Collective Unconscious is back at the world's most famous crosswalk.
The St. Cloud-based band is ready to reprise its live version of the Beatles' "Abbey Road"album — with the famous cover photo of the Beatles walking across the road — in a concert Feb. 21 at the State Theatrein Zumbrota.
Besides the entirety of "Abbey Road," the final album recorded by the Beatles, the show will open with a selection of songs from earlier Beatles albums.
"The idea is that we play tunes that show their development, with the pinnacle of the whole thing being 'Abbey Road,'" said Jeff Engholm,of Collective Unconscious.
"Abbey Road" was indeed one of the pinnacles of the Beatles' career, recorded at a time when the band was falling apart, and individual members were barely speaking to one another. But they pulled themselves together and recorded one final masterwork. Besides the hits "Something"and "Come Together,"the album is most notable for a medley of song snippets racing toward the "love you make" conclusion.
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"Somehow, they made it all work together," Engholm said. "It was Paul's masterpiece, really. It has some great tunes by George (Harrison)and John (Lennon), but the whole medley aspect was Paul (McCartney)."
That medley, created by the Beatles in the studio, is a challenge to play live. "It's actually the most fun part of the show," Engholm said. "It's kind of like being on a roller-coaster ride."
"Abbey Road" will comprise the second half of the concert. The first half will include "She Loves You," "A Hard Day's Night," "I Feel Fine," "Yesterday," "Nowhere Man," "Taxman," "A Day in the Life," Lady Madonna,"and "Get Back,"among other songs.
Although Collective Unconscious has performed other classic albums live — the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Band's "The Last Waltz" and Crosby, Still, Nash & Young's "Deja Vu" — "Abbey Road" remains a personal favorite, Engholm said.
"It was the first one we ever did, which is really special," he said. "It's an easy show to enjoy."
