Peter Jackson’s Disney+ docu-series The Beatles: Get Back is a look into how the band crafted music together during what would be the creation of their last album, Let It Be. (They went on to record Abbey Road after this session, but Let It Be was completed and released later, with these sessions also marking the last time the band performed live.) Peter Jackson brought us over 7 hours of footage from the band, and the consensus is this: They’re just a bunch of dudes.
Let me explain: Throughout the entire seven hours, the Beatles as we’ve come to know them have jam sessions, dance around, climb scaffolding, drink, smoke, and make fun of each other all while Paul McCartney is in the background writing “Let It Be,” or George Harrison comes in after watching some sci-fi thing with “I Me Mine” half-written.
But somehow, watching Paul McCartney climbing up on scaffolding and acting like a kid made this seven-hour journey exciting and fun because we were reminded that, somehow, the Beatles gave us music that changed rock’n’roll all before any of them turned 30 years old.
How did they get anything done?
Not only did the Beatles spend their time playing other songs (meaning songs like “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan or “Rock and Roll Music” by Chuck Berry), but they also loved to just mess around. When Paul McCartney’s daughter Heather shows up at one point, the band just lets her mess around when they’re supposed to be recording songs. They all just do whatever they want and then will somehow stop with a completed version of “Get Back” on the tip of their fingers.
How? I don’t know. Maybe that’s why The Beatles are some of the best because all we got to see was a group of friends messing around, but instead of a coffee table getting broken because someone thought it would hold their weight, this session of “just dudes being guys” results in some of the greatest songs ever written.
It helps to put into perspective that the oldest of them was 28 years old, so not only were they childhood friends thrown into fame and fortune, but they were also incredibly young and writing Let It Be. Watching all seven hours to end up seeing the band craft songs we know and love while Ringo Starr remains silent and drinking a beer, or Paul McCartney sings a song in a weird voice, is somehow breathtakingly beautiful.
Who knew that the lovable lads just being dudes could be so amazing?!
Somehow, I want more footage of The Beatles just working together. I would watch every single day of footage if I could because these were four men who clearly cared about each other. Even when they’re fighting, they still care enough to go and try to make things right. Because they’re the Beatles no matter what. Even if they are just four dudes being guys, and then turning around and writing “Get Back” on a whim.
(image: Disney)
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