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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


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5 stars Nothing is there to add, I still have to say that I love every second of this album. No weak points.

And argh get over of the LSD thing. Every musician back then have done drugs more or less. Whether John wanted to write a song of drugs or not, is beyond me.

A masterpiece of PROGRESSIVE music!

Report this review (#69423)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars Maybe the most influencial album ever? Surely one of the earliest progressive albums. And none the less a flawless album. From the first to the last, this album is flawless. With classic progressive moments in "A Day in the Life" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" If you have not heard it, it is a must. If anyone needs to "start" with the Beatles, start here.

-Noah Jordan (www.redricksultan.tk)

Report this review (#69427)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
Tony Fisher
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars I must confess, I never considered The Beatles to be progressive in the true sense but, since they're here, they must be treated on merit. This album was hugely influential at the time and is rated by some as a masterpiece. Not, I'm afraid, by me. It is a fairly turgid collection of songs; looking back, tracks like When I'm Sixty Four, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and the title track are really not that good, even if they broke ground at the time. The musicianship is also way behind the standards of those shortly to follow, though George Harrison has his moments, and neither Lennon nor McCartney are vocalists of real quality. High points are She's Leaving Home and For the Benefit of Mr Kite; the rest is not bad but doesn't inspre me to want to get the album out and play it.

Let us not forget, this band made it's name on a tidal wave of pop and female adulation. Later attempts to be more creative were welcome but not actually that good; because they were the "great" Beatles it was way over-hyped. I always thought it was a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes" - plenty of image but little real substance. Overall, 2.5* which I'll round up to 3 purely because of it's influence.

Report this review (#69430)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
richardh
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is impossible to rate! Without it would the British Progressive Rock scene really have taken off? So many of those artists were pushed in the right direction by this most important of all bands.Admittedly its 'dated' but then so's King Crimson's 'In The Court..' and that sits rightly high up in prog fans affections.This deserves 5 stars for just its influence but the one thing that lets it down slightly is the average musicianship.So I'll go for a sensible 4 stars.
Report this review (#69478)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
Menswear
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars For the last time, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is not referring to LSD.

Whew, with that said, let's get to the beef. And there's a lot of meat to chew, much more than Revolver. This is the first real 'drug' album by the Fab Four. In fact, John admitted many times that LSD was the main stuff for inspirations, expiring the last breaths of pot in Revolver. Fine, the Bealtes were experimenting drugs in the 60's, and so your mom did too, right? From the cover to the technology used, everything was going much faster, much brighter, much groovier. The amount of goodies in Pepper is more abundant than any other record before, making every number a piece of history to remember.

Phil Collins said that when Pepper came out, every band was thinking: 'Oh wow, you can do that in studio now?!?'. Oh yeah, the first REAL advance in technology is not only audible but also tastable. Good jolly, this album is pure 3D extravanganza. Mostly every bit as it's progressive elements (except maybe for Getting Better or 64, Paul's fault) and they're d-y-n-o-m-i-t-e.

From the Who to Hendrix to Wilson, everybody will tell you how much ruckuss this album made and how much lumberjacking work it did to make rock n' roll progress. Thank you guys for so much work and good humor.

Who thought the most recognized record of all time was a progressive rock one?

Report this review (#69510)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
greenback
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars For 1967, this was huge!! This record is more than rock: it contains the early psychedelic patterns, so present during the Flower Power era; it also contains basic progressive elements that surely contributed to make the progressive rock style itself to emerge: the prog band that has been able to take it and elaborate even more on it was definitely King Crimson: the record has many similitudes with this prog rock band. "She is leaving" sounds like early Alan Parson's Project. One will be surprisingly amazed by the quality of the recording, and by the technical performance involved. The songs are very varied; some are really catchy and made the history, like "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" "Fixing a hole" or "Little help with my friends", which has been a cover song of so many artists later on, including Joe Cocker among others. The instruments involved are not only guitar, bass, drums, lead & backing vocals: there are also many percussions, woodwind instruments (clarinet), strings & horns arrangements, piano and (maybe?) some keyboards. There are some animals sounds, crowd animation, circus ambience, so the tracks are rather loaded, and actually no songs are bad. It is easy to see here why the Beatles are considered as being the fathers of progressive rock!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Report this review (#69528)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
Seyo
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars What else can be said about one of the most praised albums of all time? It surely has its place in the rock (and not only rock) history and is definitely a must listen if you wish to understand what was happening in those old times back in 1960s and how come that a fairly simple, beat music like rock'n'roll started to "progress".

Alas, my personal feeling tells me that much of its merit was over-estimated and that the press needed to point at one moment, at one album in history to tell "this is it - it all started here!" No, for me it started a bit earlier, with Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde", BEACH BOYS' "Pet Sounds", THE BYRDS' "Fifth Dimension", THE KINKS' "Face to Face", or even with their own THE BEATLES' "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver"! Apart from definite masterpieces like "Day In The Life", "Fixing a Hole", "She is Leaving Home" and "LSD", other songs are nothing more than a catchy hodge-podge of then quite new technological experimentation in the studio. Most of them are more interesting because of the "special effects" employed in their structure, than because they are really good songs.

Nevertheless, this album have grown to almost mythical proportions and in order to de- mythologize it, one should give it a careful listen. This is especially important for younger proggers who may find some interesting details to dig out. I have already done my investigation and the result is fairly dissapointing.

Report this review (#69535)
Posted Thursday, February 16, 2006 | Review Permalink
Ken4musiq@yah
5 stars The nature of a term like "progressive rock" is that it is, as music, malleable and perpetually in change. The term "progressive rock" began to be used by writers in 1968, to denote the progressive impulse of the music of the Byrds, The Band, Procol Harum, The Beatles, The Nice, and Bob Dylan whose fusion of folk and country on Nashville Skyline was deemed progressive. Progressive rock did not have the narrow distinction now attributed to it until much later.

The roots of progressive rock actually go back to the earlier 1960s with Kim Fowley's, Nutrocker and the production wizardry of Phil Spector. Spector showed that the new artistic voice in rock and roll was the producer. Beatle producer George Martin has often been called the fifth Beatle. It was his decision to add strings to Eleanor Rigby to grant it an alienated, classical aire. Allen Ginsberg said about the song, "it was the Beatles looking out at their adoring fans." In Rubber Soul, the idea of the album as a collection of songs in themselves was starting to be more accepted. The Beatles were at the forefront of the new acceptance.

When Sergeant Pepper's was released in June of 1967, it was both loved and hated. It is said to have initiated the hippy "Summer of Love" in San Francisco. But there were many fans who wanted to dance saw the intellectualization of rock and roll as alienating.

What was most engaging about Sgt Pepper was that it spoke about ordinary people: Billy Shears, Mr. Kite or Rita Meter Maid. Often they were doing things that were viewed asquite extraordinary: starting a band, leaving home or committing suicide, a theme that would become prevalent in heavy metal.

Through their narrative the Beatles began to question the materialistic framework of western society and the assumptions through which we lived out lives. They did this through laying to rest any notions about the ability of power, money and fame to truly liberate people. In the height of the Warhol sixties, they also questioned the consumerist aspect of pop art, laying themselves to rest and creating art out of a vision of common man going about a day in the life.

There would have been no Supper's Ready or "show that never ends" without Sergeant Pepper's. It all began here, in the uncompromising vision of The Beatles to re-create themselves through the lens of their own vision.

Report this review (#69586)
Posted Thursday, February 16, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars I´m pretty sure this album won´t get high rates here. I mean, in a prog rock site. I´m a prog rock available lover, but I'm also a The Beatles lover, so I must write this review and make justice about this album, which shouldn't be even available for rating, because this album defined the very meaning of the term "progressive rock", and opened a huge and wonderful path to the start of progressive music.. Any rate less then 5 starts for this is an act of insanity, and a proof that this person can't even see an elephant right in front of his face, because whichever band he likes, it was influenced by The Beatles, and if its about prog rock, it was also influenced by this album.

All right, some say this can't be considered an authentic prog rock album, but that's because its a little hard to label something "progressive" when you don't even have any progressive movement happening in the year in question. The year is 1967, AT LEAST 3 FREAKING YEARS BEFORE any prog album was released. For the year, that's a total revolution. I don't feel right rating the first PF or Yes albums as prog records, they don't have that much progressive rock elements, so at least for me it gives a little more years to Sgt Peppers as a revolutionary piece. I rather consider Frank Zappa´s Hot Rats as the first GOOD prog album, for me it is the first one that has elements enough to satisfy any prog rock lover. Either way, Sgt. Peppers has a lot of progressive elements, it has gone to crazy levels of experimental stuff, a lot of instrumental borrowed from Asiatic cultures, and the album is one of The Beatles most rock n roll oriented, since they are mostly considered a brit-pop/pop band, if this can ever define anything ..

A very brief comment, track by track:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Huh, it sounds so familiar, since we all heard it a zillion times. But thats ok, its perfect anyway.

With A Little Help From My Friends:

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds: All right, I bet people here hate it, its too brit pop for prog rock lovers. But I personally can't complain, I like the drums, the keyboard sound awesome,

Getting Better: One of the best tracks. Its hard to explain, it's just perfect, the backing vocals are really great.

Fixing A Hole: I love the tempo changing for the drums, its rich and creative, .. so simple and so creative.

She's Leaving Home: This must have influenced a lot of prog bands, the harp is lovely, again its so rich instrumentally

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite: The show must go on ! and the drums are nice again, Ringo wasn't that useless as they say ..

Within You Without You: Okay, now the best track in the album, one of the best pieces i ever heard. The percussion is CRAZY for the year, I sincerely don't know where they heard they could play it like this, .. in 1967 ? Its obviously influenced by oriental songs, and almost 100% acoustic, its just so BEAUTIFUL.

When I'm Sixty Four: Another funny innocent tune, its not one of my favorites, but i respect it.

Lovely Rita: Cool. Rock and Roll, with a good vibe and rich instrumentally.

Good Morning Good Morning: Thats funny, also I'm sure the animal noises influenced the prog rock style.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Rock and Roll babe. As good as the first one.

A Day In The Life: Also very prog'ish, lots of tempo changes, its my 2nd favorite in the album. The vocals are divine, smooth and clear, i love it.

I'm not rating it track by track, because it would be stupid. As I said this is THE 6 STARS ALBUM, an absolute must have for ANY PERSON in this planet, prog lover, music lover, life lover or whatever.

Report this review (#69770)
Posted Friday, February 17, 2006 | Review Permalink
ffilipes@hotm
5 stars Although The Beatles cannot be considered a "pure" progressive band; I think that makes perfect sense to include the "fantastic four" here in ProgArchives. Indeed, if not for them, what would become of the music that we call "progressive" without their (and George Martin) vision of the "progress" of music? That vision stretched the pop and rock music to limits unbelievable in the minds of the mid-sixties performers and producers. Much have been said here about the influence and "progress" that these fabulous boys from Liverpool have brought to modern music. About the album, I would like to remember that it was released in 1967, and if you "investigate" the production about that time, you will easily conclude that it was light years ahead in many things. The orchestration, the inclusion of many unknown instruments in rock albums, the complexity of some arrangements, etc. Ok, is not a "pure" prog album? So what? Think for a minute: where did Yes, Genesis, King Crimson or even Pink Floyd found their principal inspiration? Sgt. Pepper is the "genesis" of progressive rock! Where did you see "a day in the life" previously? Where did you see something like "within you without you" in another record previously? This is not a masterpiece of prog. This is THE masterpiece of rock music. Give it less than five stars would be a sacrilege! (when I see here albums like those of Supertramp with five stars, I would give Sgt. Pepper twenty five stars.).
Report this review (#70640)
Posted Monday, February 27, 2006 | Review Permalink
erik neuteboom
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars This week I borrowed a few The Beatles albums in order to make reviews for Prog Archives. For me it was a challenge to write about the both highly acclaimed as controversial The Beatles on this site. After two listening sessions I wonder or I should judge this album on its generally considered pivotal merits when it was released in 1967 or should I judge it on its progressive elements as just another band that is added to this site? I can imagine that this album was innovative and exciting in those days (I am from 1960) when progressive rock was still embryonal and the entire pop and rock music scene was broadening its horizon.

The 13 compositions sound melodic, harmonic, varied and contain some surprising musical elements like the contrast between the rock guitar and the classical orchestrations in the titletrack, the sitar and tablas in the sultry Within You Without You and the many flowing shifting moods in A Day In The Life. These guys were great tunesmiths, the pleasant vocal harmonies sound very distinctive and several songs deliver good rock and roll guitar. But if I look at this album anno 2006, I have to admit that most songs sound poppy and even a bit boring to me (it goes on and on with the refrains), I really can't understand all the excitment about this The Beatles album. For me the real pioneering masters were Genesis (blending folk, rock and classic), Colosseum (blending jazz, rock, classic), Syd Barrett Pink Floyd (blending pop, rock and psychedelia) and The Nice (blending rock and classic), to name a few from a subjective view! But if you ask the musicians from those bands about The Beatles, I am sure most will hail them as their main influence... By the way, thanks to Rene for borrowing me his The Beatles albums.

Report this review (#71272)
Posted Monday, March 6, 2006 | Review Permalink
3 stars Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band has in my book always been a good album, but I do not see why it is so popular; the only track on it I really love hearing is "A Day In The Life", all the other tracks do not have that little extra that makes them those timeless Beatle songs but are more poppy McCartney-failures.

The first track, named after the album, starts with a little intro then begins with a rock song that starts out nice, but when you expect it to become a little bit more exciting there's a bit of singing followed by a decent trumpet solo. This song doesn't do it because of the backing music - it's like the singers get all excited and the rest of the band just sit there thinking what the fuss is all about. 1.5/5

Next is "With A Little Help Of My Friends" which starts out very melancholic and charming, especially with that Ringo on vocals touch, who gets responses from Lennon I think. It's got a nice tune and isn't bad at all, the melodies are very touching, but the backing music again isn't as special - something which I DEMAND from my progrock. However, it's better than Sgt. Pepper's, and I actually just realised that I like it better than I really admit, but now I admit I do like it quite a bit. However, the endless covers have completely demolished this song. 2.5/5

The following song, which supposedly is a play on LSD (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) but according to another prog writer who's judgement I'll follow apparently isn't, has been one of my favorite songs ever. The verse and chorus alternate nicely, with the keyboard and sitar in the background and a barely hearable drum, this track is absolutely gorgeous and moving. John Lennon sings very good, but second the chorus just isn't my thing and has never really stood up to the greatness that are the verses to me. 3.5/5

"Getting Better" has an upbeat intro, the backing vocals are nice and the whole concept and song is nice, but that's just it - it's nice, it's good, a great tune, but not so special. The hand-clapping gets really annoying. 1.5/5

What a haunting piano intro does "Fixing A Hole" begin with. On all the other tracks, the drumming was quite bland to me, but here it isn't bad at all. The guitar in the background is amazing, and the lyrics and singing is supreme too. This song is very good, and for a rock song quite proggy actually. Near the end there's some weird noise though, the chorus is pretty annoying and the "hey-hey-hey" part sucks a bit too. The end is boring too. 3/5

My mother and siblings always loved "She's Leaving Home", I hated it. The story and the backing music all are very nice, but it just seems that this song has no soul and is a bit unfinished, which I have with most tracks actually. It's quite boring actually, and the whole violin thing on the foreground so much is so un-Beatley. 2/5

"Being for the benefit of mr.K" is a song with funny lyrics. The fact that the Beatles use "Mr.K" at certain moments really adds to the atmosphere, which suddenly goes into some interlude with ghostlike solos. Now I listen to this song, I realise how great it is - notice that it doesn't have a chorus, and that the instrumental parts are very good and atmospheric? This is the part of Sgt. Pepper's that would justify it's prog image. 4/5

"Within You Without You" is the only Beatles' song written by Harrison that I don't like. It's not bad, but the beginning is so boring that getting to the semi-interesting instrumental interlude is a chore. 1.5/5

"When I'm 64" just can't have been serious. Suuuure, it sounds good, but whoever sings it sounds like the Granny who tells the story and probably is McCartney. It's a song for little children really, just like "Hello, Goodbye". 1.5/5

"Lovely Rita" has that nice guitar intro with the vocals. It's not a really good song, but I've always liked it a lot. However, it's not really good and the verses now seem a lot worse than they used to be. I have to say that nearly every track on this album has nice intros though. 2/5

"Good morning, Good morning" is horrible. Sure, again, the tune is nice but it's a obnoxious song and the only reason I'd listen to it is for the end which links up with Sgt. Pepper's reprise nicely. 1.5/5

Sgt.Pepper's reprise is better than the normal one, it just has a steadier beat and no weird interval, and it links up with "A Day In The Life" so good. 2/5

As the last track of the album comes "A Day In The Life" which would be worth getting this album for. Such cynic lyrics, the drums that follow them so good, the piano plays here and there, the delicious melody and that harmony make it a true masterpiece. The orchestra rising also adds a nice touch, the mid-part following it is put in pretty smoothly, the piano bits on there are very interesting. It's followed by another orchestra piece with John's beatiful chanting and then the beginning theme comes back again but it appears slightly faster because of the way the piano is played. The best track of the whole album, you _must_ listen to this. 5/5

Total: 31.5/60 => Good, but non essential.

Revolver's better - the songs are more experimental and less poppy.

Report this review (#71365)
Posted Tuesday, March 7, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars My particular point of rhetoric for this album is to challenge the conception that it is 'overated' or that is was good 'for its time'. This is simply one of the most perfectly balanced, arranged, and inventive albums released in rock music. It's like claiming that Jimi Hendrix was a pretty good guitarist 'for his time'. This album possessed an instrumental dynamic and color as revealing as Duke Ellington. Every song is built around hooks as mesmerizing as ONLY the Beatles could have concieved. Above all, the Beatles were professional song craftsmen refining their art to the point that studio innovation sounds as natural and profound as only a group of that talent could produce. All of their talent comes into play and overachieves on this album; and how anyone could miss this (I feel) would miss the pure enjoyment of this marvelous record.
Report this review (#71512)
Posted Thursday, March 9, 2006 | Review Permalink
mystic fred
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars When I first bought this album in 1967 it was a revelation, and turned my monochrome world into vivid colour. Everybody knew all the songs, the Sunday papers had a field day with the lyrics (drugs, dark sinister hidden meanings!), Sgt.pepper became a whole culture. the boys had stopped touring and were sending us messages from space, and all sorts of weird things were going on. Looking at it now all these years later it does seem like an odd collection of childish pop songs compared to jimi hendrix, though LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS still sends a tingle and DAY IN THE LIFE is an all time classic. The beatles were having a bit of fun and i wonder if it's still all taken too seriously,I think the white album which came the year after was far better. Anyway, Sgt.pepper is NOT the greatest ever album ever made but will always go down in history as the one that changed everything!

MUSIC RATING 5/5 PROG RATING 4/5 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - PRICELESS

Report this review (#73191)
Posted Sunday, March 26, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars Marked by its ambitious and complex experimentation that combined typical elements of pop with submerged classic and vodevilescas characteristics in mesmerizantes psicodélicas essences, this disc went deep in that experimental facet of a way never Vista (only Brian Wilson and his "Pet Sounds" had taken care of so much a musical product) and opened to the sonic footpath to all the other groups for the expansion and audacious renovation of the basic constants of music poprock. With a pride and vivaz descriptive introduction on the band of the solitary hearts, the melomane delight overflows with glad pieces of exemplary melódica construction like "With to little help of my friends", oda to the friendship sung by Ringo and later versionada successfully by Joe Cocker, "Fixing to hole", "Getting Better" or "Shés leaving home" (a prodigy of sensitivity and beauty introduced by the ARPA of Sheila Bromberg) and kaleidoscopic natures like "Lucy in the sky with diamonds", song that although said that it was dedicated to the LSD, the own Lennon affirmed that it was the description of a made drawing by its son Julian; visions and circus aromas in "for Being the benefit of Mr. Kite", dawns farmers in "Good Morning Good Morning", ironic reflections on the eternal love adorned by elegant clarinetes in the cabaret entertainer "When Ím sixty-four", or imaginería that diatriba on the human condition, the vital fugacidad, the success and the power of "A day in the life", a masterful cut of extreme complication that exemplifies the elaboration power well and execution of an essential disc in which they participated more than seventy musicians, among them, great George Martin, who contributed in addition to his wisdom in the producing task (using only 4 tracks) some passages of keyboards. Like last data, to contribute that this it is the first disc in the history of music in publishing all the printed letters and that the extraordinary cover (with people like Karl Marx, Fred Astaire, Edgar Allan Poe, Marilyn Monroe, Oscar Wilde Marlene Dietrich or Bob Dylan) was made by Peter Blake.
Report this review (#74153)
Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars Often when an album is highly celebrated and exalted as this album is, the music can find it hard to live up to the hype. Not so with Sgt Peppers; this is an album that deserves the praise it has been given

IT is impossible to underestimate the impact this album had. Those of us that weren't alive in 1967 when this was released (and that is probably most of us), can find it hard to appreciate what Sgt Peppers would have sounded like in the context of mid/late 60's rock music. A lot of people that were alive though, if you ask them, will tell you how Sgt Peppers was so different from what had come before. Rock music before Sergeant Peppers was 2 dimensional; capable of excellence and brilliance, but it wasn't 'epic' and it wasn't 'art'. Sgt Peppers opened the door to music being just that. Its production and arrangement was incredibly innovative. It sounded so new and original then, and it still does now

The songs themselves are very worthy of this. While it is probably the album as a whole, its production, effects etc that people were most impressed with, the individual songs are also brilliant. You probably already know them. The title track is a wonderful upbeat song, Ringo sings wonderfully on the Lennon/McCartney 'with a little help from my friends', which IMHO is MUCH better than the pretentious version released later by Joe Cocker.

