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Post by Helmut83 on Feb 2, 2015 3:38:39 GMT
I'll be posting the CD of the Week this time. Finally I'm not going to torture you guys with music in Spanish like I had said, or maybe leave it for next time.
Last (and only) time I posted a CD of the Week was Roxette's "Joyride". On that opportunity I said I considered it to be the 2nd best album I've ever heard, only after the Beatles' "Abbey Road" in terms of quality. Guess which one I'm posting today? Yes, it's my #1. This album has been the best in my consideration ever since I first listened to it. The absolute masterpiece of rock music in my opinion. The bad thing is that I'm not coming up with something new for you guys to listen to, but I guess you won't complain about this classic.
Unfortunately there's not a full album video to listen to directly, and not even a playlist working correctly on YouTube, so I'm afraid you guys will have to look for the songs yourselves, if no one has a better option. I'll paste the link to "Come together", the 1st song of the album, and list the songs of the album below:
1) Come together 2) Something 3) Maxwell's silver hammer 4) Oh! Darling 5) Octopus's Garden 6) I want you (she's so heavy) 7) Here comes the sun 8) Because 9) You never give me you money 10) Sun king 11) Mean Mr. Mustard 12) Polythene Pam 13) She came in through the bathroom window 14) Golden slumbers 15) Carry that weight 16) The end 17) Her majesty
Don't panick, from song 10 on all of them are very short.
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Post by jrmugz on Feb 2, 2015 3:45:15 GMT
AWESOME, Helmut; thanks so much for coming through for us!
I can't wait to delve into this album even more, it's a total masterpiece, I've always maintained that it trumps even "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper's", which both trump the white album and Rubber Soul, IMHO.
Can't wait to play it throughout the week, will probably have a review by Wednesday or so!
Jim
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Post by Helmut83 on Feb 2, 2015 5:37:52 GMT
As the poster usually does, I'm going to post the first review. Don't expect me to come short in terms of praises towards the Fab Four for putting out this album. Like I said before, I consider it to be the best I've ever heard, and by a margin. I think the Beatles' songwriting knowledge and creativity reached it's peak here. Most everything in it sounds really inspired and is very original. Also, the "other half of the Beatles" (George and Ringo) never contributed so much in terms of amount of songs (3) and quality. Another aspect I want to outline is that although many people say the Beatles were bad or mediocre instrumentists, in my opinion this album totally shows otherwise. George's performance with the guitar is exquisite IMO, Paul is ridiculously good on the bass and Ringo, always playing the Ringo way, does a great job with the drums. I think their singing was very good too. On the cons side, this album was not as wide in terms of instrumentation as previous Beatles albums (e.g.: White album) had been. They stayed pretty much in the mold with that. Other than the typical rock instruments (guitars, bass, drums, piano, keyboards/mellotron/moog), you only got some strings in a couple of songs and some winds here and there, but not much. They went back to the r&r band format in that aspect. 1) Come together: I'm not sure it works well as an album opener, but in any case I think it's a great song, has lots of elements of rock but with the particularity that, other than the chorus, it's slow. The bass's riff is very original and recognizable. 2) Something: one of the best love songs ever written (sorry, George, but I think "Midnight blue" is better ), with an interesting chords progression. It shows how much George had grown as a songwriter. It starts smooth and calm, but has parts in which the intensity grows a lot. The guitar solo is exquisite, the strings add a nice touch and Paul's work on the bass is sick. 3) Maxwell's silver hammer: one of Paul's "granny songs", which people seem to hate, but I like. Calm and carefree melody, quite relaxing (not matching the violent lyrics). A bit of a 2nd part to "When I'm 64". 4) Oh! Darling: talking about love songs, Paul had his say too with this bluesy tune that has become a real classic. Great chord progression on the chorus, crazy bassline, the piano and the backing vocals help a lot, but the vocal performance is plainly awesome and steals the show. 5) Octopus's Garden: Ringo's contribution to this album is this "easy to hate", happy country song which I love it to pieces. I think it fits Ringo's "childish" style really well, as well as his deep voice. George's solo (and guitar work in general) is fantastic. 6) I want you (she's so heavy): the only bad song of the album IMO, and what's worse, it is way too long. I reckon John was probably trying to make a dark progressive rock song, but I don't like the result at all. And too repetitive too, particularly the outro. 7) Here comes the sun: a masterpiece. This song fills you with a sense of peace and joy from the very first strumming of the strings of the acoustic guitar. The guitar riff is fantastic. George’s vocals are at their best. The flutes in the 3rd verse take the song to it’s climax. Otherworldly song. 8) Because: probably the Beatles’ best (or at least more complex) vocal performance. Very original song, proves how creative and innovative these guys (in this case, John) were. It features arpeggiate chords and produces a bizarre (yet captivating and intriguing) aura of mystery. 9) You never give me you money: to make it short, the best song I’ve ever heard to this day. Everything in it is majestic. It features 3 different songs that blend together surprisingly well. George’s guitar work is probably the best he’s ever produced, Paul’s singing is great, the backing vocals are outstanding, the bassline is very active... The ultimate sample of the Beatles’ genius. 10) Sun king: a slow, short ballad with some silly lyrics (some of them in a mix of Spanish and Italian). Nothing extraordinary IMO. Quite strange use of the bass drum by Ringo. 