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Alberto Muņoz View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Abbey Road: A fantastic progressive rock album.
    Posted: September 18 2009 at 12:41
Abbey Road, whoa... that album full of great memories.
 
I remember that i borrow that original stereo album from my uncle's collection.
 
When i hear that album the first time i was 9 or 10 years, and i was in awe when i hear it, fantastic.
 
Last wednesday i put the remaster version in my parents house and my little daughter (2 years old) was dancing along the hall with the songs.
 
What else can i say? fantastic.




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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 22:46
Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

Originally posted by mr.cub mr.cub wrote:

 
 
What I always look for in an album is depth, from piece to piece or within the pieces themselves. Abbey Road has more depth than many prog albums I have heard. It is ambitious and defining last statement by the band; it may not sound like 'traditional' prog albums but it is certainly progressive in sounding like the culmination of the Beatles work.
Not to mention better written. But that probably goes without saying.
Very true. Even with their simpler pop tunes, songwriting has rarely been matched
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 22:21
Originally posted by mr.cub mr.cub wrote:

 
 
What I always look for in an album is depth, from piece to piece or within the pieces themselves. Abbey Road has more depth than many prog albums I have heard. It is ambitious and defining last statement by the band; it may not sound like 'traditional' prog albums but it is certainly progressive in sounding like the culmination of the Beatles work.
Not to mention better written. But that probably goes without saying.
"Good evening hippies." Bobby Boy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 15:50
Originally posted by ianashleigh ianashleigh wrote:

Mr Cub, you have now posed the question: Is Who's Next a prog rock album?  Its one of my all time favourites and Won't Get Fooled Again is outstanding (has anyone else heard Ritchie Havens' cover?).  Do short 3, 4 and 5 minute songs preclude and album or band from being classed as prog rock?  If they are moving the boundaries within a 5 minute or 25 minute piece, its still prog rock.
That is for another thread my friend.
 
As for Abbey Road, I would say it is as progressive an album The Beatles released, right up there with Revolver. But remember, in 1969 prog rock was indicative of something more on the lines of In the Court of the Crimson King. Looking back, with the Long Medley on one side, a collection of innovative pieces on the other and a tremendous texture and feel throughout my answer is yes. Look at 'Here Comes the Sun', at first listen it seems to be a pretty simple pop tune. But listen carefully to the layering of synthesizers throughout the piece, especially during the last verse and chorus.
 
What I always look for in an album is depth, from piece to piece or within the pieces themselves. Abbey Road has more depth than many prog albums I have heard. It is ambitious and defining last statement by the band; it may not sound like 'traditional' prog albums but it is certainly progressive in sounding like the culmination of the Beatles work.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 15:34
Originally posted by Lionheart Lionheart wrote:

Abbey Road, a progressive record?
 
It's "light" prog as in Xover Prog. Not very prog in my book either.
 
Fantastic it is, nontheless.


Edited by earlyprog - September 02 2009 at 15:38
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 12:54
Abbey Road, a progressive record?

OK. If Abbey Road is a great progressive record, then you would have to throw every Beatles album from Rubber Soul to Abbey Road in the same category. Personally, I don't think it's a *progressive* record. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest albums ever recorded, BUT, they are pop/rock songs with orchestration. Part of the definition of "progressive rock" is *arrangement*, and there's nothing "progressive" about the arrangement of this album. Production? Sure, the Beatles have had some of the greatest productions, but there's more to Progressive Rock than that, too.

This is not meant to discredit The Beatles in any way. Without them, we probably wouldn't have this forum!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2009 at 00:04
Not to mention the fact that Ringo could out play Nick any day. Not a diss on Nick: it's just the truth. Also, Paul is a much better bass player than Roger.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 23:36
Originally posted by sealchan sealchan wrote:

The Abbey Road medley is archetypal of one of the primary qualities of progressive rock, its rapid progression of themes in an extended song.  However, it may be the Beatles relative lack of technical skill on the instruments (on average as Ringo Starr does tend to lower the average a bit) which makes the Beatles seem less than a full on progressive band.
 
But there is no doubt that the Abbey Road medley is a primary inspiration for what was to become progressive rock in short order.
 
After the creative exercise that was the White Album, the Abbey Road medley was a kind of distillation of the White Album's experimentation with styles into a highly concentrated musical form. 
 


BRAVO!!!! Clap

thank you... you just won me $20...  I bet myself tossing this nice crisp Andy Jackson out the window that someone would dis-qualify the notion of the Beatles not being able to do a prog album...  because of lack of skill.

you've reafirmed my believe that people simply have no clue as to what prog is....  it isn't f**king skill.  The Beatles could have played circles around.. say.. Pink Floyd...  wanna disqualify them as well.

prog= rock music + the artistic aesthetic...

skill has nothing to do with it...  only the desire to do something different with the same old same old of rock..... that is prog.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 18:48
Who's Next is close, but not quite. Quadrophenia, on the other hand, totally is.
"Good evening hippies." Bobby Boy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 17:45
Mr Cub, you have now posed the question: Is Who's Next a prog rock album?  Its one of my all time favourites and Won't Get Fooled Again is outstanding (has anyone else heard Ritchie Havens' cover?).  Do short 3, 4 and 5 minute songs preclude and album or band from being classed as prog rock?  If they are moving the boundaries within a 5 minute or 25 minute piece, its still prog rock.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 09:47
Hi,
 
I always thought it was ... but in a different way ... and it makes much more sense when one looks at the history of music in 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's ... to really see the impact they made. .... and specially popular music ...
 
