Topic: The Beatles Album Discussion Thread

[Umbrella Sam]

I decided we’re going to do LET IT BE before ABBEY ROAD, sometime next week.  I am finally going to watch the documentary this weekend.

Forewarning: be prepared for the Beatles’ surprising obsession with toast.

[metaldams]

[

      LET IT BE is the last released Beatles album and in the technical sense, the last completed Beatles album.  Yes, the vast majority of this was recorded before ABBEY ROAD, however - “I Me Mine” was completely recorded afterwards in January 1970 and so were the overdubs by band members and producer Phil Spector.  Phil Spector, let’s get this one out of the way first.  I am in the camp that is completely fine with the work he did on this album.  Sorry Paul.  He added orchestration on songs that feels like it fits just fine.  Orchestration in and of itself is not out of place on something like “The Long and Winding Road” and if my ears don’t deceive me, I believe the brass section Paul used in Wings was doing a similar arrangement on the “Wings Over America” version.  Look, I like the “naked” version as well, I’m glad to have both.  However, I grew up with a Spectorized LET IT BE, as did millions of others and my world never felt lesser because of it.  Your mileage may vary.

      Spector also needs to be given credit for making a cohesive album out of these sessions.  I did just watch the GET BACK documentary this past weekend.  It was a lot of fun, but the band really had no direction.  They really figured out the live thing at the last minute with the roof top, there were a lot of songs that didn’t make the cut for these particular sessions, yet Spector made this thing work.  Throwing in “Maggie Mae” and a snippet of “Dig It” lends the album a hint of the ragtag nature of these sessions, but the rest are seriously good Beatles tunes.  Not their best collection of songs, but still really good and most bands would kill to have an album like this.

      Paul is completely in his prime during this era.  Piano ballads like “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road” are beyond inspired and really moving classics.  Again, what can some schmuck named “Metaldams” say about these songs that will make them any greater in anyone’s eyes?  “Two of Us” is also a really beautiful acoustic ballad that has great harmonizing with John.  People think the song is about Paul and John, but according to Paul, it’s about him and Linda, who were a new couple at the time.  I also love George’s slippery bass line on the fender six string.  “Get Back” is a great rocker of a single and bit hard rock for the era.  Malcolm Young of AC/DC once praised this song - and he was no schmuck. 

      John contributed less here, but what we have is good.  “I’ve Got A Feeling” is a nice rocker he collaborated on with Paul.  John contributed the….dream part.  Hey, it’s catchy, anyway.  “I Dig A Pony” starts out with a pretty heavy blues riff and has some nice light and shade dynamics between the verse and choruses, something I always appreciate.  “Across the Universe” is simply beautiful.  I think Spector slowed down this version, a more natural speed version can be found on the WORLD WILDLIFE FUND album.  No matter the version, one of John’s most beautiful tunes.  I love the guitar intro and the mantra in the chorus.

      George, while not on his Abbey Road high here, gets two good songs in the waltz “I Me Mine” and the bluesy and fun “For You Blue.”  Really, the album is heavier on Paul than the others, but I find the whole album quite enjoyable.

[metaldams]

Forgot to add the b-side!  Only one during this session as the remaining are from ABBEY ROAD era.  “Don’t Let Me Down” is a classic John song.  Great McCartney bass line, impassioned John vocal to Yoko and some fine Billy Preston electric Piano.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Plagued by the Beatles' inner turmoil, it's amazing that "Let It Be" (released in May 1970) turned out as well as it did. The LP has a rough-edged charm and sounds more group-oriented than "The White Album." Though the Beatles didn't hang around to clean up the post-production mess, they certainly didn't disgrace themselves. "Two of Us," "I've Got a Feeling," "One After 909" and "I Me Mine" remain memorable songs — while George Harrison's overdubbed guitar solo on "Let It Be" is preferable to the single release.

The only regrettable omission was John Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down," which made its album debut a few months earlier on the "Hey Jude" compilation (nice going, Allen Klein); a pity that Phil Spector didn't include a live version from January 1969. In regard to Spector's production, he only added orchestration and choirs to three tracks:  "Across the Universe," "I Me Mine" and "The Long and Winding Road."  None were ruinous, but "Across the Universe" fared best — even Lennon voiced his approval. 