The psychadelic and juvenile 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' is another great song, very 'trippy' and spacey. Getting Better and Fixing a Hole are delightful songs; there is nothing to fault with them. She's leaving home is a beautiful orchestral piece sung by Paul. Mr Kite is an interesting track, not my favourite, but well produced

George's 'Within You Without You' is indian-inspired, but great to mellow out to, if a little drawn out. When I'm 64 is a very famous, jaunty, older style song. I wonder how much that song will be played when paul McCartney really does turn 64.. (that will be next year I think - he was born in '42)

Lovely Rita is a great piano-tune about Paul's love for a parking inspector. (?) John's 'Good Morning Good Morning' is about his dissatisfaction with life in the suburbs; it has a lot of bustling noises and some wonderful vocal melodies.

Then the reprise of Sgt Peppers rounds the album nicely in a slightly different tempo from the first version of the title track. But the real star is 'Day in the Life'; a beautiful song that I find impossible to describe. It features a total tempo change in the middle, written by Paul, apart from the main Lennon-bit. It is interspersed at times with swirling orchestral and piano work which is meant to simulate (I'm told) the effects of 'tripping out'. A great end to a classic album in history

I won't say Sgt Peppers is the Beatles' best; that is incapable of definition. It is perhaps the most influential album in rock history and well worthy of that statistic.

Report this review (#74167)
Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2006 | Review Permalink
ttaylor102003
4 stars As far as regular albums go, this is a masterpiece, but counting it as prog, not much of it is prog. So in the context of this website, 4 stars.

The title track(s) are upbeat rock songs, catchy and very enjoyable.

With a little Help is well known and catchy, sung by Ringo.

Lucy in the Sky is one of the best and most proggish songs on here, very psychedelic and catchy, fantastic song over all.

Getting better is more of a typical but catchy and good rock song, more like old beatles.

Fixing a Hole is kind of weird song, you need to hear it. Not fantastic, but good.

She's Leaving Home is a very sad, orchestral song. Nice mellow song.

Mr. Kite is a haunting and awesome song, very good melodies and instrumentation.

Within You Without You is mideastern mellow kind of song, very good. One of the best on here. Great sitar and vocals from Harrison.

When I'm 64 is the worst song on here. Typical boring pop song, kind of catchy, but just not that good. The definite low point of the album.

Lovely Rita is a good song, nice melodies. Pretty much a typical rock song, but very good nonetheless.

Good Morning is also a typical kind of beatles rock song. Good, nice melodies, but doesn't stand out a whole lot.

After the reprise of the title track, comes a Day in the Life. The most prog song on here, and also the best. The opening melody is very sad and melancholic. Terrific. After some scary sounding strings, comes a more upbeat section sung by McCartney, followed by what may be the best part of any Beatles song: some mellowish chanting from Lennon, kind of soaring sounding, embellished by some deep Brass. Then comes another couple of verses with the opening melody, some more scary strings, and its over. Fantastic song, Fantastic album, even if it isn't that progressive.

So over all, this is a very good album, a masterpiece, but one of rock in general, not prog. Some of the songs in aprticular don't stand out, but the whole album flows together perfectly, making it fantastic. A good, influential album that prog fans should check out.

Report this review (#74173)
Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2006 | Review Permalink
gmatt44@yahoo
5 stars I have often wondered why the Beatles and this album in particular were not included in this site. True if you listen to it now it doesn't sound that different - but in 1967 it caused a revolution in music which we will probably never see again. I first bought a copy in 1968 and it is still the only record I have kept since then. But is it "progressive rock"? If by progressive we mean new ideas, techniques and musical direction - then it fits the bill - not so much by today's standards but certainly the 60s ---- It was the first album that segued songs - first album to have a gatefold cover - first to print the words to the songs on the cover - it had fake live tracks - there was a soundbyte in the runoff track which would repeat if your player allowed - it had some kind of theme covering the songs - it suggested that "turning on" was the way to go. NOBODY was doing anything remotely like it in 1967. Many of the songs are pure pop that is true but that was the Beatles way. They realised they didn't fit the mould and moved on eventually to the 'white' album - almost the antithesis of Pepper, pure, simple pop songs with none of the elements of the former album. Sgt Pepper is not my favourite Beatles album but it definitely deserves to be included in any progressive rock site. I love the modern prog rockers like Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, Neal Morse, Riverside, Fates Warning, Dream Theater to name a few and they all owe some homage to the Beatles who always did things differently - like plugging the guitar directly into the recording desk to get the heavy distortion on Revolution or the feedback on I Feel Fine or the backwards guitar on Rain --- we probably just don't think of them that way.
Report this review (#75410)
Posted Tuesday, April 18, 2006 | Review Permalink
Gatot
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars One of prog mailing lists that I've been subscribing as member, someone posted a message that said something like prohibiting the discussion about The Beatles because it's not prog. As you might guess, it stimulated a bunch of reactions from other members - including myself, of course - opposing about that idea. It's ironic putting off The Beatles from the discussion topic as in fact The Beatles has created world-wide influences to many musicians on planet earth at the time as well as the years to following, even right now. Many prog musicians were influenced by The Beatles.

Recently, I purchased MOJO Magazine with David Gilmour as cover story. The magz also gives free CDs titled "PSYCH OUT!" - 15 Nuggets From The Scene That Spawned Pink Floyd. It's a very informative article about Pink Floyd, David Gilmour as well as Roger Waters. When I spun the CD that contained songs created in the period (mostly) of 1967 - 1968 it reminded me to two albums that I consider "prog" albums by The Beatles, i.e. "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Magical Mystery Tour". I spun the "Sgt Pepper's" CD right after the PSYCH OUT by Mojo and found out that Sgt Pepper's is much mature musically as compared to other bands featured at Mojo's bonus CD. Not only mature, the music is really progressive as it contains songs with style and tempo changes, unusual time signatures and a bit complex composition.

I don't want to write a long review as many have done much better on this album. But definitely, this album is truly a prog one. Even, the opening track has already demonstrated very intense prog elements. Other tracks like "Fixing Hole", "She's Leaving Home", "Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite" (my favorite), "Lovely Rita" clearly show how prog this album was.

When people talk about the birth of prog music, there has been many views who was the pioneer? Was it King Crimson "In The Court of The Crimson King", Procol Harum or The Beatles? I'd rather vote for the Beatles especially this "Sgt Pepper's" album. If people perceive that the birth of prog came out with mellotron drenched album like In The Court. If that is the boundary, nothing wrong saying In The Court was the pioneer. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Report this review (#75727)
Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 | Review Permalink
Guillermo
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars For me it is hard to say if this album is better than "Revolver" or later albums recorded by The Beatles, but it is also very enjoyable and very influential in the development of Progressive Rock music, IMO. It was a very expensive album in making because they recorded it in 4 months, starting with the excellent songs which were released in February 1967 as a single: "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane".

The first time that I listened to this album was in 1973. Then, in 1982, I bought a new copy, made in England. After listening to both versions again, I found some differences. Then, I leaned that the first version that I listened to was the Mono version (despite saying "Stereo" in the cover!) and that the version that I bought in 1982 was really the Stereo version, as the cover said. Years later, when I bought Mark Lewisohn`s excellent book called "The Beatles: Recording Sessions", I learned that yes, the Mono and Stereo versions were different not only in the mixing, but in the inclusion of some sound effects which the Mono version included. I also learned that the Mono version was mixed with The Beatles being present in the studio, while the Stereo version was mixed by George Martin and other Recording Engineers, but without The Beatles being present in the studio. So, Lewisohn says that the "real" version is the Mono version. I also think that the Mono version is better. The C.D. version, released only in Stereo, which I also bought, includes some sound effects originally included at the end of the Side Two of the first pressings of the English L.P.

This album has a lot of very good arrangements, done by The Beatles with Producer George Martin. For me, this album is a "musical mind trip" (without using alcohol and drugs!). My favourite songs from this album are: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "She`s Leaving Home", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite", "Within You Without You", "When I`m Sixty-Four" and "A Day in the Life".

I hope that some day EMI Records could release in the C.D. format the Mono version of this album. It is more enjoyable, more "magical", IMO.

Report this review (#78945)
Posted Sunday, May 21, 2006 | Review Permalink
ledzpeprocks1
4 stars THE BEATLES Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band is an excellent album in almost all aspects. I have listened to it over and over again on my mp3 player and computer, and for some strange reason, I don't get very tired of the songs on there, especially some songs on there, sugh as A Day In The Life. The Brief Orchestra interludes give little scare, but keep you into the song as well. I also believe the classic, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, I've always liked the psychedelic vocals, ever since I first heard it on movie The Yellow Sumbarine when I was in the first grade. within you Without You Supplies excelent vocals and sitar by the most underrated Beatle, George Harrison, whom is my personally favorite Beatle. Any one with good taste would agree that this is a masterpiece of early rock and proto prog.
Report this review (#80145)
Posted Friday, June 2, 2006 | Review Permalink
4 stars This is the first concept album of the history of pop rock. I have to say that Sgt Pepper wouldn´t be anything without several influences of pop music in the last 2 years ( including, as one reviewer said, Revolver and Rubber Soul). I don´t agree Sgt Pepper is the BEST album of all time. It was an album that let musicians fly their minds, but not the BEST of all History. Sgt Pepper: It´s a catchy intro (8/10) With a Little help..: Ringo, as he says in this maccartney´s song, doesn´t sing the best he could. It´s a good song anyway (7/10) LSD: It was the picture that his son, JULIAN, made in class, remembering his friend Lucy. NOT the LSD drug!. It´s a fantastic song (9/10) Getting Better: Great, but it could be better (7,5/10) Fixing a Hole: It has the same scheme as Getting Better, it has a slower tempo (7,5/10) She´s Leaving Home: A tender duo (7/10) Benefit of Mr Kite: Revolutionary song (8/10) With and without you: Boring sometimes (7/10) When i am 64: It´s interesting to see Paul remaking his own childish song into a Psychedelic one (9/10) Lovely Rita : Rocky Policewoman song (8/10) Good Morning: Trumpets sounds a bit annoying some times (6,5/10) Sgt Pepper Reprise: Better than the first one (8,5/10) A Day in the Life: Maybe the FIRST prog-rock song of the history ( I said Maybe!) (10/10)
Report this review (#80314)
Posted Sunday, June 4, 2006 | Review Permalink
BertstownOH67
5 stars This is the Genesis of Prog-Rock! From the start of the album with a sound of a concert hall to an ending key strike on the piano. The use of odd instruments such as sitars, harmonicas, kazoos, french horns, clarinets, vocal effects, and a full orchestra in one album. Nobody did it better than the Beatles! With songs ranging from ragtime to circus- music, to hindu mysticisim, and back to hard rock. You'll hear a calliope on one track and farm animals on another. Even the album is a peice of art! Having celebrities, politicians, and gurus grouped-up on one album. It seemed that the Beatles weren't the Beatles, but they were the Beatles! A must for anyone!
Report this review (#81363)
Posted Saturday, June 17, 2006 | Review Permalink
mbd3675@hotma
5 stars According to Mike Portnoy, this is where prog began (if you subscribe to that lineage).

As a child, my father (who was a big fan of early Beatles music) always talked down about this album, mainly to do with its drug-inspired themes and odd lyrics. I suppose, since I was never into 60s music much, that I'd just never bother with The Beatles. And to this day, I am only familiar with their radio hits although that is now beginning to change after actually fully listening to Sgt. Pepper.

I'd heard bits and pieces of this album, namely Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and With A Little Help From My Friends, but the rest was a mystery to me. I decided to get a copy after reading a review submitted here 2 weeks ago, and I was quite surprised at where I was taken during my listen. The drug-inspired stuff was there, but since I'm not opposed to light recreational use, I rather enjoyed what the band had achieved with this album. Each of the songs have a unique quality that was fairly unmatched at the time (excepting for The Doors, Zappa, etc) and feature some interesting instrumentation (eg, Within You Without You).

Essentially, this album has been copied and copied since it's release. Being new to most of these songs, I heard the sounds that have accompanied many many bands and even more largely for other British bands. The Beatles are subject to more criticism because they are so widely known and immortalized by Lennon's murder that many seem to forget just how influential this album alone was to all of rock.

Report this review (#81944)
Posted Sunday, June 25, 2006 | Review Permalink
Chicapah
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars How good is this album? I'm 17 years old and full of tetosterone, I pick up this brand new release from the Fab Four on the way over to Patsy Warren's house for a little wrestling on her couch and I end up telling her to quit smooching on me so I can concentrate on the music I'm hearing! THAT'S how good it is. When this record hit the racks and airwaves in 1967 it changed the alignment of the planets. It's hard to argue with history. This is the apex of the most influential band of all time. It is seamless and flows with sublime near- perfection from one song to the next. Just reading down the roster of songs leaves me shaking my head even now. It's got everything a great recording requires. And there may never be another song composed like "A day in the Life" ever again. The unique ending leaves you in a daze as you listen to the very strings inside the pianos vibrate in a slow decay into infinity. Rarely does an album live up to a year's worth of hype but this one did. Again, try to listen as if you'd never heard the title track or "Lucy" or "She's leaving home" and perhaps you will get a sense of the excitement that I heard on the first listen and made me ignore Patsy's considerable allure all those years ago. Girls like her were a dime a dozen but music this great only comes along once or twice in a lifetime.
Report this review (#83755)
Posted Friday, July 14, 2006 | Review Permalink
2 stars The Beatles's progressive period started soon after Sergeant Pepper's, with The Magical Mystery Tour. There are a couple of good songs on SPLHCB, but the most progressive side on this album is the cover, complete with pictures of composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and (an RS) footballer Albert Stubbins.

Although weaker than many other Beatles's records, SPLHCB stikes a chord with a lot of prog fans, because it's often been claimed to be one of the first theme albums, and there are a lot of people who find a theme from this album, as well as there are a lot of people who think "a theme album" only happens in prog rock. In fact, SPLHCB is a compilation of songs with great variety (thanks to that!) but a theme..? Repeating the main theme before the only prog song of the album before the end is not sufficient, I'm afraid.

The high moments of the album are Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (by John Lennon) and the ending track, A Day In The Life (by both Lennon and Paul McCartney). Other than them, there's only little for *prog* fans. And still, having said that, it is not a bad album at all!

The most important thing is, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is NOT prog. My rating goes with that, otherwise this would have got three stars.

Report this review (#83764)
Posted Friday, July 14, 2006 | Review Permalink
4 stars The difference between Seargent Pepper and it's predecessor- Revolver is simple. Revolver simply has better songs. Yes, I know the influence this album has was probably greater than any other Beatles album, but the songs imply just aren't as good.

The Good: I always liked "A Day in the Life", "When I'm sixty four" and "For the benefit of Mr. Kite."

The Bad: There really aren't any terrible songs here. Just not any that are really terrific.

The Ugly: I still say "Lucy and the Sky With Diamonds" = LSD. Come on, a band which started taking LSD only about a year before has a song with lyrics like THIS and the initials LSD and tells us it's not about LSD. Get real...

I give this one 4 stars for historical purposes. Really it's more like 3.6, but it is an excellent addition to any prog music collection, I suppose.

Report this review (#84553)
Posted Saturday, July 22, 2006 | Review Permalink
Peter
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars The Beatles are here on Prog Archives because of their enormous importance to the history and evolution of rock, and their undoubted influence on early prog artists. (An influence which continues to be heard to this day.) No other band has ever been, or will ever be, as big as the four lads from Liverpool were. When it came to well-crafted, melodic and catchy pop songs that had the power to resonate with listeners of almost all ages and cultures, no one could touch the Beatles. A testament to the timeless quality of their work is the fact that their material continues to be played all over the world. Legions of other artists, representing diverse genres from pop, to jazz, to soul, to country, to disco, to Celtic, to prog have seen fit to cover one or more Beatles songs. Indeed, you'd be hard pressed to find any adult on planet Earth who doesn't have at least a passing familiarity with songs like "Let It Be," "Help," "Revolution," "Eleanor Rigby," etc, etc, etc! Love 'em or hate 'em (and there are many more in the former camp than the latter), unless you're a modern-day stone age tribesman, you've heard of, and heard, the Beatles. No comprehensive library of popular music would be complete without at least a couple of Beatles albums, and no student of musical history would have a complete education without an exposure to their enduring work.

Given the Beatles massive impact on music and the wider culture (not to mention the fact that their music is just darned good stuff), every prog fan, young or old, should own at least one of their seminal albums, and SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND would be a very good choice. The importance of this ground-breaking recording cannot be overstated. Everyone, but EVERYONE - including the pioneers of progressive rock -- owned a copy (or was at least more than passing familiar with it), and most of those who did adored it. Over the near forty years since SGT. PEPPER'S release, the list of important artists who have cited it as having had an influence on their musical development has been a long list indeed. I have all of the Beatles' albums, and still play them all with pleasure, but it is the band's latter-day, mustached and more "psychedelic" phase that will be of most interest or relevance to the progressive rock fan. SGT. PEPPER'S looms large among those deeper, "longer haired" albums (from REVOLVER through to LET IT BE), and it's the only one I plan to review here.

To critique a Beatles album without a view to, and appreciation for, its historical context is, I believe, to do it a disservice. SGT. PEPPER'S is not just a loosely-connected collection of thirteen well-made pop songs from 1967 - this album set the standard for studio craft, and the wider possibilities of pop as an artistic medium. Simply put, it raised the bar (by a wide increment), and let developing artists and the industry see that rock could be made to do much more than it had to that point. To a large degree, to properly appreciate this album, you "had to be there."

It's all quite good, of course, but the most "proggish" tracks include the dreamy/psychedelic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," (a ditty whose initials caused quite a stir at the time), the touching "She's Leaving Home" with its exquisite orchestral accents, "Within You Without You" (a George Harrison composition, which reflects his interest in Eastern spirituality and music), and the awesome "A Day in the Life." This last masterful, moving album closer might seem somewhat unremarkable now (especially to younger listeners), but its contrasting sections, time changes and greater length that moved beyond the usual two to three-minute radio-friendly format were bold, brave developments for its day. (Granted, you can point to other artists from that bygone era who were also writing longer, deeper, more complex rock songs, but none had the enormous reach, influence and audience of the Beatles.)

I would never counsel owning only one Beatles album (if only because you'd thus be missing out on a LOT of great music), but if I were to be so cruelly limited, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEART'S CLUB BAND would be the one I'd bring along for my exile to that fabled desert island. A five star masterpiece of (small P) "progressive" music!

Report this review (#85008)
Posted Friday, July 28, 2006 | Review Permalink
Cygnus X-2
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars In June of 1967, The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, the album that changed all the rules of rock. From the artwork to the overall craft on composition, this album was groundbreaking. It's often hailed as the best album ever released, but in my opinion it doesn't quite come that close, in fact, I wouldn't even call it a masterpiece. Still, regardless, this is a great achievement and everyone should really listen to it at least once in their lifetimes. What makes this album different from the rest? The budding experimentation that could be heard on Rubber Soul and Revolver comes full circle on this album, with many pieces crossing into many different atmospheres and moods, and there are a lot of varying styles that go along with those pieces. The listener is taken on a journey throughout the 40 minutes of music and it's a highly enjoyable experience.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band opens up the album with some strong riffing and ripping leads from Harrison. The band introduce themselves as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and they really share some great harmonies and McCartney has some great lead vocals as well. It segues into With a Little Help From My Friends (after McCartney introduces "the one and only Billy Shears"), a somber Ringo led tune with some heart felt and sincere vocals as well as some dynamic call and response lyrics in the middle sections. It's a great piece that coupled with the intro starts the album off well. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds is a genuine psychedelic piece (some also derive the title to LSD) with some quirky lyrics from Lennon as well as some great arpeggios from Harrison. The chorus sections in which McCartney lets loose on both bass and vocal is also great. Getting Better is a fun piece with a nice droning guitar bit and some uplifting lyrics (although the verses bring up some racy subject matter) and some great music overall (and some extremely lush harmonies). Fixing a Hole is more or less a throwaway piece but it has some fun musicianship and some nice vocals from McCartney. She's Leaving Home may be the saddest Beatles song ever written. It's in the same vein as For No One and Eleanor Rigby as a strictly orchestral piece with some McCartney vocal over it. It has a genuinely sad feel and it's the most down track on the album (next to A Day in the Life).

