Abbey Road Anniversary Deluxe

"The Beatles recording journey had gone through many twists and turns, learning curves and thrilling rides. Here we were--still wondering at the magic of it all." Paul McCartney. This is another worthwhile anniversary release of a classic Beatles album. The packaging is similar to the "Sgt. Pepper's" and the "White Album" anniversary releases. The thick, glossy slipcase (with complete track list on the back cover) holds an equally thick hardcover book. The front and back inside covers each hold two discs, which are inside glossy cardboard jackets with a track list on the back covers. The book (with sewn in binding) has a Forward by Paul McCartney, an Introduction by Giles Martin, plus chapters by Beatles historian Ken Howlett--"The Route To Abbey Road", "Track By Track", "The Cover", and "The Arrival Of Abbey Road". David Hepworth has a chapter titled "And In The End". The track by track text (which includes info on the "Sessions" tracks) is usually two pages for each song and is both interesting and informative. Also included are many rare photos from the sessions (including Linda McCartney's photographs), plus repros of handwritten lyrics, recording data sheets, and tape boxes--everything adding to the feel of that time period. The presentation is up to high standards for such an important album as this. The music. Besides the 2019 mix of the original album, the session tracks too have good sound. If you're familiar with the last reissue of this album, the sound isn't to far from that version to my ears--everything seems to be in the right place in the mix. The 23 outtakes sound every bit as good as the album. The Blue-Ray disc is well worth having--the quality--in Dolby Atmos 5.1 master audio and High Resolution Stereo Mix--is a good addition to this set. Disc 1 is the original album which is familiar to most all of us so no real comment is needed. Discs 2 and 3 have the outtakes, and this is where the fun begins. The tracks are in chronological order which is a good thing--no guessing about the recording sequence. There's some studio chat from the group and they sound like they're having a good time in the studio--joking around a bit. Several of the outtakes are close to the finished songs in feel as we know them. But there's also some goodies that make these sessions worth hearing. A few things I like: Included are takes of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "Something" (with a different feel from the tune we know), "Old Brown Shoe", "Here Comes The Sun" (also with a different feel from the album track), "Come Together", "Sun King", plus a demo of "Come And Get It" (made famous by that great band Badfinger), and three instrumental tracks--which give insight into how the music came together. Also give a listen to "The Long One" which includes eight shorter songs heard on the album, which gives some perspective on the finished album. But there's other good things included and everyone will have their own favorites--to each his own. I have to say for me that this album has always been near the top of Beatles albums. It's the one I find myself reaching for unless I need a dose of early Beatles. The outtakes plus a really nice book with informative essays and rare photos makes this another good addition alongside the previous anniversary sets--even at ninety bucks or so--which seems a bit high. But when you slip the book out of its slipcase and see the quality, and when you hear the all the music, the price tag slips back into your head. This is a worthwhile purchase for "Abbey Road" and/ or Beatles fans in general. And for "Abbey Road" fans, check out Bruce Spizer's latest book about "Abbey Road". It's similar to his other books on the "Sgt. Pepper's" and the "White Album" releases.

What is here is definitely 5 Star(r) Beatles music! "Abbey Road" never sounded this good! It's pristine with nuances and sounds that were buried in the eight track 1969 mix. Now with 2019's 16 technology you hear "Abbey Road" as close to how The Beatles themselves heard when they recorded it. Bravo to Giles, Sam and their entire team. I have been a fan of The Beatles since they first appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9. 1964 and have everything they legitimately released and, for me, this is the definitive, "Go To" version of "Abbey Road"! The 2 CDs of outtakes are a joy to hear and, unlike some reviewers who said they are only worthy of being listened to once, I listen to and enjoy them frequently. My favorite outtakes are "Come Together (Take 5)"; "I Want You (She's So Heavy) Trident Mix (with Billy Preston's excellent organ solo coda); "The Ballad of John and Yoko (Take 7)"; "The End (Take 3)" (with different guitar parts and a different drum solo from Ringo) and "The Long One" (The Abbey Road Side 2 medley with "Her Majesty" appearing between "Mean Mr. Mustard and "Polythene Pam". "The Long One" and "TBOJ&Y" only appear on the Box Set version. Also noteworthy and only available on the Box Set are George Martin's isolated orchestral instrumental tracks for "Something" and "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight". I really don't have the perfect system to do the Blu-ray justice but I will play it at some point. The hardcover book is well researched and of quality printing, full of many facts and photos. Many of the photos were taken by Linda McCartney. RIP John, George and Linda. You live on through your work. The Beatles always tried to be different and try new things with each album. With "Abbey Road" they reached their pinnacle with their last album. "Abbey Road" has always been my favorite Beatles album for that reason. Is this a perfect set? No. I would have liked "Something" with the added keyboard coda that has been bootlegged for years on this set. Also, I would have liked a version of "Here Comes The Sun" with Harrison's unused guitar solo that Giles discovered during the making of Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary film "Living In The Material World" melded together into its own take. There is bonus footage from the movie's DVD/Blu-ray of Giles Martin, George Martin and Dhani Harrison listening to it. George Martin had forgotten about it or the fact that they hadn't used it on the take that made the original album and Dhani had never heard it before. I also wish the audio version of "Octopus' Garden" from the "Let It Be" film with different lyrics had been included. It features Ringo Starr playing part of the song on piano for George Harrison. The lyrics are: "I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade. It would be nice, paradise, in an octopus' garden in the shade." Those 3 things would have made it perfect and 5+ Star(r)s for me, but I digress. This set is worth every penny for what it is! Amazon also offers it at a great price.

