ABBEY ROAD

I view Abbey Road as the last true Beatles Album. Not just because it was it recorded last, but it has a sense of finality to it. Consequently, this is my favorite album from the band. It is possible this is also their most progressive album. They explore interesting soundscapes in many songs, and continue to experiment with different instruments and sounds.

There is still a pretty eclectic variety song-wise. You have your classic light rock tunes in 'Come Together,' 'Oh! Darling,' and 'Octopus' Garden,'

Any pop on this album is far removed from the trite they recorded in their early days. 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' 'Here Comes the Sun,' and the ballad 'Something' are all pop, but have a slight artsy quality to them that much of their earlier stuff clearly didn't.

However, the highlights for me are 'She's So Heavy' and the entire 'Abbey Road Medley.' The heaviness and mood on the former is unlike anything they've ever done, while the Medley is simply a plethora of top notch songs in a row.

How fitting the last words on 'The End' are "The love you take is equal to the love you take, a dogma that has been in there songs since the beginning. This is simply the band's best, and is a testament to the uncanny musical transformation they have undergone in a short six years.

9/10