The Beatles – ‘Abbey Road’
After trying to get back to their roots on the album Let It Be, The Beatles had finally reached the end of the line. Having struggled through the rigorous tasks of their double album experience on The White Album, each member was content to leave their last projects unfinished and move on to their own solo careers. Instead of leaving everything where it was, ‘The Fab Four’ went into the studio one more time to create a studio album for the ages on Abbey Road.
Looking to make something in the vein of their classic albums like Sgt Pepper, every member of the group is in prime form across the album. Starting with a warm up of sorts, ‘Come Together’ is a reminder that the band can still work as a solid rock and roll band together. Based on Chuck Berry’s ‘You Can’t Catch Me’, John Lennon taps into his funky side while Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr deliver some of their greatest moments as a rhythm section, with Macca’s swampy bassline and Starr’s lackadaisical drum fills.
McCartney’s version of old-time rock and roll also brings a showstopper on ‘Oh! Darling’, as he tears his throat apart, much like his idol Little Richard used to do in clubs around the world. Although Macca might have a bit too much schmaltz in some of his solo songs, like ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’, the melody is too good to pass up, especially with the sounds of a primitive synthesiser twinkling in the background.
Even though The Beatles are still a unit, they haven’t forgotten their need to experiment, like the wind machine present on a handful of tunes to create a subtle ambience to the record. Though side A is predominantly made up of traditional pop songs, ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ may be one of the most forward-looking tracks that the band would ever create. While staying within a bluesy foundation, the band create one of the first heavy metal songs, with a riff that sounds like the apocalypse is taking place and the listener is watching the whole thing unfold.
For all of Lennon and McCartney’s great moments, George Harrison is the true MVP of this album. Having spent time honing his craft as a songwriter, Harrison makes some of the best songs on the project, from the pure love song ‘Something’ to the perfection of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ starting off side two. Outside of his songwriting, Harrison is also in tune with every track, always providing the right tasty guitar lick to go with the music.
Although the album sets itself up to be an above-average conclusion to The Beatles’ saga, the record’s second half contains some of the best pieces of music ever committed to tape. After frolicking in the sun with Harrison in ‘Here Comes the Sun’, Lennon’s ‘Because’ features the most sublime harmony work of their career, consisting of nothing but a guitar, a harpsichord and the sound of their voices to create a choral effect. As the band members talk about the simple wonders of life, listeners are left in the air before the track subtly floats away.
Leading out of the classically-tinged masterpiece, the unofficial ‘medley’ of the album begins at ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’. Made up of different pieces of music that the band never really finished properly, the rapid-fire energy of every song leaves the listener hungry to see where the piece is going to go next.
‘Money’ could easily be a medley by itself, going through different movements from a ballad to a fierce rocker to making four key changes before listening to McCartney drive away with his lover. Crossing over into ‘Sun King’, the laid-back tempo and the guitar’s echo tones put the listener into a state of ease before the punches of ‘Mean Mr Mustard’ and ‘Polythene Pam’. While both tunes stand on their own as decent pieces, the common thread remains Harrison’s guitar, leaving tiny nuggets of brilliance between the transitions.
After finally coming to a close on the pop-friendly ‘She Came In Through the Bathroom Window’, the finale portion of the record begins on ‘Golden Slumbers’, as McCartney lulls the listener down to sleep with a simple lullaby. As the song intensifies, everything crashes into ‘Carry That Weight’. There’s a certain homecoming quality to the tune of the track, featuring a reprise of the melody from ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ and The Beatles singing as if they knew this would be the last time they would play together.
Following suit on ‘The End’, the band wrap up their career perfectly in less than two minutes, featuring Ringo Starr’s only drum solo committed to tape and every one of the band members trading guitar fills before McCartney leaves the audience with one last word of wisdom: “and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”.
Although there are a few blemishes to be found, most of them still feel like they belong in the context of the entire album. Despite Ringo Starr’s contribution ‘Octopus’ Garden’ easily qualifying as the worst song on the album, it’s still a reminder that The Beatles were entertainers before anything else. And just like the prize in a cereal box, the hidden track ‘Her Majesty’ is the perfect accident to leave in, with fans not anticipating its sudden stop.
If Sgt Pepper opened The Beatles up to greater sonic pastures, Abbey Road is what happens when all of those creative minds work together for one last time. Although each band member would go on to do greater things on their own in their solo careers, this remains the peak of their respective careers and one of the most sonically advanced records to come from one of history’s most celebrated bands.