55 years ago today, The Beatles released their “final” album. While ‘Let It Be’ would be released a year later, the recordings of this album were, chronologically, the last songs recorded by the band. After the recording sessions of the proposed ‘Get Back’ album fizzled out (which would eventually make up ‘Let It Be’), the band approached producer George Martin to produce another album. Martin’s role with the band had been reduced since The White Album in 1968, so for this
project, he requested a return to the more disciplined production style of their earlier albums together.
What resulted was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time, and the final stamp of the collective work of one of, if not, the most influential bands of all time. A year after the album was released, The Beatles would break up, and dive into their respective solo careers, each critically acclaimed in their own right.
However, before they walked out the door of EMI Studios, they put out this: Abbey Road, one of the best albums of all time. Here is our review of it, with Will taking Side 1, and Zack taking Side 2.
Side 1
Come Together
And here we are. We start one of the greatest albums of all time with what? A guitar solo? Nope. Drum fill? Nuh-uh. No, we’re kicking off the best Beatles album with BASS. And it’s one of Paul McCartney’s absolute best, too. Thick, rich, and foreboding tones hover in empty space. It sounds mysterious, almost quizzical, like the album is asking you a question. This gloom is only punctuated by sparse guitar plucks, and John Lennon frantically whisper-singing under each flourish: “Shoot me,” he murmurs. “Shoot me.”
This is an unbelievable opener. I can almost empathize with the troves of 1970s conspiracists who thought the Beatles were doing something satanic with their music–this song sounds like some ritual not of this earth. From the nonsensical lyrics, to the stripped back production, there’s something truly bizarre happening here, and I adore it.
Something
Frank Sinatra called this song “The greatest love song of the last 50 years,” and he wasn’t kidding. This song, perhaps George Harrison’s best, feels like being in love–not just a crush, but real, full-blown adoration. The strings underlying Harrison’s cooing voice completely capture me, and as they swell at the climax of the song, I can’t help but feel fuzzy. Amazing song, and a testament to just how unfathomably talented Harrison was.
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
Not so fun fact: this song took a grueling 3 days to complete; an experience that, I imagine, couldn’t have helped the band’s soon following breakup. Fittingly, the song follows the life of a hammer-wielding murderer named Max, as he slays his way across the British countryside. There’s a goofy air to this song that I find fun, at least, but I don’t find myself returning to it too terribly often. I can just imagine John growing increasingly annoyed as Paul does another take of hammer clangs for the recording. Haha.
Oh! Darling
It’s not my favorite, I’ll be honest. It’s operating in this sort of Doo Wop mode, with hard rock elements sprinkled here and there, and it’s just really not clicking for me. Lennon’s vocal fry throughout this song, also, verges on being a bit much. I also, I think, have a sort of aversion to soulful piano tones in a rock song… I think overexposure to Queen as a child has permanently altered my neurochemistry. Sorry, just not my thing.
Octopus’s Garden
NOW *THIS* IS MY THING. This is the best Beatles song. Full stop. I don’t need any introspective love songs, or soulful rock ballads. No, I just need some time on the bottom of the ocean with my dang boys, kicking it with the deep sea flora and fauna. All pretense aside, I really really do love this song, and have a lot of warm memories associated with it (it’s on heavy rotation in the Weather Vane production room). As goofy and “out there” as it is, I can’t help but love it. Darn you, Ringo.
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
The last song of side A, the beginning of the end, so to speak. How did the Beatles decide to lead into the mind-boggling second half of this album? With a funky, bluesy head-bopper. The rhythmic work on this song blows me away every time I revisit it. I can’t make my way through the breakdown at the two minute mark without scrunching my nose and nodding. Just an unreal vibe is caught up in this song, and the outro being composed of a static hiss that abruptly cuts returns us to the same odd, uneasy place we began. Where will we go from here, Zack?
Side 2.
Here Comes the Sun
What a beautiful song. Harrison, who at this point in time was desperately wanting to be set free from the restraints of being in the band. Both the tension within the band, the label, and the creative restrictions Harrison experienced led to one of the most popular songs in the band’s discography. Harrison wrote the song in friend and fellow musician Eric Clapton’s garden on one of Clapton’s acoustic guitars.
Harrison is a phenomenal, and often overlooked guitarist, as well as a beautiful song writer. Both of those shine through in this song. This is one of the happiest songs of all time, and it’s born from unbelievable stress, tensions, and frustration. The bass line from McCartney, Starr playing the song beautifully as ever on the drums, and Harrison and McCartney providing backing vocals as well. What a contrast from the dark, driving guitars from Lennon’s ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’. It’s like the sun coming out in the early evening after an extremely rainy day.
Because
This song kicks off with some amazing vocals from Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. The trios vocals make it sound like a choir of singers leading into the song. The lead electric guitar has a very haunting, rhythmic sound to it. An extremely short, but beautiful song with simple, but well-written lyrics about how the world makes Lennon feel.
You Never Give Me Your Money
This song kicks off my favorite section of music ever. “The Medley’ or ‘The Long One’. This song, to ‘The End’ all lead into one another, so to the average listener they sound like one, continuous, long song. The first section of the song kicks off slowly with McCartney on the piano, with a quiet refrain, inspired by McCartney’s frustration with then Beatles manager Allen Klein.