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite is another genuine psychedelic piece, and it may be my favorite song on the album. The use of organs/calliopes and circus sound effects are complimented wonderfully by strong drumming from Ringo and some awesome majestic musical interludes. It's a fantastic piece with John Lennon as his best. Within Without You is George Harrison's sole contribution to the album, and it picks up where Love You To left off. This is another raga influenced indian piece, with some interesting tabla and sitar work from the array of backing musicians. The only problem I have with this piece is that it gets a bit boring, despite it being of a somewhat short length, especially during the interlude sections. When I'm Sixty Four is a fun number with a great reed intro and some fun lyrics and vocals from McCartney. The orchestrations are brilliant as well, with clarinets and other instruments of that sort playing a great main melody. Lovely Rita is another throwaway piece. It isn't bad, but it's unfitting when put into the context of the rest of the album. Good Morning Good Morning has the first example of the Beatles working in odd times (the main rhythm is in 5/4) and it also is one of their more psychedelic pieces on the album, with some fun sound effects and vocals from Lennon, the barn yard animal sounds also come off quite well.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) is a short interlude that acts as an introduction to the finale of the album, it has some nice harmony vocals and some great leads from Harrison. A Day in the Life is one of the greatest pieces the Beatles have ever written. It begins sadly with just piano, acoustic guitar, and a double tracked Lennon vocal. Slowly the rest of the band kicks in (along with the orchestra). Ringo is spectacular on this track, with some precise fills and great rhythmic work. The song has many psychedelic and majestic sections (with soaring violins and Lennon vocals), and it changes in tempo and mood when McCartney takes the lead, but then it reverts to the old theme from the beginning of the song. The ending note (a simple pound of an E chord on the piano and the backing orchestra) lasts around 30 seconds and really ends the song on an epic note (which it is). Finally, if you wait around long enough you'll hear a vocal experiment at the end that has more psychedelic tinges to it, and while it's creative, it's really unsettling after the masterpiece track A Day in the Life.

Overall, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a spectacular album that experiments with the more psychedelic side of music and it really explores the depths of the mind rather than the heart (like the old Beatles album did). While it's not a masterpiece, it comes with an extremely high recommendation from me and I think everyone should at least listen to this album once in their lifetime for an unforgettable experience. 4.5/5.

Report this review (#85290)
Posted Monday, July 31, 2006 | Review Permalink
Chris S
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I have to agree with some fellow reviewers in so far as they are bemused as to why this album receives cult status. I too feel it is not worthy of more than 3 stars because in the main the musical content does not reach the same breathtaking heights of ' Double White', ' Revolver' 'Rubber Soul' or even ' Let it Be'. there are some real pearlers like ' Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds(LSD)', ' When I'm 64' and ' Lovely Rita'. What makes this album popular with a huge fanbase is the fact that it does hold true to being a concept album. Overall a very good album but nothing more. Influential very definitely.
Report this review (#87292)
Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 | Review Permalink
2 stars Maybe I'm too modern, young, or spoiled, but...I don't like this album. Happy hippie poppy soft lightly-psychedelic vaguely prog-related music...

That said, overall it doesn't sound bad. It's just simply not my cup 'o tea, but I guess this was a real revolution in the late sixties. I have no idea, I wasn't even born back then.

Nope, not for me...ironically I have the album. Better luck next time...I'd rather sink deeply into some more modern-day prog. The low score's probably going to make everyone on here hate me, but so be it. The Beatles ain't my style, I'm afraid...

Yours, Tailscent

Report this review (#89439)
Posted Monday, September 11, 2006 | Review Permalink
4 stars This is an excellent and tremendously important album. Few other records have made such a great impact on the history of rock, or perhaps music in general, as this, and that is not without reason. On Sgt. Pepper's, The Beatles keep up the experimentation that they began on Revolver, incorporating more psychedelia, new technical effects such as the wah-wah pedal and voice manipulation and a variety of new instruments, including Hammond organs, strings, brass, and the sitar, and in doing so pretty much revolutionize the entire concept of pop music.

A great album, featuring classics such as the title track, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Fixing A Hole" (which, among heeps of other things, has been considered a sign of the alleged death of Paul McCartney) and "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite".

Report this review (#94289)
Posted Thursday, October 12, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars 4.7 Stars!!

I think the Beatles have a well deserved spot in the archives. They radically changed popular music in the mid-late seventies! The "progression" of their style from 1963 to 1967 was amazing! They pioneered countless studio techniques, and created the mould for bands that came after them.

I think many people who aren't farmiliar with the Beatles shove them off as being a dirty pop band, and I thought that too before, because all I had been exposed to were songs like "Love Me Do" "A Hard Days Night" and the other early repetitive works. Not expecting anything great, but noticing people refferencing this album as being a highly influential album of great quality, I decided to try it out.

I was not in the least bit dissapointed! From the beginning guitar riffs of the title track to the trailing orchestra of A Day in the Life, I was astounded. For the year 1967, this was a incredible creation. The melodies are superb, arrangements near perfect, and production sound for that year. The instrumental work is not quite virtuosic, but the incredible quality of the writing makes up for it.

The only complaint I have about the album is the length of Within You Without You. It should have been cut off 3 minutes in.

Conclusively, this album is essential for any well rounded prog collection, and I think more of you need to give the Beatles a chance. If you like well written, beautifully melodic rock music, this is your album.

Highlights: Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, A Day In The Life, With A Little Help From My Friends.

Report this review (#102858)
Posted Tuesday, December 12, 2006 | Review Permalink
5 stars Here it is: THE BEATLES ALBUM. This one knocked all of their other masterpeices on their ass and is that ever saying something!

For starters, let's talk about the sound quality. Being that this was recorded in 1966- 1967, it is a complete mystery how any band could put out an album with a sound quality even remotely close to that of Sgt. Pepper's. And no one did (except for possibly Frank Zappa.) And to make it that much better, they recorded it all on a four track. I had a four track and not once did anything I attempted to do sound even remotely as good as this album, and I like to think I'm a fairly good recorder.

Of course the main focus of the album is the songs, no matter how good it sounds. And boy, does this album have it's share of good songs! The album kicks off with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is a classic song that has not lost a bit of its energy in 40 years. 10/10

With A Little Help From My Friends is a nice little cover song sung by Ringo of all people, but this is one song that he sings good. In the original concept idea, this was supposed to be Sgt. Pepper's band at a show, but the concept was later dropped. 7/10

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is without question one of the best songs on the record. The shifts from soft and psychadelic to the rocking sing-a-long choruses and back are wonderful. This song is a must listen! 10/10

Getting Better is more of your average Beatles song, with it's catchyness, but as on their earlier pop songs, and on this song, the harmonies are outstanding. That is what really set the Beatles songs apart from every other pop group. 8/10

Fixing A Hole is more of the same type, but it throws in some psychadelicness thanks to the band's drug use. Very singable. 8/10

She's Leaving Home is a nice break, but not their best work. This is a good song if your listening to the whole album, but if you listen to it by itself, you probably won't get into it. 6/10

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! is another highlight of the album. This is where the band really begins to get progressive, yet keeps the strong melody in a way that most progressive bands never would. It's the perfect mix of prog and pop. 10/10

Within You Without You is the only real lowpoint of the album. Very few albums are perfect, so give them a break! 4/10

When I'm Sixty-Four is The Beatles being The Beatles. The bounce in this song will most certainly have you bouncing. It is a classic. 9/10

Lovely Rita once again, is not the most progressive thing you will hear at all. That being said, the melodies on this track will not be topped by most music you will hear ever, progressive or not. 9/10

Good Morning Good Morning is more of the same, only better. This album becomes more and more consistent as it goes on. The sound effects in this song do not sound as if the beatles recorded it on a four track, but they did. 10/10

The Reprise of Sgt. Pepper is fine, a nice addition if you listen to the whole CD, but really it's just a segue...7/10

To what is quite possibly the greatest song of all time. I'm not kidding. A Day In The Life was a last minute addition to the record that is in the ranks of Bohemian Rhapsody, Supper's Ready and Stairway To Heaven. Words cannot describe the emotion of this song. And the climax! Oh what a climax!! 10/10

Buy this album. I promise you won't regret it.

Report this review (#108417)
Posted Monday, January 22, 2007 | Review Permalink
3 stars One of the most famous records ever, with one of the most iconic covers ever.

It is indeed a solid recording, except for "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" which both have been played too often.

Tracks like "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "A Day In The Life" shows that The Beatles were on the front while "Within You Without You" brings the eastern influences. Pretty much the rest asre Pop music though but as said, a solid album with no really bad moments.

Report this review (#109105)
Posted Saturday, January 27, 2007 | Review Permalink
Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Paul McCartney came up with the idea of an alter ego band that would give them the freedom to pursue new ideas and sounds. And certainly this album was entirely different from anything that had come out before it. As a matter of fact THE BEATLES insisted that everything on this record had to be different.The album sleeve was the first to feature printed lyrics and it was one of the first to have a gatefold sleeve. There were no egos getting in the way on this recording and McCartney and Lennon especially were sharing ideas and the best ideas (it didn't matter who's) always won out.

The title track is actually reprised just before the final song "A Day In the Life". "Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is an uptempo song with some good guitar with an edge and lots of brass as well. This song blends into "With A Little Help From My Friends" sung by Ringo. Great song ! "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is as psychedelic as a song can possibly be. It's a Lennon daydream made into a song. A psychedelic masterpiece.

"Getting Better" and "Fixing A Hole" were both written and sung by Paul. "She's Leaving Home" is a beautiful, slow paced orchestral song. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr.Kite" is a Lennon sung and written song that was inspired by a circus poster. "Within You Without You" is a George Harrison song that he alone plays (sitar) and sings on. A song about materialsm. "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Lovely Rita" are both McCartney songs while Lennon wrote and sang "Good Morning Good Morning". "A Day In The Life" is simply one of the greatest songs of all time. The most complex song on the record with amazing lyrics.

Well in my opinion this is without question a masterpiece and an album that I believe birthed the Progressive movement that would follow.

Report this review (#111389)
Posted Saturday, February 10, 2007 | Review Permalink
5 stars I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE SHOW

I've always consider The Beatles as an important link in the long Progressive Rock Chain and its develop through time. This is one of the top albums in the History of Music and I knew it since the first time I listened to it when I found it in my dad's CD drawer when I was 9 years old. Considering the psychedelic elements that the Liverpool quartet tried and achieved and the influence that this album had in popular music on that time, they started to forge along with some other bands the bases for our beloved genre. The album is not to intricate, it contains mainly poppy and catchy songs (all of them, but "She's Leaving Home" & "Within You, Without You", this last one written by George Harrison, that have a sadder mood)with an excellent orchestration, really well composed songs, the happy style that marked the music of The Beatles is present on each single track.

I also have to notice the great vocal arrangements. During this complete job, The Beatles showed the world what were they made of, and that they weren't a moment band, they arrived to stay and print their name as "The Biggest Band Ever Known".

This is of course a precursor in synthesizer experimentation and also an essential album on every Progressive Music Collection.

Report this review (#112073)
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2007 | Review Permalink
Chris H
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars For 1967, this was amazing and groundbreaking. Listening to it in a bedroom 40 years later, groundbreaking is far from the first word that comes to my mind. I was thinking more along the lines of extremely dated and tired sounding. Must of been the drug references talking to the masses back in the day...

The title track starts off this album, and it is sort of a tale about a mock rock n' roll band. Fairly good, their isn't a lot of substance past the basics. "With A Little Help From my Friends" is one of my favorite songs off of this album, even if I do prefer the later Joe Cocker version to this one. An excellent semi-ballad about the importance of friendship, this is one of the few songs that still seems to have a relevant meaning in today's' world. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is about as subtle a drug reference song as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lake Shore Drive". Forget about peer pressure, if you can't resist thinking about LSD after this song you should get a handshake. Really dated and boring 40 years later however, and it wasn't all that interesting to start with. "Getting Better" is an okay song, not too great but nothing to laugh at either. That's the case with most of these songs, pretty neutral. "Fixing A Hole" and "She's Leaving Home" are two absolutely horrendous songs. They have almost no melody and the worst lyrics to grace paper and later sound. Please do yourself a favor and skip these songs.

"Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite" is a jolly little tune that makes excellent use of circus style calliopes and organs. One of my favorites off of the album, no doubt about it. "Within You, Without You" is the only George Harrison composition on the entire album, and I'm glad so. This is another horrible song, and the although the Eastern influences were a symbol of the times they really didn't fit too well into a Beatles song without completely destroying the intended sound. "When I'm Sixty-Four" is another over the top poppy and upbeat songs, which ends up making me more and more annoyed every time I hear it. Just gets on my nerves, and I'm sure other people share the same feels about this song. "Lovely Rita" is one of only two songs on the album that actually strike me as very good. This is an excellent little ballad of sorts, and I always seem to think of this track during Beatles discussions. I doubt this song will ever lose my interest. "Good Morning Good Morning" is a barrage of sounds in the beginning, and once again instead of giving me that fluttery feeling as intended, I just get rather annoyed. The reprise of the title track is just the very same thing with a little heavier guitar and outro lyrics instead of intro ones. Much better than the original. "A Day In The Life" is the second song off of this album that I really, really like. A great mix of psychedelia and Paul McCartney's school boy blues, no other song could end this album like "A Day In The Life" could. Perfect song.

I just do not understand the hype. Rolling Stone says it is the #1 Rock N' Roll album of all time. I think not! Most of this album is useless, over the top crap. Honestly, I can't think of another way to say it. They were trying too hard to appeal to the masses instead of focusing on their musicianship and the overall quality. This is no album to get excited about, trust me. Two stars, but only because of "Lovely Rita", "A Day In The Life", and "With A Little Help From My Friends".

Report this review (#112744)
Posted Monday, February 19, 2007 | Review Permalink
russellk
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars This album does not contain THE BEATLES' best music, in my opinion. But it did push music in a new direction, inspiring countless bands to consider an album as more than a collection of unrelated songs.

An eclectic concoction of ballads, rock numbers and two extended, conceptual pieces ('Within You, Without You' and 'A Day In The Life'), the album comes together musically and thematically. A band no longer comfortable with touring, THE BEATLES here go one step further and offer us the idea of a surrogate band - long before PINK FLOYD reprised the idea on 'The Wall'. The concept works perfectly, managing to look forward to the days when musicians will be treated as artists rather than performing hacks, and at the same time look back to music-hall and honky-tonk.

The music itself is pleasant, without challenging the contemporary ear. Those purchasing this forty years after its release will perhaps be disappointed by what to their ears sounds dated. But at the time the psychedelia offered here was difficult for many BEATLES fans to digest. Nevertheless, this album should be listened to by everyone interested in music, and owned by those for whom music is a passion.

Report this review (#112958)
Posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 | Review Permalink
Eetu Pellonpaa
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I agree that this was a very influential album as it was released, but this was also due to the successfulness of the group itself along with the context of popular commercial rock music markets, and in my opinion not just because of the objective merits of the record itself, when comparing to the musical scene at large in the time of releasing. For my taste here are too much happy-hippy surf rants instead of really thoughtful, moody psychedelia, though I admit there are good performances here too. The famous album opener is quite nice rocker, but its sequel is another basic Beatles song, which don't evoke any kind of strong feelings in me. "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds" is the composition here which pleases me most, and if you get bored of the classic version here, you can search William Shatner's interpretation for something completely different. I'm also not sure if this album is a pure "concept album", though there are elements presented here, which were used later in constructing of really contact theme-albums (the merging of tracks + reprises). If you're a beatle-head you already have this, but if you're into happy, worriless music, this album surely is a safe classic to be brought in your record collections.
Report this review (#113085)
Posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 | Review Permalink
4 stars The Beatle's, and iconic group to say the least, and highly influential to the world that became Progressive Rock. Of all their albums, it is safe to say: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the most influential albums the Beatles ever recorded. Often referred to as the Beatle's crowning achievement, this album, recorded at Abbey Road, was released to the public on June 1, 1967 (June 2nd for those in America).

The Beatles, tired of touring, were attempting some more experimental music, progressing greatly from their simple beginnings. The album featured many elaborate scores, from wind pieces, to keyboard instruments ranging from the Hammond Organ to the Harpsichord, as well as Sitar and interesting guitar compositions. Reverb and echo effects were prevalent in a way no one had currently attempted. Also, innovative, as far as the music industry was concerned, was the fact the Beatles released absolutely no singles with Sgt. Pepper's, fans would have to buy the whole album to obtain any of the songs.

One approaches Sgt. Pepper's with high expectations, given its influence on the musical world ever since its release. And, in most cases, it doesn't fail to meet expectations. The album is far from perfect, however, as the progressive aspects of the album were still being tested against the generally familiar Beatles sound. Though the progression of the Beatles sound is clear, the flow of the album is disrupted at times by the fact that so many of the songs are familiar Beatles classics, and identified completely separately from the album as a piece. Some continuity is also lacking between certain tracks, as most versions are stereo edited mixes of the original mono recordings and mixes.

Sgt. Pepper's stands out, however, as a vastly historical album, and one that is always pleasant to listen to. The album has many tracks which do seem to flow and glide together, the precursor to the most developed progressive concept albums. Though the familiarity of the songs can be disrupt the permanence of the album as a whole, it also means the songs here can be listened to stand alone, an option there, though not recommended, as it does not give the full range of experience. The sweet melodies, and more experimental sounds of the album give it a rounded feel, a wholeness hard to find on most albums.

In conclusion, this album is a definite yes on my recommendation list. Most fan of Progressive Rock should find the milestones of this album enjoyable as well as significant. Though not the Beatles very best album, it is among them, and it is certainly one of the most influential.

Report this review (#119748)
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007 | Review Permalink
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!

Report this review (#124307)
Posted Friday, June 1, 2007 | Review Permalink
5 stars I am sorry, but I cannot see how anyone could give this less than five stars. I mean, this album really lays the groundwork for progressive rock itself. A Day In The Life may very well be the first Symphonic Rock song. Within You Without You is also very symphonic in nature. On top of that, the album has a sort of quasi-concept album feel to it with the Sgt. Pepper's theme starting out the album and then (almost) ending the album as well. So what if every song isn't "progressive"; every song is very well done, and very creative, especially for the time. The Beatles really pushed the boundaries of music here and were definitely pioneers of music. Even King Crimson had to send them off with a farewell after their breakup with the song Happy Family. The interesting thing about The Beatles to me is that they pushed other artists of the time to be more creative as well. I mean, albums like The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds were basically made to try and out-do The Beatles in terms of creativity, song composition, etc.; now Pet Sounds may not be progrock (that's for dang sure) but this is one of the greatest albums of all time, very introspective and full of emotion.

I am not going to do a song-by-song analysis because I'm sure most have grown up with this album and I'm sure others have done the analysis thing here on this website already. I would just like to make a few comments. There are definitely elements of progressive rock here. First, Sgt. Pepper's runs into With a Little Help From My Friends joining them into on seemless song (characteristic of many progressive rock albums). Also, there are many psychedelic numbers here such as Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite, and Within You Without You. There is extensive use of "sounds" throughout the album such as the farm animals in Good Morning, Good Morning and carnival sounds in Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite. This is a sort of concept album in that between the Sgt. Pepper's themes there are sort of fantasy songs that transport the listener from scenario to scenario, such as She's Leaving Home, Lovely Rita, Mr. Kite, etc. After this "fantasy" we are brought to the most progressive song on the album, A Day In The Life. This is probably my favorite Beatles song of all time. It really is like a mini-symphony with one part written by John and the other by Paul. The theme is reality and how we try to escape it ("somebody spoke and I went in to a dream"). After this masterpiece of a song, the album ends by repeating the phrase "never could see any other way" over and over again. This album is the blueprint for progressive rock. Not only that, but it is a highly enjoyable listening adventure that really taps into the collective unconscious and has struck a chord with millions upon millions of listeners around the world.

Happy 40th Birthday Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!

Report this review (#124315)
Posted Friday, June 1, 2007 | Review Permalink
Slartibartfast
COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
5 stars Just a few thoughts about this album as it hits the 40 years old being released day, it's 40th birthday of sorts.

I was only two years old back then, it was likely a few short years before I heard anything from it. It was part of a weird revolution in music at the time. Glad to have it make it's particular impact on the music that would follow.

Classic Progressive music as we know it may have still happened, but it wouldn't been has rich. I'll play the fractional ratings game once again, it's a 4.5 that rounds to 5.

And, oh yeah, WHEN I'M SIXTY-FOUR , it'll only be 62. Or, maybe 1967 once again...