Unfortunately, there never will be a definitive version of the "Get Back" project. "Let It Be. . . Naked" has some punch (the rooftop performance of "Don't Let Me Down" was long overdue) but the throwaways of "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It" were omitted, along with the studio chatter. As a result, the 2003 reconstruction sounds hollow compared to the Spector version.

Now officially available on the "Let It Be" Super Deluxe set, Glyn Johns' heavily bootlegged 1969 "Get Back" LP surpasses Paul McCartney's revisionist "Naked." Though not without its flaws (you can understand why Paul's lightweight "Teddy Boy" — the version Lennon openly mocked for all to hear — ended up on his first solo album), the Johns mix comes closest to revealing the Beatles "as nature intended."

[Umbrella Sam]

Ah yes, LET IT BE. The album that for years has been so controversial and, as of recently, proved to not be quite as controversial as we all thought.

I’ll start with the documentary. For years, it had been a goal for me to see LET IT BE for completionist reasons, but it had never been available. Thankfully, GET BACK serves as a very good substitute. We do see everything that went wrong, but also see the happy moments that too often get overlooked. It’s a really fascinating documentary that’s definitely worth checking out even if you have to sit through multiple takes of “Don’t Let Me Down” (more on that in a second).

Ultimately, the major problem with LET IT BE was that the Beatles were not united in its conception. They all had other things they were preoccupied with; Ringo with his movie career (hence the limited timeframe), George with his own solo work, Paul with trying to maintain the unity, and John…well, that’s another thing GET BACK disproves partially. There are moments where he seems disinterested, but when they’re at Twickenham especially, he seems more like the innocent bystander to what mostly amounts to Paul and George’s arguments. And, though I will have to go back and check to confirm, I swear there was a moment where they were working out the song “Let It Be” and he did seem like he was legitimately interested in getting the song down the way Paul wanted.

Regardless, it is this lack of focus that caused LET IT BE to be such a problem. As I mentioned earlier, they’re constantly rehearsing the same songs over and over, and sure, that was standard for the Beatles, but even at Apple Studios, it’s rare that they ever make a lot of progress or get something down exactly the way they want it. A good amount of the songs that are on the album were either recorded the last day or came from the rooftop concert. The point I’m trying to make is that it’s amazing they got something useable at all based off of the sessions.

Phil Spector…a controversial figure for obvious reasons, but I think in the context of this album, his work is good…for the most part. I appreciate the idea of maintaining the sessions quality by including “Dig It” but adding that lousy rendition of “Maggie Mae” was kind of stretching it. “The Long and Winding Road” I’m a bit mixed on. I do see Paul’s point here. There’s just something about the orchestra here that feels so much more dated than on other Beatles songs; it sounds like something you’d hear on a TV show, not a Beatles album. It’s kind of like “She’s Leaving Home” in that I can just tell something’s off, though I still much prefer “Winding Road”. So, I do kind of agree with Paul’s thinking here. At the same time, though, the Beatles were always about trying something different, so I think you could argue in some ways, the overdubs kind of make sense. “I Me Mine” is a great example. On its own, it’s a good song, but Spector really made it become such an epic sounding piece with his orchestral overdubs;  it makes it sound like the walls are closing in on Harrison as the verses continue and the orchestra builds up. Given the song’s theme of being about the tensions in the band, this makes perfect sense.

I also appreciate that Spector actually used multiple songs from the rooftop concert. Glyn Johns had only used “One After 909”, but Spector used this, “Dig a Pony”, and “I’ve Got a Feeling”, which was a really smart decision. Watching the documentary and listening to the Johns album on the recent Deluxe Edition, “I’ve Got a Feeling” is the one they never really got right in the studio, but on the rooftop, there was a sense of urgency and devotion that really gave the song the punch it needed, and it ended up being one of the best songs on the album. “One After 909” is probably my favorite, because you can tell the Beatles are really enjoying the throwback and playing like a full band again.

That being said, there are still some problems. Obviously, the exclusion of “Don’t Let Me Down” is a huge misfire. I’ve also never been a fan of the version of “Two Of Us” that ended up on the album. I’ve always considered it the weakest Beatles opening track, but, as it has done so many times, GET BACK changed my outlook. There were multiple times during the sessions where they took a heavier rock approach, and in my opinion, it was a mistake for them to abandon this, because much like “I’ve Got a Feeling”, there was a sense of urgency in it that felt really important at a time where the group was not properly focused. I know I’m going to get a lot of disagreements on this, but I do not think they should have turned this into a ballad.

