Abbey Road, with its many magnificent medleys, has been an interesting and bittersweet journey. It's technically the last album by The Beatles (as The Beatles, together) and its eclectic yet cohesive track listing lulls the audience into a false sense of security.
At this point in time, the Beatles were putting on a show for the world, meanwhile knowing it was virtually over for them. There was the odd hope here or there that the group could be salvaged--and their business dealings reflected that delusion, scheduling them for more releases and recording sessions. However, deep down everyone in the know knew that it was over.
Abbey Road was born in that uncertain atmosphere, starting with the biographical unity of "Come Together" and charming the listener with some of the best Harrison works of his career ("Something" and "Here Comes the Sun") and drawing the audience deeply into the music with an entrancing 8-song medley. This album also contains what may be my personal favorite: "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight", which I can listen to over and over without tiring of the lyrics or the tune.
In short, Abbey Road was a fitting send-off for the greatest band of the age. (This may be confusing, since we're about to start the next (and final) Beatles album, Let It Be, but we're about to clear that up. :) )
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