•
Rating: “Abbey Road” is an album that is difficult to judge with balance. Here's Frank Zappa's acidic review: “The best album ever heard for recording and production. But I cannot extend this compliment to the songs”. Zappa was exaggerating, but it is true that several songs leave a bit to be desired, especially regarding the lyrics.
Without comment “Come Together” (which would not have been so great without the contribution of the other three: George on guitar, Paul with his bass, and Ringo with his brilliant work on the toms, and with that organ Lennon enthusiastically described as “swampy and smoky”). The weak point is indeed John's lyrics.
“Because” is a forgotten masterpiece (stunning the sparkling electronic harpsichord). The lyrics mix pantheism with one of the simplest and deepest love phrases I know: “Love is all, love is you”. “Oh! Darling” is certainly a splendid vocal performance. Great “Something”. Beautiful but overrated “Here Comes the Sun” (with lyrics about personal resurrection). Cute and, for me, underrated “Octopus’ Garden” (with symbolic and bitter lyrics). Beautiful and original “I Want You”.
“You Never Give Your Money” is a masterpiece piano-ballad in the first minute. Then, Paul, in an attempt to emulate John in “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, throws in another two songs. The mix is certainly a masterpiece of originality, but, as far as I'm concerned, it's a “pastiche” too original and confused.
“Golden Slumbers” and “Carry that Weight” are sketchy masterpieces. There was no time to complete them, so they were put at the end of the medley. “Carry that Weight” is, in fact, the development of the first minute of “You Never Give Your Money”. With a particular program, you can attach the first minute of “You Never Give Your Money” to “Carry that Weight” and you will get a single splendid “piano-guitar ballad”.
Great the lyrics of “The End” (“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”). Instead of concluding this adventure called the Beatles in this way, McCartney thought it would ruin everything with “Her Majesty”.
The songs of the medley (although very pleasant) never thrilled me; they are very well-produced little songs, but with trivial lyrics. Lennon left them to McCartney to do whatever he wanted. And John kept “Jealous Guy” (which he wrote in India in February 1968) and “Instant Karma!” – showing how little he was interested in the “Abbey Road” project.
George Martin praised this album as the greatest of the group. Obviously, it's a biased opinion, even though it comes from a serious person. Martin considered almost trash the “White Album”, and “a disgrace” “Let It Be” (because the Beatles didn't let him produce them the way he wanted) and celebrated excessively “Abbey Road” because, here, Martin was protagonist with the first 16-track recorder in history. Even though the sound is heavenly, the album must be judged by the songs, and here the depth of the songs is – I know I’m being sacrilegious – on average inferior even to “Let It Be”. The rating is a 4.5, which I cannot round up to 5.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Come Together (04:21)
Here come old flat top
He come groovin' up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball
He one holy roller
He got hair down to his knees
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
He wear no shoeshine
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
He bag production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knees
Hold you in his arms yeah
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
'Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
02 Something (03:03)
Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
You're asking me will my love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around and it may show
I don't know, I don't know
Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
04 Oh! Darling (03:27)
Oh, darling
Please believe me
I'll never do you no harm
Believe me when I tell you
I'll never do you no harm
Oh, darling
If you leave me
I'll never make it alone
Believe me when I beg you
Don't ever leave me alone
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly
Broke down and cried
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly
Broke down and died
Oh, darling
If you leave me
I'll never make it alone
Believe me when I tell you
I'll never do you no harm
Believe me, darling
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly
Broke down and cried
When you told me
You didn't need me anymore
Well, you know, I nearly
Broke down and died
Oh, darling
Please believe me
I'll never let you down
Oh, believe me, darling
Believe me when I tell you
I'll never do you no harm
06 I Want You (She's So Heavy) (07:47)
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
I want you
I want you so bad, babe
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
I want you
I want you so bad, babe
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
She's so heavy
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
I want you
I want you so bad, babe
I want you
You know I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
Yeah, she's so heavy
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
I want you
You know I want you so bad, babe
I want you
You know I want you so bad
It's driving me mad
It's driving me mad
Yeah
She's so
12 Polythene Pam (01:13)
Well you should see Polythene Pam
She's so good looking but she looks like a man
Well you should see her in drag
Dressed in a polythene bag
Yes you should see Polythene Pam
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Get a dose of her in jackboots and kilt
She's killer-diller when she's dressed to the hilt
She's the kind of a girl
That makes the "News of the World"
Yes you could say she was attractively built
Yeah, yeah, yeah
14 Golden Slumbers (01:32)
Once there was a way, to get back homeward
Once there was a way, to get back home
Sleep pretty darling, do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Golden Slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling, do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Once there was a way, to get back homeward
Once there was a way, to get back home
Sleep pretty darling, do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
15 Carry That Weight (01:37)
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
I never give you my pillow
I only send you my invitation
And in the middle of the celebrations, I break down
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
16 The End (02:20)
Oh yeah
Alright
Are you gonna be in my dreams
Tonight
Love you
Love you
Love you
Love you
And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to
The love you make
17 Her Majesty (00:23)
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she doesn't have a lot to say
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to day
I wanna tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a belly full of wine
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm gonna make her mine
Oh yeah, someday I'm gonna make her mine
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By rob
Paul is the only one differing from the other FAB 4, walking barefoot with the right foot leading—clues to his alleged death.
Abbey Road is dominated by Paul’s particular state of grace, especially in the final majestic medley that builds a sober but flashy mosaic.
By pinkoSpallino
This album is mainly famous for its cover, which portrays the 4 boys from Liverpool as they were heading towards their futures.
In short, a great album that demonstrates how this group created unforgettable things.
By Jack Darko
"Abbey Road is the true masterpiece of rock music, it is certainly the album that has influenced rock music the most."
"The track 'The End' is of astonishing beauty because it mixes a sort of primitive punk, rock, and a beautiful slow bit at the end. Absolute masterpiece."
By Braindamaged
Abbey Road was released, the last (but not last) of the 12 albums published by the Beatles.
Come Together has become a generational anthem and is electrifyingly beautiful.
By enbar77
"Abbey Road, despite everything, is a work of overwhelming charm, rich with exceptional pieces of pure rock."
"In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."
