First released: 1969, September 26

Original Vinyl Recording Remastered (2012)

Sheet music, guitar tabs, song books at Sheetmusicplus.com

1. Come Together (4:21)
   Recorded: July 21, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 22, 23, 25, 29, and 30, 1969
   John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, electric piano
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
   George Harrison - lead guitar
   Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
2. Something (3:03)
   Recorded: April 16, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England and remade May 2, 1969 with overdubs added May 5, 1969, July 11, 1969, July 16, 1969 and August 15, 1969
   John Lennon - lead guitar
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, handclaps, background vocal
   George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
   Ringo Starr - drums, handclaps, background vocal
   Session musicians - strings
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (3:27)
   Recorded: July 9, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 10-11, 1969 and August 6, 1969
   John Lennon - lead guitar, harmony vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, guitar, piano, background vocal
   George Harrison - four-string guitar, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer, background vocal
   Ringo Starr - drums, anvil, background vocal
   George Martin - organ
4. Oh! Darling (3:27)
   Recorded: April 20, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added April 26, 1969, July 23, 1969, August 8, 1969 and August 11, 1969
   John Lennon - background vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, background vocal
   George Harrison - lead guitar, synthesizer
   Ringo Starr - drums
5. Octopus's Garden (2:51)
   Recorded: April 26, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added April 29, 1969 and July 17-18, 1969
   John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, background vocal
   George Harrison - lead guitar, synthesizer
   Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy) (7:47)
   Recorded: February 22, 1969 at Trident Studios, London, England with overdubs added April 18, 1969, April 20, 1969, August 8, 1969 and August 11, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England
   John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
   George Harrison - rhythm guitar, synthesizer, white-noise (at the end)
   Ringo Starr - drums
7. Here Comes the Sun (3:05)
   Recorded: July 7, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 8 and 16, 1969 and August 6, 11, 15 and 19, 1969
   John Lennon - acoustic guitar, harmony vocal, handclaps
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal, handclaps
   George Harrison - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer, handclaps
   Ringo Starr - drums, handclaps
   Session musicians - strings
8. Because (2:46)
   Recorded: August 1, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added August 4-5, 1969
   John Lennon - harmony lead vocal, lead guitar, harpsichord
   Paul McCartney - harmony lead vocal, bass guitar
   George Harrison - harmony lead vocal, Moog synthesizer
9. You Never Give Me Your Money (4:02)
   Recorded: May 6, 1969 at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England with overdubs added July 1, 11, 15, 30 and 31, 1969 and August 5, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England
   John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, background vocal
   George Harrison - rhythm guitar
   Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
10. Sun King (2:27)
    Recorded: July 24, 1969 (with "Mean Mr. Mustard" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 25, 1969 and July 29, 1969
    John Lennon - multi-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, maracas
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmonium
    George Harrison - lead guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums, bongos
    George Martin - organ
11. Mean Mr. Mustard (1:06)
    Recorded: July 24, 1969 (with "Sun King" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 25, 1969 and July 29, 1969
    John Lennon - lead vocal, piano
    Paul McCartney - fuzz bass, harmony vocal
    George Harrison - lead guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
12. Polythene Pam (1:13)
    Recorded: July 25, 1969 (with "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 28, 1969 and July 30, 1969
    John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, lead guitar, harmony vocal
    George Harrison - rhythm guitar, tambourine
    Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
13. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (1:57)
    Recorded: July 25, 1969 (with "Polythene Pam" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 28, 1969 and July 30, 1969
    John Lennon - acoustic guitar, background vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, lead guitar, background vocal
    George Harrison - bass, tambourine
    Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
14. Golden Slumbers (1:32)
    Recorded: July 2, 1969 (with "Carry That Weight" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 3, 4, 30 and 31, 1969 and August 15, 1969
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Session musicians - strings
15. Carry That Weight (1:37)
    Recorded: July 2, 1969 (with "Golden Slumbers" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 3, 4, 30 and 31, 1969 and August 15, 1969
    John Lennon - bass guitar, chorus vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano, chorus vocal
    George Harrison - lead guitar, chorus vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums, chorus vocal
    Session musicians - strings, brass
16. The End (2:20)
    Recorded: July 23, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added August 5, 7, 8, 15 and 18, 1969
    John Lennon - lead guitar, lead guitar solo, background vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, lead guitar solo, background vocal
    George Harrison - rhythm guitar, lead guitar solo, background vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Session musicians - strings
17. Her Majesty (0:23)
    Recorded: July 2, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, acoustic guitar

I read somewhere that Mal Evans banged the Silver Hammer - not Ringo.

The last and The Best!!!

This album is amazing. So many beautiful songs such as Here Comes the Sun (a song which sometimes brings tears to my eyes), Something, Come Together and the incredibly underrated I Want You (She's So Heavy).

The cover with "Paul is dead" story.In the car:"28 IF".The piano solo in "Come Together", I think is Paul."Oh Darling",brings the best of Paul singer.George`s "Something" and "Here comes the Sun",beautiful songs.The album is the open door to progressive sound.Classic album!In Brazil, to some people,the best album of the Beatles.John & Ringo, fantastic!Great yesterday,today and forever!

