I just did you never give me your money and she came in through the bathroom window an open mic on Wednesday. Give me your money is such a great song cuz it's through-composed, nothing ever repeats. And that whole continuous song from sun king through carry that weight is maybe the most brilliant thing I've ever heard. So I mean yeah, it's got a couple clunkers like octopus' garden (of course that song's plainly a lark anyway, so it succeeds in what it tries to do) but on the whole I'd say the only other beatles album that might conceivably be as good as abbey road is "sgt. Pepper." Which is amazing in its own way. so yeah, guess I disagree.

An album I always thought was kinda overrated was the White Album. I've never really been able to get into that, I didn't really dig their whole lo-fi stripped down sound.

Honestly, let it be isn't that hot either. A friend of mine once pointed out that "the long and winding road" is actually incredibly cheesy and had a few good arguments for it and ever since then I haven't been able to enjoy that song anymore. and it's got a lot of mediocre tunes I always fast-forward past. All their rockabilly do-it-in-the-road stuff leaves me cold. Although I do love Get Back.

I don't think Abbey Road is overrated. There are a few songs which are not great but ok, like Polythene Pam and She Came In Through the Bathroom Window. Octopus' Garden doesn't have the same flair as the other stuff on the album but I think it is cute. (I remember hearing it on Seseme Street a long time ago so I think of it as a kids' song). Here Comes the Sun is probably the best song on the whole album. Other good songs (IMO) are Come Together, You Never Give Me Your Money, Oh! Darling, Maxwell's Silver Hammer (which isn't GREAT but a fun song), and I Want You (She's So Heavy) (which is a bit repeative but I still like it).


This is my favorite Beatles' album (partly because it was my first but also because of the music)




Cat

Considering that the group could barely agree on anything at that stage, it's a wonder 'Abbey Road' was recorded at all...

It's not stuffed to the gills with filler (try 'Let It Be' (either version), or the second LP of the 'white album' for that), but there are one or two 'suspect' tunes on the first half...

However, the LP redeems itself quite handsomely with side two, 'specially the medley sequence...

I totally want to hear it now. my old band, we were going to learn that entire album and do it as a set, like phish sometimes used to do with dark side of the moon. Maybe I'll learn the whole thing for voice and solo guitar. I've always wanted to learn sun king and here comes the sun and --- well, all of it, really. particularly the second side.

What's cool about I want you (she's so heavy) is all the crazy different feels and styles they go through, playing the same riff but styling it all these different ways.

I totally want to hear it now.




I know what you mean. I'm about ready to go get it and turn it on.  ;D




Cat

There was a certain - superficiality to some of the songs on the album - the 'Medley' from about 'Because' to 'She Came In Through the Bathroom Window' which their earlier albums did not have. But perhaps I've over-analyzing...

There was a certain - superficiality to some of the songs on the album - the 'Medley' from about 'Because' to 'She Came In Through the Bathroom Window' which their earlier albums did not have. But perhaps I've over-analyzing...
you mean like "lovely rita meter maid"? or "hello goodbye"?i think they definitely always had that jokey aspect about them. to my mind the musical adeptness, just their tightness as a band, is really evident on abbey road. it could actually be that all that fighting actually did them some good.

Another album I thought they really screwed up was the White Album compilation. Why was there a need to have a double album? They could have easily encapsulated the various musical statements they wanted to make with a single album of about 14-15 songs like 'Revolver.' IMHO, the following tracks should have been included in a single 'White Album';

1. Back in the USSR
2. Helter Skelter
3. Dear Prudence
4. Martha My Dear
5. Mother Nature's Son
6. Black Bird
7. Revolution No. 1
8. Lady Madonna
9. Hey Jude
10. Julia
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Another album I thought they really screwed up was the White Album compilation. Why was there a need to have a double album? They could have easily encapsulated the various musical statements they wanted to make with a single album of about 14-15 songs like 'Revolver.' IMHO, the following tracks should have been included in a single 'White Album';

1. Back in the USSR
2. Helter Skelter
3. Dear Prudence
4. Martha My Dear
5. Mother Nature's Son
6. Black Bird
7. Revolution No. 1
8. Lady Madonna
9. Hey Jude
10. Julia
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps



yeah, i'm with you on the white album, and most of the songs you cite i like. (i always sorta thought back in the ussr was a little overrated, although i dig what i saw as a bit of a riff off the beach boys in it.) dear prudence is one of my all-time favorite beatles songs, that tune is so great.

yeah, i'm with you on the white album, and most of the songs you cite i like. (i always sorta thought back in the ussr was a little overrated, although i dig what i saw as a bit of a riff off the beach boys in it.) dear prudence is one of my all-time favorite beatles songs, that tune is so great.


Julia - is one of the most underrated songs ever. As a love song, is far beats the lacklustre and highly overrated 'Michelle.'

