ABBEY ROAD

The Beatles has never been among my very dearest bands but I enjoy their later albums. This is their finest in my opinion. (What an awkward situation it would be if I didn't like this, when it comes to the rating! Maybe my five stars do have some sort of extra for Absolute Classic Album By The Absolute Classic Band in Rock History, because after all I don't listen to this - or The Beatles in general - too often in my life. But yes, five stars it shall be.)

If the group was about to disband, it really don't show in the music. It's so full of cheerful energy. Well, John Lennon's (darker?) contribution is maybe smaller than usual; I have understood this album is very much Paul McCartney's child - and without his uncompromising working attitude the album possibly would have never been finished. Why on earth his solo output seems so much less impressive then? The Beatles must have been a playground for great individuals challenging each other. Also "the black horse" George Harrison brought his best known compositions here, lush love song 'Something', which has been covered by dozens of artists, and bright 'Here Comes The Sun'.

The first side includes also the deliciously ironic 'Come Together', fantastically over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek 'Oh Darling' with Paul's best vocals ever, and magnificent 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'. One could consider two hilarious Ringo Starr numbers ('Maxwell's Silver Hammer' and 'Octopus's Garden') as weaker links of the great album, but they give their share to the overall charm.

The second side is a seamless suite of songs (too bad it doesn't have a name, only separate track titles), and especially by many progheads often considered their finest moment. There are a couple of rougher parts I usually skip, but they too are crucial to the artistic whole. The first part, 'Because', is fantastic (I'm really running out of superlatives!) slow and mystic-feeling song with lovely harpsichord sound and vocal harmonies. I remember it once being used, to a great effect, in a TV document about fractals. The next song, 'You Never Give Me Your Money', has beautiful melancholic melody that's genuinely repeated near the end of the suite. 'Golden Slumbers' is so heartachingly beautiful McCartney ballad that it's probably self-mockery. Even with some less enjoyable sections this suite is amazing and hasn't dated at all. A masterpiece album, no question about it. Also the superb level of production is very rare for its time.