Album: Abbey Road
Artist: The Beatles
Submitted by: B.C.
Year: 1975 (11th studio album)
US Billboard Peak: 28th (1st in UK)Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums: 14th
I think almost everyone knows of or has heard a Beatles song. As John Lennon once said, "We're more popular then Jesus now". Growing up listening to the oldies radio station and the traditional Sunday Beatles Brunch programming, I am very familiar with much of their catalog. The old pop culture question, "Elvis or Beatles" was a true statement growing up as my mom is a loyal Elvis Presley fan and never cared for the fab 4 from across the pond. There for, I have never heard a Beatles album from start to finish.
I wasn't surprised that B.C. had a Beatles album on his list, I was more surprised it was only 1. I put this in not knowing what to expect. I knew Abbey Road was a prolific album and probably one of the most recreated iconic album covers ever, but I didn't know where it fit in in the world of historical albums. I didn't know where in the Beatles career this was. I knew it was past their "pop" British invasion years and closer to the more prolific time where they redefined music.
As I started to play the album several songs from my past popped up. "Come Together", "Something", "Octopuses Garden". I wasn't overly impressed as a whole, wondering "who am I to judge the Beatles?" It just seemed to be a collection of great songs. The lyrics are solid, the songs have a heavy Blues guitar influence with the heavy riffs, picking and slides, but I questioned what makes Abbey Road so great. And then Side B hit.
"You Never Give Me Your Money", a classic song on its own, ends with the sounds of crickets and my ears tune in to the unique sound addition to a music album, this cricket transitions us into "Sun King". I begin to get lured into this stream of medleys as the the next 14 minute are tied together like an audible stage performance changing sets and scenes before my ears. By the 3rd song I'm over whelmed with audible joy. THIS IS WHY I DID THE STUDY! The concept of an album formed through the parts (the songs), building onto each other to tell the story and emotion as a whole. By the time the 6th song was in, I was completely emotionally pulled in, almost to tears of joy listening and feeling the music.
This 14 minute sequence of intertwined songs bring us through the 3 acts of a play in my mind, introducing the characters of the world, the challenges and triumphs of our adventure. It even ends with an orchestrated fan faire, as you would hear during the closing credits. Like a curtain call, many of the lyrics and melodies of earlier moments in the story take another bow during the conclussion. As the curtain goes down and the lights come up, they tack on one last joke track just to lighten what to me was an emotional roller coaster of sound. A near perfect ending in the same vein as the usher cleaning the last of the crowded theatre or Porky Pig saying "That's all folks". The performance has ended.
I really want to listen to this on original LP as I listened to it as a CD rip so I got track skips between many of the tracks. As I said earlier, this album is why I did this study. To really learn what music has become and appreciate the work of "the album" and what it means too so many others. Abbey Road is definitely in a special place in my heart and will remember as I drove through Illinois that memorial day in 2016.