Great! Must have album for any Beatles fan or just good music fan in general. Amazon had the best prices around by far. Delivery was fast

'Abbey Road' is actually the last album the Beatles recorded together. It is a triumph and a fine way to end their time together as history's most celebrated rock band. They agreed to do two "sides"--as was conventional before C.D.'s--each one uniform. Side one is rock and roll unadulterated. Side two is a pop symphony that is carefully melded together with several segues, making the songs melt into one another. It is correctly considered one of their great works, but the polish makes it different than their previous work 'The White Album'. As usual the individual tastes are apparent. John has some heavy-duty rock songs with an almost caveman sexuality. "Come Together" is shivery in pattern with vocals that are processed for a primitive effect. Purposely, Lennon sings like he just learned English. It is still intriguing if he relates to "old flat-top" or if he's mocking him. Maybe, both. John gets to end and begin his rock side, so "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" presents sexuality with synthesizers and guitars that bring a mammoth presence to his topic. In the mix is Paul's fifties' shake shop ballad "Oh, Darling!" complete with a substantial refrain that gives some heft to the song. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" continues Paul's love for fun novelty songs. This story isn't as clever as "Rocky Raccoon," but it's as easily as funny. He makes his creepy character seem cutely normal. And, on 'Abbey Road,' this is the beginning of many. Ringo turns in one of his best moments with his own composition "Octopus's Garden". Having sufficient accompaniment, he sings a narration of an underwater paradise that should be considered more than an elaboration of "Yellow Submarine". The country-accented music and the fifties' feel refrain make it a substantial contribution. Then, if George always seemed in the shadow of John and Paul, on 'Abbey Road' he comes up with two songs that not only match, but surpass, his comrades' work. Frank Sinatra called 'Something' "the best love song of the last fifty years." George caressed the melody and provided enough of his own accompaniment to shoot this great ballad to one of the top six all-time Beatles' bestsellers. Side two is not an anti-climax. Appropriately, George continues his roll with the intricate and beautiful "Here Comes the Sun". Eloquent in word and expert in guitar interplay, "Here Comes the Sun" has to be one of the five best Beatles' songs ever. It's a majestic beginning to a magnificent side. "Because" which follows is a soaring piece of music. Sort of a hippie exhaltation of nature, "Because" may contain their best harmony performance of any song. Next, we start off tenderly with Paul's "You Never Give Me Your Money," a song that gets funky and faster and laments the financial headaches the Beatles had with their songwriting contracts. "Sun King," which follows seems to add to the langorous grandeur of "Because," but from here we get the long stretch. "Sun King" melts into "Mean Mr. Mustard" and provides one of many weirdos. This one seems unnaturally tight with money. "Polythene Pam" provides great bouncey music for someone who can only be considered androgenous . Then, "She Came Through the Bathroom Window" is Paul's fanciful take on a wayward woman who seems to take over. Once the listeners catch their breath, Paul provides a fine lullaby "Golden Slumbers," sung passionately enough in the refrain to prevent it from becoming ordinary. Lastly, "Carry That Weight" is a chiding admonition for someone. Maybe it is to say we are all overly burdened. Then, we get a reprise to "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "The End" which is wild and funky--some compare it to The James' Gang. "And, in the end/The love you take/ Is equal to the love you make." Always remaining irreverent until "The End," the Beatles hang together musically for what has to be the bottom line of their music. It is hard to imagine that they didn't know that 'Abbey Road' would be their last recording together. If they didn't, they sure found the best way to send us off. Perhaps it may seem extraneous, but if we didn't know they weren't being serious, Paul adds "Her Majesty," a playful piece of nonsense as an afterthought. (Both sides end abruptly, just to let us know not to take them too seriously. For Beatle hounds, their last magnum opus provided the groups' greatest rumor. Paul was dead. He was gone for three years and mysteriously replaced by a double who sprouted a moustache for a disguise, but still retained a voice that matched his deceased predecessor, even though he was able to add some new depth to the group's lyrics. It was the best kept secret in show business, but The Beatles wanted to be discreet, yet fair to their audience. So they sprinkled clues on every album starting with 'Sgt. Pepper' in case their secret was discovered. They could then save face with an explanation that they always meant to tell us, and they always provided a treasure hunt of clues to help their fans find out the truth. Malcolm Smith (bka Paul McCartney) is living well somewhere in England and recently published 'Chaos and Creation in the Backyard' under his assumed name...)