Report this review (#124318)
Posted Friday, June 1, 2007 | Review Permalink
1800iareyay
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is quite possibly the most important album in rock history. Overnight, it changed musicians perceptions of what could be done with rock music. Inspired by the pressures of fame (a recurring muse for the constantly hounded Beatles), Paul McCartney created the concept of the Beatles hiding from the public using Sgt. Pepper's as a disguise. A silly theme, yes, especially when you see the Day-Glo uniforms the band wore for it (they are so atrociously bright Stevie Wonder could see them coming from a mile away). The writing was aided by LSD, which isn't hard to believe if you glance at the artwork or listen to the songs (yes, I know Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is not about the drug, but that's not what I'm talking about).

From the bombastic opening title track we are led into "With A Little Help From My Friends," which has thinly-veiled pro-drug sentiments, but it works much better at face value as a tune about, well, friends. "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Getting Better," and "Fixing a Hole" all have the standard Beatles optimism, but there is a hint of cynicism borne out of the twisted state of the world at the time, not to mention their growing hatred on one another. "She's Leaving Home" is where the melancholy really hits, and it's even more depressing than "Eleanor Rigby," which is impressive in its own sad way. "Within You Without You" is where the influence of Ravi Shankar on George Harrison is most evident. The best track on the album, however, is without a doubt "A Day in the Life," which I believe is the band's best song. John Lennon's cynicism clashes with Paul's optimism (life would later imitate art), with Paul asking us to "see the show" and John lamenting about the news. George Martin's orchestral buildup is masterful, and it's teh first bit of music to ever terrify and thrill me at the same time. That, coupled with Jon and Paul's best lyrics (a feat to say the least) make this an all time classic.

The impact of Sgt. Pepper's on the music world cannot be understated. It showed that rock was more than merely a variation of blues, and it pushed the envelope of experimentation in music. Rolling Stone called this the best album of all time for it's lasting impact. That is one of three times RS has ever been right about music (another naming Hendrix best guitarist I'll leave the third open in case they say something intelligent in the future). To some it's sounds dated, but I think the opposite, that it's the best preserved save Abbey Road. You are not a fan of music without this album. It's devoid of filler, and it truly defines masterpiece.

Grade: A+

Report this review (#127819)
Posted Saturday, July 7, 2007 | Review Permalink
Finnforest
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars "I'd love to turn you on"

Sgt. Pepper and Piper at the Gates of Dawn are two early foundational albums for me that occupy different sides of the coin. While both are early psych they represent different moods and different approaches to me as a listener. Pepper being a sunnier and happier album at least on the surface, Piper being a darker and stranger one.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to have purchased Pepper in '67 and heard it for the first time. Today's technology may make some think "what's the big deal?" when they play this but remember we're talking about half a lifetime ago. The Beatles wanted to present the world with something totally new. Engineer Geoff Emerick remembered: "The Beatles insisted that everything on Sgt. Pepper had to be different so everything was either distorted, limited, heavily compressed or treated with excessive equalization. We had microphones right down in the bells of the brass instruments and headphones turned into microphones attached to violins. We plastered vast amounts of echo onto vocals and sent them through the circuitry of the revolving Leslie speaker inside a Hammond organ. We used giant primitive oscillators to vary the speed of instruments of vocals and we had tapes chopped to pieces and stuck together upside down and wrong way around." The album was also the first to feature printed lyrics on the inside sleeve, something else we take for granted these days.

But it's not just about mind blowing studio wizardry anyway but also one of the best products of two of the last century's best songwriters. While John was always considered the cool Beatle I've always had a soft spot for McCartney tracks like "She's Leaving Home." He somehow found the perfect mood and delivery to put you right into the home of this family going through a crisis. You can relate to the characters and feel sympathy for them. With the exception of A Day in the Life, it is John's stuff that feels uninspired to me. Mr. Kite is not what I've come to expect from Lennon.

Pepper was a natural follow-up to Revolver with the increased studio tricks and Paul coming into his own as the circus-master here. It's a less exciting spin for me than the other masterpieces of 1967 (Piper, Days of Future Passed) but the combination of Lucy, Leaving Home, and A Day in the Life insure Pepper's stature as a classic album for any rock fan. The follow-up, and similarly flavored "Magical Mystery Tour" is probably a more convincing album.

Report this review (#127839)
Posted Saturday, July 7, 2007 | Review Permalink
3 stars The Beatles (and especially Sgt. Pepper's), with their psychedelic and eastern experimenting, balanced perfectly with vocal-led pop, carved the way to prog. It is debatable whether the Beatles themselves are progressive, or if they simply biuld the foundation of or beloved genre, but either way, it is clear that Sgt. Pepper's Hearts Club Band is one of the most important releases of the genre. Vocals are a focus, and the strongest point, with it being the main tool used to depict the great melodies. Piano and guitar do so as well, at times, but singing remains in center stage. The Beatles in general are a really fun band: a band you can tap your foot to, sing along to. That's a rare thing when it comes to prog, and Sgt. Pepper's is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable diversions from complex, highly-strung, intense progressive rock.
Report this review (#134224)
Posted Wednesday, August 22, 2007 | Review Permalink
4 stars This was my first Beatles album, and i like to listen to it at least once a month, i bought it and got into the Beatles during a rather unsettling summer. Maybe its something personal, but i just LOVE this album and connect with it oh so much.

Each track is clever and catchy with something to remember. Considered by a few places to be the greatest album ever recorded.... Sgt. Peppers is good.... but not that good. Sure it "inspired the entire future of music".... but did it?? Freakout! by The Mothers of Invention and A Piper at the Gates of Dawn were both released before this album, and i think they are far more experimental into the psychadelic scene.

But they're the Beatles, the most popular band of all time, i guess they deserve that spot on the charts.

Enough of that... this is a fun album full of upbeat and happy songs that makes one as happy as can be. The musicianship is grand (as is most of the Beatles work) and i'm glad i spent 15 bucks on it, because it opened my eyes to a whole other generation of music that i was, unfortunately, not around to be a part of. (but i guess my chemical romance is amazing.... sarcasm...)

Report this review (#142850)
Posted Tuesday, October 9, 2007 | Review Permalink
5 stars First this album was released before Pipers at the Gates of Dawn. This album helped radio formats like progressive rock radio and classic rock radio. The first progressive works by the Beatles were recorded in 1966 or maybe the progressive folk of Norwegian Wood of 1965. For a progressive rock this is maybe the most essential in the genre, because it opened doors for musicians who wanted to do more than write pop songs. The highlights for me

Sgt Pepper/ With A Little Help with My Friends- the two songs played as one became a progressive or classic rock staple. The title track fuses hard distorted rock with 19th century music. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds- Another song with strong prog elements because it's in mixed meter. There is a tamboura drone the Beatles being a true Indian Rock Band. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite- Musique Concrete with psychedelic rock. Within You Without You- Classical Indian with strong symphonic features Sgt Pepper Reprise/ A Day in the Life- the album is ended with the two songs played as one concept. The Reprise is a hard rocker and then merges into the avant/ symphonic A Day in the Life. This might be the first true progressive rock song but then again music evolves no one can really say who or what invented something. Sgt. Pepper most of the album to me has a lot of unusual sounding songs that you can listen to. This album was loved by the Doors and King Crimson and many other musicians.

Report this review (#149500)
Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 | Review Permalink
4 stars If this were not a progressive rock website, this album would have 5 stars as it is a masterpiece album. Unfortunately, i have to review it as a progger, and because of that, it must lose one star. Hailed as "The first concept album" and "the first prog album", i tend to not care so much as i care about the music itself. So Here we go again:

Sergeant Pepper's ...: A great opener, mixing hard rock riffs with classical horn sections, as well as mixing hard, rough vocals with softer ones. The lyrics are cool, talking about a fictional band performing. this leads into I Get High with a little Help from my Friends, a nice, lovey ballad type thing, nice vocal harmonies and bass line. this is the most infamous reference to drugs in the whole Beatles Mantra, succeeded only by...

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: allegedly an LSD reference, im not here to dispute that. im here to review the music. Very good use of effects on this album, and John Lennon sounds like a little boy singing about his fantasy world. Fantastic music.

Getting Better: One of those songs that you just know is the Beatles. good harmonies, and some cool percussion work from Ringo, very rare indeed. Overall, a pop song, but one of the kind i like.

Fixing a Hole: amazing Harpsichord intro, followed by one of the more interesting songs in the Beatles catalogue.the lyrics use a fixing up a house as a metaphor for agreeing and disagreeing with people? im not exactly sure. but, its a very nice song, again, a pop song in the style that i like. song very good guitar fills by george harrison, a very underrated guitarist.

She's Leaving Home: Gorgeous, purely string song, with some of the best lyrics they ever wrote. it tells a tale of a girl who sneaks out of her house at night to escape and be free to have fun. Her parents realize that shes gone and are sad, but she is happy to be free.

For the Benefit of Mr. Kite: A very silly song, seemingly nonsensical, but it has some story to tell, about a Mr. Kite who has a show tonight? again, im not one to interpret lyrics, but this is the equivalent of "Willow Farm", from Genesis' "Supper's Ready.

Within You Without You: A Harrison-influenced Eastern song, with introspective lyrics (as eastern songs tend to do), very nice spacey sitar work. A thought provoking song indeed.

When I'm Sixty-Four: Another silly song in the vein of Mr. Kite. subtle orchestration makes this song a gem, along with some lyrics that seem to accurately depict life as a Senior Citizen. Its a nice song that seems to be silly, but is great.

Lovely Rita: After a multitude of experimental songs, the Fab four return to their classic pop/rock sound on this one. Some very interesting chord progressions, lovely harmonies, and a great piano solo make this one of my favorites on the album. the lyrics are typical lovey-dovey lyrics of Lennon and McCartney. the ending section with strange use of breathing and "Ah" by the singers is funny.

Good Morning: A song that I wish would come on everytime I wake up. Very upbeat, but progressive at the same time. Some Hard drumming and some great horns make this a great pseudo classical gem. when the electric guitar solo kicks in, it couldnt fit better. again, Harrison is very underrated, and the solo is quite good, and may be the only one on the album.

Reprise of Sergeant Pepper: signalling the near-end of the album, the drums kick in hard, and the band seems to be saying goodbye to the audience. a good retake on the first track, leads us into the greatest song ever recorded:

A DAY IN THE LIFE: This is probably my favorite Beatles song, as well as one of my favorites ever. Masterful orchestration from George Martin fill it out. The first section with John singing and writing the words, reflect his current feeling on the world: slightly pessimistic, and sad about the future. Hence the lyrics move you to tears along with the melody. Ringo's best drumming moment, and in fact one of his only good drum moments, he seems to be playing the tymphani at times. The first section leads into the dissonant orchestral build up, as all that can be heard is strings and Ringo's high hat. The next part is written and sung by Paul, which contrasts to the first part in that its more upbeat, silly, and the lyrics make you smile. this is short though, and John comes in with the ahhhhh, and the orchestra rears its dramatic head once more. it cuts out as John begins to sing again, with the same melody as before, and it is short as the orchestra comes back in to lead us to the final dissonant climax. The piano chord played after the split second of silence is perfect. it takes a lot out of me to listen to this song, but it is worth it.

Overall, a landmark in rock history, if only for A Day in the Life. The Beatles truely were the greatest rock and roll band, eclipsing Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and the Rolling Stones in my book. And this, this is where they hit it perfectly on the nose in terms of everything. it may not be true prog, but it certainly was progressing popular music at the time.

Report this review (#153314)
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 | Review Permalink
ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars It is true to say that this album is one of the most influential of the rock history. But IMO, it has nothing to so with prog. Some links with psychedelia, that's for sure. But who didn't a psyche album in 1967 ?

"The Doors" did it already with their first album released in January of that year, Hendrix will flirt as well with the genre in "Electric Ladyland" (in 1968). Even the Stones released "Their Satanic Majesties Request". Not to mention Floyd of course, but there is little to discuss about their progressiveness, right ?

That said, "Peppers" is a jewel of an album.

It took the Fab Four no less than six months to record it (where they were used to release an album every six months; and this from their debut one till "Revolver"). The sound quality is close to perfection thanks to the use of the most advanced technology available in the UK.

Lots of effects and artifices were used as well, which procure a unique experience while listening very attentively to this great album.

Side one is a collection of pure wonders.

From the rocking and hard "Sgt. Peppers" to the wonderful "LSD" (oooooups, sorry. Nothing to with the drug of course). The arrangements; both vocals and instrumentals are excellent. The contrast between the slow verse and the upbeat chorus is rather catchy.

In between "With A Little Help Of My Friend" is the only song which features Ringo on the vocals and which I really like. This song will be magnificently covered by Joe Cocker during his Woodstock appearance. It has been three times a number one in the UK charts, but not this version.

"Getting Better" is very difficult but this song is another pearl. A true Lennon / McCartney collaboration. Melody at its best for a simple and dynamic song. It is really incredible to keep on with so many great numbers. OK, "Fixing A Hole" isn't extraordinary.

But what comes next is just wonderful. Again, the subtle use of chords is magnificent. It was the first Fab Four song which was not arranged by George Martin. He was not available at that time. This is so sweet a song; I just have the shivers while listening to this one (but there are many from their fabulous repertoire that do the same effect to me). Another highlight (but it is already the fifth one.).

Even if "Being for the Benefit Of Mr. Kite" is a bit weaker, it features such great strokes of inspiration that it turned to be interesting as well.

With the first notes of "Within You Without You" one can say that this is a George song. Fully in line with "Love You To" from "Revolver". Initially, it was a THIRTY minutes song! He modestly reduced it to a mere five minutes which is probably a better format IMO. Lyrics are fully inspired by Hinduism. Very much in their mood at the time (and for some time). Three Indian musicians are playing typical Indian instruments which provides this feeling of a full world music song.

The first weak song from "Sgt" is "When I'm Sixty Four". It is the first song Paul ever wrote (he was sixteen at that time). He really felt like releasing it at this time since his father would soon be sixty-four. "Lovely Rita" is much more accomplished and features some personal lyrics from Paul. Again, creativity is at its peak.

"Good Morning Good Morning" also features some tricky sounds all the way through. It is not the best track here either. Brass are too invading but again the research to put all things together is quite impressive. At the end, a whole menagerie is joyfully uttering as it would be doing on a farm in the early morning (hence the title).

The closing number is one of the most beautiful of the whole album. Melancholic, complex musical arrangements which will lead to an organized chaos just before the middle part (it will be repeated at the end of the song as well). It changes from mood all the time but is still very consistent. It is difficult to know how they could achieve this. But they are the Fab Four, right ?

This song was banned from the BBC because of its drug oriented lyrics. This might well be the most complex and creative song from the Fab Four. IMHHO.

It is a wonderful manner to close this unbelievable album. What else can I say ?

Five stars maybe ?

Report this review (#155527)
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 | Review Permalink
5 stars Quite frankly, how people can say that this album is not progressive rock is beyond me. Sure it doesn't have long keyboard solos or epic suites or whatever you prefer, but that doesn't mean it's not progressive.

More importantly, it also doesn't mean it's not good.

This is without a doubt one of the best and most important releases in the last fifty years. Starting with the catchy title track all the way to the moving A Day In The Life, every song is a gem. The Beatles were doing things in the sixties that were unheard of. They experiemented with backwards noises, changing meters within a song, and pioneered new recording techniques. Even from a production standpoint it is flawless.

The whole album flows so well; it's one of those albums that you can settle in and listen to all the way through over and over again. It was among rock's first concept pieces, and although not nearly as complex a concept as some that would follow, it makes for a unique listening experience. Most notable in my opinion on the album is A Day In The Life. It must be heard to be believed. All in all this is one unbelievable album. Any fan of good, creative songs should give it a try.

Report this review (#155532)
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 | Review Permalink
Tom Ozric
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars The validity of THE BEATLES as a prog-band can be debated no-end, and I for one, never looked upon the 'Fab Four' as anything but a 60's 'Pop' group. Until recent years, I've looked on this album as a 'cool, 60's hippy' album and didn't quite see the brilliant facets of wonder hidden beneath the surface. I guess we are talking 'Proto' prog, which I understand to be 'not quite prog, but not standard fare either'. What these young lads did (in the name of art, music and entertainment) was to push the envelope of 'basic' recording formulas and techniques to the limit (what multi-track recording machines could offer, how one can manipulate reel-to-reel tape, stereo panning, microphone positioning, acoustics, dynamics - that sort of thing ) - these possibilities obviously manifested themselves within the composers' minds and naturally influenced the song-writing and creative process, resulting in a 'new sound', an inspired listening experience, and presented us with such enduring, vibrant and lovable songs. 'Seargent Pepper's...' has got a bit of everything for everyone !! Hard-Rock, Soft-Rock, Pop-Rock, Raga-Rock, Psychedelic, up-there, in-there and out-there. Truly is a landmark release and should find its way into every prog-lovers collection.
Report this review (#155811)
Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 | Review Permalink
5 stars Wow, what an album! I've loved The Beatles ever since I was a kid and i remember I got this album for Christmas when I was 7 or 8 years old and i listened to it constantly for months- I was besotted! And who wouldn't be? Not only is this a high point of one of the greatest bands in history but it's also (in my opinion) the album that really started prog rock. There is so much about this album to pick on, whether it be the excellent music or the exquisite new technology and vocal stylings of the band, both of which were well ahead of their time. My favourite track on the album is Within Without You, which is hippy vibes on toast really, but to be honest every track on this album is marvelous in it's own way. A true musical masterpiece whatever walk of life you come from. 5 stars-bravo boys!
Report this review (#156433)
Posted Sunday, December 23, 2007 | Review Permalink
2 stars I've never considered myself to be a fan of the Beatles. I've even been quoted as saying i hate the Beatles. But truth be told i do enjoy one of their albums slightly that being Revolver. Sgt. Pepper's... on the other hand and all of their other material i can't really understand. Revolver had a forward thinking progressive feel using sitar and other Middle Eastern timbre. This album is regressive at best. Maybe Yoko ran up too big of a bill and Johnny had to pay the bills. but whatever the reason this is a swing and miss in my book. But because of Revolver and their potential and obvious influence on other bands I'll give it two stars.
Report this review (#160342)
Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 | Review Permalink
5 stars Wow, this is a tough album to rate here..... It contains my favourite Beatles song of all time.....'A Day in the Life' ....which is very progressive...in my opinion.....a final chord that lasts 17 seconds is pretty impressive !! It is one of the first 'concept' albums that I am aware of..... but it also contains some pretty lightweight songs....and might not be as strong overall as 'Revolver' or other Beatles albums.... There are a few more progressive elements sprinkled through the album.... This album definitely helped spark the whole progressive rock movement.....so I am going to have to go with 5 stars.....
Report this review (#166295)
Posted Thursday, April 10, 2008 | Review Permalink
5 stars Sgt. Pepper is the first Beatles album to attempt unification by means of a conceptual theme, i.e., an English music hall/ vaudeville/circus performance (possible precedents include Beach Boys Pet Sounds and earlier experiments by Frank Zappa) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Introduces the music hall/vaudeville show/circus performance theme with the introduction of the house band Musically, a mix between a period brass band sound from the 1920s-30s and San Francisco psychedelia With a Little Help from My Friends Opening comic/novelty number: non-singer Ringo elicits sympathy from the audience guileless singing style matched to seemingly guileless tune (which sets up a typical surprise chord in the chorus section) Example of Ringo's non-virtuoso drum breaks which become very influential When I'm Sixty-Four Original version from late 1950s Music hall/ vaudeville period piece, including chord progression, bouncy melody, and clarinet parts Wistful lyrics despite the cheerful melody Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite Lyrics adapted from old circus poster Circus calliope effect achieved by a mixture of organs, bass harmonica and tape manipulation Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Serves as the magic act for the evening Some of Lennon's most colorful psychedelic imagery, but ultimate meaning remains vague Chorus section in more typical shouted rock style She's Leaving Home (M) Sentimental Neo-Victorian ballad with moral (?)drawn Song gets a lot of media attention for its lyrics and also for its elegant Chopin-like melody Good Morning, Good Morning Lennon's lyrics typically dark, biting known for fluctuations in meter and rhythmic patterns Superficial use of taped animal sounds? A Day in the Life Result of combination of two separate and stylistically contrasting songs (one by Lennon, one by McCartney) Result is stream of consciousness, with various hallucinatory references Widely interpreted as Lennon-McCartney's perspective on the struggle to find a sense of connectedness and meaning in daily life Song's conclusion, including the final slowly-decaying chord, seen as a cosmic gesture Sgt. Pepper generally thought of as more than the sum of its parts. A sense of atmosphere and continuity pervades the album like no other rock album of the period (even if connections between individual songs are not always very clear) A landmark of successful and influential experimentation: spawns innumerable (largely unsuccessful) concept albums and a great deal of experimentation with electronic and tape collage effects
Report this review (#168309)
Posted Monday, April 21, 2008 | Review Permalink
5 stars I think that prog-listeners often demand a more technical way of music and less emotional. Beatles created this CD with much love in music,lyrics,world,woman, all these that a human being can be interested in. Music is not a product to campaer it with another product. Every song gives us something new, something unique and the psychical affect is what we have to look for. I don't care if Beatles are not so typically progressive such as Who or King Crimson. I only know that when i listen to Beatles and this CD also, i can feel the music, i can enjoy it, i can dream, i can think. Lennon is the group's politician who makes us think about the world, the war, the peace etc. , MacCartney gives us love soundsmakes us feel like 17-year old boys and girls (this is more important than we can imagine), Harrisson gives Beatles a rock tone, creates a lot of blues-rock solos and Ringo Star helps songs to express themselves wtith the natural, simple and smart way he plays drums. Beatles are surely on the top-5 of rock music (not only progressive) in my opinion. It's not a shame for us to say that when we listen to this songs, our heart fly... Don't apologise for your feelings!
Report this review (#173357)
Posted Monday, June 9, 2008 | Review Permalink
Kotro
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Not really sorry that they have to go

One of Rock n'Roll's most acclaimed albums - that's all I'm ready to admit regarding this piece of work from the merry men of Liverpool. I also won't dabble in its history - by now it is familiar to most, and I wouldn't be adding anything new. So, I will merely proceed with a simple analysis of the music itself, trying to set aside all the historical and artistic weight this album has been enduring. This is the review of someone completely detached of historical context and musical currents, listening to the music for music's sake. And, as usual in my reviews, not a word about the lyrics, their content or meaning. So, here we go.

