Failure: Do You Just "Let It Be"?

In early January, 1969, four young men from the ages of 28 to 25 convened in a soundstage in Twickenham Studios in London to record a new batch of songs. The studio was not their normal stomping grounds and was considered cold and cavernous.

Unfortunately, for this band, they had been floundering now for over a year struggling for direction since the death of their manager in August, 1967.

Left virtually to their own devices, one of them hatched a scheme putting them in an unfamiliar studio, with poorly developed songs, and a notion that this would somehow regenerate their love of playing together again. The other three reluctantly went along.

The idea was a complete disaster and the entire mess was not just caught on audio tape, but film as well. What was meant to be a return to the basics that brought them fame and fortune caused even more fractious behavior. One of them quit (and eventually returned). One had his new girlfriend by his side virtually the whole time. The one who initiated the project is seen trying to start a fire where there was not even a spark.

The recording sessions concluded at the end of January, 1969 and the studio engineer was left to master the record that March. By the time the record was ready, the four lads had no interest in the project and were moving on to other ventures. Each of them had been making strides to fold the band and work solo. However, they needed to finish their careers together with one more piece of exceptional work. The sessions in January were not to be it.

In April, 1969, they reconvened with instructions from their long standing producer that he would produce the album. However, it would be under his tutelage. There would be no weird studios, or some cooked-up concept, or a film crew. It would what they do best: creative songs, creative production and collaboration. That record would be known as "Abbey Road". It was released in September, 1969 and went on to become a classic. The previous project would eventually be known as "Let It Be".

The Long and Winding Road

Many people know this story of "Let It Be": how it was recorded before "Abbey Road" and that it was rife with problems. Plus that eventually Phil Spector was hired to take this body of work and turn it into something, anything, and created what has been questionably the appropriate swan song for The Beatles. Under Spector’s production, "Let It Be" would be released in May, 1970. One month earlier, Paul McCartney officially announced his departure causing the band’s break-up.

Fast forward thirty-three years later to 2003 and "Let It Be" resurfaced once again with mixes that were truer to the original mix and not laden with Phil Spector's Wall-Of-Sound production stylings. Jump eight more years later to 2011 and I am finally listening to this record known as "Let It Be…Naked".

Despite that, in some places, it is dramatically different and in some cases, better than the original, I still believe what was eventually released as "Let It Be" in May, 1970 is the one and only true version. "Let It Be…Naked" may be an interesting listen. However it cannot replace the original. There is no way of going back in time to replace it.

Across The Universe

Still knowing what I know about the history of this project, I think that this is just another attempt to poke at this project to see if it can somehow be revitalized or reshaped with the goal perhaps of replacing the original.

Perhaps not. But why revisit it again? It was clear, from my standpoint, that this project was dead by March, 1969. Maybe even sooner. However that’s a pop music historian view, not a project manager view.

It is almost as if they could not recognize and/or reconcile that "Let It Be" was a failure. Even though they were The Beatles, they were still human and just as capable of having failure like you and me.

I think that no matter who you are, it is hard to see failure sometime, especially when you have been so successful. It is hard to admit your idea sucked, or you presentation tanked, or that no matter how much you examine something, twist it around, reshape it, it will never fly.

I've Got A Feeling

Just recently, I failed at something big time. It took a whole month of turning it around, trying to make it fit and rationalizing why I should not quit. However, I finally made peace with it and said good-bye forever. What it was is not important. What is important is that I embraced my failure, recognized it as so, and have moved on.

I do not have any advice as to how to recognize that moment. The analogy that has helped me with those types of decisions is the idea of a dog that chases it tail – spinning yourself dizzy and getting nowhere. I think there is also a legacy of decisiveness that I want to maintain. I want to not be afraid of making a decision, whether it be holding on, or just letting it be.

What is your advice? How do you recognize failure? Is there a set criterion?
Do you just feel it in your bones? What do you think?