Would ABBEY ROAD be more revered if it was by another band?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (132 of them)

_Abbey Road_ is the only album that I listened to once a day, every day, for weeks on end. And I'm still not sick of it.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:36 (nineteen years ago)

I've always fantasized about what a beatles reunion would have sounded like. Maybe after they all got a solo album out of their system, they could have reunited for one last martin-produced album. Probably would have had to be a double album, with the best songs from _Imagine_, _Ram_ and _Living In The Material World_, with a couple of requisite Ringo numbers. Would have been pretty nice, huh?

PS> I have the feeling that if anyone but the Beatles had released _Abbey Road_, Rolling Stone would have called it "pretentious" or "an art-rock mess."

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:43 (nineteen years ago)

Why? RS writers liked plenty of art rock.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:44 (nineteen years ago)

True, but ususally it was skronky Roxy/Eno proto-new-wave art rock,
not beethoven-influenced artrock. They definitely don't much like orchestras in rock.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:50 (nineteen years ago)

It's interesting to me that this is one of the few albums that people still consistently think of as having "sides" long after most people are listening to it on CD. I mean "Blonde on Blonde" for instance was 2 LPs, but you don't ever hear anyone refer to sides 1/2/3/4.

I mean the reason is obvious, but I wonder what other records there are like this.

― William Ryan Stuart Hamilton (Stagger Lee), Friday, 15 September 2006 00:55 (nineteen years ago)

Bad Girls!

― aaron d.g. (aaron d.g.), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:09 (nineteen years ago)

Electric Ladyland.

― Space Gourmand (Haberdager), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

"Another band" couldn't have attained the Beatles' level of songcraft, much less hired George Martin to produce, so the original question is rather silly. No other band could have recorded Abbey Road.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:20 (nineteen years ago)

That raises another question I never thought of asking. What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles? All I know is the Action demos which are, admittedly, quite good.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:26 (nineteen years ago)

His best production work was on Paul's solo stuff. Quincy Jones borrowed lots from him; it's somewhat fitting that the Martin-produced "Say Say Say" sounds like a Q joint.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:29 (nineteen years ago)

I'd always heard that the ending medley of Abbey Road was more of a game-time decision rather than an aesthetic one, that Martin couldn't get them into the studio to finish things off, so he just did it himself w/ that medley, taken from what they'd already recorded. Someone please dispel this for me, or I swear to repeat it three times tomorrow.

― Jamesy (SuzyCreemcheese), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:33 (nineteen years ago)

Disregarding the production, Alfred's comment is troubling. Plenty of people had songcraft that rivalled the Beatles - or at least rivalled what they did on Abbey Road! Admittedly, the confluence of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison in one band was extraordinary - duh. But the original question is interesting because it is asking whether the perception of Abbey Road is swayed by extra-musical factors - namely, people's perceptions about the Beatles in general.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

Tim, you're taking my point too literally. I could name at least two dozen contemporaneous acts as great as the Beatles; however, I took the OP's question literally: CCR could only make Cosmo's Factory, the Velvets could only make Loaded, etc.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 September 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)

Only the Seeds could have made Future.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 15 September 2006 02:02 (nineteen years ago)

Jamesy, by all accounts the medley was Paul McCartney's baby, although he certainly worked closely with Martin. You're quite right in believing that if they hadn't cobbled it together, the album would never have been completed.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 02:06 (nineteen years ago)

It's interesting to me that this is one of the few albums that people still consistently think of as having "sides" long after most people are listening to it on CD... I mean the reason is obvious, but I wonder what other records there are like this.

Albums with split personalities

― LC (Damian), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)

I love "Abbey Road", and certainly a lot more so than the White Album (which I find the only Beatles album that is generally overrated), but it doesn't sound that archetypical arche-English sound that I love about early and mid period The Beatles. They peaked on "Sgt. Pepper".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

If The Beatles had been around in 1979, they sould have sounded exactly like ELO did on "Shine a Little Love". Everybody was supposed to have a 120 bpm disco beat that year.

"Goodnight Tonight" to thread?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 15 September 2006 11:42 (nineteen years ago)

Well, "Goodnight Tonight" too, but obviously they wouldn't have filled entire album with funk experiments like that one. ELO proved the disco beat was perfectly compatible with a more typical Beatles sound too.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

Though with "Don't Bring Me Down" they realised that they didn't need the string section to have hits and gave them their P45s.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Ferry Across The Mersey!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Goldfinger!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Sister Golden Hair!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

"Tug Of War"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 12:48 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Balham - Gateway To The South!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

A whole record's worth of "Goodnight Tonight"s would have made me feel like a kid on Xmas who got a new bicycle.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

If it was released today, doubtful anyone would even get past the "Oh! Darling" / "Octopus's Garden" section of the album

au contraire, if it was released today critics would love the bold, uncredited rip of "mr. whirly."

