Pause and Rewind: This Month in Music
The Date: September 1969
The Album: Abbey Road by The Beatles
Each month I’ll be writing a column that explores the best albums in music, and I wanted to start with one of my favorites. Fifty-seven years ago this month, The Beatles’ Abbey Road was released.
The album starts off with John Lennon’s “Come Together,” an upbeat groovy rocker that's become one of the Beatles’ most popular songs today. Its bizarre lyrics and strong vocals make it a classic. Next up: George Harrison’s beautiful ballad, “Something.” It’s a completely perfect song with a great slow verse, a passionate bridge with a great melody, and an outstanding guitar solo. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” written by Paul McCartney, has gotten criticism for its child-like nature, but I think it's a hilarious playful song about a serial killer. Sure, it might not hit the same heights as the first two tracks, but it’s a light break within a heavy album. Next up: “Oh! Darling!” with one of the best vocal performances in rock history from Paul, as he screams over a piano. Ringo gets a chance to shine on this album with the upbeat “Octopus’s Garden. Finally, John’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is credited by many as the start of doom metal. At seven minutes long, it alternates between bluesy and psychedelic .
Side Two starts with the mega-hit, “Here Comes the Sun,” a beautiful George Harrison ballad. “Because” features John, Paul, and George performing some of the most chilling harmonies the Beatles ever did.
Then we get the iconic Abbey Road medley, which forms a triumphant masterpiece and punctuation point to the Beatles’ career. “You Never Give Me Your Money” is almost a medley inside a medley; “Sun King” is a psychedelic track where the Beatles speak both Spanish and Italian, and in “Mean Mr. Mustard,” John sings bizarre lyrics over a cool melody for a minute and six seconds. John sings over an acoustic guitar rock riff in “Polythene Pam” before we jump into “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” where Paul sings about the true story of a girl who came into his apartment and stole a photograph.
The last three tracks of the medley are the best three. “Golden Slumbers” features one of Paul’s best vocal performances as the song switches between a lullaby and an all-out rocker. “Carry that Weight” has one of the Beatles’ catchiest choruses and a guitar solo with a callback to “You Never Give me Your Money.” Finally, “The End” is the last Beatles song featuring a Ringo drum solo, “Her Majesty” serves as a nice little bonus track, and then Abbey Road is over.
Overall, the album feels like the Beatles knowing that their time together was ending and making that goodbye triumphant. I especially enjoy the vocals of “Oh! Darling!”, the whole final medley, and the guitar and songwriting on “Something.” For me, it will always be the best Beatles album.