BTW, there is a film out there about Tom Dowd ... and everyone in this board should catch that film ... it is fantastic, and really shows the growth in "popular" music ... and it helps make sense of stuff like this a lot more than we give it credit for.
 
The Beatles impact was not quite in terms of music per se, as it was the free form mix of ideas, songs and content in any album, all of which blended into an impressive album that was beautifully written and played together, of which Abbey Road is undoubtedly the most focused and the best of them all  ... and the only "concept" it had was that it was all recorded at Abbey Road ... and I'm not sure that is a concept, but I suppose that the technical capability of that place compared to so many mom and pop places out there (specially today) ... should make a difference.
 
I always thought that the ending set was a really good primer for what became known as "progressive" and in reality it was a very well defined and performed jam that was extended and made stronger by the feelings involved.
 
There was also, at the time, a slight movement in the business that was making fun of the Beatles as just pop music ... and they had already been trying to take "pop music" into more serious areas, and folks like The Rolling Stones, and many others like John Mayall and the like, were already doing music that was more vefitting what we call "progressive" and adventurous, but was not "radio music" or "pop music" ... which the Beatles were not prepared to leave behind, or the record company could not accept their wanting to leave it behind ... so the blow out towards the end with a perfect set finger flashing on the last bit ... the Beatles never said they were progressive or that they could not play music ... and they showed everyone that they could rock and pop with the best of them ... regardless of who you are!


Edited by moshkito - September 01 2009 at 09:53
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 09:08
All the Beatles albums are good. That's the irritating part about them.
"Good evening hippies." Bobby Boy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 07:37
Originally posted by LinusW LinusW wrote:

Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

It's OK, but mostly warmed over left-overs from the Let It Be sessions.  LiB is the true Beatles classic, and I'll go to my grave failing to convince people of that.  The sheer emotion and poignancy of those songs makes crap like Poly Pam and Mr Mustard and Maxwell sound like tripe.  Though Harrison did very well on Abbey, I'll give it that. 


You'll never convince people of that, no, but I can agree that it is their most underrated album. Definitely a GREAT album.

 
Why fight about which of these two was best? Both AD and LIB, they were both great and The Beatles were the only band to quit while they were on top of their game and left wit their best two albums ever just released.
 
Harrison was really the icing on top of the cake..... his songwriting gave The Beatles another edge than the good ol Lenon/MacCa ..... and my fave on LIB is I Me Mine.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 01 2009 at 07:13
You have made an excellent point.  "Abbey Road" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" certainly inspired a large number of musicians.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 30 2009 at 20:49
Originally posted by mr.cub mr.cub wrote:

Originally posted by The Switch Blade The Switch Blade wrote:

"Ringo Starr does tend to lower the average a bit"

Ringo Starr did a fantastic job on Abbey Road. "Come Together," "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," and "The End" in particular.

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have "Baba O'Reilly" without "The End." Give the man some credit!
 
I think you are thinking of Moon's solo in Won't Get Fooled Again...? I certainly see similarities... but where Ringo's solo essentially just keeps time, Moon's soars...
 
I would disagree about Ringo's solo "just keeping the time." I think it's actually a laughing mockery of drum solos and it's one of the funniest drum solos I've ever heard. Not to mention one of the most memorable.
 
Listen to that drum fill on the beginning of Come Together: that's incredibly creative. I was arguing to my friend Adam, a considerable punk and metal drummer, about Ringo. He played that song one time, and said "It's not that hard to play. I can play it" and I said "yeah, but could you have thought of it?" That stopped him. Of course not. Ringo wasn't flashy but he was creative. Always. Listen to his drumming in "Rain." Hard hitting and precise and not to be laughed at.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 16:25
Originally posted by The Switch Blade The Switch Blade wrote:

"Ringo Starr does tend to lower the average a bit"

Ringo Starr did a fantastic job on Abbey Road. "Come Together," "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," and "The End" in particular.

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have "Baba O'Reilly" without "The End." Give the man some credit!
 
I think you are thinking of Moon's solo in Won't Get Fooled Again...? I certainly see similarities... but where Ringo's solo essentially just keeps time, Moon's soars...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 12:51
Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

It's OK, but mostly warmed over left-overs from the Let It Be sessions.  LiB is the true Beatles classic, and I'll go to my grave failing to convince people of that.  The sheer emotion and poignancy of those songs makes crap like Poly Pam and Mr Mustard and Maxwell sound like tripe.  Though Harrison did very well on Abbey, I'll give it that. 


You'll never convince people of that, no, but I can agree that it is their most underrated album. Definitely a GREAT album.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 12:23
It's OK, but mostly warmed over left-overs from the Let It Be sessions.  LiB is the true Beatles classic, and I'll go to my grave failing to convince people of that.  The sheer emotion and poignancy of those songs makes crap like Poly Pam and Mr Mustard and Maxwell sound like tripe.  Though Harrison did very well on Abbey, I'll give it that. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 11:29
"Ringo Starr does tend to lower the average a bit"

Ringo Starr did a fantastic job on Abbey Road. "Come Together," "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," and "The End" in particular.

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have "Baba O'Reilly" without "The End." Give the man some credit!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 03:55
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

I like Her Majesty


...the song I mean


#

yeah yeah....thats what they all say.

I'm listening to it now for the first time in ages.So dam good.I love the vocal performance from McCartney on Oh darling! and his bass playing all round.
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