The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” Deluxe Edition: Top Picks

50 years ago, on Sept. 26, 1969, The Beatles’ album, “Abbey Road,” was released and became one of the most iconic albums for their fans — from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong to the hippies on the California west coast.

I’ve been hooked on The Beatles since my dad played me “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” 10 years ago. But with the release of “Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition,” which includes 40 songs, demos and unreleased studio takes, I knew I had to listen and see the new additions that would be offered in the new edition album and which songs remained my classic favorites.

The compelling guitar riff drew me in, making “The End” my fifth favorite song from the album. Various guitar chords played throughout the two minutes and 22 seconds without gaining a repetitive sound. The Beatles are geniuses at providing songs with unique tempo, as well as creating unheard lyrics and musical style. 

The whole song almost seems as if it were improvised on the spot as the guitar takes control and does something different each second. When the song comes to an end, its style is completely altered — you hear a prominent piano and a more calming presence is given off, with harmonizing vocals and a more low-key guitar. 

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For a more acoustic style, “Goodbye – Home Demo,” a song not on the original “Abbey Road” album, ranks number four on my list. The guitar offers a more raw, folky sound. As absorbing as the soulful guitar is, what attached me to the song were the lyrics: “Songs that linger on my lips, excite me now and linger on my mind.” These lines provides an inexplicable connection for the listener. 

This may be cheating, but I’m classifying two songs at number three because of the clever artistic choice to have one song fade into another. When I saw “Polythene Pam” coming to its expiration of one minute and 13 seconds, I reached for the loop button to play it again — but I was pleasantly surprised to hear the transition to “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window.”

“Polythene Pam” had that classic rock sound. The end of the song is where the guitars climaxed and faded into “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” and at the tenth second it mellowed down, providing an abundance of obscure and seemingly pointless lyrics. 

And on the theme of obscurity, “Octopus’s Garden,” at a solid ranking of number two, secured its place for genius guitar configuration, and of course the lyrics — the wonderful, nonsensical, bizarre lyrics. The Beatles already have a fantastic drummer, guitarists, and vocalists — but their obscurity is what sets them apart and what I personally enjoy most about the band.

 Maybe there is a deeper meaning of wanting to be in an Octopus’s garden, or perhaps it’s complete nonsense. “Octopus’s Garden” demonstrates the use of lyrical chaos as well as keeping a catchy melody that makes it easy to become attached to. As exciting as the lyrics, “I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden with you” are, they may cause your eyebrows to scrunch in confusion. But perhaps some people can relate to the want of being in an octopus’s garden. That’s the beauty in unclear lyrics — you can give your own meaning to the words.

At the top of my list is the song “Something.” When I first heard the slow, soulful guitar I was immediately drawn in. The first 30 seconds began with a simple and smooth drum and guitar accompaniment to the soft vocals of George Harrison singing — “Somewhere in her smile she knows, that I don’t need no other lover.” The song was mellow, yet had a soft rock theme which proved to be an unbeatable combination. And as much as I love lyrical obscurity, it was nice to make a clear connection to the lyrics.

Even though 50 years have passed since the date of the album’s original release, it remains timeless. Although I’ve never stopped listening to The Beatles, this special-edition album release gave me a chance to take another look at the album that changed the music world forever. I don’t see how anyone can get sick of the psychedelic music by The Beatles. I intend on listening to them until Abbey Road has its 100th anniversary.