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The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band CD (album) cover

SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

The Beatles

 

Proto-Prog

4.36 | 1218 ratings

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evenless
Prog Reviewer
5 stars IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY.

Exactly on the 1st of June 1967 this Beatles epic album saw first light in the UK. It's my personal favourite Beatles album, as this one can be considered as The Beatles 1st real progressive effort. After making many melodic poppy albums The Beatles decided to do almost everything different on this one.

Why was (and still is) this album so important? First of all on this record The Beatles decided to use very renovating recording techniques. Secondly they mixed many different musical styles (Indian instruments, Rock and Roll, Blues, Classical and Psychedelical Music) and thirdly this album was more an artistically concept album, rather than just a 'bunch of songs". Last but not least a lot of effort was put in the front cover of this LP and each person on the cover has a whole story behind him or her. It also contains many clues about Paul's supposed death. And even more clues would be put in their music and lyrics on this album and on albums that were yet to come.

The Beatles recorded "Sgt. Pepper's" between December 6, 1966 and the 1st of April 1967. They were in the recording studios for about 700 hours total! Keep that in mind next time when you listen to this album!

No need to analyse this epic album track by track I suppose, but my personal favourites would be "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (Often referred to as the drug LSD) and the final track of this album "A Day in the Life". This song really has everything in it! Paul and John both singing verse by verse with Paul describing "the start of a fatal day until the moment where it all went wrong", followed by John humming one of the most beautiful harmonies that I have ever heard. (As if one has arrived in heaven). After this many classical instruments start playing slowly and the sound grows louder and louder into a very chaotic soundscape. Simply amazing!

I feel I simply cannot rate this album any lower that the full 5 stars, simply because this is The Beatles at their best and this is probably the moment where progressive music all started. If you don't agree calling it progressive, you have to admit that it was, and still is, a milestone in musical history!

evenless | 5/5 |

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