ABBEY ROAD

One of the best albums ever made in the 60s!! The Beatles, as we all know, is one of the most influential rock bands to ever come from England. Even if the primitive technology of the 60s stands in their way, they have managed a timeless album superior than many well-known progressive rock albums of the next decade. The members are no virtuosos, but they used all their songwriting talents to create this. The first side is a wonderful set of short songs. The second half has a wonderful ballad and a collection of short songs masterfully connected.

Come Together starts the album with a bang! This unusual blues/rocker is way ahead of its time. It has a unique ascending bass riff, as well as two melodic guitar solos and rocking vocals and rhythm. Something is a very different successful track: it is a symphonic ballad with gorgeous melodies. This band is so good at composing melodies! This is their peak, so expect them at their best. Maxwell's Silver Hammer is a cute innocent sounding children song, but if you read the lyrics, it's about a kid killing a friend, a teacher, and a judge in the choruses. Basically, he is a serial killer. It features synthesizers and piano and are effecting in creating the ironic tone. Oh Darling is a bluesy song with some interesting screaming coming from the band.

Octopuses Garden is a fun children song with very catchy melodies and backing vocals. It ends with a great guitar solo. But this is not the song I want to hear. I await eagerly for the powerful and progressive hard rock of I Want You (She's so Heavy):

Everything about this song is perfect. This is the perfect Beatles song, really! The immortal and mindblowing hard rock guitar riff, while repetitive, leaves me waiting for more! The song has sing-along blues verses, organ & bass call and response riffs before the chorus, and the proggy repetitive choruses and coda. Trust me, it is not only a riff. It has moog synthesizers, hammond organ virtuosity, bass guitar improvisations , and hypnotic (yet simple) drumming. The song unexpectedly ends in silence.

Here Comes the Sun is an energetic ballad with amazing choruses featuring catchy vocal lines and analogue synthesizers (ahead of its time).

And now ... The Epic! Acapella singing introduces it. It has very psychedelic lyrics and tone. A great start of the epic. You Never Give me Your Money is a pop/rock section with very memorable melodies and changes of tempos. This song has more changes than some 10+ minute songs! Sun King has singing in some foreign language (Latin?) but it sounds really good. Mean Mr Mustard is an up-tempo rocker that ends too quickly. Not the best part of the epic, but enjoyable. Polythene Pam sounds very much like music from Led Zeppelin III, great!. Bathroom Window is another good song but is no match for Golden Slumbers' melodic genius and the anthemic "Carry That Weight" The end has a drum solo that is pretty pathetic, but the guitar solo coming before it may be the best guitar solo I have heard from The Beatles. Her majesty influenced the "hidden track" feature found in modern prog rock.

Highlights: I Want You, Here Comes the Sun, the Epic Let Downs: Maxwell Silver Hammer and Octopuses Garden.

My Grade : A