Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles

In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics. In his presentation, acclaimed Beatles historian Kenneth Womack offers a colorful retelling of how this landmark album was written and recorded. Womack focuses in particular on the dynamics between John, Paul, George, Ringo, and producer George Martin and his team of engineers, who set aside (for the most part) the tensions and conflicts that had arisen on previous albums to create a work with an innovative sound that prominently included the new Moog synthesizer, among other novelties. As Womack demonstrates, Abbey Road was the culmination of the instrumental skills, recording equipment, and artistic vision that the band and George Martin had developed across their seven-year collaboration. 

Kenneth Womack is Dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University, where he also serves as Professor of English. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), the Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), and The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014). In recent years, he has authored a two-volume biography of Beatles producer George Martin, including Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin (The Early Years, 1926-1966) and Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin (The Later Years, 1966-2016). His latest book, Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles, will be published by Cornell University Press in October 2019.

6:00pm reception; 6:30pm lecture, gratis.

Members and one guest per member are invited to dine at The Club with Kenneth Womack following the lecture. We have updated our registration system. Registration for the post-program dinner is on a separate event page.  Please click here to access the post program dinner page.