Came early and great quality and sound

Awesome shirt! Perfect fit. Launders well and I hang to dry. Very comfortable and the colors are great! I receive compliments every time I wear it. I’m a very satisfied customer. I recommend purchasing this shirt.

ESSENTIAL ALBUM!!! One of rock's greatest albums by the Fab Four. It's one of my personal favorites & it's a rare thing when I don't play it. The album hit #1 on the charts & deservedly so. Without a weak moment, this album flows from beginning to end; the Beatles once again proving their prowess in the studio. This was actually the last album that the Beatles recorded but, due to the untimely disappearance of Phil Spector, Let It Be was the last album released. Abbey Road had two incredible hits released from it, "Come Together" which topped the charts #1 & "Something" which peaked at #3 (what???). Somewhat of a surprise was that wasn't a McCartney penned tune released as a single, though Sir Paul tried everything he could to get "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" released as one. But, let's face it, as light as the song sounds, mass murderers isn't great subject manner for lyrics. "Oh! Darling" was the song that should have released as a single. It's in 6/8 time & is a kind of throwback to old rock 'n' roll. McCartney's vocals on this song are some of the grittiest he ever recorded. "Oh! Darling" was one of the best album tracks on any Beatles album. "Octopus's Garden", written by Ringo, is non-essential. Then, what was side 1 on the vinyl record, closed with Lennon's "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", a great bluesy riff & solid vocals makes this a must-hear song. With it's heavy riff-laden slow fadeout makes it a perfect song ending that side of the record. This part of the album was a concession to Lennon's desires to record a straight ahead rock album. The other side of that coin is that side two was to be McCartney's side with his desire to make a more continuous rock-suite, this didn't quite happen but many of the songs do segue from one to the next. This side began with Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun". It's one of his best songs & could have been released as a single. "Because" is a slow song with a lot of three part harmony. It's some of their best harmony work ever recorded. It's amazing in light of the fact that when each one recorded his vocal, the other two weren't even present. The proper part of the rock suite begins with "You Never Give Me Your Money". This theme would recur on a later song on Abbey Road; this is where McCartney began incorporating this idea into his music, he would use it time & again in his solo recordings. "Sun King" follows next & was originally titled "Here Comes the Sun King", Lennon used some faux foreign language words to give it the feel that he wanted. Two more Lennon fragments follow, "Mean Mr. Mustard" & "Polythene Pam". Both have humorous lyrics, the latter one I found to be very comical. Lennon was a master of lyrics, able to be humorous & insightful at the same time. A McCartney song is next, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", it's a nonsensical title but the line "she could steal but she could not rob" is a classic. "Golden Slumbers" is a beautiful McCartney composition though he did nick some of the lyrics from a 400 year old poem by Thomas Dekker. "Carry That Weight" follow & is a great singalong, the musical & lyrical theme from "You Never Give Me Your Money" is repeated here. What was listed as the final song in the initial Abbey Road release is "The End". The title is a prophetical one & one of the most adventurous things they ever did. We get a short drum solo from Ringo, the only one that was recorded, there's an incredible three guitar lead where McCartney, Lennon & Harrison take turns playing their riffs, then we get to the slow ending. Lennon commented on the line written by McCartney, "the love you take is equal to the love you make", Lennon thought that was one of the best lyrics that McCartney ever wrote. This is all followed by "Her Majesty" the shortest Beatles song recorded. It was really a throwaway but was saved by an engineer & spliced on to the end of "The End" because it had been instructed to never throw away anything that had been recorded. Unless you're from somewhere else (say, a galaxy far, far away) then you've heard this album. One of the most creative pieces of music in the annals of rock 'n' roll!

