With the Beatles


I couldn't count on 50 sets of hands the number times my friends and I have had the "favorite Beatles record?" conversation. More times that not, I've gone with Beatles For Sale. I've always loved the stripped-down love-song side of The Beatles.

As I spent more time with the foursome, I eventually turned to The White Album. I never cared that much for side two, but side one was, and is, about as good as music gets. Seemed that just about everyone else went with Revolver. Or maybe Rubber Soul. But these records never made my top five. (And yes, I have a top five for everything. Top Five Favorite Yankees First Basemen on All-Time? 1. Mattingly 2. Sweet Lou 3. Tino 4. Giambi 5. Balboni.) I like them sure, but they both seem just a bit light to me. And c'mon, Rubber Soul opens with "Drive My Car." And Revolver's opener ain't that much better. But are they great records? Well, yeah.

With the entire catalog at hand, it's only been recently that I've found the one that will likely remain at the top. And it's their penultimate release, 1969's Abbey Road. This record, top-to-bottom, is an absolute a masterpiece. Combining the beauty of Revolver with the vivacity of The White Album, Abbey Road stands with the Stones' Exile on Main Street and Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited among the all-time greats. And the more I listen, it just may top them all.

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