11) Mean Mr. Mustard: I love this uplifting little song, it has great rhythm, a good melody and flows smoothly. Great for singing along (Uno!). 12) Polythene Pam: great composition by John, all in major chords. Some say it’s a predecessor of punk rock. Ringo excels himself on the drums here. George’s little solo is good too. It deserved to be longer IMO. 13) She came in through the bathroom window: pleasant mid-tempo song. Has the structural peculiarity of featuring 1 verse on the first round and 2 on the second. Good backing vocals and another of Paul’s crazy basslines. 14) Golden slumbers: emotional-kind ballad, Paul shows some wide vocal range here. Uses strings to help the piano create the atmosphere. It has become a favourite to cover by other artists. 15) Carry that weight: kind of a reprise to “You never...”. The chorus is fantastic and very recognizable, with the 4 Beatles singing together. 16) The end: amazing rocking song, another of my favourites, shows that Paul could write rockers too. Features a great drum solo by Ringo and then comes one of the best musical moments ever produced by the Beatles: the epic guitar counterpoint between Paul; George and John, in which you can appreciate clearly the difference in styles the 3 of them had (as well as acknowledging that Paul was a great guitarist too). Then it closes with a memorable final line in ballad mode. That should have been the closing of the album IMO. 17) Her majesty: nice mini country tune, but if it belonged to the album, it’s place certainly wasn’t as the album closer.
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Post by Chippa on Feb 2, 2015 5:50:03 GMT
My second favorite Beatles album!
"Come Together"- The unique percussion (handclaps? thigh-slapping?) really drives this song. Love Lennon's gritty vocals, too.
"Something" -Frank Sinatra called this one of the greatest love songs ever written. I'm not gonna argue. Absolute perfection.
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - A darkly humorous song, with some interesting early synthesizer work going on.
" Oh! Darling" - Paul's best vocal performance, ever, in my opinion. A real shredder. Absolutely love this song.
"Octopus's Garden" - Ringo takes a silly song, and makes it work with his charming Ringo style.
"I Want You" - KILLER bassline in this one. I'm guessing Black Sabbath picked up on that, and "borrowed" it for "Paranoid".
"Here Comes the Sun" - One of George's greatest songs. Play this on a bad day, and your frame of mind just might change for the better.
"Because" - Probably a nod to Brian Wilson.
"You Never Give Me Your Money"- I like the changes in the song, from piano ballad to bouncy pop song to fun sing-along, at the end.
"Sun King" - See "Because".
"Mean Mr. Mustard" - Puts me in mind of something from "The White Album". Some very clever lyrics from John, here.
"Polythene Pam"- Sort of a throwaway song, probably just needed to lead into the next song.....
"She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" - A nice rocker, with Paul delivering some very strong vocals.
"Golden Slumbers"- Absolute beauty, here. Paul sounds like he's really pushing himself to the vocal limit on a lot of these songs.
"Carry That Weight"- Ringo's one and only Beatles drum solo. Love the guitar from George, here.
"The End"- "and in the end/the love you take/ is equal to the love/ you make.." Truer words have never been written.
"Her Majesty" - Fun "hidden" track. I wonder if there's a longer version laying around somewhere?
Overall, I give this album 9.5 out of 10. If you're new to The Beatles, get this one, and work your way backwards.
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Post by Horacewimp on Feb 2, 2015 8:36:08 GMT
Thanks for steppin' in at short notice Helmut83
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Post by jrmugz on Feb 2, 2015 15:07:22 GMT
My second favorite Beatles album! "Come Together"- The unique percussion (handclaps? thigh-slapping?) really drives this song. Love Lennon's gritty vocals, too. "Something" -Frank Sinatra called this one of the greatest love songs ever written. I'm not gonna argue. Absolute perfection. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - A darkly humorous song, with some interesting early synthesizer work going on. " Oh! Darling" - Paul's best vocal performance, ever, in my opinion. A real shredder. Absolutely love this song. "Octopus's Garden" - Ringo takes a silly song, and makes it work with his charming Ringo style. "I Want You" - KILLER bassline in this one. I'm guessing Black Sabbath picked up on that, and "borrowed" it for "Paranoid". "Here Comes the Sun" - One of George's greatest songs. Play this on a bad day, and your frame of mind just might change for the better. "Because" - Probably a nod to Brian Wilson. "You Never Give Me Your Money"- I like the changes in the song, from piano ballad to bouncy pop song to fun sing-along, at the end. "Sun King" - See "Because". "Mean Mr. Mustard" - Puts me in mind of something from "The White Album". Some very clever lyrics from John, here. "Polythene Pam"- Sort of a throwaway song, probably just needed to lead into the next song..... "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" - A nice rocker, with Paul delivering some very strong vocals. "Golden Slumbers"- Absolute beauty, here. Paul sounds like he's really pushing himself to the vocal limit on a lot of these songs. "Carry That Weight"- Ringo's one and only Beatles drum solo. Love the guitar from George, here. "The End"- "and in the end/the love you take/ is equal to the love/ you make.." Truer words have never been written. "Her Majesty" - Fun "hidden" track. I wonder if there's a longer version laying around somewhere? Overall, I give this album 9.5 out of 10. If you're new to The Beatles, get this one, and work your way backwards. Hey Chippa, can I mark you down for one of the CD of the Week 2015 open weeks? If you can, just let me know which one in the thread. BTW, you took my exact sentiments I was going to mention for "Oh Darling", "Because" and "Sun King", when I get to my review. Jim
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Post by queenofthehours on Feb 2, 2015 16:16:47 GMT
Wonderful choice Helmut! I love Abbey Road, it's one of the most perfect albums I've ever heard. One of my favourites.