So, in the end, how does LET IT BE hold up? A lot better than I thought. There definitely are problems, but at the end of the day, most of the songs are still good songs (“Let It Be”, “Across the Universe”, “I’ve Got a Feeling”…every time I list them, I realize there are definitely more good songs than its reputation suggests). Even with all the problems and changes that had to be made, LET IT BE does still manage to be a mostly consistent Beatles album.

[Dr. Mabuse]

For years, it had been a goal for me to see LET IT BE for completionist reasons, but it had never been available.

Here is the 35mm widescreen version of "Let It Be."

https://archive.org/details/Let_It_Be_1970_film

[metaldams]

Here is the 35mm widescreen version of "Let It Be."

https://archive.org/details/Let_It_Be_1970_film

I don’t have a VCR anymore, but back when I was in high school I bought a bootleg VHS copy of LET IT BE.  I never got the big deal about it being a dour film like most people say.  There’s George and Paul bickering but that gets extended in the new doc, plus there’s some fun moments as well as some performances not in the new version.

If anybody wants to see a doc with a band at their artistic and personal low point really arguing, I suggest Metallica’s SOME KIND OF MONSTER.  Makes LET IT BE look like The Care Bears.

….and excellent write ups from the both of you.

[Dr. Mabuse]

A few years ago, I put together a "Let It Be: Redux" CD that more accurately reflected the "Get Back" sessions — starting with the studio tracks (no overdubs for the most part) and followed by the rooftop performances.  I utilized songs from the "Let It Be," "Naked," "Anthology 3" and  "Get Back" albums. 
   
Here is the sequencing, which clocks in at 40 minutes:

Two of Us  (Let It Be version)
Across the Universe (Naked version)
I Me Mine  (Anthology 3 version)
Dig It   (Get Back version)
Let It Be  (Let It Be version)
Maggie Mae  (Let It Be version)
For You Blue  (Naked version)
The Long and Winding Road  (Anthology 3 version)
I’ve Got a Feeling  (Let It Be version)
Don’t Let Me Down  (Naked version)
One After 909  (Let It Be version)
I Dig a Pony  (Let It Be version)
Get Back Rooftop Finale  (Anthology 3 version)

[HomokHarcos]

I think the album started off weakly. I didn't care for the first three tracks: "Two of Us", "Dig a Pony" or "Across the Universe". Once it got to "I Be Mine" the album was pretty good for most of the way. Excepting "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae", filler tracks.

"Let it Be" is a beautiful tune, and I think it was the only song on the album I was previously familiar with. "I've Got a Feeling" was my favorite song on the album. Very cool blues rock song and I was impressed with McCartney's vocals, he could have easily made that his full time musical style and succeeded. What a versatile songwriter he was. "One After 909" sounds like a 1950s rock and roll song, so that gives the song a thumbs up for me. Nothing against the psychedelic period, but rock and roll, blues rock and hard rock are my bigger interests. I like "Get Back" as an ending track. This album was better than expected, especially after those opening tracks.

[metaldams]

      Our Beatles journey comes to an end as we discuss what is (basically) their last recorded album, ABBEY ROAD.  Iconic album cover with Paul wearing no shoes, signaling to the world that………he likes to feel the Earth beneath his bare feet.  12 times platinum in the U.S. and an amazing sounding album.  Yeah, The Beatles weren’t content with the LET IT BE sessions, but they decided to give it a go one more time.  Sir George Martin at the helm, band with a focused goal in mind of making a great album one last time.  No confusion about live dates, no rushed deadlines, just make this thing as good as they can.  The world is better off for it as we’ve been blessed with one final masterpiece.   Side two of this album?  Generally considered to be one of the greatest album sides ever and I won’t argue, though I’ll humbly throw in side two of Rainbow RISING and side one of Yes CLOSE TO THE EDGE as contenders.  But Blackmore and Squire’s gang can be discussed some other time.  Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!

      The album starts out with “Come Together.”  Iconic Paul bass line and John doing one of his mid 60’s Dylanesque word salad exercises.  Chuck Berryesque as well, as the “Here come ol’ flat top” line was lifted, in addition to the vocal phrasing, from “You Can’t Catch Me.” Chuck sued and John made peace by recording the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL album years later, giving Chuck and others royalties.  Berry stealing or not, it’s a great song - love the heavy power chords in the verse.