It then, with some drumming by Starr, leads into strong, musical theater-esque-vocals, and some nice bass lines by McCartney. The immediate tempo shift is super fun as well. The guitar playing in the song, shared between Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison across its various sections is amazing as well.
Harrison ends this song with a sick solo. A collection of three songs in one, this song is a great way to kick off the medley. The ending repeated vocals of “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to heaven,” leads into the next song with…
Sun King
… bells, crickets, and the sound of water. This song sounds like sitting on the porch in summer. There’s a slight breeze, the guitars in this section are extremely relaxing, the reverb on them makes me feel as if I’m floating. As always, there’s a great McCartney bassline to go along with it. The organ in this song, played by Martin fits like a glove. The vocals kick off with more harmonies from the trio of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, singing about ‘The Sun King.” Eventually, the lyrics break off into gibberish Spanish, Italian and Portuguese lyrics.
Lennon’s unique song-writing style shines through yet again here. The sound of a Starr lead in…
Mean Mr. Mustard
… carries us right into a song about a “mean old man.” I love the bass guitar on this song so much, it rocks. It’s a fun, simple song to sing along to. The song was inspired by an article in a newspaper about a man, with the last name Mustard, whose wife divorced him due to meannes. Starr’s tambourine and maraca playing adds a unique feeling to the song as well.
The second verse mentions his “sister Pam,” and her “taking him out to look at the Queen.” The song ends with the…
Polythene Pam
…introductory guitar licks of this uptempo, head banging Lennon track. Lennon’s raw vocals on this song, with the beautiful harmonies from McCartney in the background. The guitar, and drumming on this song is infectious. I always find myself singing this all the way through when it’s on, or sometimes just to myself when I walk around.
The song ends with yet another sweet Harrison solo and then…
She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
…“Oh look out!” God, McCartney is such a good singer. More amazing backing vocals by Lennon and Harrison aid the vocals of McCartney. I love the array of percussion on this track as well, as Starr plays the maraca, drums, and tambourine again. The guitars in this song are also amazing, with Harrions on the lead, and Lennon on a 12 string guitar. I sound like a broken record, but man, Paul can play the bass, yet another sick line from him. The story telling on this song is fun as well.
It is about some fans who broke into McCartney’s garden, and stole a few items of his. Then…
Golden Slumbers
… silence. A piano leads us in. “Once there was a way, to get back homeward.” An orchestra of instruments comes in, and more bass surrounds the ears, this time however, played by Harrison. Then, bang, Starr’s drumming powerfully leads into the screaming, but angelic vocals of McCartney. The song, based on a poem written 400 years prior, to me sounds like a last, futile belief that the band will “get back,” to what they used to be. Boy…
Carry That Weight
… “You’re gonna carry that weight/ Carry that weight a long time.” Such a beautiful lead into yet another wonderful song. We get some more Ringo vocals! What a lovely lad. Harrison can play the hell out of a guitar, he has a sick lick 35 seconds in. The horns on this song are angelic. Orchestral Beatles songs just hit different such heat in a minute and 22 second song.
We get a call back to ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ after the Harrison lick, with some more amazing McCartney lyrics. Then, right back to Ringo after some horns baby. Wow, this song has energy, some of the most on the album. Then, some Harrison guitar playing led into…
The End
… one of the most infectious songs on the album. The last song in which all four members had a role in its recording, and the last recorded song by the band. The guitar on this captures your attention right away, with some great Ringo drumming to boot. Some raw Mccartney vocals leads you into the ONLY drum solo performed by Starr on a Beatles song, who famously hates drum solos. Then, after some more great Harriosn guitar, and the common trio of vocals singing “love you,” we get a guitar battle! With the order of McCartney, Harrison, and then Lennon, the three hit some great solos, each sounding like they try to outdo the other.
The guitar solo battle may be my favorite point on the album. It’s so raw, headbanging, and showcases the best of the trios guitar styles. A heavily distorted Lennon guitar carries us into “the end.” A piano floats in, and the last vocals recorded, by one of the greatest bands ever comes in. “And in the end the love you take/ Is equal to the love you make.” A wonderfully played Harrison solos carries us out. What a fitting “last song.” The solo winds down, and some horns carry us out. You sit in silence. What an album. Huh…
Her Majesty
… a hidden track? This song, by no means, is bad. In fact, it used to be part of the medley. It was originally placed in between ‘Mean Mr. Mustard And ‘Polythene Pam’. McCartney is the only Beatle on this song, playing his acoustic guitar, and singing about how much the queen, and how scared he is to tell her he loves her.
The guitar is very nice, the song is very short and sweet at 23 seconds. However, it just feels like a throw away. ‘The End’ to me, is the perfect ending, but this being a hidden, unlisted track with a long stretch of silence must’ve beforehand probably made this a cool finding when someone had the physical vinyl of this album in the 1960s, and could’ve been the first of their friends to hear it. The mystique of this is ruined by streaming however, as it is listed. Me owning the vinyl of this album however, makes me appreciate this song just a little bit more, even if I prefer ‘The End’, being the end. In the end, what a run. Wow.