ALBUM REVIEW: The Beatles - Abbey Road

    February of 1969 saw Paul McCartney calling up producer George Martin to give him a simple request on behalf of The Beatles - come and produce our next album, the way we used to do it. Paul's asking of Martin only made sense after the massive chaos of the group's White Album or the infamous time during the then-shelved Get Back sessions. Martin agreed, so long as all of the members would allow him to produce in the manner he once did, and the result was the gang regrouping at EMI from April to August of that year, even being rejoined by engineer Geoff Emerick for the album - in hindsight, Harrison recalled that the album's sessions felt "as if we were reaching the end of the line." Indeed, Abbey Road carries a distinct feel of finality and completeness; a final bow; a grand curtain call; one last chef-d'œuvre. Abbey Road carries more than just a sense of completion, but it's filled front to back with what may be The Beatles' sharpest performances, as well as a brilliant sense of production throughout. In many ways, it's the most ideal and perfect finale for the group.

    Abbey Road is a truly unique album in the group's catalog, because while one could easily go back and forth about which Beatles album is their greatest, there's little debate in my mind about where Abbey Road ranks in terms of sound quality - this is the group's best produced album. George Martin's production work has grown just as much as The Beatles have in some ways, and in tandem with the brilliant work of Geoff Emerick, the result is a fantastic sounding rock record, from the rock and roll throwback of "Oh! Darling" to the lumbering proto-metal power of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". It's truly dynamic, be it some of the group's hardest-hitting rock or some of their sweetest pop numbers, and in many ways it grabs from various parts of The Beatles' best works; as brilliantly produced as Revolver, as adventurous and fun as Sgt. Pepper's, and nearly as versatile as The Beatles. Much like that album, every Beatle also gets ample time to contribute to this album, especially Ringo and George - Ringo's childlike ode to fantasy and escapism in "Octopus's Garden" is the sweetest of the few songs he's written for the group, and both Harrisongs with "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" remain amongst the group's truly greatest work, with "Something" being an easy contender for the group's most powerful love song.

    Every Beatle gets a cut of the pie to some extent, and this is especially good when they're creating some of their best material. John isn't the most present on this album, but when he is here he doesn't disappoint. "Come Together" is a solid opener and an even more solid single (although it would get secondary billing to Harrison's "Something" when both released as a double A-side). The dreamlike breeze of "Sun King" on the second half is one of his most tranquil moments, and the previously mentioned distorted haze and apocalyptic jam on "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" may stand as his greatest accomplishment within The Beatles - a swirling sea of that ominous guitar riff, Ringo's smashing drums, and a desperate performance from Lennon. "I want you so bad" is the most hedonistic antithesis to the simplicity of "I want to hold your hand" I could think of. Paul also doesn't sell himself short, with the aforementioned "Oh! Darling" being a sweet throwback to early rock and roll, complete with clean harmonies and a howling vocal performance from Paul. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" may have been much maligned by the other members of the group, but I can't deny that I find the track to be hell of a lot of fun. Any talk of Paul McCartney and Abbey Road however wouldn't be complete without... the medley. From the gentle prelude of "Because" to the exploding grand finale of "The End", McCartney effortlessly strings together small song fragments and leftovers into The Beatles' greatest accomplishment - this is how you sign off, no doubt. From John's segments in "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam" to Paul's brilliant progressive pop numbers on the fabulous and already multi-segmented "You Never Give Me Your Money" and the equally good "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", all culminating in the three song run of "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End", which sees every Beatle getting their own solo (even Ringo!), with The Beatles leaving us on one final word - the love you take is equal to the love you make.

    John Lennon privately told The Beatles he was leaving in 20 September 1969. Abbey Road was the final album the group ever recorded together. With this hindsight, it's easy to see exactly how the album carries such a perfect sheen and confidence with it, but it carries something else - some kind of sadness with it. The knowledge that these four young men would never regroup has always coated Abbey Road in a taste of melancholy, even on happy moments like "Here Comes the Sun" or the non-album single in "The Ballad of John & Yoko". Still, you have to admit this is one hell of a finale. The Beatles gave everything they had left on this album, and I think it shows with how brilliant and whole the album fits within the group's ethos. That inseparable recital of "JohnPaulGeorgeandRingo" may have split into John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, but it was good while it lasted. The Beatles, everyone - is any act more deserving of a standing ovation?

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Abbey Road.