"Best album side in Rock History," says Greg Kot. Really?

The Beatles - Abbey Road.

With Paul having just left town after 2 sold out Rock Shows, the week before, local rock critic Greg Kot gave us his fantasy Paul concert set list prediction.  He wrote correctly that Paul would close with the coda from the suite on side two of Abbey Road.  In Kot's column in the Trib he tossed in sort of off-handedly that side two of this record is the all-time best side of any record album, in the known history of rock and roll.  I went, OK, really?  Let me see if I agree.  I knew of course how great Abbey Road is and the Beatles canon is the gold standard.  Last time I heard side 2 straight through was in Gallas's room in college.  But I went back and played that side - and will certainly agree with Kot.  But for a special treat - click on this post's title and listen to the treatment Cheap Trick gives to that suite with a beautiful touch.  They start with Golden Slumbers and go to the end.  Joe Cocker owns the Bathroom Window segment, with Chris Stainton on keys.  I can't wait to read Kot's McCarthey concert reviews later today and tomorrow. 

Side two starts with "Here Comes the Sun" – George's most identifiably "his" song, said to have been written in Clapton’s back yard while George was supposed to at a mandatory Apple board meeting. The immortal 16-minute medley more accurately, a suite (from the baroque term meaning ordered set), is the climax of this tremendous album.  This perfectly woven/blended group of short songs (7 or 8 – depending on how you count them), are stitched together by Paul’s and that of recording engineer god Sir George Martin's hands.  Most of the songs were written and/or originally recorded in demo form during sessions for The White Album and/or the Get Back/Let it Be sessions.  First up is You Never Give me Your Money, framing Paul’s hard feelings towards Allen Klein.  Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam are the build-up to the thunderous She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, based loosely on a fan breaking into Paul’s home.  The build-up to the finale starts with Golden Slumbers based on an ancient Thos. Dekker poem (per wiki), leading to Carry That Weight with all of the Fab 4 singing the chorus.  And in The End….where Uncle Ringo (as Dhani calls him) gets his only drum solo on any studio-recorded Beatles material.