      “Something” is George’s way of telling John and Paul they better not get lazy.  A pure classic, again with another amazing Paul bass line, one of George’s most beautiful guitar solos ever and simply stated, a beautiful love song.  Some dude named Sinatra covered this, as did Elvis.

      “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” not much to say, but I dig it.  I know people who hate it, but I’m not one of them.  Just Paul writing a fun melodic number.  He can write these in his sleep, such a talented bastard.

      “Oh! Darling” is one of the all-time great Paul vocal performances and I love the way the song builds in tension.  Apparently John wanted to do this vocal and is upset Paul got to do it.  Can’t blame him.  Paul is the man here.

      “Octopus’s Garden” is Mr. Richard Starkey writing a fun children’s song - with some help from George.  Another song people are too rough on. It’s a fun, cheerful, melodic number.  It adds to the character of the album.

      “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” starts out as a great John blues number with (again) great Paul bass playing.  John’s vocals are fantastic throughout and rival Paul in “Oh! Darling.”  The song builds in dynamics and blues based intensity and then, then….it turns to metal!  Sabbath discussion posters, take note, that end riff belongs on BLACK SABBATH VOL. 4 or something.  I heard Sabbath first as a teen, then heard ABBEY ROAD.  Listened to my Dad’s old vinyl copy and was shocked this heaviness was coming from The Beatles.  It literally stopped me in my tracks.

      Speaking of high school, I used to have a radio alarm clock back then.  Before cell phones.  One morning, playing on the radio, at the beginning of the song, was “Here Comes the Sun.”  What great timing and an awesome song to wake to.  George putting John and Paul on notice again.  Love The Beach Boys like bridge, the positive lyrics, the guitar playing and melodic elements, a masterpiece.

      “Because” is inspired by Yoko one day playing “Moonlight Sonata.”  John asked her to play it backwards and we get that motif that opens the song.  Gorgeous vocals by John, Paul and George.  I believe it’s nine part harmony and each takes three parts.  Simply stunning.

      Next is the epic medley throughout the rest of the album.  Only a band the quality of The Beatles can take their throwaways and mold them into a timeless work of art like this.  The songs truly gel together perfectly and take me on an emotional journey.  By the time we get to “Golden Slumbers,” I’m putty.  Awestruck by what I’m hearing.  “The End” would be a poignant way to end things, with a Ringo drum solo, John, Paul and George all trading off guitar solos and a simple and poignant message.  But do The Beatles end it that way?  Can they top it.  Hell yeah.  We end with “Her Majesty.”  Need I say more? 

     OK, singles, singles.  Yes, The Beatles are an amazing album band, but they still did single songs.  “The Ballad of John and Yoko” is a cool rocker about the marriage of John and Yoko and what they went through.  Cool song and only John and Paul played on it.  “Old Brown Shoe” is a George b-side that has a great guitar solo.  “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)” is something they’ve been working on for years and finally finished up during the ABBEY ROAD sessions.  Hell, Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones has sax tracks from 1967 on this thing!  The biggest novelty number the band ever wrote.  Pure silliness, but fun.

      So yes, that’s it for The Beatles.  Though they have since been surpassed by artists like Poison, Limp Bizkit, The Bay City Rollers, The Backstreet Boys, The Spice Girls and Cardi B (rumor has it that Paul went into a jealous rage when he heard W.A.P., wishing he composed it), The Beatles are still great fun to listen to.  Onto Led Zeppelin next.


     

[HomokHarcos]

I heard the Chuck Berry song that "Come Together" is claimed to plagiarize, and they do not sound close to me. But what was close to the Beatles song was the Aerosmith cover, which I admittedly knew first. I can for certain that I prefer The Beatles version more. There was a Coca-Cola reference that made me wonder how this song was played on British radios. The Kinks had to change the lyrics for "Lola" because the BBC considered it a product placement.

"Something" I mostly knew because my uncle's cover band used to play that song. It wasn't until later when my mom listened to this album that I heard the original. The guitar that opens the song is the most memorable part for me, instantly recognizable. I'm also a fan of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" it has a showtune feeling like some of the other McCartney songs, though it doesn't quite match up. "Oh Darling" is another 1950s sounding song that I like. I'm pleasantly surprised to hear songs like this showing up later in their discography.

"Octopus's Garden" is a children's song that reminds me of "Yellow Submarine". I wasn't aware there was a dislike for this song, it adds variety to the album. I like the first section of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" better than the second half. The change was cool, and I'll keep this song in mind when listening to that Black Sabbath album.

