The Stig
01-28-2004, 04:54 PM
The Beatles: Abbey Road
Released 1969
John-Guitar
Paul-Bass
George-Guitar
Ringo-Drums
This is by all means one of the best albums of all time. The first eight songs are stand-alone entities that showcase all ranges of the Beatles' abilities. The next eight songs play together almost as one song. The last song wraps it up perfectly. While not as weird as some of their stuff (namely The White Album or Magical Mystery Tour), this still isn't nearly as simple as Meet The Beatles.
Come Together--This is a nice starter song. A classic, the song is perfected by George's flawless slide solos. Although the words are a bit out there (What is Walrus Gumboot, anyways), they fit in with the smooth, cool mood of the song. 5/5
Something--One of the best love songs ever. It was written by Harrison about Eric Clapton's wife (the same woman who in "Layla" knocked Clapton off his feet). Simple, but very good. 5/5
Maxwell's Silver Hammer--Leave it to the Beatles to write a song about a boy/man running around whacking people on the head with a hammer. A bit silly, but still a nice song. I especially love the anvil playing in the background. 4.5/5 for silliness
Oh! Darling--Almost remeniscent of a '50's ballad, this really shows off McCartney's vocal ability. Truly an underrated song from this album. 5/5
Octopus's Garden--One of two Beatles songs written by Ringo. I have to say that the guitar on the intro and in the background of the last chorus sounds really good. To be quite honest, I also think Ringo has a nice voice, too. It's not the greatest, but still great. 4/5
I Want You (She's so Heavy)--The longest Beatles song ever except for "Revolution #9" (which I don't honestly really consider a song). It has some nice, blusey soloing in it, but I feel that it gets a bit too repetitive for the length of time it is. 3.5/5
Here Comes The Sun--A nice acoustic song that speeds up a lot at the second verse. Nice, optimistic George Harrison song. 5/5
Because--A bit of a dark-sounding song; it never really speeds up at all. Also, to me, the first bit sounds an awful lot like "A Woolf At The Door" by Radiohead...hmmm...nothing too spectacular here...3.5/5
After this song, the album seems to blend the rest of the songs together. I'll review them as a collective because, quite honestly, they don't have as much standing on their own. Here goes:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
Almost a mini-album in itself, this shows some of the troubles The Beatles were going through, from record company problems ("Money") to fame ("Bathroom Window"). The mood gradually builds up to "Bathroom Window," then climaxes at the orchestral break of "Weight." Then everything is thrown off for the Beatles' swan song, "The End." A nice drum solo and a wild guitar solo (played by John, Paul, and George) make way for a tiny piano/vocal duet. The last line, "And in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take." sums up the entire career of The Beatles. All is over with the final, perfect closure. 5/5
Or almost. The very last track is seventeen seconds of Paul singing about how much he loves the Queen in Her Majesty. Then, the perfect album is over for good. 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Released 1969
John-Guitar
Paul-Bass
George-Guitar
Ringo-Drums
This is by all means one of the best albums of all time. The first eight songs are stand-alone entities that showcase all ranges of the Beatles' abilities. The next eight songs play together almost as one song. The last song wraps it up perfectly. While not as weird as some of their stuff (namely The White Album or Magical Mystery Tour), this still isn't nearly as simple as Meet The Beatles.
Come Together--This is a nice starter song. A classic, the song is perfected by George's flawless slide solos. Although the words are a bit out there (What is Walrus Gumboot, anyways), they fit in with the smooth, cool mood of the song. 5/5
Something--One of the best love songs ever. It was written by Harrison about Eric Clapton's wife (the same woman who in "Layla" knocked Clapton off his feet). Simple, but very good. 5/5
Maxwell's Silver Hammer--Leave it to the Beatles to write a song about a boy/man running around whacking people on the head with a hammer. A bit silly, but still a nice song. I especially love the anvil playing in the background. 4.5/5 for silliness
Oh! Darling--Almost remeniscent of a '50's ballad, this really shows off McCartney's vocal ability. Truly an underrated song from this album. 5/5
Octopus's Garden--One of two Beatles songs written by Ringo. I have to say that the guitar on the intro and in the background of the last chorus sounds really good. To be quite honest, I also think Ringo has a nice voice, too. It's not the greatest, but still great. 4/5
I Want You (She's so Heavy)--The longest Beatles song ever except for "Revolution #9" (which I don't honestly really consider a song). It has some nice, blusey soloing in it, but I feel that it gets a bit too repetitive for the length of time it is. 3.5/5
Here Comes The Sun--A nice acoustic song that speeds up a lot at the second verse. Nice, optimistic George Harrison song. 5/5
Because--A bit of a dark-sounding song; it never really speeds up at all. Also, to me, the first bit sounds an awful lot like "A Woolf At The Door" by Radiohead...hmmm...nothing too spectacular here...3.5/5
After this song, the album seems to blend the rest of the songs together. I'll review them as a collective because, quite honestly, they don't have as much standing on their own. Here goes:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
Almost a mini-album in itself, this shows some of the troubles The Beatles were going through, from record company problems ("Money") to fame ("Bathroom Window"). The mood gradually builds up to "Bathroom Window," then climaxes at the orchestral break of "Weight." Then everything is thrown off for the Beatles' swan song, "The End." A nice drum solo and a wild guitar solo (played by John, Paul, and George) make way for a tiny piano/vocal duet. The last line, "And in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take." sums up the entire career of The Beatles. All is over with the final, perfect closure. 5/5
Or almost. The very last track is seventeen seconds of Paul singing about how much he loves the Queen in Her Majesty. Then, the perfect album is over for good. 5/5
Overall: 5/5