Paul McCartney looks so freakin' cool on this album's cover, bare feet and cigarette worn with pride. Can we all agree that McCartney was the cool one and still is? Thanks. Of course, everyone thinks they all look great here, which is why the album cover is copied so often by all kinds of artists, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Kanye West. Ugh.
Speaking of "covers" one thing I'm not a fan of is how many different covers of "Come Together" I've heard over the years. It's a neat song, but when so many people cover it and can do nothing more interesting with it than has already been done, why bother? I guess it's a testament to the impact the song has had on these artists, but some songs should be left alone.
I don't like Abbey Road
as much as Revolver. I don't know why, but it just doesn't catch me as easily. Great songs, and lots of variety, like Sgt. Pepper, but...I dunno. Is my lack of Beatles "cred" showing too much?
"Yesterday" has many more covers (over 1600), but the difference is that the artists make them more interesting. In contrast, they never stray very far from the iconic arrangement of "Come Together". "Yesterday", with its simplicity, is like a lump of Play-Doh, while "Come Together" is more like Michelangelo's David. You can take maybe 3 or 4 swipes with a chisel, but for the most part you have to leave it alone or it's unrecognizable after you've finished.
ReplyDeleteI like Abbey Road. There are better songs on other albums, but it shines when compared against its predecessors, the directionless White Album or the painful Let It Be. And the ending medley is on-repeat-worthy for sure.
I think with Abbey Road, the Beatles accomplished their objective -- to have one last hurrah, one more really good album before breaking up.
Aha. I never really noticed the covers of Yesterday, probably for the reasons you mentioned. Great analogy.
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