One could certainly argue that post-SPLHCB the Beatles completed far too few compositions, leaving much of the "filler" tracks like those on AR undeveloped (but intriguing) musical ideas that could have been morphed into full songs with some ingenuity, which they certainly had.

The Beatles couldn't do anything wrong, even Abbey Road as abstract the songs are from one cut to the another on the album, it was one of their most popular albums, but I think more popular with their new found younger fans rather than their older fans from their beginings. I liked it because it was from the Beatles, but not my all time farvorite, it seemed to have been thrown together without direction, they wanted it to be a concept album and almost has it but there are to many jerky songs on it to be a Beatle classic album. I hate Maxwell's Silver Hammer it's contradicts all of the "Peace and Love" they advocated all those years ago, who knows maybe it gave Mark Chapman the idea to BANG BANG John Lenon, like Helter Skelter did to Charles Manson. It's not a fun song it's a bunch of crap and the only Beatle song I still despise.

What helped sell that album was the secret messages that they gave on the album cover and code words in their lyrics. A concept all of it's own to sell albums that was carried over from the Sgt. Pepper album about the rumor that "Paul is dead" with hints to if it was true was intertwined with the lyrics and pictures on their albums. I bought the album first because it was a Beatle album, second for most of their songs on it and third because of secret messages...yes I did! a good gimmick and it worked, liked they said in their song "She can steal but she could not rob", is that what they did to help sell this album?...I think so! but it's the Beatles and you love'em anyway.

Hot Wax     

Another album I thought they really screwed up was the White Album compilation. Why was there a need to have a double album? They could have easily encapsulated the various musical statements they wanted to make with a single album of about 14-15 songs like 'Revolver.' IMHO, the following tracks should have been included in a single 'White Album';

1. Back in the USSR
2. Helter Skelter
3. Dear Prudence
4. Martha My Dear
5. Mother Nature's Son
6. Black Bird
7. Revolution No. 1
8. Lady Madonna
9. Hey Jude
10. Julia
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps



I surely would have missed these

I Will
Everybodies Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Cry Baby Cry
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Heck, I would have missed anything that was left out.  I would say the more the better.  You can't expect every song to be  100%, but I would say none of them are below 95%.  I have to disagree about
gimmicks to sell the album.  What you possess you to think that in 1968 that the Beatles would need a gimmick to sell records? I remember very clearly WBCN in Boston, the day the album came out, playing it continuously.  Why? Not for hidden words, secret meanings, or any of the crap. No one would ever accuse them of falling for that sh*t.  They played it because the music world was totally blown away by it. Yeah it is a bit unruly, not cohesive, but the songs are all part of the Beatles story and can be put in the context. 

Oba di Oba Da...I wouldn't say I HATE that song, but it's certainly not one of the shining moments in the Fab Four's canon..

Oba di Oba Da...I wouldn't say I HATE that song, but it's certainly not one of the shining moments in the Fab Four's canon..


Not by any means,  but my friends and I had a lot of fun singing it, and there is more to music than
sitting around pondering chord changes and insight into lyrics.  Sometimes, if you really let yourself
loosen up a bit, some songs can just be fun.

Not by any means,  but my friends and I had a lot of fun singing it, and there is more to music than
sitting around pondering chord changes and insight into lyrics.  Sometimes, if you really let yourself
loosen up a bit, some songs can just be fun.


It's still cheesy...the Beatles trying to do ska music. But kudos to them for trying, many bands of their stature probably wouldn't have the bollocks. Probably a necessary if not great song.

I just saw this.

Here's a different way of "looking" at Abbey Road

http://www.sonnyradio.com/chrisbliss.html

I surely would have missed these

I Will
Everybodies Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Cry Baby Cry
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Heck, I would have missed anything that was left out.  I would say the more the better.  You can't expect every song to be  100%, but I would say none of them are below 95%.  I have to disagree about
gimmicks to sell the album.  What you possess you to think that in 1968 that the Beatles would need a gimmick to sell records? I remember very clearly WBCN in Boston, the day the album came out, playing it continuously.  Why? Not for hidden words, secret meanings, or any of the crap. No one would ever accuse them of falling for that sh*t.  They played it because the music world was totally blown away by it. Yeah it is a bit unruly, not cohesive, but the songs are all part of the Beatles story and can be put in the context. 


Where were you 67'? were you aware of the the uproar they created when they manufactured subtle innuendos that "Paul is Dead" on the Sgt. Pepper album? It was a 24 hour a day topic in the news, talk shows and around water coolers for weeks...it sold albums, millions more than without that gimmick, a Masterful idea for the business end of their career. It had nothing to do with their songs, they all were great songs, even the silly filler songs that others mentioned (except Maxwell, that's a bad message song). The gimmic was a good tool to sell albums so they kept that as a thread connecting future albums keeping the interest in the subtle messages in their songs as lure to buy, if not anything else it kept them as the center of conversation...it's a business to make money! I bought their albums for their music but I was sucked into their gimmic listening for messages too, real ones or not and still listen for them today...it's a goof, but it's still fun reminisce those old days.

