The Emotional Impact of “The Beatles: Get Back” From a Young Fan’s Perspective

Skylar Moody
5 min readDec 8, 2021
Image Credit — USA Today

Almost one year ago, when Peter Jackson released the first teaser for “Get Back”, I felt like I was brought out of a rut. I’ve always had an obsessive personality, and when my love for The Beatles began in 2014, it became an obsession on crack. With age, I’ve learned to keep most of it at bay, now discussing them with a more mature mindset.

When my behavior started to change, I began to think that meant my love for The Beatles was slowly diminishing. The days of giggles, midnight jam sessions and their entire discography on repeat were drifting as I focused more on finishing college and wondering what the future would bring. Little did I know, we’d come full circle.

Seeing remastered, unreleased content had me in ruins, taking screenshot after screenshot while replaying the teaser on an endless loop. That same excitement was brought around again over the summer, after hearing we’d get more footage than originally promised to stream on Disney +. There was no better decision that could have been made.

With the footage I’ve taken in, I’ve witnessed their personalities come to life in a way I wouldn’t have gotten from two hours in a movie theater. Though this era of their career has always been labeled as distressing or hostile, I saw the exact opposite displayed. “Get Back” confirmed the feelings I’ve known about their behavior and craft towards the end of their time together, while re-introducing me to the boys I love so dearly.

For three consecutive days, I was transported to 1969, joining The Beatles as history unknowingly came to life. I felt personally included in the process each time they addressed the camera, or while sitting within their circle listening to reminiscent conversations about their India trip, early touring years and the great artists of the 1950’s. Everything was uninterrupted. No present day interviews, voiceovers, or any form of distraction from their work.

Rather than a documentary, it felt like The Beatles meet-and-greet of my dreams: inclusive, unique and inspiring. A month in the studio, watching everything come together (no pun intended) from the ground up. The biggest bonus — meeting everyone from behind the scenes. The girlfriends and wives, the sound engineers…even Debbie, the receptionist at Apple Studios.

No matter how much screen time they were given, or the scale of the role they played, everyone involved in the process brought life to the sessions. Yes, Yoko Ono’s screaming included. Every little contribution made in terms of sound, stage setup, or “comic relief” to break apart the stress kept some form of sanity to the band.

Seeing Billy Preston, George Martin and Glyn Johns completely alter the environment by their presence allowed me to truly appreciate the work they put into the album, and help see them as more than just a name in Beatles history. Coincidentally, their personalities meshed well with The Beatles’, without which Let It Be wouldn’t be the same.

As an aside, I must say I appreciate the hammer sound in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” a lot more knowing that it was Mal Evans cheerfully hitting an anvil.

Despite the negativity that many have associated with these sessions, “Get Back” has confirmed my intuitive feelings that they did truly love one another. Seeing how well they were able to communicate and still manage to have fun with the process made me love them even more. I saw nothing but genuine, loving behavior while observing the way they looked at and acted around one another. No one had to force the positivity they portrayed.

A switch was flipped the minute the environment was changed, where I saw a strong effort from the boys to get ideas across and come to a consensus. Though we weren’t able to hear the exact conversations to bring back George, or witness their first few days at Apple, it left a lot to my imagination. What I do know is that finding a healthy way to compromise was necessary, and I commend them for being able to do so successfully and have such a rapid turnaround.

Even in the end, they were still looking for ways to perfect their recordings, be innovative and exit in style. The rooftop concert, as simple as it appeared next to their original ideas, was breathtaking to watch. The way Peter Jackson strung each clip together, incorporating “man on the street” interviews, and a look inside the building during the show was the most compelling piece of journalism I’ve ever seen.

As a music journalist in the making, I became overwhelmed seeing all of the concert footage put together. Knowing what it took to bring them to that moment only made the show that much more of an accomplishment and an emotional sight to see. The people on the streets of London hadn’t a clue about anything occurring on the roof, or behind the scenes. Yet somehow, I did? Walking away with every detail, seeing every aspect from start to finish was almost too much to handle.

The minute the credits ended, I wept tears of joy. I had my “proud mom” moment of watching my boys create a beautiful album after being a witness to the struggles that occurred throughout. For the first time, I was able to have them brought down from a pedestal, where I could see the imperfections. I’ve always glorified their work, but have now grown a deeper appreciation for the process behind it. They are the same intelligent, wild and confident individuals that I’ve always known them to be. Except this time, I was finally given the chance to hang out with them and see it firsthand.

November 4, 2014.

The teacher for my “Evolution of Popular Music” course played The Beatles’ first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, as part of the day’s lesson. I was the only student to not fall asleep in their seats, but rather laugh at the corny jokes and dissect the vague plotline. Come Thanksgiving weekend, I began to download my dad’s Beatles CD’s to my phone at only 15 years old.

November 27, 2021.

Another Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone. I’ve just finished the three-part “Get Back” documentary on Disney+, where I’ve turned into that same 15 year old yet again. Giddy and head over heels for the four beautiful men displayed on the screen before me, in awe of their creativity, stage presence and wit.

I’ve fallen in love all over again at 22 years old. To that, I say cheers to seven years, and another seven more.

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