THE BEATLES ABBEY ROAD PT.1

[Mike Pell]

The original idea was very simple- like with their others, I would play the album and talk about it.
But things are never so simple.
The long length of The Beatles' Abbey Road album left little time to really get deep into it on a slightly less than hour show.
So it was decided we would do TWO shows, as the importance of the Beatles and the album, when originally released and still today, was of such a magnitude it would be worth it.
The use of the brilliant book BEATLESONGS by William J. Dowlding provided us with firsthand quotes, little-known facts and details about the production of each song.
Including: where each song idea came from, who contributed how much to each song, changes to titles, lyrics and music, the instrumentation used- and John, Paul, George and Ringo's own thoughts on the songs development.
I was with Engineer Ken Stanley back then, and with the addition of some other unrelated but what you will find interesting music, we were able to flesh out the shows with less me and more tunes, lol!
So please join me for an intense and intellectual listen to one of the all-time Classic Albums.

 

Here's the link to Part One and why did the Beatle Cross The Road?, at WLSO.FM:

 

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1972

 

 

Mike

[Mike Pell]

Thanks Scott.

Yes, George was the last of them to come out with a solo album, turned out to be THREE discs and was the most successful of ALL of them!

In some cases influence is one thing, stealing is quite another, lol!

My computer is in the shop, am using a borrowed laptop, and not sure when that next part will be out there.

Thanks a lot for listening and writing,

Mike

[Scott]

I was just thinking about how the Beatles hung the moon and remembered I need to catch up on Mikes shows!  Coming to the party late is better than not coming at all!!!!

 

I have to say Im a Rubber Soul fan as well...

 

It must be disheartening to be sued by someone who influenced you!  I cant imagine they way they felt when Berry (or was it Berry's people?) did that.  At this point in their career everything they did was a big deal, funny how we still look back and think that they hung the moon, oh wait, they did ...

 

Also interesting that although the band may have held George and Ringo back in terms of recording their songs, that when they recorded solo they had more chart success than Paul and John.  Ive heard that somewhere before, but it never sunk in until I went back listened to their solo work and I was amazed at how prolific their writing really was.

 

Great Great listen Mike! Looking forward to part II

[Mike Pell]

RJ,

Hey, leave Niels alone- he was close enough for me to get it, lol!

You don't know the Beatle albums because...let me guess...they didn't hang the moon, lol?

I think honestly George's songs weren't up to snuff, but look who he was competing with, Lennon & McCartney- with any other group he's a major songwriter!

But he clearly got better as he went along, and Something is a brilliant song.

Then he later came out with the 3-RECORD solo set that took everyone by surprise and hit # 1.

Nobody knew he had that many great songs in reserve.

I suppose Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons felt the same way about Peter Criss' material.

By the way, I ordered a Kiss Hits CD, called Playlist Your Way with you in mind.

I'm sure you know about it, and will tell me what's right and wrong about the collection, lol!

McCartney's vocal on Oh Darling is fantastic, and for roughness and emotion in his voice, listen to his version of Little Richard's Long Tall Sally on their early album, or their own Helter Skelter on the White Album.

Better yet, check out I'm Down from their singles- McCartney sings so unbelievably soulfully rough, black singers were jealous, lol!

Ringo's voice grew on people, and I find him to always be a pleasant listen.

He is the one Beatle I have never isolated for his own show, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately.

This may surprise you, but besides his hits, Ringo probably has the most rare selections of songs of any of the Beatles.

I could do more than a show on just his Rarities!

So he has gotten his vocals over the years to make up for the lack of them with the Beatles, lol!

The Lads had LONG stopped doing cover songs by the time of Oh Darling.

As you will find out when I continue sometime with the Covered By The Beatles series- then you'll also hear Long Tall Sally!
Damn, I have too many ideas...I still have to return to the Movies, lol!
Thanks for writing and listening,

Mike

[Mike Pell]

Niels,

Yeah that's true, "It's a drag" is a pretty lame resonse when even a former very close friend is killed.

