How The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” Forecasted The Future Lives Of John, George, Paul, and Ringo in the 1970s.
On the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' penultimate album, Abbey Road, it’s the perfect time to reflect on this classic recording, as the two disc set indicates the directions each of the Beatles would go in the ‘70s after the breakup of the band. The album is a time capsule of four incredibly talented individuals, and arguably one of the greatest contributions to pop music ever. And in many ways, Abbey Road offers a deep look at the personalities of The Beatles and where they were headed as the ’60s ended.
Abbey Road sas released on September 26, 1969. Yet fifty years later it remains a testament to rock and roll excellence, a small revolution on two discs, coming at the end of a revolutionary decade.
John opens the album with “Come Together.” It’s a nonsensical tune, in the proper English tradition of absurd poets he was a descendant of. “Come Together” and the rest of John’s tunes on Abbey Road suggest the value importance of stream of consciousness to John’s lyrical process, as well as the meaninglessness of the drug addiction that he would descend into in the 70s. Yoko certainly encouraged his rebellious artistic instincts. John’s weirdness is part of what made the Beatles great, and it’s also on display on “Mean Mr. Mustard” and “Polythene Pam.”
George’s “Something” is a proper love song, and in all its beauty perfectly foreshadows the mysticism of his ‘70s solo career and also his love affair with Patty Boyd. As the most famously spiritual Beatle, it’s no surprise that his love song became one of the band’s most popular tunes. “Here Comes The Sun” furthers George’s positive inspirational bent, in all of its beauty.
Paul’s “Oh Darling” is an adequately passionate love song, burning with all of the romantic fire that made Paul such a legend in the ‘70s and to this day. Paul’s famous medley, which concludes the album, with “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight” point to Paul’s righteousness and the legendary beauty of his personality and his deep affections towards Linda. His “Her Majesty” at the end of the album presages his talent for flirting with the powers that be — perhaps contributing to his longevity.
Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden” is a very infectious and fun tune that transcends the novelty genre by being just so dang cool. In the ’70s Ringo would appear on the charts with tunes about young love and abstinence from drugs. He doesn’t deserve to be labeled the goofy Beatle. He’s a rock and roll survivor and his respectable timekeeping and his myriad contributions on drums, as well as vocal to Beatle’s classics cements his status as a legend.
50 years have passed — yet perhaps no rock and roll album can claim to have captured that special lightning in a bottle in the way that Abbey Road has. Abbey Road belongs in our hearts, as well as streaming on our phones and other digital devices. The production by George Martin, with Alan Parsons receiving his first engineering credit is legendary. For the 50th anniversary Super Edition, George Martin’s 49 year old son revisited the master tapes to create something really special and groovy. Check it out on every conceivable platform.
