Week #14: Abbey Road and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (April 17)

Abbey Road and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Week #14 – April 17

Abbey Road
by the Beatles

Little know facts

After the turbulent sessions for “The Beatles” and “Let It Be,” producer George Martin initially didn’t want to work with the band again. He agreed to produce “Abbey Road” only after Paul McCartney convinced him, with the condition that Martin would have full control in the studio.

The album was originally going to be called “Everest,” named after a brand of cigarettes smoked by their engineer. The Beatles intended to shoot the cover photo at Mount Everest but decided against the long journey. Instead, they named the album after the street where EMI Studios was located and took the iconic cover photo at a nearby crosswalk.

“Abbey Road” was the first and only Beatles album to be entirely recorded through a solid-state transistor mixing desk, the TG12345 Mk I, as opposed to earlier valve-based REDD desks.

Learn more

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
by Lucinda Williams

Little know facts

The initial recording sessions for the album were a struggle. Lucinda Williams was unhappy with her vocals and decided to start the entire album from scratch after nearly completing it. This decision led to multiple recording sessions in different locations.

The title track is filled with southern, rural imagery from Williams’ childhood. Her father, a poet, once apologized to her after realizing the song’s narrative reflected her own experiences as a neglected child during their travels.

“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” was met with widespread critical acclaim and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1999. It was also voted the best album of 1998 in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.

Learn more