But people respond publicly very differently from what they are feeling inside.

I guess even I have, acting like I have it together when inside I am truly devastated!

And I am also not the sharpest knife in the drawer, lol!
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

I forgot to say that while listening, I though Oh Darling was a cover tune. 

[RJhog (Admin)]

Niels, I'll translate for you (you were close by the way) "he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer". 

 

Mike, this was definitely a cool listen.  I can't tell you or Niels what my favorite Beatles album is, I just don't know what's on what album well enough.  However, this one is sounding really good and may be on or near the top of my future list. 

 

To me, the best song overall on side one is Something.  The comments about Harrison's previous stuff not being up to snuff sort of reminds me of my favorite band.   I have read numerous comments by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons referring to Peter Criss' material the exact same way.  Maybe it's true, I don't know.   Maybe George and Peter just weren't as good a songwriter as Lennon/McCartney and Stanley/Simmons, but when they hit it just right, the results were huge. 

 

I agree with Niels, not John Lennon, on McCartney's vocal on Oh Darling.  It's fantastic.  I like the roughness in his voice.  It gives the song real emotion. 

 

I also enjoyed the Octopus song by Ringo.  He really should have had more lead vocals.  I don't think he's a great singer, but I still like his voice.

 

 

[Niels (Mod)]

I agree, that he should'nt have made that comment on that ocasion, but Paul's (also!!) famous for bad remarks, especially when people around him dies, fx the first remark after Lennon was shot:  "It's a drag", while he was chewing gum. I've just read a book about him, and many people confirms, that he was devestated and crying just minutes before that remark, so let's just say, he's not "the sharpest knife in the kitchendraw". (Can you say that in english?)

[Mike Pell]

Niels,

I find it so hard to rate Beatle albums, but Sgt. Pepper is the #1 for me.

After that, the White Album, Rubber Soul and Revolver...maybe not in that order, lol!

Part Two will be here soon, and I have more info about McCartney being a control-freak and a perfectionist.

I too think he is the nicest guy in the bunch, have seen him a few times in concert.

But he did piss me off somewhat when he received that award from the Library of Congress and made that cheap, easy, unfunny joke about President Bush.

He had always been a classy guy, but he was clearly pandering to the D.C. crowd with, "After the last eight years, it’s good to have a president that knows what a library is."

If you have seen the video, you can see even Jerry Seinfeld looks very shocked at that graceless remark.

I'll cut him some slack because of his good reputation, but he is British not American.

And I can hardly imagine an American Rock & Roller saying something similar over in England about one of their former Prime Ministers!

Oh Darling is where the discussion picks up in Part Two.

I know that story about Sinatra not giving George his props with Something.

And when Franks sings it, if you have not heard it, he throws in the word "Jack" to the lyrics.

George heard about it, and on his live concert in Japan CD's he too threw in "Jack" while singing it just for a joke, lol!

Also at the end of Part Two you will hear my unrelated to the Beatles playing of the Rolling Stones seemingly stealing music from an old 50's artist named Buster Brown (I was filling time, but it is a valid diversion I think you will be almost amazed by!).

Thanks for the listen, the writing to me, and bearing with me in my mild scolding of Paul, lol,

Mike

[Niels (Mod)]

For a while, "Abbey Road" was my favorite Beatles-album, but at the moment it's at the no. 3 spot, right behind the "White album" and "Revolver".

McCartney was (is) a control-freak and a perfectionist, but it seems to me, like he was (is) the nicest guy of the bunch. IMO The best Beatles-music was created, when he "took over" around the time of Epstein's death, and Lennon was more and more into Yoko Ono and drugs, and the majority of best songs around that time, were written by Paul, BUT......they were absolutely right about "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". It's just not a very good song, and certainly not a hit-record. I read that George said, that the band used as much time on that song, as the rest of the album!! But then McCartney follows it with "Oh Darling!", probably his best vocal-performance and a great song!!

Oh, and Frank Sinatra once said, that "Something" was his favorite "Lennon & McCartney"-song. Poor George!!

 

Good show, Mike.