Abbey Road Anniversary Edition Deluxe

ESSENTIAL ALBUM!!! One of rock's greatest albums by the Fab Four. It's one of my personal favorites & it's a rare thing when I don't play it. The album hit #1 on the charts & deservedly so. Without a weak moment, this album flows from beginning to end; the Beatles once again proving their prowess in the studio. This was actually the last album that the Beatles recorded but, due to the untimely disappearance of Phil Spector, Let It Be was the last album released. Abbey Road had two incredible hits released from it, "Come Together" which topped the charts #1 & "Something" which peaked at #3 (what???). Somewhat of a surprise was that wasn't a McCartney penned tune released as a single, though Sir Paul tried everything he could to get "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" released as one. But, let's face it, as light as the song sounds, mass murderers isn't great subject manner for lyrics. "Oh! Darling" was the song that should have released as a single. It's in 6/8 time & is a kind of throwback to old rock 'n' roll. McCartney's vocals on this song are some of the grittiest he ever recorded. "Oh! Darling" was one of the best album tracks on any Beatles album. "Octopus's Garden", written by Ringo, is non-essential. Then, what was side 1 on the vinyl record, closed with Lennon's "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", a great bluesy riff & solid vocals makes this a must-hear song. With it's heavy riff-laden slow fadeout makes it a perfect song ending that side of the record. This part of the album was a concession to Lennon's desires to record a straight ahead rock album. The other side of that coin is that side two was to be McCartney's side with his desire to make a more continuous rock-suite, this didn't quite happen but many of the songs do segue from one to the next. This side began with Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun". It's one of his best songs & could have been released as a single. "Because" is a slow song with a lot of three part harmony. It's some of their best harmony work ever recorded. It's amazing in light of the fact that when each one recorded his vocal, the other two weren't even present. The proper part of the rock suite begins with "You Never Give Me Your Money". This theme would recur on a later song on Abbey Road; this is where McCartney began incorporating this idea into his music, he would use it time & again in his solo recordings. "Sun King" follows next & was originally titled "Here Comes the Sun King", Lennon used some faux foreign language words to give it the feel that he wanted. Two more Lennon fragments follow, "Mean Mr. Mustard" & "Polythene Pam". Both have humorous lyrics, the latter one I found to be very comical. Lennon was a master of lyrics, able to be humorous & insightful at the same time. A McCartney song is next, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", it's a nonsensical title but the line "she could steal but she could not rob" is a classic. "Golden Slumbers" is a beautiful McCartney composition though he did nick some of the lyrics from a 400 year old poem by Thomas Dekker. "Carry That Weight" follow & is a great singalong, the musical & lyrical theme from "You Never Give Me Your Money" is repeated here. What was listed as the final song in the initial Abbey Road release is "The End". The title is a prophetical one & one of the most adventurous things they ever did. We get a short drum solo from Ringo, the only one that was recorded, there's an incredible three guitar lead where McCartney, Lennon & Harrison take turns playing their riffs, then we get to the slow ending. Lennon commented on the line written by McCartney, "the love you take is equal to the love you make", Lennon thought that was one of the best lyrics that McCartney ever wrote. This is all followed by "Her Majesty" the shortest Beatles song recorded. It was really a throwaway but was saved by an engineer & spliced on to the end of "The End" because it had been instructed to never throw away anything that had been recorded. Unless you're from somewhere else (say, a galaxy far, far away) then you've heard this album. One of the most creative pieces of music in the annals of rock 'n' roll!

Great album. Came packed well and in good condition! Perfect. My Beatle loving child will be so excited!

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.

What can you say it’s the Beatles, my grand son is getting a record player and this Album is the ultimate record , I wore my first one out !!

Great purchase. The vinyl looks amazing, the sleeves came intact, and the quality sound is outstanding. Such a cool gift for my bestfriend's birthday.

Album des scarabés: Indispensable dans toute discothèque "babyboum" perso; version vinyle et pochette incontournable!!

Disco memorabile, un capolavoro dei Beatles che non ha bisogno di altre aggiunte. La perfezione aggiunta è invece questa splendida edizione in vinile: stampa strepitosa e remix 2019 da favola. Cinquant'anni dalla prima registrazione ben festeggiati. Consigliatissimo anche per il prezzo, finalmente accettabile. Grazie Amazon.

Nice!

I bought it as a gift and it came out to be the best thing ever. Really good quality and a very uniqe present for those who like the beatles.

Mooie heruitgave van het iconische Abbey Road! Blij terug te hebben in mijn collectie, leuk om te plaatsen als object in de woonkamer. Mooie kwaliteit!