"Here Comes the Sun" made me appreciate Paul McCartney's bass playing. I was in my uncle's recording studio, and I was playing bass and it turned out to be more complex than I thought it would be. It took many recordings and I still couldn't really get it right (I'm definitely no great bass player).

"You Never Give Me Your Money" has a very beautiful piano section at the beginning. I would have been perfectly fine with a whole song like that, but then it morphs into rock-and-rolling, which I liked even if it felt like a different song. "Mean Mr. Mustard" is catchy and upbeat, "Polythene Pam" has a cool blues guitar style. To me "The End" does feel more like the proper end to the album, with "Her Majesty" as the hidden track.

I listened to two different recordings of "Old Brown Shoe". The one labelled as Take 2 was much better mixed, with the vocals gelling more with the instruments. "You Know My Name (Look up the Number)" is a goofy song. I like the shouting noise they make together.

Very fun journey. The most popular band of all time were also great musicians. I may be even more out of touch with modern music than you, I don't know who Cardi B is.

[metaldams]

I may be even more out of touch with modern music than you, I don't know who Cardi B is.

Your life is better for it.

The “Come Together” - “You Can’t Catch Me” similarities are the line I mentioned plus that the rhythm of the vocal phrasing, which is very distinct, is the same.  It’s obviously not the same song (Aerosmith did a straight cover crediting Lennon and McCartney, which is different).  In Chuck’s case, the things I mentioned made him feel he was entitled to songwriting royalties.

[HomokHarcos]

Your life is better for it.

The “Come Together” - “You Can’t Catch Me” similarities are the line I mentioned plus that the rhythm of the vocal phrasing, which is very distinct, is the same.  It’s obviously not the same song (Aerosmith did a straight cover crediting Lennon and McCartney, which is different).  In Chuck’s case, the things I mentioned made him feel he was entitled to songwriting royalties.

I watched a video showing a comparison and I can see the similarities. I didn’t know they slowed down the tempo to make it sound more like its own song.

[Umbrella Sam]

So yes, that’s it for The Beatles.  Though they have since been surpassed by artists like Poison, Limp Bizkit, The Bay City Rollers, The Backstreet Boys, The Spice Girls and Cardi B (rumor has it that Paul went into a jealous rage when he heard W.A.P., wishing he composed it), The Beatles are still great fun to listen to.

Obviously they’re not the Beatles, but I do think it’s a bit unfair to put the Bay City Rollers in the same class as Cardi B. If I ever hear the Bay City Rollers on the radio, I’ll stay on the station, which is more than I can say for any of the others on that list.

[metaldams]

Obviously they’re not the Beatles, but I do think it’s a bit unfair to put the Bay City Rollers in the same class as Cardi B. If I ever hear the Bay City Rollers on the radio, I’ll stay on the station, which is more than I can say for any of the others on that list.

I was just trying to think of a random bubblegum act from the 70’s and they came to mind.  You’re right, better than Cardi B.

[Umbrella Sam]

Your life is better for it.

The “Come Together” - “You Can’t Catch Me” similarities are the line I mentioned plus that the rhythm of the vocal phrasing, which is very distinct, is the same.  It’s obviously not the same song (Aerosmith did a straight cover crediting Lennon and McCartney, which is different).  In Chuck’s case, the things I mentioned made him feel he was entitled to songwriting royalties.

This might be an odd question (I don’t know how music publishing/copyrights worked in the 1950s) but did Chuck receive royalties at all from either song? Morris Levy was the one who sued John and I always assumed he was the only one collecting off of it (ironically, Levy illegally released early mixes of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL and ended up having to pay money in damages to Lennon).

[metaldams]

This might be an odd question (I don’t know how music publishing/copyrights worked in the 1950s) but did Chuck receive royalties at all from either song? Morris Levy was the one who sued John and I always assumed he was the only one collecting off of it (ironically, Levy illegally released early mixes of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL and ended up having to pay money in damages to Lennon).

You may be right, I’m not really sure.  Somebody, whether it be Berry or Morris Levy, was suing Lennon on Berry’s behalf.  I’m not a publishing or copyright expert either.

[Dr. Mabuse]

An excellent finale to our remarkable Beatles journey. "Abbey Road" remains my desert island Beatles album.