Somehow I don't think of this as a Beatles record. Rubber Soul is a Beatles record, this is a masterpiece by a talented rock band who grew out of the Beatles.
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Post by unomusette on Feb 2, 2015 22:15:02 GMT
As I've already confessed I don't own a single Beatles album, but looking at the track list I can see lots of songs I already know are classics. Not going to read the other reviews until I've had a good listen, but in the meantime thanks for bringing this to the table, I just know I'm going to be a better person for experiencing it
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Post by Helmut83 on Feb 2, 2015 23:03:59 GMT
Not going to read the other reviews until I've had a good listen, but in the meantime thanks for bringing this to the table, I just know I'm going to be a better person for experiencing it You are welcome! And yes you will, above all in the case you give that poor chainsaw a rest.
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Post by unomusette on Feb 2, 2015 23:28:01 GMT
Ahh, but not even the Fab Four can be completely immune to a chainsaw review. There are songs listed I've not heard before...
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Post by Helmut83 on Feb 2, 2015 23:48:15 GMT
Does that mean that the ones you heard before can't perish under the chainsaw, because of the sheer fact that you have heard them before? And does that mean you can not like, even love, the "new" ones?
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Post by unomusette on Feb 3, 2015 21:15:42 GMT
It means - the ones I've heard I know are pretty good, but the others could easily contain a dud or two. Until I hear them I won't know. It's like Beatles Chainsaw Roulette
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Post by jrmugz on Feb 4, 2015 18:05:14 GMT
OK, here is my review of The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album.
01. "Come Together" - Masterful John Lennon rock and roll song with glorious touches by Ringo, Paul, George, and Billy Preston on keys I'm assuming. On "I Am the Walrus", Lennon's idiotic lyrics are annoying to me, for some reason on this one, his idiotic lyrics are not quite as bad, so makes it interesting. Very cool tune. 02. "Something" - Perfect love song, excellent slide guitar, passionate performance. 03. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" - A cute little song about a guy named Maxwell bludgeoning people to death? Thus, not my fave. 04. "Oh! Darling" - One of the ultimate Macca crooning songs, up there with "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Hey Jude" 05. "Octopus's Garden" - Ringo's finest moment, all around great song. Do I believe he wrote the guitar riff, for his full writing credit? No, but hey, it's a great song. 06. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" - Fits in really well, a nice change of pace jazzy number, with a really unique and innovative second half. 07. "Here Comes the Sun" - Hard to believe that after so much good stuff, the fun is just beginning. Beautiful song expressing a universal sentiment. One of George Martin's best productions, IMHO. 08. "Because" - Soothing therapeutic lyrics and vocal harmonies. 09. "You Never Give Me Your Money" - Unique lyric to soothing melody and vocals. 10. "Sun King" - Like "Because", soothing therapeutic lyrics and vocal harmonies. 11. "Mean Mr. Mustard" - John Lennon at his fun best. 12. "Polythene Pam" - Again, John Lennon at his fun best. 13. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" - Great rocker with a very cool chorus. "Didn't anybody tell her..." Great stuff! 14. "Golden Slumbers" - Nice segue to the final tracks. 15. "Carry That Weight" - Makes for a nice and entertaining climax right before "The End". 16. "The End" - Profound and spirited ending. 17. "Her Majesty" - Every great performance needs an encore, so this is a really nice treat, reminding us that the fun and spontaneity that The Beatles embodied and that goes on in life, in spite of their last album being finished.
Star Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "Something", "Oh! Darling", "Octopus' Garden", "Here Comes the Sun", "Because", "That-there-medley-type-thingy-that-starts-with-song-9" Bottom Line: A remarkable final master stroke on an amazing body of work. Great songwriting, production and performances by everyone involved.
Thank you for allowing me to re-re-visit one of my favorite all-time classic albums, Helmut.
Jim
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Post by 88keys on Feb 6, 2015 20:41:17 GMT
Good album. I stick it right between Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's.
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Post by unomusette on Feb 7, 2015 22:12:42 GMT
Sorry I'm late, review on its way I promise
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