John played piano on Something, but it all got wiped except the part where he plays the syncopated bass part after "I don't know, I don't know". He may not have played on Here Comes The Sun. He was in a car accident - "he blew his leg out in a car..." - and missed a lot of the later sessions. A lot of tracks he only sang on.

Isn\'t Billy Preston playing the organ on \'\'I Wan\'t You\'\'(She\'s so Heavy). Mark Lewisohn says that John Lennon is not playing on George Harrisons\'s two song Something and Here Comes The Sun.

Their best album, I am certain. I have no favorite song, but I suppose that medley on the B-side did more for me then any other song of the Beatles. P.S.: OK, for a degree or another, I like more "You Never Give me Your Money", but only because of harmony.

The last time the beatles would be togehter in a stuido but what an album to finish with,a joy to listen to from the begining to THE END beatles fans must have wept when the needle left the run off track for the last time in 1969 a very sad day when the beatles broke up,just listen to this album and youll agree.

I'm listening to "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" right this second, and am planning to finish listening to the album before I make any other plans -- that's how big a masterpiece it is...classic.

UN ALBUM CREADO EN EL CIELO ES ESTE ABBEY ROAD. Que mas se le podia pedir a The Beatles. Sencillamente, desde Come Together hasta The End... un album fluye dejando a su paso el mas bello y eterno mensaje de ellos para nosotros... su musica: perfecta, eterna, unica y maravillosa. Mis canciones preferidas: HERE COMES THE SUN, BECAUSE, MAXWELL´S SILVER HAMMER, GOLDEN SLUMBERS Y CARRY THAT WEIGHT... claro sin demeritar ninguna de las demas. UN 10 para el mejor album de la historia de la musica... VOX POPULI.

The last album the Beatles recorded, it is also arguably their best. It is ironic, at this tumultuous time for the band, that they sound more like a band on this album than any other. As for the album, it is composed of the famous Side 1 and Side 2; effectively combining the genius of Revolver, the production, creativity and cohesion of Sgt. Pepper, and the breadth and strength of the White Album into a fusion of studio bliss. Though this was the last album, all members were at the peak of their forms with immaculate contributions: John contributes the hard rockers "Come Together" and "I Want You", the longest Beatles song ever recorded and an ode to desperate longing; Paul goes comical with "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and sets the tone for Side 2 with "You Never Give Me Your Money"; George's "Something" was considered by John to be the best cut on the album and is one of the most covered songs in history, and his "Here Comes the Sun" features a gorgeous, peaceful guitar lick; and Ringo sings the childlike daydream "Octopus' Garden" in his unmistakable voice. And that's just Side 1! As stated before, Paul's "You Never Give Me Your Money" sets the tone for Side 2, one of the greatest achievements in the history of rock and roll. Taking several unfinished songs blended together one after the other, a la Sgt. Pepper, the songs paint an unadulterated picture of a walk through the Beatles sublime view of Abbey Road, and remains a hallmark to the Beatles' collective genius. And the album ends aptly with "The End", where each Beatle plays a solo on his respective instrument and thus says 'good bye' in his own special way, providing a fitting and emotional end to their last will and testament.

John's "Come Together" is one of his greatest songs of all time. George's "Something" was brilliant with an awesome guitar part in the middle. The quiet one had finally paid off. Paul's "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was delightful. "Oh! Darling" was not of Paul's best work. Ringo's "Octopus's Garden" was the best he ever wrote (out of the two he did by himself). John's "I Want You (She's So Heavy):" heavy indeed. George's "Here Comes the Sun" is the best thing anyone ever wrote while in a garden. The harmony on "Because" is incredible. The "You Never Give Me Your Money" - "Sun King" - Mean Mr. Mustard" - "Polythene Pam" - "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" - "Golden Slumbers" - "Carry That Weight" - "The End" was the best way to end this career-completing album. "Her Majesty:" kind of unnecessary but charming either way. You can't listen to this album one song at a time.

The last Beatles album to be recorded (although Let It Be was the last to be released), Abbey Road was a fitting swan song for the group, echoing some of the faux-conceptual forms of Sgt. Pepper, but featuring stronger compositions and more rock-oriented ensemble work. The group were still pushing forward in all facets of their art, whether devising some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any rock record (especially on "Because"), constructing a medley of songs/vignettes that covered much of side two, adding subtle touches of Moog synthesizer, or crafting furious guitar-heavy rock ("The End," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," "Come Together"). George Harrison also blossomed into a major songwriter, contributing the buoyant "Here Comes the Sun" and the supremely melodic ballad "Something," the latter of which became the first Harrison-penned Beatles hit. Whether Abbey Road is the Beatles' best work is debatable, but it's certainly the most immaculately produced (with the possible exception of Sgt. Pepper) and most tightly constructed. — Richie Unterberger

Review