Abbey Road is the eleventh album by legendary British rock band, The Beatles. While initially it received mixed reception from critics, retrospectively, it’s been critically acclaimed, and viewed as one of the best albums of all time. It was released on September 26th, 1969, and is the last band the album recorded. Nearly 55 years later, I’m giving my own opinion on this beloved album, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

   We open up the album with the track, “Come Together,” which has a great bass riff from Paul McCartney, and the vocal melodies from John Lennon are bluesy and memorable. It’s one of the best opening tracks to a rock album ever made. The drum rhythms are pretty bare bones for the most part. I also like the guitar riffs from George Harrison, and the organ passages, as well. Michael Jackson did a cover of this song, and it’s also worth a listen, but the original is hard to top. There’s definitely a Chuck Berry influence to this track, and the Muddy Waters reference is a nice touch. Next, we have an all-time great love song with a laidback, slow tempo, “Something,” which was written by George. The warm guitar riffs sound romantic, and the symphonic strings give it an almost euphoric quality. Paul even said that it was the best song that George had ever written. Harrison is the lead vocalist, and plays both lead and rhythm guitars on this wonderful track. 

  “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” is a deceptively happy sounding track. Written and sung by Paul, it’s actually about a guy named Maxwell Edison who murdered people with a hammer. The Moog synthesizer is a nice touch, and the track is very well-mixed and orchestrated. It almost makes you forget the fact that the recording of this song is considered to be one of the reasons The Beatles broke up. You would never know that based on how well made the song is. With the jolly guitars, upbeat pianos, and positively sung vocals. “Oh! Darling,” is another great track written by Paul, who also played piano, and did the lead vocals on this cut off the record. John’s guitar riffs and George’s simple bass rhythms, as well as the lovely vocal harmonies, create another romantic track that is incredibly memorable.

   Following that, we have a track that was one of my favorite Beatles songs as a kid, and still remains one of my favorites, “Octopus’s Garden.” Ringo wrote and sang this song, and played the drums on it, of course. I really love the syrupy guitar riffs from John and George on this track, and the happy tone of the track still makes me reminisce about my childhood all these years later. The cheerful pianos, and unique, relaxing premise of the track, make it stand out. Ringo actually wrote this song while he was taking a break from the band on Pete Seller’s yacht. They both watched octopuses’ from the boat, and according to Ringo he felt like he could relate to them. He talks about how he discussed the creatures with the captain, saying, “He told me that they hang out in their caves and they go around the seabed finding shiny stones and tin cans and bottles to put in front of their cave like a garden. I thought this was fabulous, because at the time I just wanted to be under the sea too.” It’s a beautiful song which makes me happy every time that I hear it. 

  “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” is a very simple song lyrically, but is the longest track on the record at 7 minutes and 47 seconds. Written by John, it’s the final song where all four Beatles were in the studio together. It’s a very bluesy song and I love the guitar riffs from John and George, and the organ chords from Billy Preston. It’s got an almost jazzy quality with all the instrumental breaks in it. The vocal harmonies come together beautifully, and it’s a love-sick song but also sounds melancholy in a way. “Here Comes the Sun,” is another iconic Beatles song, written by George, who also sings lead vocals, and plays both electric and acoustic guitar on the track. It’s another upbeat track, and really shows George’s ability to make a generational hit song. Lyrically, it’s not too complex, but instrumentally it’s very memorable with those gentle guitar riffs, orchestral strings, Moog synthesizer, and harmonium in the mix. “Because,” is a very psychedelic track, written by John, and features an opening with producer George Martin on the electric harpsichord. It sounds very similar to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” instrumentally, as it was inspired by it. John heard Yoko Ono playing it on the piano, and asked her to play it backwards, and he wrote it over that. The vocal harmonies are unique and give the track an almost haunting sound combined with the instrumentation of the track. “You Never Give Me Your Money,” is a very melancholy track, as it documents the turbulent personal issues that ended up tearing the band apart, leading to their breakup. The lyrics of verse 4, sum up the message of the song perfectly. “One sweet dream. Pick up the bags, get in the limousine. Soon we’ll be away from here. Step on the gas and wipe that tear away.” According to Genius annotations, “Paul is accepting that the future of the band together is now behind them. He creates the image of driving away from everything, leaving it behind.” 

   Following that, is the track, “Sun King,” which has calming guitar riffs from John and George, and simple bass and drum rhythms from Paul and Ringo respectively. It’s the first track in a six-track medley on side two of the record. The vocal harmonies are angelic, and it’s another track on the album that feels like a goodbye from the band. “Mean Mr. Mustard,” is based off a grumpy old man in a newspaper story, written by John, and was actually a song that he considered to be garbage. I personally like it. After that, is another short track written by John, “Polythene Pam,” and was about a guy who had a polytene fetish. “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” was written by Paul, and he said that the track was inspired by a fan who broke into his home. “Golden Slumbers,” is a somber song, which is well-written by Paul, and has emotional, dramatic instrumentation that really adds more emotion paired with Paul’s vocals. It quotes a lullaby by Thomas Dekker, and it perfectly leads into the next track, “Carry That Weight.” I love the guitar riffs from Paul and George, as well as the dramatic strings and horns, as it creates a thrilling finale to the six track medley. We finish the album, with the appropriately titled track, “The End.” It has three guitar solos from John, Paul, and George, and features the only drum solo in the Beatles entire discography, from Ringo. It has a nostalgic quality that almost makes it feel like one of the earlier Beatles songs. Lyrically it’s pretty bare bones, but instrumentally it’s an absolutely phenomenal experience. It’s almost like all four Beatles knew that they had to go out with a bang, and they put their absolute best into this track, as well as the whole album. “Her Majesty,” is a nice hidden track, which is a 20 second acoustic track, but I feel like the true finale is “The End.”

    All in all, I’m going to put this in somewhat blunt terms, but this album is fucking legendary. It’s the last Beatles album ever recorded, and given the conflicts that the fab four had with each other, it’s hard to believe that this album even came to fruition. But it did, and we got a proper goodbye from the most influential band in not just rock history, but in musical history. The guitar riffs and solos are awesome, the composition and production of the album is excellently constructed, and all four Beatles poured out all of their emotions and personal experiences onto this record. They ended up creating a masterpiece that is not only one of the best Beatles albums of all time, but one of the best albums ever made. From front to back, there is not a weak track on this entire album, and the sound is diverse, while at the same time cohesive and well-structured. I’m thankful that I got to listen to this album at all, because who knows? In an alternate universe, maybe this album never was released. It’s sentimental, charming, and most of all, human. While the Beatles are considered rock gods, this album, like many of their others, shows that they’re like everyone else, human.

Overall Score: 10/10

Favorite Tracks: “Come Together,” “Something,” “Oh! Darling,” “Octopus’s Garden,” “Here Comes The Sun,” “Because,”

Least Favorite Tracks: None

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De1LCQvbqV4

Genre: Classic Rock