Album: Abbey Road
Released: September 26 1969 (Apple)
Look at the cover: the Beatles crossing 'Abbey Road' going to the studios. Did they know that this was going to be the last album they will ever record together? Yes they knew that 'Abbey Road' was probably going to be the last recorded Beatles album.
We are in 1969, and it's safe to say that at that stage, the Beatles were already half split. John Lennon wanted Allen Klein in as their manager but Paul didn't want Klein. John was involved with his own band, 'The Plastic Ono Band' along with Yoko, Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon, Klaus Voorman. And Lennon, was also involved in a huge 'war is over' world peace campaign, and organized "happenings" with Yoko, (whom he had just married in Gibraltar) like the 'bed in' 'bed peace' in Toronto and Amsterdam. He also recorded singles with his band, and had just released a live album from a rock festival in Toronto with the Plastic Ono Band.
George Harrison too was playing with bands, and he even sponsored one which he had signed with 'Apple' the Radha Krishna Temple. And he had just signed James Taylor too.
George was no longer happy with the Beatles and Paul McCartney's "bossy ways" he wanted to record on his own, and his own songs and produce his own albums (see All Things Must Pass}.
For Ringo, well he had already left the band the previous year, during the recording of the 'White Album' (and that's probably why Paul plays drums on 'Back In The USSR').
Ringo, contemplated a career in movies. Cinema called him (he starred in the'magic Christian' the year after, and will continue all the 70's}. Let's note here that he'll be the one to arrange to have the three others recording on his album titled simply 'Ringo' in 1973 but never the four of them on the same track.
So, Paul McCartney, seemed to be the only one who wanted to keep the band alive but he obviously knew the task was becoming increasingly hopeless.
If you have a look at the White Album, released the year before, it was Paul with the band, John with the band, George with the band. George Martin will produce them together for the last time. Note that the stereo mix was made by the Beatles themselves. Its has no mono mix at all in fact.
Side one:
'Come Together' starts with it's "shoot me shoot me" (kind of spooky in retrospect) we are plunged directly into that Lennon world with lyrics as only he could write. With Paul's stretchy bass and George's subtle guitar, 'Come Together' is probably one of the best Lennon songs not to forget Billy "get back" Preston on keyboards.
With 'Something' on side B this will be the hit single.
With the eight Ringo's drum beats and George's guitar intro on 'Something' that's when I'd like to weep: not only because of George's demise but the incredible beauty of that song his voice had conveyed the kind of emotion just needed for that number, the chorus is just perfect and that little solo seems to say: "yes it's over but don't cry......no don't cry!
Enter Paul, with one of those songs he seemed to enjoy to write for kids 'Maxwell Silver Hammer' is in the same vein than 'Obladi Oblada' or even 'Yellow Submarine'. That song will feature a VC3 synthesizer. In the 'Let it Be' movie, we can see Paul showing the chords to George and John and Mal Evans hammering the beat just before each choruses.
Paul will follow with 'Oh Darling'. I've a got feeling he thought that this number was going to be a hit or something. Anyway I liked it then but I'm not a great fan of it anymore.
Ringo arrives with his 'Octopus's Garden' so alive thanks to his peculiar singing and also George's guitar and back vocals (they wrote the song together he and Ringo).
The intro riff of 'I Want You (she's So Heavy)' will introduce us once again into that Lennon world it's very bluesy, and has rather modest lyrics, that track will close the side one, with that George's riff for the ad lib that ends so suddenly without any fading at all. The song also features Billy Preston on Hammond organ. It was the first song rehearsed in those sessions.
Side B:
'Here Comes The Sun' is here to warm our bones, George is in a very good mood, and his acoustic playing sounds like some kind of magic to my ears must be the capo on the 7th fret. It's a great moment of optimism as if everything was alright.
'Because' with John on lead vocals again we are invited deep into the Abbey Road's heart it's a kind of pre-climax. To me, that song is one of the greatest musical treasure ever with the Heavenly melody with the "nine Beatles" incredible audio effect.
'You Never Give Me Your Money' with these lyrics this is when we get a glimpse of what Paul is going through with the band; he was supposed to be the "pseudo-manager" or something. Since Brian Epstein's death, Apple was turning to be a kind of huge monster difficult to handle. George's Godly solo in the chorus makes of it a wonderful moment.
The Medley:
"1234567 all good children go to Heaven" this announces the beginning of the end.
'Sun King' brings back Lennon to the front and the blessing of that 'Beatles sound'. That intro, still gives me goose pimples with all that simple perfection. Here, Lennon invents a new language that sounds like Spanish, but is not.
When 'Mr Mustard' arrives with Lennon/McCartney singing in unison it always reminds me of the good old days of "Beatlemania" the listener is hypnotized by now.
'Polythene Pam' to me this is the heart of 'Abbey Road' it's the sanctum sanctorum of that world of sounds that feeds such wonderful audio images to our minds. That must be why this music is always greater on vinyl as the audio landscape is broader.
George is back with his Fender, 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' shows the genius of Paul McCartney once again with unconscious reminiscences of 'Sgt Peppers'.
Paul sings incredibly well here "she could steal, but she could not rob"; the three seconds of silence, and the little mythical rock symphony will begin. Paul is at the peak of his art here with 'Golden Slumbers' (a song he wrote long ago) the violins, the piano, oh my God, if there is a Paradise, that must be it.
'Carry That Weight' this is some pure Beatles, with a melting pot. Paul is here with his 'You Never Give Me Your Money' melody again. 'Carry That Weight', will give us the first and last Ringo's drum solo and it featured the three of them with their guitars: George Paul and John respectively.
And in the end. Yes! The End! It was finished, the Beatles had said it all. What a glorious way to end a career: "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love.......you make".
'Her Majesty' was this a joke from an engineer? A mistake? or Paul wanted the last word? (he had it anyway) another one of those special Beatles secrets or mysteries. Edit: I think it was meant to be placed between 'Polythene Pam' and 'She Came in Through the Bathroom Window'.
Conclusion:
Be it conscious or unconscious this was a 'goodbye' from the Beatles to the world, the sixties were at an end and the 'dream' was over, (like john will sing it in his first solo album the year after). Anyway, 'Abbey Road' marked the end of an era, and the beginning of another. 'Let It Be' will be released the year after, but that was already of the past.
Track list:
1. Come Together
2. Something
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4. Oh! Darling
5. Octopus's Garden
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7. Here Comes the Sun
8. Because
9. You Never Give Me Your Money
10. Sun King
11. Mean Mr. Mustard
12. Polythene Pam
13. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
14. Golden Slumbers
15. Carry That Weight
16. The End
17. Her Majesty