The lovely bluesy guitar lick of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band opens the album. Great groove, vocals, and chorus, complemented with some tasteful brass. An adequate introduction to one vaudeville of an album. It segues into With A Little Help From My Friends, a pop ballad in a mid-tempo, with a less impressive vocal work. It is not a very impressive track, being very monochordic and not really exciting. And yes, I confess I DO enjoy Joe Cocker's cover a LOT more. Next up it's the Beatles telling us about LSD - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, that is, which opens quite slowly, speeding up as we approach the chorus, in a merry tune driven by electric piano and vocal harmonies. Less wild sounding, Getting Better ensues in the form of an upbeat track, with some great rhythmic guitar work. At this point I'm starting to get a bit fed up as most songs, although different in mood, are starting to sound all alike - easy-listening pop. Fixing A Hole is a severe case, as it's almost the same as Getting Better apart from the lyrics and - you guessed it - the arrangements. She's Leaving Home brings in some change, being a lot less merry, slower paced and featuring excellent orchestrations. Of course that is only an interlude, as the next song, Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite brings back the jolly old Fab 4. Occasional spells of keyboards bursts give it some interest, especially the circus-like musical interludes. Like Revolver before it, this albums features the mandatory trip to the land of Yogis and sitars, in the form of Within You Without You, that goes on and on and on and on like this mantra from Hell. Simply annoying. I have a soft spot for When I'm Sixty Four, never really knew why. It's just a fun song, taking us back to the beginning of the 20th century and the music of the day. Paul's vocals are especially amusing. Lovely Rita is yet another dull happy pop song, relying strongly on a piano rhythm and bassline. The best part in all of it? The final piano-driven 30 seconds. Interesting use of brass (or something closely resembling it) on Good Morning Good Morning, which also features a scorching electric guitar work. At this point, I'll stray a bit from my neutral reviewing stance just to ask this question: among all the studio innovation, composition and new gadgetry present in this album, what is the single most influential piece of music in this entire record? My answer? The drum intro from the reprise of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 40 years on, it is still the staple for most every mainstream rock, pop, hip-hop, whatever song ever written since. The rest of the song doesn't astray too much from the opener, and is, along with it, the finest piece so far. A nice ending to an uneven album. Or is it?

After twelve songs of lovey-dovey beat-pop-rock with psychedelic hints in comes this Unidentified Musical Object that seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the album - A Day In The Life, THE highlight of this Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Starting off as a delicate acoustic guitar and piano driven ballad, it suddenly, it sudenly takes us into a tunnel and all we hear is. Karlheinz Stockhausen? As we leave the sonic tunnel we are gifted with a merrier, faster- paced piano driven-section, complemented by great vocal harmonies and the return of the heavy orchestration that quickly takes us once more to the mellow beginning of the song, ending with some more of that Stockhausen-influenced orchestral cacophony. What an exciting track, probably the only one in the album worthy of the Progressive Rock label. Excellent finale, and the kind of song that can definitely salvage an album.

There is no beating The Beatles when it comes to arrangements. Even at their most playful and less artsy the boys always knew how to knit the exact notes in the lush fabric of their music, and it's only fair that George Martin gets some credit from it. In fact, the arrangements are the best thing about this whole album, much better than the composition. I have never been the biggest of Beatles fans, but I do enjoy a few of their songs a lot, quite simply because some are actually brilliant (A Day In The Life is a good example). Yet when I listened to this album for the first time in the 80's, it didn't really sound that good. Nearly 20 years later, it still doesn't click. No matter how groundbreaking and complex it was in '67, and how influential it has been since, the fact is others have done it better since, and not much time after. It sounds too poppy, terribly naïve, and in the end, very outdated, the exception being the abovementioned final track. A worthy album to be explored, no doubt, but simply unrewarding to me. The Fab 4 did better.

Report this review (#185454)
Posted Monday, October 13, 2008 | Review Permalink
1 stars This is certainly a great album. I listened to it a lot when I was growing up. From a progressive rock stand point I'd really only buy it if you are a prog-buildup completionist. Off the tip of my head there aren't any styles demonstrative of the progressive genre. Lennon throws in some interesting animal noises and the finale (great, by the way) track features very disparate sections combined in a meaningful way.

A strong album from the Beatles, but *almost* irrelevant for building up a progressive rock collection. Aside from most western bands being influenced in a direct or roundabout way by the Beatles it is difficult to link the sound on this album to any of the sounds that make prog a unique genre.

Report this review (#187754)
Posted Sunday, November 2, 2008 | Review Permalink
5 stars Most likely the most influential Pre-Progressive Rock album, though some of these tracks could qualify as Progressive Rock. You have the Art-Song of She's Leaving Home, the Indo-Prog of Within You Without You and the Symphonic Prog of A Day in the Life?

The album is connected in many cases with songs going directly into each other and its use of a musical reprise was an important influence on Progressive Rock and Pop Music in general. The album packaging and printed lyrics on the album was another important influence. Not every song is Progressive but the Beatles were too varied to be considered one genre of music.

Some people consider the length of a song as a Progressive Rock feature a point I don't agree. Sgt Pepper has two songs that go over five minutes. Now compare this with Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow have one only one song each over five minutes long. The Byrds Younger than Yesterday and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds have no songs going over four minutes. Then when you factor much of Sgt Pepper is connected without pauses it was an interesting experiment in long form

Ok get back to the album here are some of my favorites

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds- Very Proto Prog with its interesting use of vocals, Indian drone, and keyboard sounds with the use of use of Metric Modulation which was not a common feature in Rock Music. Fixing a Hole- A nice Psychedelic Pop song with an almost Jazzy Feeling

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite- Another Proto-Prog song that uses a sound collage as a musical backdrop to create a circus feeling.

She's Leaving Home- Art song with its vocals and string style of Eleanor Rigby. It's very much in the vein of Classical Music.

Within You Without You- A Indo-Prog song with its fusion of Eastern instruments and western strings. Indian classical music Within You uses a raga-like form that contains both major and minor thirds in different octaves, kind of a combination of mixolydian and Dorian modalities).

Good Morning Good Morning- Anyone say Math Rock on this track the song, which is played at 117 beats per minute, has an unusual time signature in that 5/4 alternates with 4/4. For transition between 5/4 and 4/4 beat, 3/4 is used. There are a total of 64 bars, which can be grouped in seven groups with three, unique bar sequences: A, B, C, B, C, B, A, which is symmetrical relative to the middle B part (disregarding the last, fadeout bar).

Sgt Pepper Reprise/ A Day in the Life- This is Progressive Rock in my opinion. You start with the hard rocking musical reprise and it segues into 'A Day in the Life' full orchestra playing atonal, aleatoric crescendos. Another song that uses mixed time signatures and it uses multiple parts. Then it ends with a forty second piano chord and then it surprises with a hidden track of backward and forward vocals.

Report this review (#189902)
Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2008 | Review Permalink
kenethlevine
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Prog-Folk Team
2 stars We were taught in marketing class that not only is imitation the sincerest form of flattery but that imitators can ultimately best innovators at their own game. If one accepts the premise that the Beatles exerted tremendous influence on pop and rock music - hard to deny - and prog rock - much more debatable, at least based on the contents of this album - one can also name dozens of bands which took the styles popularized by the Beatles to hitherto unimagined places.

On the pop and rock side of the ledger, how many QUEEN tracks exceeded what the Beatles were aiming at in "When I'm 64". Even "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" was a less coy statement. On the prog side, even the most mundane Moody Blues tunes from "In Search of a Lost Chord" bested "Within You Without You", mellotron pitch turns notwithstanding. Point of fact: the MOODY BLUES were really the contemporaries of the Beatles, producing "Days of Future Passed" at this very time, which was a far bigger influence on the merging of classical with rock than anything here. PROCOL HARUM were no slouches when they made the landmark "A White Shade of Pale". These two recordings have the distinction of having aged far better than almost anything in the Beatles canon, at least from a progressive standpoint.

In the end, one can only judge something for how it works now. Apart from LSD and "Day in the Life", there isn't much here that doesn't sound hackneyed, over the top, affected, and exaggerated, from the posturing beat rock of the title cut to the simplistic "Help from my Friends" to the twee "She's Leaving Home".

Take on its own this is at best an average album that helped give birth to much more average music, and some better music, in the decades that followed. From our perspective as prog fans, it was mostly a few of the BEATLES' contemporaries who built the framework for our favourite progressive artists that followed, with the Beatles contributing the more flamboyant and populist accents to those artists. Like the album's namesake, the story that the Beatles were the father of prog is IMO simply a canard.

Report this review (#195016)
Posted Thursday, December 25, 2008 | Review Permalink
4 stars An investigation into a mystery

THE BEATLES............ Well, what can I say ? The myth, the music....... the hype. The hype called THE BEATLES has intrigued me for the best part of 30 years. I wandered of into NEIL YOUNG, RUSH, heavy metal and progressive rock in an early age and turned my back to the THE BEATLES....... or did I ? Well, I am not sure about that. You see, all the bands I have liked during the last 30 years has all been inspired by THE BEATLES. From RUSH to TRANSATLANTIC. I now have access to all the albums from THE BEATLES and I will dive deep into the myth and the hype called THE BEATLES. Is there anything there ? I bet my life it is !

I am starting with the icon of all icons; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is claimed to be a groundbraking album and the grandfather of all prog rock albums. Everything about it is iconic. Is it therefore overhyped ?

The title track is very good and I notice the very good sound. I like the title track and thumbs up from me. Ringo Starr does the vocals on With A Little Help From My Friends. In fact, he has made a career out of this song alone. But Joe Cocker's version from Woodstock is far better than this version. But still thumbs up from me. The socalled LSD song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is great too. I drink coffee and I am not floating away in excitement over it. Getting Better is good too. So is Fixing A Hole. All these songs are good pop. Good melodies with some orchestration. The producer George Martin too made a career out of this album and with good reason.

The star of the album is the wonderfully beautiful and sad She's Leaving Home. I vaguely remember this track from a listening session with a neighbour thirty years ago. This track is one of the best songs THE BEATLES has ever done..... I can say with my limited knowledge to this band. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite is excellent too. The melody is heading of in the direction of KING CRIMSON territory and a is almost prog rock. Within You Without You is best forgotten. When I'm Sixty Four is a throw away pop song with references to the early days of THE BEATLES. Lovely Rita is best forgotten. Good Morning Good Morning is an eclectic prog sound collage with very little else to be said about it. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) is just that. A reprise. Which leaves the last song.......... A Day In The Life. What a fantastic song ! We are here talking a fully blown prog rock song. The start with Mr. Lennons vocals are beautiful haunting and genious. The middle part with the horns and the studio effects are brilliant too. Did I mention that She's Leaving Home is the best song on this album ? A Day In The Life is a close second. It is a masterpiece of a song.

Sometimes a hype is just a hype with no substance to back it up. In the case of this album; the hype is deserved. It is a stunning album. Mostly a stunning pop album. I have never bought into the idea that THE BEATLES ever did rock'n'roll. THE ROLLING STONES is a rock'n'roll band. THE BEATLES is a pop band. There is nothing wrong with that. I even offer the theory that THE ROLLING STONES had done nothing for prog rock whatsoever. In the case of RUSH, they only became today's prog rock band after they ditched the ROLLING STONES influences. The same goes with other prog rock bands. THE BEATLES is the true grandfathers of prog rock. They and LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN. Yes, I am rambling on now. But what I am trying to say is that this is an almost essential album. There is some tracks which I do not like here. But still..........

4 stars.

Report this review (#200946)
Posted Wednesday, January 28, 2009 | Review Permalink
Conor Fynes
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' - The Beatles (9/10)

The Beatles are known as both great innovators and songwriters. In their most critically acclaimed release, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' the Beatles show that they are certainly capable of defending the credibility of being considered one of the best and the most popular band of all time.

More so than any other Beatles album, this is intended to be a single piece of cohesive music. This album is famous for it's perfect flow and album structure.

From the introduction of the vaudevillian theme onwards (which ties in with the 'Yellow Submarine' movie) the album is a powerhouse of songwriting craft. While the Beatles are not (and should never be) renowned for their incredible musicianship, nothing sounds out of place, concerning the technical aspects of the music.

While each of the songs have their respective strengths and weaknesses (even an essential album is not without it's minor blemishes) the work is best to be observed as a whole. However, for the hell of it, the best song is definately 'A Day In The Life.' The lyrics revolve around the most mundane of things, and somehow manage to transmute it into some damn epic material.

For a 1967 album, this was far, far ahead of it's time. One of the true essential albums in all of rock music, this is an album every human being should own, regardless.

Report this review (#207236)
Posted Sunday, March 15, 2009 | Review Permalink
Evolver
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
5 stars Was this the first prog album? I would say no. But it was the album that opened the eyes of a huge number of other musicians as to what could be done with rock music. It's important just for that aspect.

A friend of mine once said that the Beatles whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. That theory is no better shown than on this album. Lennon and McCartney's songwriting is suberb from start to finish, both musically and lyrically. And George Martin's innovative (for the time) production took the album to the heights it deserved.

There's no need to go too in depth of every song on the album, as, unless your head has been in the sand for your entire life, you've heard them all before. But I particularly like the way they used the lyrics on this album. No more simplistic "She loves you yeah yeah yeah" or "I want to hold your hand", but using the backup vocals in a bouncy, happy tune like "Getting Better" to note that "It can't get much worse", or in "She's leaving home", the line "She's leaving home after living alone for so many years". Very nice.

Report this review (#212326)
Posted Friday, April 24, 2009 | Review Permalink
UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is the 8th full-length studio album by UK pop/rock act The Beatles. The album was released through Parlophone Records (UK)/Capital Records (US) in May 1967. The album took an unprecedented 5 months to record as The Beatles and producer George Martin took a very experimental approach to recording, and in the process invented recording techniques which at that point didn´t exist or hadn´t been tried before. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is one of the first albums in history not to feature pauses of silence between tracks (all tracks seque into the next), and although all tracks aren´t thematically connected, the album is still considered a concept release, which was also something new in a time when most albums consisted of individual tracks, which hadn´t necessarily been written to be featured on the same album.

The Beatles had ceased to be a touring act in August 1966, and there were serious tensions within the band already at that point, but all four members ended up working on the material for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", although tensions were still high throughout the recording process, and it wasn´t often all members of the band were present at the same time in the studio. The long recording process and songwriting experimentation payed off in the end though, and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was not only an immensely successful release in 1967 but it is still often mentioned among the most important pop/rock releases in history.

The band often used muli-layered recordings with different effects on each track or recorded the instruments on one track through another amplifier or used other unconventional recording methods, which provide the material on the 13 track, 39:46 minutes long album with an adventurous/semi-progressive edge. This is not progressive rock (although tracks like "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and especially "A Day in the Life" definitely point in that direction), but even the most simple pop/rock songs on the album are quite sophisticated in their presentation.

The sound production is warm and detailed, and suits the material perfectly regardless of the great varity of styles featured on the album. It´s a bit of an accomplishment creating a sound production which seamlessly fits a pop song like ""With A Little Help From My Friends"", a psychadelic citar driven track like "Within You Without You" (penned by George Harrison), a powerful rock track like the title track, and the beautiful ballad "Leaving Home" with its elaborate string arrangements.

None of the experimentation or creative production ideas would have worked without great material to work with, and it always should be highlightet how great The Beatles were at composing memorable melodies and strong arrangements (which also holds true 100% on this album). Paired with their considerable vocal skills and decent handling of their instruments, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is simply a brilliant and unique release and a 5 star (100%) rating is deserved.

Report this review (#221314)
Posted Monday, June 15, 2009 | Review Permalink
Negoba
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars The Most Iconic Album of the Rock Era

So much has been written about this album that I will refrain from any of my usual descriptors and simple give opinions. First, it is undeniable that this album blew open the boundaries of what rock music could be unlike any single album ever. It employed new explorations in recording, composition, style and as a piece of progressive history is probably more important than even King Crimson's debut. Without Sergeant Pepper, it is possible that the expansion of the genre into what we call progressive may have never happened. For this alone, it deserves the title of masterpiece of progressive rock music. No other album deserves that title more than this one.

At the same time, the experimentation here sometimes goes over the edge, which is no surprise considering the massive amount of psychedelics being consumed by the band at the time. The perfect example is "Day in the Life" which some claim to be the best song ever written, but which in fact is two very good but unfinished songs taped together with a wonderful interlude and some of the most revolutionary recording tricks of the time.

On the other hand, I simply don't enjoy the English whimsy that much, so the title tune and Mr. Kite, though strong enough songs, just don't connect with me even to the extent that a pop song like "Drive My Car" did. McCartney's larger role has mixed results as well, with the wonderful "Fixing a Hole" sitting along side the too sing-songy "When I'm 64." The latter became a bit of a template for Paul, and almost all later albums would suffer from this step down in songwriting sharpness that was present when the team actually did write songs together.

In the grand scheme of things, Rubber Soul is a much better album than this, but it's less important historically. So in a strange twist, I feel I have to give a higher rating to my less favorite album. I still enjoy it quite alot, and reluctantly award it the 5 stars it earned.

Report this review (#222031)
Posted Saturday, June 20, 2009 | Review Permalink
AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

An album that changed the face of music forever

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has been labelled as the greatest album of all time, certainly as far as The Beatles are concerned, it is perhaps the best they have produced, though I prefer The White Album. The album is groundbreaking in terms of the concept and the musical inventiveness on every track. Heck, even the album cover is brilliant and considered the best of all time.

It begins with the crowd sounds of a fake audience and a catchy riff 'it was 20 years ago today....' the track blends seamlessly into 'A Little Help from my Friends' with Ringo's low key vocals at his best. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds the LSD trip is another highlight with psychedelic lyrics and echoing spaced out Lennon picturing himself on a boat on a river with plasticine people, newspaper taxis, and the girl with kaleidoscope eyes. It is quite simply an incredible song.

The sound effects are prominent throughout the album in particular Good Morning Good Morning with the iconic horse galloping and country sounds. The time sig change is quirky in the verses and very progressive. The way that the band used the effects is as influential to prog as any other album you can name - just take For the Benefit of Mr Kite for example, amazing wall of sound throughout and those spaced out lyrics are a treasure. The Beatles owe a lot to Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' as has been well documented, but Sgt Pepper put it to better use, blending great rock with innovation and experimentation. This may well be the beginning of prog.

If you are still not convinced 'A Day in the Life' seals the deal. Lilting dreamy verses that build to 'I'd love to turn you on' that leads to the infamous orchestra slide ? eerie, chilling, disturbing and unforgettable. Then the keys stab as Paul begins the quaint bridge, the song has now completely changed, 'woke up, got out of bed, dragged a towel across my head...' it leads to the psych trip where 'somebody spoke and I went into a dream' ? the dream is the soundscape of a full orchestra and ambient vocals that echo to some faraway place. Then the song returns to the original tune. The ending is the orchestral crescendo that builds noisily until the final low piano chord. It continues and continues until it fades. Then we have a silence which is punctuated by a weird, off kilter loop that sounds like 'I wouldn't have it any other way' over and over. Originally this was the needle stuck in the groove of the vinyl alum but it works on CD as well.

And thus ends the most influential album in history. I think the album managed to capture everything that prog has become and it is an essential album for changing the way we listen to music and accept types of music. Dangerously experimental, ferociously original, it is beyond a masterpiece. 5 stars.

