Abbey Road

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The last Beatles album to be recorded (although Let It Be was the last to be released), Abbey Road was a fitting swan song for the group, echoing some of the faux-conceptual forms of Sgt. Pepper, but featuring stronger compositions and more rock-oriented ensemble work. The group was still pushing forward in all facets of its art, whether devising some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any rock record (especially on Because), constructing a medley of songs/vignettes that covered much of side two, adding subtle touches of Moog synthesizer, or crafting furious guitar-heavy rock (The End, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Come Together). George Harrison also blossomed into a major songwriter, contributing the buoyant Here Comes the Sun and the supremely melodic ballad Something, the latter of which became the first Harrison-penned Beatles hit. Whether Abbey Road is the Beatles' best work is debatable, but it's certainly the most immaculately produced (with the possible exception of Sgt. Pepper) and most tightly constructed. [Abbey Road was reissued and remastered on 180-gram vinyl in 2013.] ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi