ignoring the rest of the band as he plays with her. It's as if Heather's energy makes the band feel more youthful, giving them a light and cheerful tone. They are goofy and paternal and aren't afraid to just have fun jamming in these scenes, making them my absolute favorite. When they're jamming, they are all at their happiest, being completely themselves not matter how different that may be from one another. It seems like a day with Heather is something all four of The Beatles needed at this time. It gave them a break from all the tension and uncertainty of their future as a foursome.

At the end of the last episode, The Beatles perform on the rooftop of their studio, making it their final live performance ever as a band. It's really cool to see footage from them performing on the roof and ground footage of regular-day people walking about, hearing the music, and stopping in their tracks. When they finish and walk back inside, the documentary ends. (Let me note tat they are all wearing their women's coats in this scene except for Paul... pretty cool huh?)

In the end, I found Get Back terribly fascinating. It did a great job presenting The Beatles all in their diverse lights, highlighting their differences and harping on the seams breaking loose. Paul is painted as the boss in the film, leading the entire thing and forcing everyone to stay in line. At times he seems like the only one who actually cares about what happens to them as a band. George's severity of seriousness shines through along with his contributions that are being overshadowed. This would ultimately lead to him giving up on the band along with the other three. John is presented as a flight risk, or half of a higher whole, one made up of Yoko and himself. He's enthralled with this union and relatively uninterested in any other part of the universe, including bathing and changing clothes. And as for Ringo, his unwavering obedience seems to be the only continuity in the film. He sits on his stool, smoking his cigarettes and waiting for direction, looking lost and keeping quiet.

I'm still not entirely sure what the answer to my original question is. All I know is that these four people have made such an impact and have touched so many lives while also reinventing music in a way most artists would've never had imagined. I appreciate the authenticity of this film as it doesn't try to sugarcoat the real issues that were occurring during their later years. This is probably my longest and most random blog post, but it needed to be written.

This is "For You Blue." I hope you "Dig It." "I've Got A Feeling" that it'll inspire you to watch the series too. "Across The Universe" and back, thank you for reading.

Down below I've listed my favorites from the Let It Be album as well as what member wrote it:

"Two Of Us" - Lennon/McCartney

"I Me Mine" - George Harrison

"I've Got A Feeling" - Lennon/McCartney

"For You Blue" - George Harrison

And although this may or may not count, my favorite song recorded in the studio at this time is "Don't Let Me Down," written primarily by Lennon and later released as a single.