Report this review (#228548)
Posted Sunday, July 26, 2009 | Review Permalink
5 stars Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band represents a sudden jump into life, a contrast. When in comparison, the music of the previous albums is monochromatic, making use of nothing more than the good old 3 minute love song, while Sgt. Peppers springs without warning into a disconnected reality that nobody had been expecting. This album is a multicolored psychedelic experience that charges through the barriers of traditional musical rules, while the musicians thrive to explore their potential, without allowing themselves to be influenced by the demands of the commercial wheel and popular music guidelines. This attitude is the one thing that managed to revolutionize and expand the concept of rock, and the way musicians composed their music, and allowed the band to created one of the records that are considered the founding fathers of the music that we call progressive. It's all about breaking the rules of typical music, and that is exactly what the Beatles managed to do, mixing their distinctive song writing style with the wild psychedelic creativity that was boiling in the sixties into a break-through masterpiece. This album shouts a clear message to the musical world, demanding it to broaden it's limited parameters, as the songs deviate thematically with the traditional topics that were used in music until then, incorporating a multitude of elements that were unheard of in popular music, generating an explosion into musical liberty and a beginning of an age of free creativity that changed the history of rock music for ever.

Report this review (#231741)
Posted Saturday, August 15, 2009 | Review Permalink
4 stars I come at this album from the perspective of being a musical child of the early 80s. As my interest in pop and rock developed I revisited the music that my childhood, summertime babysitter used to play frequently and as a result I rediscovered the Beatles. My review is based mainly on my own knowledge and love of music and my own impressions of this album.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is an imaginative journey through moments of everyday life as well as other more bizarre and exotic places that may not be so far away. Drug influenced, as I have read, I can see that this album has a more hallucingenic influence that the perhaps pot influenced "Revolver".

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Great anthemic openning rocker with brass interlude; this song sets the stage for an album that will engage one's imagination as much as one's insights on being in the world with its meaning and meaninglessness. The album cover helps to create the fantasy of this album's journey into another way of looking at the world. The energy of this song coasts without loosing too much moment into the song which follows...

With A Little Help From My Friends - Lennon (aka Billy Shears) sings appreciatively about the difficulties of life and how he copes with them; the chorus suggests (but could now, perhaps, be understood psychologically rather than "chemically") a naive attitude (casual appreciation) toward drugs:

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends, Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends, Mmm, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

The simple relaxed pace of this song seems to mesh with the "steady on" message of the lyrics which in turn seems to me to be deep wisdom of the most unpretentious kind.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Psychedelic lyrical imagery reportedly derived in part from experimenation with psychidelics and an abrupt switch in time-signatures mix chaos with mystical beauty in this song. From a flowering delicate sitar line to the great cosmic "Ah!" one can imagine gazing into the sky in mystical appreciation of the beauty of the world, this song is a marvelous trip!

Getting Better - This song seems like a great "in recovery" anthem; like "Eleanor Rigby" you get elegant pictures of various people who, in this case, are emerging from their anger issues. Very open and honest words coming from people who you could learn to take back into your heart.

Fixing a hole - Trippy hippy song with an introverted attitude. Less "lazy" than "I'm Only Sleeping" this song seems to be more about keeping the world's perpetual griping at bay, maintaining a positive mood by keeping the negative out. The upbeat rhythm and piano and melacholy guitar reflect the sense of a balance of the work and discipline of maintaining a positive outlook in a potentially depressing world.

She's Leaving Home - A poignant look at the mismatch of doting parents and their child who has grown and suddenly flown the coup. Strings bring in sentimentality while the lyrics gradually paint a bitter picture of the parents who would keep their grown up daughter too long.

Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite! - Set against Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds it seems that prior to psychedelics we had...the Circus! This carnival ride of a song is as hypnotic and disturbing. Not as surrealistic as Lucy in the Sky, I have to wonder whether "Lucy-in-the- sky" hasn't met Mr. Kite on one or two occasions! I detected one or two vague meglomaniacal thoughts in the lyrics helping to secure a presence of insanity. Perhaps, this is another drug-inspired song.

Within You Without You - Like "Love you to" from Revolver, this song has an authentic sounding Indian style (I'm no expert on this) from instruments to vocals. Deep mystical lyrics also provide either an exotic tone or inspiration depending on the listener's familiarity with mystical teachings. Strings come in to help build the song over a full five minutes. Great Indian style improvisation in the middle of the song as well.

When I'm Sixty-Four - Humourous, fun song with woodwinds and piano that looks forward to the bliss of old age in love. Strong contrast with previous song in mood.

Lovely Rita - Catchy melodies, sweet harmonies contrast with the veiled leudness of the lyrical content which is finally made explicit in the panting and moaning that darkly end this song. One of many examples of the Beatles ability to layer psychological complexity concisely into a short song.

Good Morning Good Morning - Slightly manic song about the emptiness of everyday busy- ness; its the Beatles prelude to Chicago's more serious "Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?" horns included. Ends in a moment of zoo-like chaos.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - Brief but rockin' reprise of the openning song which creates a frame around the album. The song acts as a frame in the sense of art as well making this album more recognizable as a work of art if not a well-developed concept album.

A Day in the Life - This song feels like a microcosm of the whole album that precedes it. Its lyrics reflect a profound distancing from the values of the world. The song moves from the opening melody through a brief psychedelic transition to a new melodic passage and back again giving the song the feel of a miniature symphonic suite. Three times the music approaches a cacophonous peak indicating either escape from the insanity of the world or the succombing to that same insanity. Along with "Within You Without You" this song clocks in at over 5 minutes and because of this gives you a deeper experience of the Beatles great music.

(4 stars) This album, framed as it is in its opening fanfare, defines a space that is filled with a wonderful variety of musical landscapes and psychological experiences. This album is another world which reflects our own and the songs both in their lyrics and music make that connection effectively. This is rock 'n' roll as art. For progressive rock music fans I recommend the entire album. The best songs for a progressive rock collection would IMO be "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Within You Without You", "A Day in the Life".

Report this review (#238275)
Posted Wednesday, September 9, 2009 | Review Permalink
Ivan_Melgar_M
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I must have read hundreds of reviews and comments about "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Clubs Band", and each one makes me understand less the human perception of music. Some people say it's the first Prog album, others that is a perfect masterpiece, and some so crazy that I even dare to repeat.

I believe this very good "BEATLES album, not perfect neither has notorious Prog connections (leave that to "Abbey Road"), but it's true that it marks the first steps in the evolution of THE BEATLES towards Psychedelia, trying to slowly leave the image of POP icons behind. Some tracks are outstanding, others good and a couple really anodyne with nothing new to offer.

Yes it's more advanced than the previous BEATLES albums, but by this point of history, many bands were light years ahead the Fabulous Four, albums like "Thoughts of the Emerlist Davjack" by THE NICE or even the Poppy "Days of Future Passed" despite it's artificial orchestal intros and codas were on another level of maturity..

THE BEATLES were no longer the leading force and needed to change, Sgt Pepper's is the first real step towards this evolution, but still there was a long road to advance if they wanted to catch with the Psyche movement or early Prog.

"Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band" is a good opener, strong innovative, with an intelligent blend of orchestra and distorted guitars, the good boys image was behind, and at last they have something interesting to present us.

"With a Little Help of my Friends" may be an icon of Woodstock in the voice of Joe Cocker, but the song is nothing special at all, a repetitive track with no explosion or significant variation at all. always found this song incredibly boring.

Now "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a good change, they seem to embrace Psychedelia with all their strength, the song is interesting from start to end, with provocative lyrics and radical changes, sadly ELTON JOHN took it and ruined the fantastic atmosphere THE BEATLES had provided. Fantastic song.

"Getting Better" is another example of advance in their proposal, even when they don't leave their POP inheritance behind, the structure is much more elaborate than most of what had been done in previous releases, the vocals are delightful and the combination of POP and Rock is pretty interesting.

"Fixing a Hole" is a failed attempt of being innovative and a step back towards their roots, except for the excellent bass performance of Paul McCartney, nothing in this track really captures my interest, it's obvious they are frying to be original, but they seem afraid to leave all what they had earned behind.

"She's Leaving Home" seems simple, but I believe it's one of the most interesting songs, the delicate addition of violin and harp is extremely beautiful and enhance the effect, if they are close to Prog in any point of this album it's here. Something I can't say about "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite", a failed attempt of being experimental, again boring, repetitive and lack of interest.

"Within You , Without You" is an advance, the essence of oriental influence so preeminent in the late 60's and all the Psyche scenario, is captured by George Harrison with great skills, at last they are really blending Rock and POP with foreign influences, another great moment of the album.But as they did before, after an excellent song, they add a disappointing track as "When I'm Sixty Four" they pretend to be funny and versatile, but fail for the second or third time, as somebody mentioned before, check "Seaside Rendezvous" or "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon"by QUEEN to see how with this same elements you can do a fresh song, without becoming predictable and boring.

"Lovely Rita" is not a bad track, but more apparent for earlier BEATLES albums, after several moments of real evolution, they return to their past with a simple and average track. On the other hand, "Good Morning Good Morning", a song that I don't like at all, shows an interest in John Lennon to cross boundaries, and even when not totally successful, it's a healthy attempt to leave the status quo behind.

In order to prepare the listeners for the bast track the album, the reprise of the title song is added, and honestly it's a good thing, the heavier and more rocking approach is healthy, because the band proves they can take previously used material and work it in a different ad original way, I like it.

"A Day in Life" closes "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" in great way , starts with a beautiful ballad, but the changes, orchestration and arrangements are absolutely impeccable, the constant piano is simply fantastic and the vocal work is well elaborate, they left the best for the end.

I never use the word "overrated", because it would be like saying that all the people who consider an album great is wrong and I'm right, an arrogant position that I don't share, because the beauty is in the ears of the audience, but been tempted more than once to use this term to refer to "Sgt Peppers", being that it's not remotely the perfect masterpiece people talk about

A good but non essential album catapulted to the status of masterpiece for reasons that are beyond my understanding.

I believe that three stars is the perfect rating.

Report this review (#245065)
Posted Saturday, October 17, 2009 | Review Permalink
Marty McFly
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Garden of many wonderful flowers that grew up as time went bye. Title rockingly riff track Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, "acoustic" song made famous by Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends (even not bad, it's overshadowed by Joe's cover version), LDS ballad (and hymn) Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, or orchestral song A Day In the Life that become some kind of title Beatles track.

Whole album is full of songs that are perfect. They're legends. After all, we're talking about The Beatles here, don't forget it. You know, everything they made, they touched (hello Midas) turned to gold. And is this really true ? Not at all, there are songs that I don't like too much, like not so smart Getting Better or Indo/Raga (whatever the name is) Within You, Without You, but that's just my opinion (and feeling of music), they're not so bad.

4(+) dear fellows, because this, even very good as a proto-prog (signs of better times are here, I know it, I can hear it) album, there are worse songs with big deal of better ones.

But this is one of these classics that everyone knows, with many listens I have sacrificed to it and was rewarded with very good music.

Report this review (#252598)
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009 | Review Permalink
friso
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars With this record The Beatles delivered the groundwork for everything that would make seventies music great. Though still very much a psychedelic rock/folk/pop record, its endless string of highly original melodic and distinctive songs is almost unmatched in rock history. The pace in which the first few songs of the record compete for being the best song you've ever heard is simply mind-blowing - as is the otherwordly ending of the album with the epical 'A Day in the Life'. By making this recording The Beatles just destroyed all preconceived notions of what a pop album could and should be. It could be diverse, experimental, playful, symphonic, intimate, happy, sad, psychedelic and what not. This record to me represents Western artistic freedom itself and it is a joyful experience I reserve for special moments with friends. Oh, and that recording sound - it should be a reason to listen to this in and of itself.
Report this review (#263924)
Posted Tuesday, February 2, 2010 | Review Permalink
2 stars I am always suspect of the musical opinions of Rolling Stone magazine. So when I heard that they had compiled a list of the so called "500 Greatest Albums" of all time I was cringing for the worst. All I can say is that they never fail to disappoint. I was mortified to see Sergeant Pepper's sitting in a number one. I think this is the most overrated album by the most overrated band in history. I am not saying the Beatles are a bad band or even that I dislike them. What I am saying is that the praise heaped on them is too much for any band. Hell, they even manage to get out Beatles'd (See: Oasis and Sloan).

One thing I am saying for certain though is that I dislike this album. Not all of it, but the majority of it. Maybe if I was hearing it back in 1966 I wouldn't be saying this, but what we mustn't forget is that it isn't 1966. Maybe it is an important album for the influence it had, but bigger and brighter things have since come along. Many of those things I am sure owe a debt to this album. However they improved on what they saw in this album in ways the creators never could.

To torture an analogy for you: imagine Sgt. Pepper's as a building, a special building, somewhere in Italy. This building is the first structure ever to use an arch. Amazing, what a startling mental leap right? Couldn't agree more. The only issue is that the cat is out of the bag and it's now anyone's game. After this ground breaking achievement gets shown to the people, they make their own arches. They make aqueducts and bridges; which are unable to best original it its... originality (Haha), but they carry the concept to new heights. And that's just aqueducts and bridges let's not forget those Roman Coliseums and Pantheons out there.

So that's the way I feel about Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but why do I feel that way? For starter's Sgt. Pepper's suffers from the greatest case of opener closer syndrome in history. It's built right into the album! Both the Introductory and closing versions of the title track are great. You can't argue with the hip-hop drum beat on the closer. I also really love Had a Little Help from My Friends. It is an honest contender for my favourite Beatles tune. It isn't the strongest track musically though. The fact is Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, sang a better version than the on the album. Ouch. (If you haven't seen it you really should.) Getting Better is another enjoyable fairly straightforward piece of work you can do worse (and you will).

A Day in the Life is a hard one for me. When people talk about what an influential album this is I think they are actually referring to this piece. It's challenging musically really goes out on a limb, I'm afraid I just don't like the way it sounds. Who am I to tell the GREAT BEATLES their gold isn't shiny enough? Call it personal taste. I don't care if I could write a better song than they could or not. I'm not a musician. I would be pretty pissed off if they could do corporate valuation better than I could though. That five simultaneous piano chord finale though? Priceless! The piano in general actually is superb along with some of the more esoteric lyrics too. How many holes does it take to fill the Royal Albert Hall?

So that leaves? everything else. I find the rest of the album incomparably bland.

Fixing a hole, When I'm 64, Good Morning, Lovely Rita? Are you fisting me? That's what you chose to sing about? Good Morning has this horribly grating brass and backing vocals what just kill an otherwise pretty hip tune. I'm being a bit hard on Rita, it's actually much better than any of the other tracks. It's lively, it's whimsical and a little bit psychedelic. I'm a McCartney man, not a Lennon man thank you very much.

She's leaving home? Thank God!

Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, are among the most pretentious pieces of garbage ever. EVER! And that's coming from a progressive rock fan, a breed of music fan with possibly super-naturally enhanced pretention blinders. Just totally unlistenable.

I am a fan of the sitar drone on within you without you. What I'm not a fan of is what John Lennon is doing in front of it. John McLaughlin thank you for your later work!

I'm sorry I'm unable to provide more constructive criticisms. These songs are largely uninteresting. There you have it, my mostly contrarian view of the album which allegedly redrew the lines on the musical map. The Beatles were better before (See: Rubber Soul) and were much much better later (See: Abbey Road). It isn't a total write off though, so two stars out of five rather than one.

Report this review (#265796)
Posted Saturday, February 13, 2010 | Review Permalink
5 stars Sgt Pepper another album with textures with many songs with non-standard rock backings like "A Day in the Life", and "Within You Without You" for example. Is it a concept album? I would say it is in terms of how it's structured. The structure is different than Frank Zappa Freak Out with it songs being linked or cross-faded with a reappearance of introductory theme of Sgt Pepper with it's reprise in the end. Songs like "Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite" which could be a cousin of "Tomorrow Never Knows" could only be created with the studio in mind

The title track starts with an extended fade- in much like the start of Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. It fuses hard rock with four French horns and then it is cross-faded into "With A Little Help From My Friends" with crowd noises.

"Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" has a rhythmic alternation of 3/4 and 4/4 meter and it's use of tambora drone on the verse. The song has three distinct sections with parts going from a slow psychedelic section and then to a rocking section. The guitar colors also change from a slide guitar which doubles the vocal to the next section guitar through a Leslie speaker

On "Fixing a Hole" one of many Beatles songs where the verse and the bridge are in different styles with it's verse jazzy and on it's bridge very much pop-rock styled.

"She's Leaving Home" a song like "Eleanor Rigby" that has no standard rock instruments but just strings and with counterpoint harmonies at times.

"Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite", Like "Tomorrow Never Knows," the Beatles with the help with Martin on this track create a layer of sound that was only possible to create in the recording studio. Tapes of calliopes were chopped into pieces and stitched back together at random, creating a collage of sound that not only sounds like circus but it's about as avant-garde as anything in rock music. As with other prior Beatles songs "We Can Work It Out" it goes from 4/4 on the verse and then switched to 3/4 on the bridge.

"Within You Without You", One of George Harrison full excursions to Classical Indian music with it's fusing of pop music and psychedelic rock. The textures are a mix between Indian instruments and western strings . It's in three three large section and is in 5/4 time.

"Lovely Rita" one of the more pop sounding songs on the album has nice vocal harmonies and as well as blowing on combs covered with toilet papers to produce kazoo-like tones "Good Morning Good Morning" is characterized by it's highly irregular meter combinations. The song starts with a sound of a rooster then followed by followed by a horn section that dominates the song. Paul McCartney contributes with a highly distorted raga-influenced guitar solo. On the fade-out it has a collage of animal sound that finally connects to the Sgt Pepper Reprise.

Sgt Pepper Reprise is a reappearance of introductory theme of Sgt Pepper and then is cross-faded with crowd applause into "A Day in the Life.

"A Day In the Life" which maybe is the first progressive rock song with it's avant garde orchestra in the background and unconventional breaks in the song and ending with a 40 second sustained piano chord.

Then the album ends with a message looped backward and forwards. A strange ending on a great album a trend they would continue on Abbey Road.

In the end the album songwriting might not be the Beatles best, But in terms of integrating sounds, instruments, recording techniques and odd time signatures in creating sounds not normally associated with pop and rock music this is the album to start with. It that aspect it goes beyond Pet Sound and Revolver.

Report this review (#268331)
Posted Thursday, February 25, 2010 | Review Permalink
thehallway
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars What was I thinking? Anything less than 5 stars for this musical achievement is only possible if you hate The Beatles unconditionally. Many amazing songs, including the band's best, right at the end. Technologically, musically, timbrely (?), conceptually, and with a light-hearted approach, the masterpiece of the sixties. There it is.

ACTUAL REVIEW: Dated but influential. In 1967 this was obviously an incredible album, full of new and exciting structures and tones, by a band who were already on top of the world. 43 years later, it's effect is somewhat diminished, but it's still easy to see what's so great about 'Sgt Pepper'.

The songs are mostly short and sweet, with simple themes on the surface but a lot of off- course overdubbing and strange instrumentation. It's the timbre and sound of this album that makes it so colourful and psychedelic (not to mention the drugs (and the very bright cover)). I find Lennon's songwriting to be the more "progressive" out of the group, utitlising less common chords and phrasing, and generally offbeat subject matter. '...Mr Kite' is very thematic and circus-sounding, with a really avant-garde bridge section that screams prog. McCartney's efforts are stronger in terms of melody, but he doesn't seem to strech out as much as his partner, playing it safe with catchy tunes such as 'Getting Better' and 'Fixing a Hole'. However the orchestration of 'She's Leaving Home' is rather nice, in a less conventional way.

Harrison's sole contribution (he had more but wasn't given the opportunity for more than one, proved by his first album which was a triple-LP of the songs that had built up during the Lennon/McCartney reign) is the Indian sitar excercise 'Within You Without You', very generic for the style but I guess a lot more interesting to Western audiences. And Ringo successfully ruins a song by attempting to sing on it ("What would you think if I sang out of tune?"... well, I'm thinking of putting tape over your mouth right now Starr!). The most progressive song on the album, 'A Day In The Life' is what really influenced the prog bands to exist. It remains a mere 5 minutes yet conveys everything which at the time would be considered progressive, if not simply weird. The famous ending (three grand pianos playing the same major chord) is about as experimental as it gets. This is followed a short segment of extremely high-pitched sound- wave, and then some chopped up Beatle chatter. What a finale!

This album is so uniquely wonderful, easy to access, and yet suitably developed to qualify as proto-prog. This was the Beatles at a compositional peak. It's not to most prog-head's tastes nowadays, but in '67 there was little else! All I can say is that George should have had more say, and Ringo should have had less.

Report this review (#279858)
Posted Thursday, April 29, 2010 | Review Permalink
4 stars According to Mike Portnoy, this album was the birth of prog. Now I don't really agree with this, due to the fact that The Moody Blues was out slightly before this album was made and Pink Floyd were making their first album in the studio next to The Beatles at the same time this album was made.

This album is a classic album, and I agree it is a classic album, but there is something about it that does annoy me.

The production was really good for it's time, but it does have alot of flaws in it (i hate mono, why would I want to hear just vocals in one ear, although it was originally made for vinyl speakers).

There is some absolutely classic songs on this album, and some that I thought weren't as strong, and some just plain odd and enoying.

1. Sgt. Peppers Lnely Hearts Club Band - The production is very poor, but it does sound quite interesting. Pretty good intro. 8/10

2. With A Little Help From My Friends - How can you not love this song. I do think it is quite annoying, but it is inredibly catchy, and Ringo's vocals are pretty good. 9/10

3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - It's not about drugs, it's just coincidence. The production is a wee bit poor, but the song makes up for it. 9/10

4. Getting Better - This song is about domestic abuse. It really is. It is a pretty nice song though, with a great chorus. 8/10

5. Fixing A Hole - An amazing composition. Love the harpsichord. Just overall a fantastic song. 10/10

6. She's Leaving Home - I do love the melodies of this song, but the lyrics do annoy me a little bit. The Magic Numbers do a great cover of this song. 9/10

7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite - It's a bit random, but it is pretty cool, with all the circus music. 9/10

8. Within You Without You - My favourtie song on the album (from my favourite Beatle, although I do love John). Aload of people do not like this song because it is too Indian, but I have it is actually crossing culturs, with the strong use of the uhru, which is an Oriental instrument. The sitar playing is excellent, and could easily match Raavi Shankar anyday. The lyrics are also amazing. 10/10

9. When I'm 64 - Ironically Paul is 67 now, and 2 of his wives are gone. This song is quite anooying but it does have some great melodies in it. 7/10

10. Lovely Rita - This is a bit annoying (Paul annoyed me during this period). There is some cool melodies in this song and some great use of weird noises (tissue over a comb) 8/10

11. Good Morning Good Morning - This song is pretty cool and quite interesting, but it is one of the weaker moments. Some great vocals though. 7/10

12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - Did this really need to be on it. 7/10

13. A Day In The Life - Johns parts are great, but Paul's is just annoying. Love all the noise and the orchestration from hell. The ending with that weird chant dog thing is really cool. 9/10

CONCLUSION: If you don't have this album, then their must be something wrong with you. Everyone should have it just to have it.

Report this review (#288541)
Posted Monday, June 28, 2010 | Review Permalink
Rune2000
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars The changes that the band achieved with Revolver just could not be undone and so the Beatles pushed forward in their search for new directions to explore.

Created partially as a concept album about a live performance of a fictitious band, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band proved to be an even bigger hit with both the critics and the general audience. Even if the conceptual part of the album functions mostly as an arc there is also a secondary concept describing the subject of everyday events and life in general. The album is as close to a band effort as the Beatles would be able to achieve later on in their career. The record also marks the moment where the individual songs stopped being the center of attention and the complete album experience took over its rightful place.

I honestly can't see any of these tracks played out of context since, to me, it's this preexisting song pattern that truly makes this album a worth a while experience. Well familiar pieces like With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and A Day In The Life can sometimes be considered the bulk of this album but the same could just as easily be argued for Getting Better, Fixing A Hole and When I'm Sixty Four!

There is really no denying that Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a great album, but I can't really call it a personal favorite of mine even though I sometimes do enjoy this trip through the memory lane. It lacks a feeling of closure that makes the whole journey incomplete, even if some might argue that A Day In The Life does a wonderful job at achieving just that. In the end, it's still an excellent Proto-Prog album that I highly recommend experiencing, although chances are that you already have.

***** star songs: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2:02) With A Little Help From My Friends (2:44) When I'm Sixty Four (2:37) A Day In The Life (5:33)

**** star songs: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (3:28) Getting Better (2:47) Fixing A Hole (2:36) She's Leaving Home (3:35) Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (2:37) Within You Without You (5:05) Lovely Rita (2:42) Good Morning Good Morning (2:41) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (1:18)

Report this review (#291788)
Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 | Review Permalink
4 stars You know, if anyone could summarize this record in one line of text, and say something original, it wouldn't be me. It'd probably be Jesus or something.

Overall Rating: 12

Best Song: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS, or LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS

Sgt. Pecker's Only tart's gloved hand is one of the worst things I've ever heard in my short life, and I'll never change my opinion on that one.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a really good album, and I'll probably change my opinion on that in a few months. Now, my main dislike of the previous Beatles records, such as Rubber soul and Revolver, has been entirely rooted in the band's lack of consistency and memorability. I just listened to Rubber Soul, and I can't remember more than Norwegian Wood! Well, I can remember a few song names, but not how they go, or the words or melodies, or anything.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the oft regarded "Greatest album ever made". I respectfully disagree. There is no such thing as a "Greatest Album", and if there was, it'd probably be something by Brian Eno. Still, I can't help but being drawn to this sucker much more than the records that came immediately prior to it. The first three songs are all so damn melodically intriguing, and they finally take the Indian instrumentation and studio 'wizardry' and formulate it into something aurally engaging, like wow, man. The cozy pop rock of With a Little Help, or the evolving, drug laced Lucy, it's good stuff, bub, and I make no reservations about saying that. I'm the farthest thing from a Beatles fan (hiss! hiss! lord save me!), but I know good, complex melodies. That was a lie, I don't know a good melody from my big, smelly...

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band isn't perfect, and it don't give me rich musical catharsis for the entire trip. Getting Better is still a little pedestrian, but maybe it's some of that trademark Beatles humor. Eh, screw it, it's still a dang fine pop tune, with just an ounce of necessary personality. The chorus is a real shot in the arm. Several hosts of critics have called this non-rock. They keep talking about supposed "cabaret" and "music hall". What are they smoking? Oh yeah, Marijuana. I need some. Does anybody know a good dealer where I can get me a dank dime bag?

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is firmly rooted in pop and rock music, as always with The Beatles, they just veil their work in select coats of genre meshing. Fixing A-Holes, is distinctly pop, even if the dressing coat kinda screams theatre. Don't get me wrong, I love some theatre (no I don't), but the main melody just doesn't grab me and torture my ever-loving soul. It's lightweight, fluffy, commercial, even. That being said, it's cohesive, coherent, meshing, fluid, and consistent fluff. The songs flow into each other all interesting-like and keep things from being offensive. Nobody wants an offensive Beetles record, that would be blasphemous and musically profane, Billy. I know your name isn't Billy, that's what I call all the girls.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band gets boring halfway through. Incidentally, this occurs congruent to the rise in string accompaniment. Heh, Eleanor Rigby was a damned albatross around their necks, if you ask me. But, you'd never ask me, you're probably a *vomit* Beatles fan! Excuse me if the melodies to She's Leaving Home and Mr. Kite just don't seem to go anywhere. I like the stuff, but gee, it's just standard stuff. No, no utterly world shatter musack, just nice melodies and a nice atosphere, that's utterly inoffensive, until you get to the "circus" freak-out in the middle, which I don't even care about one iota. The Doors did it in the same year, and even made the stuff menacing, so shove it!

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has a lot of "forced" experimentation that seems tacked on to display the visage of intellect and depth, while I call it 'pure garbage'. Is Within You Without You supposed to be mantraic in it's Eastern dirge? If only they'd push the melodic limits as much as they pushed the instrumental limits, because this stuff deserves to be accompanied by something more mind blowing. I s'pose I'm biased with all my Ween records and Flaming Lips experimenting, and it gives me clouded vision when I look back at some of the "classic" artists and their works from this era, but the melodies just don't scream inside my skull. Am I asking for too much? The songs oft times feel painfully dated, and I've dated lots of girls...carbon dated. I'm a paleontologist, Your bones are in my milk grater, seeming woodly, ferrous aeroplane enigma. Are you one of them? Whiddly whiddly whiddly wheee.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has a lot of different moods. You got your astral psyche, your playful nostalgia pop, your cozy rock, your boring crap thrown in for good measure. This means you're bound to find something you like, even love, but because of the latter inclusion, you're also definitely bound to find something you probably can't stand. The concept is clearly a pure put on. It's a shtick, a scam, a game, a flimsy flan. Don't put much stock in it, it's no Jesus Christ Superstar. They didn't seem to put much stock in it, either. I mean, it dissolves after song one. What are we supposed to do, connect the dots on our very own? I guess you could call it a concept album for children, if you really wanna try. The story isn't hard to follow, and it's even got the mustaches to play with. All copies of the Wall should from now on be shipped with free coloring books. Did I say how boring side two gets? Except for When I'm Sixty-Four. That stuff is all sorts of quirky fun, good melody, too.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has A Day In The Life as a closer. Some folks call it the grandest song ever granded by God and his golden golf balls. Me, I love the first part, can't stand the middle part, and wish it was shorter. Go ahead and crucify me, I've been asking for it this whole time, but I am not giving it this rating out of randomness or any sort of enmity toward The Beatles, 'cause I really do like the stuff, and sometimes, I really like it. I never love it, though, and that's important to me. Buy it anyway, even if you hate this stuff. I can't see someone HATING it, I sure don't, because none of it's plain bad, and you're bound to enjoy the ride at some points, but don't go calling it the Greatest Album ever, because that right is reserved for the live recording of Frank Zappa's resurrection.

****

Report this review (#293982)
Posted Tuesday, August 10, 2010 | Review Permalink
5 stars One of the best of all time.

This Abum deserves to be higher in our all time prog rock ranking because it is amazing how these men could make a very complex album with a limited acces to technology: they used only 4 channels to record this masterpiece with the addition of orchestra, complex vocal arrangements, sound effects created in the studio playing tapes backwards and last but not least eastern influences in rythm and melody. This album is totally ahead of its generation and if one is listening carefully, gives the impression that they used synths: as I said before they made a very carefully work in the studio to create incredible sounds and effects. They continue to influence a lot of bands actually wiith this amazing and truly eclectic peace of work. Five strong stars.

Report this review (#323022)
Posted Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | Review Permalink
5 stars What can i possibly add to what numberless generations of rock music lovers have already said about it? Nothing, right. I go for repetitive here.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band is a masterpeace on it's own, not only for the huge footprint it landed on rock and popular music in general and pop culture, but also because of the right on its own. Most of the musical ideas here are offly innovative for rock music, and the production is offly innovative for music in general. No one has ever done an album like this again, not even the beatles themselves, neither together nor in their following solo carriers. Who wouldn't kill to listen to this album for the first time again? Surely it has changed the lives of millions of people (as long as music is concerned), and it will keep doing so for many, many generations to come.

Report this review (#343762)
Posted Sunday, December 5, 2010 | Review Permalink
4 stars This is an album well worth owning. For me, the musical ideas and songwriting here is just one-of-a-kind and it all sounds very different to the previous "Revolver". The Beatles had incorporated a variety of newer influences, and the fact that their instrumentation now covered a wider range including strings, brass, woodwind, hammond organ and sitar was an amazing step into the world of contemporary pop music.

Many reviewer's call this one of most overrrated albums of all time, but most must also acknowledge how influential it was. As a boy, I remember being dazzled after hearing "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" for the first time. I forced myself to make sense of the obscure lyrics on the back of the record sleeve, imagining a girl with kaleidoscope eyes and rocking horse people eating marshmallow pies!

A definite main highlight is "A Day In The Life", which alone makes the album worth purchasing. I don't believe you will ever hear such a composition elsewhere. "Getting Better" is a fabulous song and very catchy."Good Morning, Good Morning" and "Lovely Rita" are more of what you'd call decent songs, but they share some killer piano and guitar solos between them. "Fixing A Hole" is very nice too with its harpsichord backing. The title track is a great opener and it definitely contained some unexpected arrangements whilst " A Little Help From My Friends" is warm and charming with Ringo's vocals.

Personal favourites include "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite", which is a top example of the unusual production, extraordinary for its time. The song is laced with a collection of calliopes and fairground organs. The circus feeling couldn't have been captured more perfectly. It gives the piece distinctive character. Right up there with the superb "Day In The Life" has to be "Within You Without You" which was created out of Harrison's burgeoning interest in Indian music and was perhaps the biggest deviation from the band's old sound. The melody on this one is nothing short of stunning and the lyrics and music very spiritual. "When I'm Sixty-Four" is another beautifully composed and well written song. What a lovely clarinet ensemble.

Admitedly, I admire this record for many nostalgic reasons and have been listening to it since I was eight years old. As a Beatles fan, it isn't quite my favourite of their work, but it certainly has the power to grow on the listener over time. I do love all the band's later work very much. The thunderous chord from the grand piano that dramatically ends this album definitely left an impression on me when I was young. It always sends a shiver down my spine. My rating: 4 stars.

Report this review (#406035)
Posted Tuesday, February 22, 2011 | Review Permalink
baz91
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars While I personally prefer 'Revolver', The White Album and 'Abbey Road', there's no doubting that this is a masterpiece. Maybe not a progressive masterpiece, but a masterpiece of rock in the 1960s. It has become one of the most important albums of the last century, and the artwork is some of the most recognisable. This album also contains some of The Beatles first 'progressive' songs.

While this isn't a concept album, we are supposed to pretend that The Beatles are actually a fictional band known as 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. I imagine this is because The Beatles were so surprised by their own change in musical style in the space of one year, that they were unsure if this was really 'Beatles music'. The title track, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band introduces us to this fictional band. This track really rocks, with a heavy guitar sound and great brass instruments used as decoration.

This segues straight into With A Little From My Friends, which is sung by Ringo, although he is introduced as Billy Shears. Of course, using a segue was very new for the '60s. This song is incredibly lame and dull, and probably the reason I feel this way is because I was made to sing this at school! Ringo just about holds the final note of this track, but it's funny to hear him struggle.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds was not written about LSD, but you can hardly blame people for making the connection. This is a truly psychedelic track, and a very influential song too. The lyrics are very surreal and very thought provoking. I like how you are unsure of the time signature in the opening bar, which is actually 12/8. With a great chorus on top of that, there is little to complain about here.

Getting Better has a fantastic guitar sound. The lyrics are brilliant, and very uplifting, although the lyric 'I used to be cruel to my woman: I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.' is absolutely shocking! I have to say, this album is also getting better.

Fixing A Hole is also a more psychedelic track, which gets more surreal as the track continues. The use of a harpsichord on this song could be seen as progressive.

The run of mature songs which started with Yesterday continues with the beautiful She's Leaving Home. The lyrics are very moving.

Psychedelia is at it's highest on Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! which was inspired by a circus poster. The use of instruments, and especially the instrumental make this a very progressive piece.

Harrison's Indian influence is at a peak on Within You Without You, which is essentially an traditional Indian group playing with George singing. This track is rather mesmerising when you listen to it properly, but otherwise seems a bit long, dull and structureless. This music requires you to really focus to enjoy it, but I'm not a big fan really.

When I'm Sixty-Four provides a complete change in sound. This is another song we used to sing in school, and consequently I don't have fond memories of this track either. This song seems to go into too much depth about the ins and outs of becoming old.

Lovely Rita is another psychedelic track, with some good lyrics. There's a good play on words, 'When it gets dark, I tow your heart away and the eloquence of 'May I enquire discretely?' is wonderful every time I hear it. However, the panting and moaning at the end of the song is very unnecessary.

Good Morning brings us back to the psychedelic world, with very strange lyrics spoken over a 5/4 beat. What this song is about, I have no idea, but it sounds great!

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) is played at a faster tempo than the title track, and gives the band a chance to say goodbye, but as with any good concert, you need an encore!

A Day In The Life is ... utterly amazing. This is a progressive track indeed, with a middle section that is totally different to the other sections. Everything on this track is amazing, the lyrics, the orchestral crescendo, even Ringo's drumming! Certainly the best track on the album, and one of the first progressive masterpieces.

Encased in a glorious gatefold sleeve - with some indulgent goodies as well on the inside - this was a very progressive step for the band! Since it's release, this album has sold over 32 million copies, so it's likely you've already heard this album, but in case you haven't, you should really pick this one up and see what all the rave is about.

Report this review (#438489)
Posted Sunday, April 24, 2011 | Review Permalink
Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Let's set some cliches to rest. Sgt. Pepper isn't the first prog album - although A Day In the Life gets closest to prog with its mulit-part structure, we're still firmly in psychedelic proto-prog territory here. Nor was it the first concept album - hell, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash had recorded concept albums long before this one, and only three songs (one of them a reprise) actually engage with the alternate band concept.

What it does represent is the Beatles coming together after taking a two month break in which each of them pursued their own side projects and interests, before coming together to produce an album which represents the culminations of all the experiments that had been sputtering to life with Help! and matured through Rubber Soul and Revolver. What do we get? A rock update of Victorian music hall schmaltz.

Now, to give it its due, it's a much more consistent album than they'd turned in for a good long time, mostly because they found a context where the inevitable Ringo song actually felt like a logical part of the flow of the album for once. But over time I find myself less and less impressed with it; sure, it was groundbreaking for its time, but we aren't living in that time and never will again, and there's better places to go for this sort of psychedelic stuff without the annoying, cloying tweeness and naivity and the sense of hollow overcalculation that blights the Beatles back catalogue. I don't even find A Day In the Life that profound any more; increasingly the seams between the different parts of that weird stitched-together Frankenstein of a song seem more jarring and obvious.

Report this review (#446771)
Posted Thursday, May 12, 2011 | Review Permalink
5 stars Rating: 10/10

At this point, The Beatles were unstoppable, and they continue their musical and artistic progression.

If "Revolver" showed the possibilities of artistic aspirations in popular music, "Sgt. Pepper" settled that there were no limits for an album from then on.

The sound experimentation, the progressive pop-rock compositions, the instrumentation, the "Conceptual" subject of the album, the psychedelic poster of its cover and music; things would never be the same.

But in terms of songwriting it doesn't fully match the almost unreachable level of "Revolver".

Although we find some of the greatest examples of Beatles' repertory ever.

Paul starts with "Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band" surrounded by a cocktail-bar atmosphere yelling "...It was thirty years ago today..." between his dense bass line and a chilling guitar and trumpets.It isn't a great song, but it is interesting and masterly performed.

"Lucy in the sky with diamonds" is another Lennon masterpiece.With the typical psychedelic-progressive drug-influenced Lennon mark, reaches a level of creation and technique using incredible and unthinkable sounds.

"She's leaving home" is the genius of Mc Cartney once again using classical music for his purposes.Maybe it's not so wonderful as "Eleanor Rigby" or "For no one", but reaches a high emotional level and it is still a clever and complex composition.

"Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite!" shows again a very lucid Lennon, mixing, in this occasion, psychedelic with circus music.The result: another Lennon masterpiece.

"A day in the life" closes all, and almost everything about this one have been said.Orchestral arrangements, great bass line (listen carefully), delicate guitars, incredible Ringo's drums: Lennon was one of the very few musicians who could approach different musical styles on the same song, putting a jazzy drum line in a slow track (Ringo's work here is really unbelievable).And Mc Cartney contributes at the middle of the song with his pop tunes changing the mood of it and leaving it prepared for Lennon who brings the slow beat back to take it to the victorious and gorgeous end.

"Sgt. Pepper" is not the best album of all time.It isn't even the best Beatles' album. But unquestionably it's the most important.

Report this review (#458501)
Posted Thursday, June 9, 2011 | Review Permalink
lazland
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Released in 1967, this album is considered by more than a few to be both the archetypal forerunner of all things prog, and the finest thing that The Beatles ever released. In reality, I think that both statements are partially true. It certainly introduced the concept album to the mass market, although that is not the same as prog, and it does contain some of the finest material ever put out by this legendary band, although my personal favourite remains The White Album.

What is absolutely true is that the band were pushing the limits of popular music as no other act had dared try, and it is this which makes this album a true progressive great - pushing boundaries and daring to do something new, and, for that, bands such as King Crimson, Yes, et al would be forever grateful.

So, some 44 years later, does it still have the punch it did back then? Well, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, whatever it is about, still has the capacity to bring the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. The production and Lennon's ethereal voice stands up as fresh now as the first time I heard it. The title track is great fun, When I'm Sixty Four is as relevant in its observational prose as it ever was, and the album closes with perhaps the finest opening lyrics in rock history; mournful, regretful, and as strange in its experimentation today as it was then. I don't think that Lennon ever sounded better.

George Martin's production and arrangements would not shame any LP released in 2011, but, overall, I think that the remainder of the album is a collection of Beatles tracks ranging from the mundane to the very good. As a concept, it is pretty disparate, to be frank, but we cannot, and should not deny its importance in rock music's history. And, of course, we should not forget Ringo's finest moment in With A Little Help From My Friends - it's a pity it came as a singer, not a drummer!

Four stars for this moment of history. Excellent, and very worthwhile in revisiting every now and again. You can also have a damn good dance to some of it, no bad thing!