The Fab Four had an impeccable sense of timing and knew when to quit while still on top. (Shortly before his death, John Lennon compared the group's demise to the breakup of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in 1956 — a lucrative 10-year partnership that gradually became stifling.) "Abbey Road" contains some of the Beatles' finest music: "Come Together," "Something," "I Want You," "Here Comes the Sun" and the remarkable "pop symphony" that dominates the second half of the disc.

However, it's easy to see why "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" became, in the words of Lennon, the "song that broke up the Beatles." Paul McCartney certainly could have come up with something better than this overproduced, annoying track. When you omit "Maxwell" on your CD player, "Abbey Road" emerges as an even stronger recording. This Beatle swansong may lack the landmark stature of "Sgt. Pepper," yet it remains a stronger album in terms of its polished production and largely superb compositions.

Interesting story about "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)." John wanted the novelty song released as a Plastic Ono Band single with "What's the New Mary Jane" on the flip side, but the record was canceled in January 1970 — hence its release as the B-side to "Let It Be" in March 1970. In regard to the "Let It Be" single (issued two months before Phil Spector's slightly longer remix with George Harrison's overdubbed guitar solo), the George Martin-produced version would not make its album debut until the "1967–1970" compilation in 1973.

[Umbrella Sam]

As far as a definitive finale goes, you can’t beat ABBEY ROAD. It’s the kind of album that feels like everything else has been building up to it.

Yes, I agree that the “Come Together” “You Can’t Catch Me” connection is noticeable; in fact, I had to do a presentation on the Beatles for a music history class several years ago and used it as an example of the influence 1950s rock musicians had on the Beatles. I don’t think that should devalue the song in any way, though. Much like George and “My Sweet Lord”, it has a lot of staying power, especially the bass playing.

“Something” is a masterpiece. Harrison’s vocals, the memorable guitar opening, the chord changes, everything blends to create this beautiful song that I would be shocked to find anyone disliking. I’m with metaldams and HomokHarcos on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”. I know people who hate this song, and I can understand to an extent. It does feel like a step in the wrong direction, and it most certainly did not deserve the ridiculous amount of time they spent working it out. But I have to admit that I do find it kind of catchy and the idea of actually hitting the anvils for an effect does feel kind of clever.

A song I know I’m going to get a lot of disagreement on is “Oh! Darling” I have never liked this song and I’ve always had trouble explaining why. There’s just something about the melody I can’t stand; it reminds me a lot of the Christmas song “Please Come Home for Christmas”, which I also can’t stand.This is my least favorite song on the album.

I too was surprised to hear “Octopus’s Garden” had a lot of haters, as that’s one of my favorite Ringo songs. Like HomokHarcos said, it has somewhat of a “Yellow Submarine” vibe, but even more upbeat, which makes me actually kind of prefer it to “Yellow Submarine”. If “I Want You” truly is indicative of what we’ll be hearing later on with Black Sabbath, then that’s a good sign, because I love this song. The sudden change is really cool and even if the ending goes on a while, it build up in a way that doesn’t make it feel repetitive. And then, instead of doing something grand, there’s just a sudden stop, which is a great way to close off the first side of an album.

“Here Comes the Sun” is, of course, a great George number. I remember back in elementary school, they would play music during lunch and they always played this one. The vocals during the bridge always stuck out to me and still do, but overall it’s a great song that really brings George’s experimentation in different styles of music full circle. “Because” may be the most classically-oriented song John ever attempted, and the harmonies are excellent.

And then there’s the medley…that fantastic medley! I once said here that “You Never Give Me Your Money” was my favorite Beatles song. I’m going to cheat and say the entire medley is my favorite… “Her Majesty” kind of included. My problem “Her Majesty” is extremely nitpicking. When I was a kid, I had the video game BEATLES: ROCK BAND, and when you played the full medley, “Her Majesty” included it’s actual ending chord. Knowing the story of how it was cut out of the middle and put at the end, I understand why it ended the way it did, but it just ends on what sounds like a sour note. If only they could have gotten the actual ending chord in there.

The rest of it, though, is wonderful. It starts with “You Never Give Me Your Money”, which has multiple structural changes throughout. The piano is nice, Paul changes vocal styles throughout, and I absolutely love the fade out with the arpeggiated guitar chords and the vocal harmonies. It then segues into the much more relaxed sounding “Sun King”, which combined with “Mean Mr. Mustard” feels like a good way to bring things back to normal. The piano in particular is the standout on both of these tracks. And then, it goes full on rock with “Polythene Pam” and “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”, which feel like throwbacks to the early days and really bring this thing full circle, like a reminder of where the Beatles started. And then the epic “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End” medley brings us back to the present, with epic orchestrations, a repeat of the arpeggiated guitar chords of “You Never Give Me Your Money”, and an opportunity for everyone (including Ringo) to have their moment in the spotlight in “The End”.