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Haha! And "Party Girl" too.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

The only way Abbey Road would win critical acclaim today would be if they'd shot a new cover depicting the Beatles swanning around in detective trenchcoats and big sunglasses and generally play-acting thirties classiness.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

Am I the only one who mistook Steve Cropper for Lemmy in that photo upthread?

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Altho I've heard worse Beatles' albums and this has some good things on it, this album has some truly awful crap on it, I HATE that song "Because", what a truly mawkish twat Lennon could be

― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

1. FWIW, the late Nicholas Schnaffner claimed that vocalwise, "Abbey Road" had the hightest proportion of 3-part harmonies of any Beatles record. For what it's worth.

2.I really think that George's pair are the best two songs on the album and maybe his best contributions ever. And "Something" has one of those "perfect" guitar solos.

3.The much-loathed "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is actually a wonderful bit of comedy that would probably get the praise it deserves if it were written by Syd Barrett, or nearly anybody besides Paulie. "Late nights all alone with her test tubes" - come on, that's inspired! Nice non-obnoxious Moog accents and counterpoints, too.

That's all i have for now.

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:16 (nineteen years ago)

"Because" is one of the extremely few good songs John Lennon wrote between 1968 and 1970.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

You're a dipshit.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

Classic, if only for the "shh-dum" intro to "Come Together."

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

"Come Together" is one of the things that really drag this album down, along with "I Want You". John Lennon was the reason why The Beatles went downhill at the time, and he went on to release an absolutely awful and unlistenable solo debut with "Plastic Ono Band".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

I'm afraid you are a bit off the mark just this one time, broren min.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

"he went on to release an absolutely awful and unlistenable post on ILM with FRIGHTENING CONSISTENCY"

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

'I Want You' and 'You Never Give Me Your Money' are easily the two best tracks on the album IMO. Both employ reasonably progressive structures (even if the former alternates between just two 'sections') and show what The Beatles could have become given a few more years and perhaps just as many heavy acid trips.

― Space Gourmand (Haberdager), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:42 (nineteen years ago)

(i.e. a really good non-wanky melodic prog group)

― Space Gourmand (Haberdager), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

You really think so? It never occured to me that the Beatles could have continued at the same level. Never has a group broken up at such a perfect time. Whatever you think of their music, they have the strongest career arc of any band ever.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:46 (nineteen years ago)

I really don't see ANY evidence that the Beatles would have evolved into prog. Although clearly 99% of proggers are Beatle nuts.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:51 (nineteen years ago)

"What was Martin's best production work besides the Beatles?"

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band - the movie soundtrack

― everything (everything), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

I agree that Lennon contributed significantly to the general decline in the Beatles. You gotta wonder how long it would have taken him to record a solo album if his natural competitiveness against McCartney hadn't kicked in after "McCartney" came out. Also, "Come Together" is my least favourite on Abbey Road. It's a lazy rip-off blues jam of the sort that Lennon obviously enjoyed playing (since such jams keep cropping up in his work over the next 5 years) with "borrowed" words that his ass was rightly sued for. The naughty double meaning in the title (that is the reason that it's so celebrated on Classic Rock stations) is the corniest old blues gimmick around.

Still at least he wasn't shy about owning up to his own laziness.

― everything (everything), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

The premise of this thread is really weird for me. I admittedly haven't given the album a lot of time as an album but it's never clicked for me. However, everyone's always telling me it's their best work and that it's "every fan's favourite." I was totally under the impression that it was overrated.

― Sundar (sundar), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

Mark, your last sentence is pretty much correct, although by that logic I care far, far more for their later-period material and so consider that they had more left in the tank for the arc to be truly fulfilled. My point is that a strong completed career arc does not necessarily preclude an inability to write excellent music, and if they had continues I think their work would have not only stayed at the high level they'd worked up towards but exceeded even that. Although there's no evidence that they would have grown more progressive, prog in itself was barely around at the time the Beatles split, and its heyday was certainly yet to come. Had the Beatles continued, I think they might well have been swept up a little into the movement (although their music would still have been entirely different from, say, King Crimson, with a continuing emphasis on songcraft over musical dexterity). They were certainly not content to hang around in one place, and I think we'd have seen great things from them.

― Space Gourmand (Haberdager), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

The strength of Harrison's material on Abbey Road, and the weakness of Lennon's might have led them to a different, more Harrison-sympathetic dynamic that could have easily pumped out a couple more great albums.

― everything (everything), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

The problem with speculating about it is that it's hard to imagine a post-1970 Beatles with John Lennon.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 32 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.