The Abbey Road Sessions is an orchestral compilation album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, released on 24 October 2012 by Parlophone. The album was primarily produced by Steve Anderson and Colin Elliot. The album features 16 tracks, all radically reworked, spanning Minogue's 25 years in the music industry. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with Minogue's band and a full orchestra during November 2011. Musically, the album is primarily orchestral music, which features several instrumentation of guitars, pianos, strings and drums.
The album's lead single "Flower", which was originally written in 2007, was a new titled song to the album. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many finding the recordings her best vocal delivery to date, while some dismissed her transition to orchestral music. Upon its release, the album entered the top 40 in countries including Minogue's native Australia, Ireland, Switzerland, France and New Zealand. The album peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, where it has been certified. Minogue then went on to promote the album with live performances.
Development and recording
Minogue made her live comeback at Abbey Road Studios in London on 11 November 2011, as part of a special showcase for EMI. She was accompanied by a 22-piece orchestra to perform the songs "All the Lovers" and "On a Night Like This". That same night, Minogue announced that her forthcoming studio album would celebrate 25 years since the release of her debut single "Locomotion" and would contain reworkings of some of her best known songs. She revealed: "I've been at Abbey Road for about two weeks in total. Not just for this, I've been working on a project for next year. Next year's my 25th anniversary so we've been recording acoustic and orchestral versions of a number of my hits".
On 21 October 2012, Minogue was interviewed on the production of the sessions saying, "It's exploring other avenues – but I don't think it takes me completely away from the dancefloor, because I'm still a sucker for that [...] But I think it just rounds things up, makes things more whole and satisfies a different place in me." Before recording at Abbey Road, she had started rehearsals "somewhere cheaper".
One of the songs that was recorded for the album that didn't make the final cut, "Breathe" was uploaded on Minogue's official YouTube account on 13 December 2012.
Composition
The Abbey Road Sessions were primarily based on orchestral music. The album presented a more "dark", "fragile" and personal style. "Never Too Late" was described as a "sad, tender piano torch song". "Confide in Me" was mostly identified as the album's standout track, being described as a "Moroccan reinvention that swings from intimate to intense." "Hand on Your Heart" was also a highlight, but was generally compared to Jose Gonzales's version, which he covered back in 2006. "The Loco-Motion" was compared to the original version by Little Eva, which was recorded back in the '60s and was described as "playful essence retained on a cute and rockin' [...]"
For the album, Minogue requested Australian musician Nick Cave to re-record their duet single, "Where the Wild Roses Grow". It was noted as a highlight on the album for being more "stripped" than its "haunting, spare original." "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was cited as the "weirdest" on the album for displaying "weird, frenzied strings". The album's only new track, "Flower", was originally written while Minogue was recovering from her breast cancer diagnosis. The song was intended to be included on her X album, but was cut.