Why All Creatives Must Watch The Beatles Get Back Documentary
If you have yet to dedicate 8 hours of your life to The Beatles Get Back documentary, block time now. It is required watching for all creatives. No footage exists – that I’m aware of – of such transcendent artistic and cultural icons working through their creative process. It is like watching Picasso paint or Michelangelo sculpt David in real time.
The footage reminded me of The Last Dance documentary that focused on Jordan’s Bulls final season. The Beatles Get Back was similarly focused on The Beatles last dance, a documentary that culminated in their final live show atop the roof of Apple Records. In both instances, the players on each team knew the end was near. Yet in each case, they were able to make magic happen despite internal drama, whether it was George Harrison temporarily quitting or Dennis Rodman disappearing in Las Vegas.
For anyone looking for inspiration and direction on the mindset greatness requires, watch The Last Dance and study Kobe Bryant. For anyone aspiring for a creative pursuit, The Beatles Get Back is required viewing. If anything, the documentary shows how “normal” The Beatles were. It was not like muses descended from the heavens and suddenly struck them with special creative powers. They slogged through a similar process that many creatives have to endure. It is rarely, if ever, pretty.
Creativity Is Monotonous.
I am sure more than a few viewers wanted to bang their heads against the wall after hearing songs like “Don’t Let Me Down” for the 100th time. Many probably would have cut the documentary’s runtime in half. It was refreshing to see it in its entirety though because creativity is often monotonous, even for guitar gods like The Beatles.
People often romanticize creative pursuits. Watching The Beatles at their craft proved they were more mortal than we might have otherwise thought. They were throwing ideas against the wall or as Lennon said, “I’d say improvise it, man.” It was often monotonous and repetitive, but that was the point. They had to practice the same numbers over and over to perfect them. Just as a writer would go over the same material, constantly editing and trimming. The only difference between my writing and editing and The Beatles is that my finished product is far from the divine qualities of “Let It Be.”
The Beatles Get Back is a good reminder that creativity is often unsexy. We often miss this truth when we only witness the glamorous finished product. The Beatles seemed supernatural on the roof of Apple Records. But that performance alone misses the monotonous and painful work that led to that point. Creative pursuits are hard and there are no shortcuts, even for The Beatles.
Collaboration Can Be Painful.
George Harrison quit the band for God’s sake. After a few bites of toast, he said, “See you around the clubs.” After he left, Lennon pondered whether Eric Clapton might be available. Thankfully the drama was short-lived and George returned.
Collaboration often enriches creative pursuits, but people have egos. George had been playing third wheel in the songwriting department for years. He happened to be in a group with arguably the greatest songwriting duo of all time (Lennon / McCartney). Taking the third seat is a tough pill to swallow, especially when you have confidence in your creative powers, as George proved with songs like Something (one of the best love songs ever) and Here Comes the Sun.
It takes a strong person to acknowledge their place in a group and forge ahead in pursuit of the common creative goal. Oftentimes it helps to have more of a neutral third party arbitrate and manage personalities. The Beatles lost that person when their manager Brian Epstein died of a drug overdose in 1967. Paul McCartney took on more of a “boss” role, trying to keep everyone on track, while antagonizing people like George in the process.
Fresh faces are therefore necessary at times. When Billy Preston arrived after The Beatles moved studios from Twickenham to Apple Records, the group’s disposition noticeably changed. His presence helped everyone focus and forget about their petty disputes. It just goes to show that even The Beatles had collaborative challenges. Sometimes inviting newcomers into the fold brings more than a fresh perspective. It can help make the collaboration more effective.
You Must Be Tenacious or Have Someone In the Group Who Is.
That Beatle was Paul McCartney. The Let It Be album may not have reached the finish line had it not been for Paul driving everyone. Lennon was constantly late, Harrison was constantly upset, and Ringo was waiting for directions. Had it not been for Paul setting the ambitious goal of writing new material for what was originally billed as a live TV show, and then seeing it through, the band could have unraveled before it even left Twickenham.
Paul antagonized his bandmates by playing “boss”, but he could sense that it was now or never.
“The best bit of us — always has been and always will be — is when we’re backs-against-the-wall and we’ve been rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing.”
-Paul McCartney
Amidst the drama, Paul continued creating. He was tenacious. Creativity is not all ideas and muses, but constant grinding and leading by example.
There Will Always Be Distractions.
For The Beatles, it was Yoko. The New York Times ran a piece attributing her omnipresence to an artistic performance, but for me it validated much of what I had heard over the years. Some of it was unfair to Yoko, yes, but the fact remained that Paul lost his creative partner to her constant presence.
Yoko infiltrated their sacred circle, from the first chords at Twickenham to the rooftop performance. It was distracting at the very least. As a viewer, I could not keep my eyes off her. I cannot imagine how Paul and the others were able to practice or perform with Yoko sitting directly next to Lennon. For the entire time.
Sometimes the setting is not perfect. There may be distractions, from family and friends to noise coming in from outside. Whatever the case, The Beatles illustrated how to adapt to an environment and pursue their creative craft, distractions aside. It reminds me of a quote from A Gentleman In Moscow, “A man must master his circumstances or otherwise be mastered by them.”
Get Back To Where You Once Belonged.
If there is any takeaway from The Beatles Get Back documentary it is that creative pursuits are not easy for anyone. The process can be painful, especially if you are collaborating and not getting on well with your partners.
But there is a way. Build your own process, trust it, and grind away. If you have doubts, remember how difficult it was even for transcendent beings like The Beatles. With enough tenacity, you will get back to where you once belonged.
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