Amazon.com: Abbey Road (Anniversary Edition)[Deluxe 2 CD]: CDs & Vinyl (original) (raw)

This album was released before "Let It Be," but produced after it. As such, it is the last music the Beatles ever created, and a fitting capstone to their incomparable career.
As with my other album reviews I will rate each song on a scale of 5 stars, with 5 representing a classic or timeless piece, 4 a great song, 3 a craftsman-like work, 2 a pedestrian affair, and 1 a throw away.
Come Together -- 5 stars - This is one of John Lennon's great nonsense lyrics, but what raises it to the heights is the presentation, a sound that is instantly recognizable and unlike any other song you have ever heard. Thus, it is ironic that Lennon was accused of plagiarizing a Chuck Berry song. The truth is that he borrowed one phrase as homage to Berry (here comes old flat top), and nothing more. The rest is original and unique. The execution of the song, from McCartney's bass to Ringo's drums, shows the power of the Beatles' ensemble to produce work that was greater than the sum of their individual contributions.
Something -- 5 stars - After trashing the Beatles in their early days Frank Sinatra later came to nominate this piece as his favorite love song. Sadly, he credited it to Lennon and McCartney when it is actually a Harrison composition. It is probably the best song on the album - a work of elegance, passion, and captivating musicality. It will live forever.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer -- 4 stars - This is one of Paul's "cartoon" songs. It seduces you to smile and sing along with its bizarrely cheerful dark humor, and thus wins 4 stars in spite of its meager ambitions.
Oh! Darling -- 4 stars - McCartney bares his heart by scorching his throat with a passionate, guttural performance. As usual you will want to sing along, but try to compete with Paul and you may pay a visit to the throat doctor.
Octopus's Garden -- 4 stars - Another "cartoon" song, this one written by Ringo. Yes, it's silly and slight, but I dare you not to sing along (and that's my mark of a 4 star song).
I Want You (She's So Heavy) -- 4 stars - The subtitle says it all - this song has a very heavy ambiance. Lennon displays his gift for combining simple components to create a work that lingers in the mind much longer than you expect.
Here Comes the Sun -- 5 stars - This is another Harrison work and another song that will live forever. It matches tone to theme as well as any song you will ever hear. It is a work of simple genius. Are you feeling down? Then play this song and feel your mood lift like the rising sun.
Because -- 4 stars - As I understand it John Lennon heard Yoko Ono play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata backwards and John made this song out of it. It is, quite simply, beautiful.
You Never Give Me Your Money -- 4 stars - This would be a minor work except for its semi-biographical echoes of the Beatles' rise and fall. Because of this it has a special poignancy to it. And once again, it will compel you to sing along.
"The Final Medley": Sun King, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End -- 5 stars - These seven songlets represent the last stretch of music on the last record the Beatles ever produced. They are joined together in a seamless whole, a mini pop opera, and so I have titled the group "The Final Medley" and treat them as one composition. Taken together they are, to re-use a phrase, greater than the sum of their parts. In fact, though I hesitate to admit it, I enjoy listening to these songlets more than anything else the Beatles ever did. And so I rate them 5 stars as a group. The details . . .
"Sun King" provides a nice, slow intro. "Mean Mr. Mustard" is an edgy but humorous Lennon character study. "Polythene Pam" is Lennon again. It is a hard driving piece that seems to anticipate both heavy metal and punk. It is also the one piece here that cries out for a longer treatment. "She Came in Through The Bathroom Window" is McCartney. It is probably the slightest component here and foreshadows Pauls' work with Wings, but it fits and adds to the whole. "Golden Slumbers" is Paul again. It is heartbreakingly beautiful. "Carry That Weight" is a rousing chorus of the entire group, and seems to speak of the burden that attaches to the blessing of being a Beatle (you're going to carry that weight for a long time boys, and so they did, and do, and will - those who still live). The End is the end and contains the verse "and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make." It is a fitting conclusion for a group that made so much love through their music that they earned the love of the whole world.
Her Majesty -- ??? stars - it is characteristic of the Beatles that they could not leave off without adding a humorous note, and this irreverent fragment of a love song to the English Queen starts playing after you think the record has finished. The Beatles were not only great composers and musicians, they were also very funny.
And so we have 4 five-star songs out of 10, joined by 6 four-star songs. This is truly one of the greatest albums ever made.