From the summer of 1967 through 1969, rock-and-roll floated on a cloud of acid and love. The formerly mop-topped teen idols the Beatles did not miss the magic bus, first dabbling in psychedelia on 1965's Rubber Soul. The Fab Four continued to experiment throughout the decade, culminating in the recording of 1969's Abbey Road, the last session that all four members of the group would sit in on together. As the Beatles were falling apart, so was the era of peace and love they helped define. The Vietnam War as well as opposition to it continued to escalate, and the mood of American and British youths quickly shifted. A sect of popular music soon followed the dark turn when Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut in 1970, forging the template for heavy metal. In that same year, Ozzy Osbourne and company put out the classic Paranoid, which continues to inspire metal and “stoner rock” bands today. As Abbey Road is the sound of the height of ‘60's idealism, Paranoid is the soundtrack of the dream crashing down into doomed realism.
[...] The Trip Turns Dark: From Abbey Road to Paranoid From the summer of 1967 through 1969, rock-and-roll floated on a cloud of acid and love. The formerly mop-topped teen idols the Beatles did not miss the magic bus, first dabbling in psychedelia on 1965's Rubber Soul. The Fab Four continued to experiment throughout the decade, culminating in the recording of 1969's Abbey Road, the last session that all four members of the group would sit in on together. As the Beatles were falling apart, so was the era of peace and love they helped define. [...]
[...] The album continues its themes of doom and destruction on “Electric Funeral” and the album's centerpiece, “Fairies Wear Boots.” While loose blues threads tie Abbey Road and Paranoid together, they offer differing portrayals of the world. Abbey Road exists in its own magical 1960s world of love and drugs. There is little concern for the outside world and little thematic link in album. Paranoid, released only one year later, paints a much darker picture of a world threatened by war, the atomic bomb, technology, drugs, and eternal damnation. [...]
[...] Holed up in EMI's Abbey Road Studios for two months, the band cut the refined, polished album of wildly varied songs. The opener “Come Together” melds a funky bass line with a bluesy guitar riff and sparse organ. Starr's rolling drums ride behind as mostly gibberish lyrics occupy the space between the 60's call to “come together.” Ringo once again lies back on Harrison's classic love song “Something” until the song's thrilling bridge. The boys get absolutely silly on “Maxwell's Silver Hammer,” and McCartney does his best Little Richard impression on Darling” while pounding the ivories. [...]
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