The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remastered)
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Free Music Notes for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remastered)
Free Music Review: "I read the news today, oh boy."
Hit: 5 Stars
With all of the Beatles' music being remastered and rereleased a week ago, it seemed like the time was right to start listening to them. I chose Sgt. Pepper's for no reason in particular other than liking some of the songs already, and I predictably liked it a lot. It's sort of a failed early attempt at a concept album. The idea is that the Lonely Hearts Club Band is a real group and the album is a recording of one of their concerts, but that only comes through in the first two tracks and the second to last. Other than that, it's just a nice collection of songs; four by John, one by George, and the rest by Paul.
I've heard a lot of these songs before, but the ones I haven't are enjoyable too. Even simple, somewhat dopey songs like "Fixing a Hole" and "When I'm Sixty-Four" have interesting elements to them. "With a Little Help From My Friends", the only track sung by Ringo, is good for getting into the mood of the album proper after the opening title track, and it was a revelation when I realize Joe Cocker covered it in The Wonder Years theme song. I'm not convinced "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is really about drugs, but either way it's a nice, trippy little tune. I don't have to talk about "Getting Better" because it has to be in a commercial every year by law. George's "Within You Without You" is a unique track, infused with an Indian sound that serves as a nice breather in the middle of the album. "She's Leaving Home" was the best surprise of the songs I hadn't heard yet, and "A Day in the Life" is pretty much the perfect closer. Every song transitions smoothly into the next, and it's just a really easy to listen to collection of songs that comes together really well into quite a good album. I'm not sure it was the perfect jumping on point for the band, but I don't think it was a bad one.
Free Music Review: Their most "English" album
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the most over-praised album ever but that dosen't mean that it's not a darn fine album. It's fourth on my list (Revolver-Rubber Soul-Abbey Road) but when you're talking Beatles there's a very thin line between say number one fave and number six or seven, that is if you're well versed in ther catalogue. Now and then I come back to this album and always enjoy it's rich palate and virtuosity. It's the Fabs most "English" record. After three years of world wide acclaim the boys were looking inward and looking back. The single preceeding Pepper Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane had John and Paul waxing nostalgic about childhood places and memories, and this general feeling carries on through much of Pepper. For the anglophile their are many English references to pick up on, some obvious some more obscure. Some that with time and distance sound arcane but to an Englishman in '67 seemed like that day's papers. John singing "it's time for tea and 'Meet the Wife' for instance. Meet the Wife was a BBC afternoon soap opera. Paul singing "we could rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight" is another, and of course "Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite" is a tour de force of a nineteenth century English fairground and circus and throw in Ringo's pub sing along "With a little help..." to name a few. On top of all this and more we get the incredible freak out of "A day in the Life" and George's magical and mistical "Within you without you" a wonderful and exotic (even today) song.
Even the cover was inspired by a photo of a band Paul's father played with in younger day's. The large band is gathered behind a bass drum. This is a terrific and rewarding listen every time, and only this band could have a body of work that is not overshadowed by such an accomplishment.
Free Music Review: A Milestone and also a great Beatles Album.
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sgt. Pepper's" contributed at its time very much to widen the scope of what a pop / rock band could play and it also helped breaking down barriers between different musical genres.
Today, when this more or less is taken for granted, the album probably appears less significant than in 1967 when it was first released. Some of the tracks have with time partially lost some of the appeal they originally had. Looking soberly at the music today some tracks are really not that interesting. George Harrison's "Within You, Without You" is very accomplished, but it is also very typical of its time. I suspect that many listeners today choose to skip the number.
The same could apply to "She's Leaving Home", which has interesting lyrics, but which musically is rather dull.
The album is probably the first with McCartney as the dominant vocalist - and his songs are generally great. "Getting Better" and "Fixing a Hole" have always been among my favorites, and both tracks have a lot of the old Beatles sound intact. The same can be said about "Lovely Rita". I've never been crazy about "When I'm 64," but I must nevertheless acknowledge that it has become a classic - but it is not rock'n roll at any level..
Lennon's strongest contributions are "A Day in the Life" and "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite". I feel that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" often has been overestimated, while "Good Morning, Good Morning" is okay, but no more.
The two title tracks are both very charming and always a pleasure to listen to.
Ringo's singing on "With a Little Help From My Friends" could well be his best Beatles vocal performance.
A milestone and also a great Beatles album.
Free Music Review: Overrated but fantastic.
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a symbol-record. A symbol for a whole generation who had the best time of their life in the summer of 67. This is the soundtrack to that party. The Beatles status at that time was such that they could have done almost anything and get away with it. (They got away with the album "Yellow Submarine", which really only had new Beatlesmatirial for an EP worth.) And then there was the cover. The first foldout. Colors all around (very flippy trippy), not just on the front. The ambitious photoarrangement. The lyrics on the back was also a novelty in the rockworld. Special designed innersleeve and a paperark with figures you could cut out. And when the needle reache the center there was an evergoing mystic message. Cool man!
But what about the music itself? I would say that on "Sgt Peppar" The Beatles relaxed a little bit with their ongoing revolutionary musical progress and just presented a bunch of strong popsongs. The most inovative track is George Harrisons "Whitin You Whithout You" while John and Paul "just" demonstates how genuin great songwriters they are without taking any epochmaking steps in their creative evolution (no matter the sometimes intrigue arrangments). "Sgt Peppar" is really a haltingplace between "Revolver" and "The White Album" and not THEIR GREAT MASTERPIECE that so many (I guess those who wants to hang on to the sweet memory of the summer of love) likes to claim. I would rank "Please Please Me", "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "The White Album" and "Abbey Road" as more important and better than "Sgt Peppar".
But anyway WHAT a haltingplace! Still a 5-star-pleasure no dout and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" (best track) might be the perfect popsong.
Free Music Review: The Landmark Album!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sgt. Pepper" is arguably the Beatles most recognized album. Released in 1967 at the peak of the 'hippy/flower power' movement, it combined art with music in a way that no album had previously done. From the way upbeat, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" to the surreal, somewhat somber, "A Day In The Life", every song is a classic. The sound is what makes this album amazing. George Martin and his son remastered and remixed several songs for the "Love" album. This same remarkable remastering has revitalized "Sgt. Pepper's" to an unbelievable clarity. Mixed with an array of sound effects, the remastering not only enhances the instruments and vocals, but brings all those art/music sound effects throughout the album to a vivid height. It's really remarkable how great this album sounds.
Also included in the great album is a multi-paged booklet with some excellent liner notes. There is also a diagram identifying all the famous people in the cover photo! On your computer, you can play the five-minute mini-documentary about the album (Quick-time), which showcases comments from all four Beatles and George Martin. All of this is mixed in with rare photos never seen before. Imagine learning that this album was recorded at night with over 400 hours devoted to it. That's perfectionism and its shows. In fact, there is a mini-documentary for all the Beatles albums. This CD is a collector's item and a perfect showcase for the Beatles genius.