Track Twelve

 

    You can look all over the Internet these days trying to find out what album was their best. You'll find people picking various albums as their personal favorite and also what they feel was the bands best album. The debate will probably live on forever; after all there is no real science when it comes to these types of conclusions. We must remember that when it comes choosing the best music; it's often a matter of opinion not fact. I find it nearly impossible to pick out their best album. There are so many great ones! For sake of argument, my personal favorite Beatles' album is Abbey Road.

    How did I come to choose Abbey Road as my favorite Beatles' album? I knew that if I were to be stranded on an island and only got to choose one album to take with me, I'd have to make a very good decision. I knew that my all time favorite band has always been the Beatles. So I was sure to pick one of their albums. Thanks to the technology in my laptop, I browsed through each album by the Beatles very carefully, taking notes on what songs were on what album as well as playing some to get a better idea of each album. I don't believe any of their studio albums come together as well as Abbey Road, so I picked that one.

    Ever since I can remember, my dad always played The Beatles music for me. He played them on the guitar, when we traveled, and even at home. Needless to say, I knew every song they recorded. I use to sing along with them when I was younger. The music made for great memories on our trips to visit my grandparents and cousins. We used to sing all the way to wherever we were traveling to. I remember one particular time when we made the long Michigan drive from Hale to Marquette in the middle of the night. Singing along with The Beatles was all we could do to stay awake! It was a blast though, and neither of us fell asleep.

    Have you ever gone to a music store to buy a new cd only to be disappointed that you only like a couple of songs on it? Most of us have. Who likes paying $15 for a cd that they only like a few songs off? Not me! The Beatles seem to be in a league of their own when it comes to making great albums.

    While I was going through my Beatles collection for this assignment I was reminded of how well every cd they put out is. I like nearly every song off of every cd! To me, that is amazing. I think about some of my other favorite bands, most of which are modern and that I listen to far more often than The Beatles, and with exception to a few particular albums, those bands just don't have albums that I like ever song on. When it comes to my other favorite bands' albums, it's usually closer to a six ten ratio. Six out of ten songs are good, while the others leave much to be desired. I'd say The Beatles albums are closer to an eight out of ten ratio. That's quite a difference.

    Picking only one album to have on a deserted island is no easy task. One reason why I picked Abbey Road is because of "the melody". There a total of eight short songs (nine if you count "Her Majesty") that is part of one sixteen minute melody. This melody finishes the cd, and it's like a roller coaster ride in terms of the emotion it can bring you.

    It starts with "You Never Give Me Your Money," which in itself seems to be three separate songs. It seems to go from a really mellow soft rock song to a harder rock song towards the end. Then there is "Sun King," which is really mellow and soft filler song, but a great one that links the next three upbeat songs together. "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Polythene Pam," and "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window," are all very short songs that go from "good feeling" rock songs, to "upbeat felling" rock songs. These three could only be followed by another upbeat song right? Wrong! Next is "Golden Slumbers," which one always one of my favorite songs growing up. It's a beautiful ballad that is full of emotion. It is followed by "Carry That Weight," which unless you knew about the melody you'd swear those two songs were one in the same. Then it burst into "The End," which is another upbeat rock song to start, but then ends with a slow calm feeling. This seems the perfect way to end the genius that is "the melody".

    That melody is one of the finest pieces of music I have ever heard. It never gets old hearing it. It's almost as if they don't make music like that anymore.

    While I don't sing along with The Beatles anymore (basically because I've grown to realize how ridiculous I sound when I attempt to), I know that if I were on a deserted island all alone I sure would be singing Abbey Road! It helps me get through the hard parts of being all alone. It'd also keep me upbeat at the same time. It would be nice to be reminded of the great memories I had singing Abbey Road with my dad. It would make a deserted island feel not so deserted!