Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/20/1991
The last
Beatles album to be recorded (although
Let It Be was the last to be released),
Abbey Road was a fitting swan song for the group, echoing some of the faux-conceptual forms of
Sgt. Pepper, but featuring stronger compositions and more
rock-oriented ensemble work. The group was still pushing forward in all facets of its art, whether devising some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any
rock record (especially on
"Because"), constructing a medley of songs/vignettes that covered much of side two, adding subtle touches of Moog synthesizer, or crafting furious guitar-heavy
rock (
"The End," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," "Come Together").
George Harrison also blossomed into a major songwriter, contributing the buoyant
"Here Comes the Sun" and the supremely melodic
ballad "Something," the latter of which became the first
Harrison-penned
Beatles hit. Whether
Abbey Road is
the Beatles' best work is debatable, but it's certainly the most immaculately produced (with the possible exception of
Sgt. Pepper) and most tightly constructed.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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