ABBEY ROAD

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.