Kirkus Reviews
"A sprightly history of the legendary recording studio. As veteran British music writer Hepworth notes in this well-researched overview, the Beatles titled their 1969 album Abbey Road not to mythologize the place (or its now-famous nearby crosswalk) but to honor its role as their humble workplace. Smart music writing, historically savvy without lapsing into easy nostalgia."
Library Journal
"A substantive look at Abbey Road beyond the famous zebra-stripe crossing album cover. Hepworth traces the studio’s technological trajectory from 78 shellacs and vinyl LPs to audiotapes, CDs, and streaming. On the management side of the industry, the book has much to say about George Martin, the producer, instrumentalist, and mentor to the Fab Four."
Paul McCartney
Long before and long after The Beatles, some of the best music in the world was born in those rooms and they are still carrying on as one of the best studios in the world. Long live Abbey Road!
AudioFile
The author, a veteran music journalist and gifted storyteller, narrates with slow and deliberate articulation typical of his generation, but his performance is full of color and immediacy that make every phrase and anecdote fun to hear.
Kirkus Reviews
2023-03-07
A sprightly history of the legendary recording studio.
Abbey Road claims that exalted status, of course, because it’s where the Beatles made their iconic, innovative albums with the assistance of producer George Martin, who developed his knack for sonic experimentation by recording comedy albums for the likes of Peter Sellers. As veteran British music writer Hepworth, author of Never a Dull Moment, notes in this well-researched overview, the Beatles titled their 1969 album Abbey Road not to mythologize the place (or its now-famous nearby crosswalk) but to honor its role as their humble workplace. The author’s thesis is similarly nuts and bolts: More than just Fab Four headquarters, the studio is where the British record industry, and recording technology, evolved over a century. Opened by EMI in 1931, its initial showpiece was Studio One, designed to accommodate symphony orchestras. However, as microphones better captured nuanced vocals, crooners and pop music became more prominent, and an army of fussy technicians (EMI was a “belt-and-braces organization”) stood ready to assist. The Beatles get their due—and Paul McCartney contributes a breezy foreword—but Hepworth emphasizes the diversity of acts and technology Abbey Road has attracted over time: Pink Floyd, cello virtuoso Jacqueline du Pré, Paul Simon, Fela Kuti, Tina Turner, Oasis, Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West have left their marks on the place, and the author usually has a wry anecdote to share in each case. For example, when Turner arrived to record Private Dancer, she asked “Where’s the band?” and was pointed to a synthesizer. In recent years, the place has changed hands and faced financial challenges, especially as digital technology has reduced the need for full-service studios. But in the closing chapters, Hepworth shows Abbey Road doing brisk business in high-tech remixing—and attracting acts looking for some of its old magic.
Smart music writing, historically savvy without lapsing into easy nostalgia.