PS... It sounds like to me WBCN played the album continuously as their subtle way to get the messages out to their hip listners who were aware of them and in turn created buying frenzy for that album and fed into Beatles gimmic by doing it...Am I right, they played the whole album except for one song, isn't it true that Boston ban the playing of "She's Leaving Home" on the all Boston radio stations because it was to suggestive for young teenage girls?


A good discussion. HW

The whole 'Paul is Dead' thing is so ludicrous...would they really be so heartless and exploit his death for money? Think about it.

Where were you 67'? were you aware of the the uproar they created when they manufactured subtle innuendos that "Paul is Dead" on the Sgt. Pepper album? It was a 24 hour a day topic in the news, talk shows and around water coolers for weeks...it sold albums, millions more than without that gimmick, a Masterful idea for the business end of their career. It had nothing to do with their songs, they all were great songs, even the silly filler songs that others mentioned (except Maxwell, that's a bad message song). The gimmic was a good tool to sell albums so they kept that as a thread connecting future albums keeping the interest in the subtle messages in their songs as lure to buy, if not anything else it kept them as the center of conversation...it's a business to make money! I bought their albums for their music but I was sucked into their gimmic listening for messages too, real ones or not and still listen for them today...it's a goof, but it's still fun reminisce those old days.

PS... It sounds like to me WBCN played the album continuously as their subtle way to get the messages out to their hip listners who were aware of them and in turn created buying frenzy for that album and fed into Beatles gimmic by doing it...Am I right, they played the whole album except for one song, isn't it true that Boston ban the playing of "She's Leaving Home" on the all Boston radio stations because it was to suggestive for young teenage girls?


A good discussion. HW


I remember well the to do about "Paul is Dead", but I didn't take them at all seriously, and neither did anyone I know, and anyone who took it with as much as a grain of salt was considered clinical.  I remember it on the radio, but not being as big a deal as you seem to remember it being. 'BCN at that time was still pretty much an underground station that was listened to by college kids and run by people "into" the underground music scene.  I believe they were still playing Roland Kirk and Charlie Parker alongside The Beatles and the Yardbirds.  They played the entire album, without censor, without commercials.  It may be true that a radio station may have banned "She's Leaving Home" but I heard it played on WBZ by Juicy Brucie Bradley, and it was in the top ten.

I remember well the to do about "Paul is Dead", but I didn't take them at all seriously, and neither did anyone I know, and anyone who took it with as much as a grain of salt was considered clinical.  I remember it on the radio, but not being as big a deal as you seem to remember it being. 'BCN at that time was still pretty much an underground station that was listened to by college kids and run by people "into" the underground music scene.  I believe they were still playing Roland Kirk and Charlie Parker alongside The Beatles and the Yardbirds.  They played the entire album, without censor, without commercials.  It may be true that a radio station may have banned "She's Leaving Home" but I heard it played on WBZ by Juicy Brucie Bradley, and it was in the top ten.
i thought the theories were fun and interesting but i don't think anyone actually thought he was dead.

Over rated? Filler?
Bah!!
not sure what your hearing, but I hear none of that. a truly great album.

you want over rated and filler?..check out Pet Sounds  ;)

Over rated? Filler?
Bah!!
not sure what your hearing, but I hear none of that. a truly great album.

you want over rated and filler?..check out Pet Sounds  ;)


You must've been reading my old posts  ;). Pet Sounds...that album is so good it speaks for itself. I have no need to defend it. That's how great it is.

The whole 'Paul is Dead' thing is so ludicrous...would they really be so heartless and exploit his death for money? Think about it.




They sang songs about money in one way or another, and death or dying was in their lyrics in a few of their songs...so the two subjects together wasn't ludicrous, they created a sort of a "Pop Opera" or "Soap Opera" mellow drama interest in their Pepper album. The "CONcept" succeeded so well they continued it throughout their future albums for fun and profit.

I posted a "Is Paul Dead?" subject last year, it's somewhere back in the 30 pages, for fun pull it up and read what others thought about their hoax.

Do you have an original Sgt. Pepper album cover? Look at the front of it and read the words of the songs on the back of the cover...words of the songs was part of the clever concept to sell the album and find the secret messages. Hinting that Paul, the most popular Beatle, might be dead in hidden in the lyrics of their songs, what other subject can have a greater impact then that one to sell the album.

HW 

They sang songs about money in one way or another, and death or dying was in their lyrics in a few of their songs...so the two subjects together wasn't ludicrous, they created a sort of a "Pop Opera" or "Soap Opera" mellow drama interest in their Pepper album. The "CONcept" succeeded so well they continued it throughout their future albums for fun and profit.

