88.5 GAAT - The Beatles, Abbey Road
Any one of the Beatles will easily make the WXPN's 885 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Well, Magical Mystery Tour might be the only exception here, but even a weak Beatles album tops out the best effort made by any other band. My guess is that the Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, and The White Album win trifecta.
Hands down, these albums were amazing productions that shaped the face of pop music for years to come. Just think of all the musicians that credit their beginnings to being transfixed by a certain album, or how entire sub genres of music were born out of one song in particular. It’s mind blowing. I dare say that Rock and Roll might never have evolved into what it is without the help of the Beatles. Typically these three albums are hailed with that sort of praise.
It seems rather pointless to vote on these records considering they will most likely make the top 100, and are not necessarily my favorite of the Beatles (albeit, they are up there). Gasp! Call me a heretic. With so many great albums to their credit, I chose to vote for something just as worthy, often sitting in the shadows of more praised. Consider this: Abbey Road.
That album cover made famous by false rumors. It showcases songwriting contributions from all four (although Lennon, and McCarthy still dominate). The flow from one track to the next is just as cohesive as Sergeant Peppers. Songs range from serious to silly; guitar driven to orchestrated. Although Let It be was the last album to be released, Abbey road was the last to be recorded. As the final product from the Fab Four, it deserves recognition.
With the advent of CD’s, MP3’s, and I Pods, you loose the concept of A-side, B-side. Digging out an older tape or record, and you’ll realize that this is an album divided. The first half moves along with some memorable songs. “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun” are probably the most well known from overplayed rotations on your typical classic rock radio station. Not to be ignored, “I Want You” and “Oh! Darling” are sung straight from the heart; you can hear it in the timbre of their voices and in the guitar riffs.
“You Never Give Me Your Money” suite, a segue of seemingly half-finished songs, fills the second side. I’ll contend that you need to listen these songs straight through in one sitting; an I Pod shuffle just doesn’t do this portion justice. I can’t believe how catchy these short musical segments are, or how much raw emotion they carry. From the raw energy of “Polythene Pam” down to the sweetness of “Golden Slumbers,” The Beatles bring you on an emotional roller coaster.
(As a side note: They Might Be Giant’s on the last track(s) of Apollo 18 is the only other recorded attempt at recreating the vibe set by Abbey Road's second half. Well, they managed in their own geek-rock style. I guess it was an art that was bound to be imitated)
The power of music is to evoke emotions and memories. Any of the Beatles’ songs do just that, but never as finely as in Abbey Road.
A review of my top 10 albums to date:
Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Abbey Road, The Beatles
Hands down, these albums were amazing productions that shaped the face of pop music for years to come. Just think of all the musicians that credit their beginnings to being transfixed by a certain album, or how entire sub genres of music were born out of one song in particular. It’s mind blowing. I dare say that Rock and Roll might never have evolved into what it is without the help of the Beatles. Typically these three albums are hailed with that sort of praise.
It seems rather pointless to vote on these records considering they will most likely make the top 100, and are not necessarily my favorite of the Beatles (albeit, they are up there). Gasp! Call me a heretic. With so many great albums to their credit, I chose to vote for something just as worthy, often sitting in the shadows of more praised. Consider this: Abbey Road.
That album cover made famous by false rumors. It showcases songwriting contributions from all four (although Lennon, and McCarthy still dominate). The flow from one track to the next is just as cohesive as Sergeant Peppers. Songs range from serious to silly; guitar driven to orchestrated. Although Let It be was the last album to be released, Abbey road was the last to be recorded. As the final product from the Fab Four, it deserves recognition.
With the advent of CD’s, MP3’s, and I Pods, you loose the concept of A-side, B-side. Digging out an older tape or record, and you’ll realize that this is an album divided. The first half moves along with some memorable songs. “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun” are probably the most well known from overplayed rotations on your typical classic rock radio station. Not to be ignored, “I Want You” and “Oh! Darling” are sung straight from the heart; you can hear it in the timbre of their voices and in the guitar riffs.
“You Never Give Me Your Money” suite, a segue of seemingly half-finished songs, fills the second side. I’ll contend that you need to listen these songs straight through in one sitting; an I Pod shuffle just doesn’t do this portion justice. I can’t believe how catchy these short musical segments are, or how much raw emotion they carry. From the raw energy of “Polythene Pam” down to the sweetness of “Golden Slumbers,” The Beatles bring you on an emotional roller coaster.
(As a side note: They Might Be Giant’s on the last track(s) of Apollo 18 is the only other recorded attempt at recreating the vibe set by Abbey Road's second half. Well, they managed in their own geek-rock style. I guess it was an art that was bound to be imitated)
The power of music is to evoke emotions and memories. Any of the Beatles’ songs do just that, but never as finely as in Abbey Road.
A review of my top 10 albums to date:
Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Abbey Road, The Beatles
Tags:
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home