CARRY THAT TORCH

With the possible exception of Yellow Submarine, any Beatles album is a good introduction to the band.

For Rich Pagano, drummer/singer for the Beatles tribute group The Fab Faux, his was 1969's Abbey Road.

"Sonically, the album was their best," he tells Sounding Off. "Abbey Road has influenced me more than any other record, and as a drummer, I still bring a bit of this period of Ringo (Starr) to just about every session I do.

"To some, it may lose a point due to the fact that they weren't finishing songs at the songwriting stage (because of) the personal climate within the band," Pagano adds, "but what came out of that dark cloud was the brilliant medley on side two."

On Saturday (Nov. 17) at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, The Fab Faux will perform Abbey Road in its entirety. The five-piece band, known for its authentic performances of Beatles material, makes a point of being faithful to the long gap between "The End" (which concludes the second side medley) and "Her Majesty" (Abbey Road's final song).

"We hit the last note of 'The End' and hold it heavy until the acoustic guitar is brought out and handed to Frank (Agnello)," says Pagano. "At that point, we hit the big chord and he runs with it."

Showtimes on Saturday are 4 and 8 p.m. The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Ave. Call (732) 246-7469 or visit www.statetheatrenj.org for more information.

The official Fab Faux site is www.thefabfaux.com.

BACH IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

Former Skid Row singer and Jersey Shore resident Sebastian Bach will head north Tuesday (Nov. 20) for an in-store appearance/autograph session at 8 p.m. at Vintage Vinyl, 51 Lafayette Road, in the Fords section of Woodbridge.

That's the same day his new solo album, Angel Down, will be released. It includes a version of Aerosmith’s "Back in the Saddle," featuring guest vocals by Axl Rose.

Visit www.vvinyl.com or call (732) 225-7717 for more information.