Even if it wasn’t the last released, ABBEY ROAD does feel like the true definitive end to the Beatles, which is definitely sad when you think of it, but…what a way to go out. Even if I don’t like “Oh! Darling”, the rest of it works so well that I can easily forgive that. Such a great album.

And finally, the singles. I like “The Ballad of John and Yoko”/“Old Brown Shoe”, the A-side more than the B-side, but the B-side does indeed still have a great guitar solo. The A-side is interesting to hear in that you get to hear just John and Paul working, and they still had great chemistry together despite all the changes over the years. “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”…at least it’s not “Revolution 9”.

[Umbrella Sam]

Just realized I made a mistake. When talking about “Sun King”/Mean Mr. Mustard”, I realized I mentioned the piano being the highlight on both tracks when there is no piano on “Sun King”. I meant to say the guitar was the highlight on that and the piano was the highlight on “Mr. Mustard”. My mistake.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Mark Hertsgaard's critical overview, A Day in the Life (1996), argues that the group had no plans to break up after the phenomenal success of "Abbey Road." With the "Get Back" project on the back burner, the Beatles were on a roll.  There was a discussion between John and George about recording their solo albums while preserving "the Beatle bit." In the "Get Back" documentary, George reasoned that "it would be nice if any of us can do separate things as well" — pursuing individual careers while releasing an occasional Beatle album.

Of course, this idea was quashed by the creative and business differences between Lennon and McCartney (the "Let It Be" album was a particular sore point for Paul) — culminating in McCartney's December 1970 lawsuit against his fellow bandmates to legally dissolve the Beatles, which became a reality in January 1975. Ironically, John, George and Ringo responded to the lawsuit by arguing that the group could still work together . . . the only problem was Paul. The closest they came to a reunion in Lennon's lifetime was the 1973 "Ringo" album, with John, George and Ringo performing on "I'm the Greatest."

[Umbrella Sam]

Ian MacDonald's essential critical study, Revolution in the Head (1994), argues that the group had no plans to break up after the phenomenal success of "Abbey Road." With the "Get Back" project on the back burner, the Beatles were on a roll.  There was a discussion between John and George about recording their solo albums while preserving "the Beatle bit." In the "Get Back" documentary, George reasoned that "it would be nice if any of us can do separate things as well" — pursuing individual careers while releasing an occasional Beatle album.

Of course, this idea was quashed by the creative and business differences between Lennon and McCartney (the "Let It Be" album was a particular sore point for Paul) — culminating in McCartney's December 1970 lawsuit against his fellow bandmates to legally dissolve the Beatles, which became a reality in January 1975. Ironically, John, George and Ringo responded to the lawsuit by arguing that the group could still work together . . . the only problem was Paul. The closest they came to a reunion in Lennon's lifetime was the 1973 "Ringo" album, with John, George and Ringo performing on "I'm the Greatest."

Seeing that conversation with John and George in GET BACK did kind of change my perspective on the break-up. Based on what I’d read, I tended to always side with Paul’s perspective on the break up, and I still think he was 100% right regarding Klein. But that conversation shows that even the slightest things you say or don’t say can have a big impact. When Peter Jackson showed that scene to Paul, Paul told Peter he wished he had heard that conversation.

[metaldams]

The idea of playing a show seemed to really stress The Beatles out in GET BACK.  That era they were going into really was the beginning of the arena rock touring era.  The Beatles, if they stayed together, almost certainly would have had to succumb to touring at some point.  If planning one show was that stressful and after what they went through in 1966, the idea of planning a tour would have seemed beyond crazy at that time. 

As sad as all the legal struggles were, I think it was for the best they broke up when they did.  So many bands hang around years after their prime turning into nostalgia acts, occasionally releasing new music but always turning back to the oldies.  What they left us with is eight years and over 200 songs worth of incredible recordings.  It stops there and I like what we have.  Plus we got some interesting solo recordings along the way.

[Dr. Mabuse]

For those who watched the entire "Get Back" documentary.

[Dr. Mabuse]

The final song . . . and well worth having.