I posted a "Is Paul Dead?" subject last year, it's somewhere back in the 30 pages, for fun pull it up and read what others thought about their hoax.

Do you have an original Sgt. Pepper album cover? Look at the front of it and read the words of the songs on the back of the cover...words of the songs was part of the clever concept to sell the album and find the secret messages. Hinting that Paul, the most popular Beatle, might be dead in hidden in the lyrics of their songs, what other subject can have a greater impact then that one to sell the album.

HW 


The Beatles were plain exploitative...think of all the innocent, naive and cough *gullible* fans were shed so many tears because they thought their hero was really dead? The Beatles should've been ashamed.

You must've been reading my old posts  ;). Pet Sounds...that album is so good it speaks for itself. I have no need to defend it. That's how great it is.


I would say the same about Abbey Road, yet I wouldn't about Pet Sounds. I listened to it  ( pet sounds) just this past weekend tho.

I would say the same about Abbey Road, yet I wouldn't about Pet Sounds. I listened to it  ( pet sounds) just this past weekend tho.


If it weren't for Pet Sounds, there would be no Sgt. Pepper as it is...

The Beatles were plain exploitative...think of all the innocent, naive and cough *gullible* fans were shed so many tears because they thought their hero was really dead? The Beatles should've been ashamed.
you're really that sure they were the origin of that rumor? the arguments are pretty symbolic and tenuous: here's paul, smoking with his non-preferred hand. here's paul, the only one barefoot. here's a violin case on sgt. pepper's that looks sorta like a coffin. therefore paul is dead and was replaced by a body double.

unless there's evidence to the contrary, i rather think that was a theory cooked up by the fans. millions of copies of those albums went everywhere and all these people had a chance to REALLY DWELL on them. if i had to guess i'd say that's where it came from.

anyway, not many people really believed it so there really wasn't ever many tears shed over paul's supposed death. it was a goofy game for most people, i think, like doing a crossword or something.

you're really that sure they were the origin of that rumor? the arguments are pretty symbolic and tenuous: here's paul, smoking with his non-preferred hand. here's paul, the only one barefoot. here's a violin case on sgt. pepper's that looks sorta like a coffin. therefore paul is dead and was replaced by a body double.

unless there's evidence to the contrary, i rather think that was a theory cooked up by the fans. millions of copies of those albums went everywhere and all these people had a chance to REALLY DWELL on them. if i had to guess i'd say that's where it came from.

anyway, not many people really believed it so there really wasn't ever many tears shed over paul's supposed death. it was a goofy game for most people, i think, like doing a crossword or something.


You'd be surprised what some (Especially younger) fans will believe. The Beatles never publicly denied the rumours either...

You'd be surprised what some (Especially younger) fans will believe. The Beatles never publicly denied the rumours either...


Oh get a grip.  The Beatles didn't start the rumors, They didn't perpetuate the rumors, and at the time the
rumors we going around Paul was out in public walking around alive and well.  99.9% sloughed it off,
the ones who didn't were bored and needed something to do, no matter how inane.  The rumor was that Paul was dead and the guy walking around as Paul wasn't really Paul at all, but a lookalike.  Such a load of crap, why should he, or they say anything?  Everytime a stupid rumor popped up they were supposed to come out to assure the public everything was fine,  "Sorry family, but my fans are worried, I have to go out, see a few, have some press conferences and calm them down, assure them that everything is alright and all is well with the world"  I would have done the same thing, sit back and wait for the foolish to come to their senses.

The Beatles were plain exploitative...think of all the innocent, naive and cough *gullible* fans were shed so many tears because they thought their hero was really dead? The Beatles should've been ashamed.


Yeah, they cried with them...all the way to the bank!

Oh get a grip.  The Beatles didn't start the rumors, They didn't perpetuate the rumors, and at the time the
rumors we going around Paul was out in public walking around alive and well.  99.9% sloughed it off,
the ones who didn't were bored and needed something to do, no matter how inane.  The rumor was that Paul was dead and the guy walking around as Paul wasn't really Paul at all, but a lookalike.  Such a load of crap, why should he, or they say anything?  Everytime a stupid rumor popped up they were supposed to come out to assure the public everything was fine,  "Sorry family, but my fans are worried, I have to go out, see a few, have some press conferences and calm them down, assure them that everything is alright and all is well with the world"  I would have done the same thing, sit back and wait for the foolish to come to their senses.


They certainly weren't opposed to milking it commercially, though!

It's been awhile since I've heard anything about this so I had to find out more about it

http://www.turnmeondeadman.net/IBP/Intro.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Is_Dead

I guess with Charles Manson & friends murdering people in beautiful Beverly Hills months earlier some people at the time thought anything bad was possible. And all that negativity can put a little hurt on that great '60s mojo.  :(