My vinyl copy of Abbey Road has so many skips & pops I had to get a clean CD copy. This set contains 2 CDs: a remastered original, and some alternate takes of the same songs on the other CD. Interesting and worth a listen! Great price, delivered right away.

Abbey Road, the iconic masterpiece from The Beatles, has been etched into the annals of music history since its original release in 1969. Now, half a century later, the 50th Anniversary Edition on vinyl breathes new life into this timeless classic, delivering an unparalleled sonic experience that transcends the boundaries of time. From the moment the needle touches the grooves of the vinyl, it's evident that this edition has been crafted with meticulous care. The warmth and richness of the analog sound transport the listener to the hallowed grounds of Abbey Road Studios, where the Fab Four once walked in musical unison. The vinyl medium, with its inherent warmth and depth, adds an extra layer of authenticity to the experience, capturing the true essence of the recording era. What sets this anniversary edition apart is the meticulous remastering process undertaken by Giles Martin, son of the legendary George Martin, who was the original producer of Abbey Road. Giles' commitment to preserving the integrity of the original recordings while enhancing the overall audio fidelity is nothing short of remarkable. The result is a sonic tapestry that reveals nuances and subtleties previously unheard, allowing listeners to rediscover the album with fresh ears. The packaging itself is a work of art, paying homage to the iconic cover art while incorporating new elements that commemorate the album's enduring legacy. The attention to detail extends beyond the sound quality, with the vinyl housed in a sturdy, high-quality sleeve that ensures the physical embodiment of Abbey Road matches the sonic excellence within. Abbey Road's 50th Anniversary Edition on vinyl is not merely a reissue; it's a celebration of musical brilliance and cultural significance. Whether you're a seasoned Beatles aficionado or a newcomer exploring the magic of Abbey Road for the first time, this edition serves as a gateway to an era when music was crafted with passion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to artistry. In conclusion, Abbey Road's 50th Anniversary Edition on vinyl is a must-have for any serious collector or music enthusiast. It not only pays homage to one of the greatest albums of all time but elevates the listening experience to new heights, reminding us all why The Beatles continue to be an enduring force in the realm of popular music.

I Beatles sono sempre i Beatles. Stupenda questa versione DeLuxe. L'audio si sente davvero bene e si riescono ad apprezzare tutte le sfumature delle voci e degli strumenti. Da fan dei Beatles da sempre, non posso che consigliare l'acquisto. Ho tutta la loro collezione, distribuita tra vinili e cd. Sono stati dei grandissimi insieme e Paul McCartney ha continuato a stupirmi sempre, anche nelle svariate collaborazioni con altri artisti, come ad esempio quella con Michael Jackson in Say Say Say.

Nice!

very good

The 50th anniversary edition of the Beatles final & in my opinion finest album. The extra songs on the SuperDeluxe editions are just a wonderful insight into the Beatles music making process. Wish they also offered those extra recordings at a lower price without fancy packaging for Beatles fans who aren't super rich. The packaging of the BluRay/CD SuperDeluxe edition is fantastic & absolutely worth it for wealthy collectors, but there are lots of other fans who aren't wealthy & would love to have these additional recordings in a physical format (LP, CD, BluRay, etc) so as to listen to them whenever they want to even decades later (I still listen to stuff purchased decades ago), it would have been nice to see such editions available at a more affordable rate with basic packaging. The remainder of this review pertains to the 50th anniversary edition of the Beatles Abbey Road in LP format (Vinyl) . I find the sound of this edition a bit too extra 'refined/polished' compared to the various previous editions I've owned over the decades. But it gives us a new way to appreciate this fantastic final album of arguably the worlds best band, you notice new details in songs that weren't noticeable before. The Vinyl version I have can be on the quieter side if your turntable isn't well calibrated as I noticed it's volume is very sensitive to how the turntables tonearm & catrige is calibrated. It's the only Vinyl I've owned that seems to be so sensitive.... get that balance right with your turntable & the sound from this LP is fantastic get that balance (tonearm calibration) wrong with your turntable & the sound output is much lower.