Report this review (#485701)
Posted Monday, July 18, 2011 | Review Permalink
5 stars For me there are some "sacred monsters" in rock, prog or something. The Beatles are one of them, and to give it less than 5 stars is a profanity. But when you are dealing with Sgt Pepper it might be a double profanity, because the music (all the songs, the concept, the artwork(what about that, my friends?) and the slogan "A splendid time is guaranteed for all") worth five stars. You must think of 1967 and what it meant to music, to psychedelia, to prog and to all good things yet to come. And coming from the most proeminent band, the most talented, gave to the movement the stamp that it needed. Yeah, weird things can contain true music, you can think of an imaginary band with Sgt Pepper. smoke a cigar with Kaleidoskopic Lucy, play sytar, make love to Rita or go on a bus and fall asleep. Full of imagination. And the songs, think of that one can memorize easily all the songs and whistle them, and all this beeing sure that this is not "chewing gum", it will stay with us for years because it has an artistic intrisec value. Realy, a splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Report this review (#538050)
Posted Friday, September 30, 2011 | Review Permalink
jampa17
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars There was a before and an after. This album is right in the middle.

Since I'm a fan of Elvis Presley and rock and roll movement from the 50's and early 60's, it's interesting to finally discover the place and the moment were everything changed in the history of Rock. Well, this album is maybe not as crazy and flawless as some can say, but it's indeed a great piece of music that influenced so many musicians and composers to create the progressive rock that we all love.

I think that the album has enough to be consider the first prog rock album in history and all proggers should try it at least twice in their life. I know many will not like it, but it brings the idea, the initial tries of experimentations and fusion of different styles and sounds in the same album.

It's not flawless, maybe it's not a masterpiece but it's a great album where everything changed.

Of course, is not even near to what King Crimson did a few months later in their debut album, but it's a great first step. I think it deserve the special place in the history of music and it's a solid 4 stars album. You can see it's possible to make a Pop band make prog. And even better, you can make millions of persons to like prog even if the don't know it.

Try it. If you are not fan of The Beatles, you can still enjoy this strange little ride. Great album.

Report this review (#750453)
Posted Monday, May 7, 2012 | Review Permalink
5 stars The more artsy and psychedelic sound first displayed in Revolver is further toyed with in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which probably represents the pinnacle of their experimenting. The songwriting is taken to new heights, as the band has discarded any remnants of their earlier works.

There is still a strong variety of music here, many of which employ a myriad of different sounds and techniques. You have your more psychedelic bits in 'Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds,' 'Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite' and Within Without You,' which also has an Eastern style. The title track and its reprise is a tad more on the rocking side, while the rest of the songs display a combination pop and the mentioned styles above.

But the perfect example of how the band has progressed can be found on the final song 'A Day In the Life' which features some mood, tempo and dynamic sound changes that are so common in prog.

This album single handily showed there is no limit to the music that can be on an album, and for this reason it is one of the most influential, and certainly one of the best of all time.

9/10

Report this review (#771415)
Posted Friday, June 15, 2012 | Review Permalink
5 stars "And of course Harry the Horse dances the waltz!"

Rolling Stone magazine once called this the most important album in the history of rock and roll. Now, I don't usually subscribe to such superlatives, but I also have to admit that not only is this one a strong contender for such a title, I cannot think of another that is stronger. The story of the album and how it came about with reference to Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys is well known. I think Sgt. Pepper's has aged less well but there is a good reason for that. Any album, any work of art, whether it be music or painting, or sculpture, or literature of any kind, is a product of its own times, Sgt. Pepper's included. Yet what makes it such a great album is that it not only reflects its time, it also had a major affect on those times. This album helped to create the psychedelic movement that is such an important precursor to true Prog. And if progressive means innovative, than there is no more progressive album than this one. From the very way the individual songs were recorded, to the exotic instrumentation, to the innovative songwriting, this album is not like any that came before it. It also firmly established The Beatles as members of the very highest echelon of popular music, challenging such stalwarts as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. With all the underlying history, the real question is how well the music stands up. The answer is exceedingly well.

It opens of course with the song Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band with its mix of infectious grooves, melodies, and brass band flourishes. Already we are clearly on to something different, something unique. The Beatles had been experimenting with their music and expanding their palettes for a couple of years by now, but they had done nothing close to what we hear here. We then get the segue to With a Little Help From My Friends, often lambasted as merely a catchy ditty. For sure, it is catchy, and Ringo Starr was the least of the Beatle's singers, but what I really like about the song is the question and answer structure it contains. Ringo sings a verse, which is answered by John Lennon as background singer. Then, after some short instrumentation, the sequence is reversed. Lennon sings his background line, and Ringo responds. Brilliant. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds follows, one of their most well-known and controversial songs. Is it really about LSD? Lennon's trippy lyrics certainly add support to that claim, even though he himself denied it. Sometimes songwriter's create titles and lines simply because they sound good (Jon Anderson does this). Getting Better comes afterwards, and is one of the most upbeat songs of the album, as you may surmise from the title. Fixing a Hole slows it down but continues the momentum, followed by the beautiful She's Leaving Home. This song is a mix of teenage bravado and homey sentimentality. The melody and vocal arrangement are both wonderful; all elements fit so well together, their sophistication slides by the listener. Of course they do that, what else could they have done? Many might say that, but they are not really, truly listening. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite closes the original side one, and this is a fun song, absurd, crazy, trippy, and above all, melodic. I now have both my old vinyl version, complete with cut-out sheet, and a digital version. There is some difference in the sound, and on digital, remastered, a lot of the strange background sound effects emerge more clearly. In earlier CD editions, this was too much the case, and sounds that were meant to be heard as a collection were heard individually and this did not sound good.

Side Two opens with one of my favorite George Harrison tunes, Within You Without You. This is the kind of music that became stereotypical of the 60s ? trippy, dreamlike, sitar laden, drenched with Indian instrumentations, a kooky philosophical outlook, and what-not. Well, by this time, the Beatles were starting to follow the teaching of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and the title of the song expresses and important concept of Hindu and Vedantic thought. The title itself will not tell you what it is about, but the lyrics will. We also get a very rare extended Beatle instrumental segment, where George plays sitar along with an Indian orchestra. The sarangi is a prominent instrument in this whole song. Many guitarists had taken up sitar at the time (it was Roger McGuinn who turned Harrison onto the instrument), but George was studying under Ravi Shankar at the time and actually played a sitar like a sitar rather than a weird guitar. The next three songs are of the catchy ditty type, the popular When I'm Sixty-Four and Lovely Rita, and the ebullient Good Morning Good Morning. Then we get what I can only call a precursor to Heavy Metal, the crunchy reprise of Sgt. Pepper's, which segues into the immortal Day in the Life. This song is the epitome of what The Beatles had become and each member of the band interacts with each other flawlessly. I like it when McCartney does his bit, ending with the line, "Somebody spoke and I went into a dream." Lennon returns with his dream-like Ahhhh-ah- ahhhhhs, and the orchestra them takes over flawlessly. The famous crescendo, an amazing wall of sound, and then the famous one minute long fade out of the final crashing cord. Here is where my vinyl version ends, but the newer digital version ends with a few seconds of taped clips all jumbled together.

Not only is each song great by itself, even the sillier simpler ones, the album flows as a whole from beginning to end, a monumental achievement considering how really diverse the music is. This works as well when you do not have to flip a record over as well, so it is not merely 19 minutes of smoothly flowing music but the entire 38 running time of the entire album. If I have any criticism to offer here, it is that it is too short, but then if it were longer, would it be as impactful? Probably not, and The Beatles also probably knew that.

The Beatles are still extremely popular, and justifiable so, in my estimation. Many proggers will deride them for simple song structures. Indeed, there is very little stretching out here, if any, but The Beatles, notably Lennon and McCartney, were masters of writing concise songs. If you don't need 10 minutes to say it, why take that much time? Now I like the long epics as much as any body else, but not all songs need to be of that quality. The Beatles did not need to, although there are two examples of two songs which segue into one another; when I was listening to the radio years ago, they always came in pairs. Your appreciation of mid-sixties rock will condition your appreciation of this album, and it is difficult to listen to it all these years later as if with new ears, but I contend that is what needs to be done to appreciate how innovative this all was.

The greatest rock and roll album ever? Perhaps, perhaps not, but it is certainly one of them.

Report this review (#772450)
Posted Saturday, June 16, 2012 | Review Permalink
5 stars This is not my favorite Beatles album, but this is the album that has been called the "blueprint" for Progressive Rock and based on influence, it gets 5 stars but, lets get some background. In 1966, The Beatles gave up touring cause their experimental songs like Tomorrow Never Knows and Eleanor Rigby could not be performed live(Plus there was the Bigger than Jesus controversy, but that's for another day) so, they locked up in Abbey Road Studios with George Martin for 4-5 months crafting this album, working out every kink. This feels like their "magnum opus" but enough blabber, lets get to the songs.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The title track opens this album with some nice power from the guitars and the orchestra tuning up, this gives the album a feel like this is a live concert in the studio. One of my favorites from the album and a simple but effective guitar riff at 0:56 in.

With a Little Help from My Friends: Getting Ringo's bit out of the way either, I kid. It's a nice track with a slow, boppy, psychedelic feel to it. Plus, I love Ringo's voice, it has a real quality to it. Great singing song

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: Another Lennon psychedelic song but what a stunner, not his best(yet) but a great song with lyrics that make no sense, in that way only Lennon could do. Great chorus by the way.

Getting Better: An upbeat Paul number about how life is getting better every day. Sounds corny I know but Paul's immaculate charm lifts this one up and of course, the band can play together almost perfectly. People forget that, they could play together, near perfect.

Fixing a Hole: Paul's attempt at being psychedelic and works out quite well. Not as memorable as LSD or TNK but still quite well done

She's Leaving Home: An acoustic/orchestra driven song. Of course, you're gonna think of Yesterday and it feels like that, to be honest. Not bad but just ok

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!: Has a 19th century fairground feel mixed with LSD and weird studio effects. I love how they were able to use the studio as an instrument and show people what can be done inside a studio than just containing a band. Has always been a favorite with a crazy instrumental mid-section.

Within You Without You: George has been slowly getting into Indian music around this time and it culminated on this wonderous track. The sitar work is excellent, the percussion is a perfect compliment and the orchestra get into that Eastern feel and make this a very experimental, world music song. One of George's and The Beatles most creative songs.

When I'm Sixty-Four: I'm not sure what to make of this song. It has an old school maybe jazzy ragtime feel but slowed down and is almost like a ballad with the lyric about how this man hopes his woman with take care of him at 64, apparently an old age back then, I like it but I don't know how to describe it.

Lovely Rita: Kind of your standard Paul McCartney number, not a bad thing at all but is a catchy pop song. GASP, the dirty word of POP.

Good Morning Good Morning: The only song that feels half-assed. It feels like they just threw it on without any real thought. It has a rushed quality to it and I usually skip this one.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise): A hard-rocking reprise of the title track that has the same qualities as the aforementioned track. This, of course, surges right into.................................................................................................................................................... A Day in the Life: I LOVE this song! This is the Prog Beatles song if it exists. There is a reason why this is considered the Greatest Beatles song ever. The band is in full form and has all the great qualities the later career had and stands as a masterpiece. Only down side, George doesn't play guitar on this, just maracas, but great job!

Overall, I feel quite humble discussing this album because it is held in such high regard. One would call it overrated(hipsters) but, it is a strong album that holds up well to the hype. 5 stars. Highlights: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, With a Little Help from My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Getting Better, Fixing a Hole, For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!, Within You Without You, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise), A Day in the Life

Report this review (#816518)
Posted Friday, September 7, 2012 | Review Permalink
BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars The Sgt. Pepper experience--innovative, fresh, cerebral music PLUS amazingly entertaining/engrossing packaging--is, to me, the real leap into all that made progressive rock what we know and love today: Intelligent song-writing with intricately constructed and performed songs that used a lot of new recording techniques and effects plus an amazing album cover WITH THE PRINTED LYRICS! We don't have the epic, non-radio-edit length songs but all of the songs virtually bleed into one another, which must count for something. Plus, the development of psychedelia is in full force on this one! Though this is not my favorite Beatles album (that one goes to Magical Mystery Tour for some personal reasons), it is one that I will play to this day from time to time. It takes one on quite a ride--another thing a good prog album should do. This one I do think is essential for a true collection of progressive rock music. This is one of the timeless masterpieces that helped get the ball moving! "A Day in the Life" is one of the greatest freakiest psychedelia songs ever. Too bad it wasn't written by Quantum Fantay--it would've gone on for an euphoric 20 minutes!
Report this review (#910985)
Posted Thursday, February 7, 2013 | Review Permalink
Sinusoid
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Before I begin, I would like to point out that for the longest time, I had assumed the songs ''All You Need Is Love'' and ''Strawberry Fields Forever'' were part of this album. They are not; they are on the MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.

SGT. PEPPER seems to have its own mythos surrounding it, almost as big as the band itself. It's one of the easiest picks music experts hoist as the ''greatest album of all time'', but more than that, there's the notion that this album alone opened the doorway for artists to exploit entire albums more than hit singles which, by extension, created part of progressive rock. Neither statement I can fully come to terms with. For 1967, it had to be groundbreaking, but that was a year that the world heard DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED, ABSOLUTELY FREE, SAFE AS MILK, SURREALISTIC PILLOW, STRANGE DAYS, the debut of the Velvet Underground, et cetera. SGT. PEPPER wasn't the only album stretching rock music's limitations, but it's the most recognized probably because of the brand name of the Beatles.

With that bit of crabbing out of the way, is SGT. PEPPER a good album? Yes it is. Is it a good progressive rock album? That's debatable, but it has to be the Beatles album most closely associated with the genre. Does it still have flaws? Yes.

If there's one thing I have yet to give the Beatles credit for, it's their strong sense of composing melodies. In a sense, the melody of the song is the bread and butter of the Beatles' work. On SGT. PEPPER, we get every level of tolerability in terms of the melody. ''She's Leaving Home'' (believe it or not) is actually quite strong and tearjerking, ''Fixing a Hole'' isn't bad, but completely unmemorable, and all apologies, but ''Mr. Kite'' is sheer annoyance. The bells and whistles added to give a circus atmosphere is nothing more than a goofy novelty.

That's my big problem with SGT. PEPPER; it has the potential to be great, but the material is inconsistent. One of the more popular tracks in ''Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'' has major transition issues from the verses to the chorus, meaning that there's no warning between the two, and what results is what I like to call ''music whiplash''. There are songs such as ''Getting Better'' and ''Fixing a Hole'' that are voids in that I have terrible difficulty in remembering what they sound like. And maybe it's the vinyl I have, but several Beatles albums I have heard via vinyl are unnecessarily loud to the point where I can't wear my headphones without turning the volume down.

All of that said, and yet I still feel this is a good album. Strangely enough, two of the cuter pop songs in ''When I'm Sixty-Four'' and ''With a Little Help From My Friends'' are strong enough in the melody department to the point where the songs are carried because of them. Somehow, I get the feeling that Ringo isn't as bad a vocalist as he is perceived to be (from ''Friends'') to the point where I wish he had more lead singing opportunities. While it's not up to usual George Harrison writing standards for the group, ''Within You Without You'' does work in the ethereal raga atmosphere.

A special aside does need to go to the last track ''A Day in the Life'', where every potential and rumour around this album is justified, even if for only 5 and a half minutes. There are two distinct sections, one with Lennon rehashing news events (thankfully, the political nature is kept to observational) while McCartney assumes control of the second act with a whimsical yet relatable tune about preparing for work. Unlike on LSD, the transition between the two sections is flawless despite mood differences. Best of all, the melody is spot on, particularly in Lennon's section. It's instantly memorable and makes me wish the rest of the album was up to this type of quality.

SGT. PEPPER is quite a good album, especially if you're looking for fancy production, emphasis on melody, and something that's meant to be taken as art. There's a lot of good within this album, but it has a lot to answer for being constantly tagged as the greatest album of all time.

Report this review (#936472)
Posted Thursday, March 28, 2013 | Review Permalink
5 stars For me, "Sgt. Pepper" is the peak of The Beatles' psychedelic and overall sound. "Revolver" was still undeveloped, and not as gripping or consistent, and on the other side, their self-titled white album was too overloaded and varied, making it quite a strenuous listen. "Abbey Road" obviously is another great Beatles work, but lacks purpose, meaning, and emotion compared to this album. The pop songs on here are very much what I like and look for in psychedelic pop, and outstanding creations that clearly display the band's genius on a plate for you, but still allows you to discover new things after a few listens and finally to just be absolutely lost in the music. The album is packed with colourful variations and employs various progressive techniques, like the odd time signatures on "Good Morning Good Morning", concepts, reprises, or the sententious, fully blown orchestra on "A Day In The Life". Overall, one of the greatest records of the 1960s, and without a doubt gets 5 stars.

The title track opens the album, introducing the theme of Sgt. Pepper's band playing at The Royal Albert Hall and tuning up. The lyrics set this scene well, and the clumsy dominant 7th chords and brass band gives it a unique and undeniably quirky, British tone. Not the most amazing track, but has a pretty catchy melody and greets you to the concert brilliantly, giving you an idea of what's to come. "With A Little Help From My Friends" follows, containing more developed, progressive chord progressions and sneaky little tritones that keep you hooked (hidden in the E and D major chords that are repeatedly heard). Definitely my favourite Ringo song, although credited to Lennon/McCartney, and has that classic on-beat plodding rhythm (hard to keep interesting) laden with beautiful harmonies and melodies, thus creating a strong feel of camaraderie and an irresistible sound to an immortal pop song.

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" holds the bar up high, with its hypnotic guitar sounds and vocalisation from John. A little outdated nowadays and more difficult to connect with, but nonetheless incredible and still timeless. A solid structure which is practically compulsory to hold such an ethereal song together, but the one thing that took me a while to accept was the transition from verse to chorus. A couple of drum hits is a little unimaginative, and kind of ruins the mood for me. "Getting Better" is another pounding track, nice to come out of the previous one, and has a heavier rock vibe. The song has no real meaning or significance in the lyrics, which in this case I love. It's just so unnecessary when you think about it but makes me feel great, just like prog. There's a great deal of power here, and displays how they could have just as easily been a 60s British blues band, but decided to take a risk and go somewhere between that and their mainstream hits.

"Fixing A Hole": lovely harpsichord intro, with that lavish harpsichord summoning an augmented chord very early to the song, but of course giving that dreamy quality which is sung through Paul's lyrics. Thankfully they don't make the mistake of hovering around that sort of overly dreamy chord sequence, but just a more static subconscious 2 chord verse, with the occasional guitar line brought in. Once again, more jolly harmonies emanating from John in the background, and yet another 5-star song. "She's Leaving Home" then enters - my favourite song on the album. Well sequenced and structured once again, but just dripping with emotion and such pure, heartfelt vocal deliveries from the band. The strings are also a fantastic addition to the soothing, almost weeping, quality that they're trying to get across to you. Works on just about every level, plus the lyrics are outstanding and describe such a vivid story, without drawing you away from the instrumentation.

"Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" is a brilliant idea for a circus rock song, before the likes of Procol Harum's "Twas Teatime At The Circus" and King Crimson's "Cirkus". This beats both of those in what it sets out to do, and contains an astonishing chord progression with some more storytelling, hallucinatory lyrics from John. Some great middle sections in here, as Henry the Horse dances the waltz in a sudden 3/4 (great idea), but the only thing letting it down, as with most of the album, is the stereo sound system. It sounds too distant for me, and doesn't really blend together. Anyway, beginning side 2 is "Within You Without You", George's time to show off. His marvellous songwriting abilities and knowledge of the raga/arabic influences is brought across on this Beatles track more so than any other. You're immediately put in a trance, and the lyrics is just so profound and gorgeously indulgent, as with the sitars and tablas. Furthermore, some unbelievable solos, so different to anything around at that time, and really opens up your ears to a lot of new sounds. Fans of this record that enjoy the early Beatles usually skip this piece, because of its length, inaccessibility and limited sonic range, but I really think they're missing out. This is just otherworldly, and I wouldn't care if the whole album was like it.

"When I'm Sixty-Four" is much more light-hearted coming out of this. Some very sagacious, shrewd lyrics for the young "hope I die before I get old" generation, etc. etc. For them to think beyond the age of say 40 was just unimaginable, and I love the band's bravery for entering head on into this unchartered territory and singing these sort of patronising lyrics. Very basic chords are used, which helps you focus in more on the scene they're setting and also make it appear like you'll almost become more simple-minded and easily influenced in your old age. "Lovely Rita" next - just an adorable little rock ballad with some great musical devices. The chord sequence is so powerful, and John's little glissandos, backing noises, and psychedelic groaning towards the end are just blissful. Thinking about it now, there's nothing bad about this song and I love those lyrics - a classic and definitely overlooked Beatles song. "Good Morning Good Morning" is a similar mood to "Lovely Rita", containing yet more adventurous songwriting techniques (the pet sounds, time signatures, and English brass backing). Again, another highlight of the album and keeping the consistency so astronomically high. The lyrics are great and simple, but the melodies are just phenomenal regarding how they fit in, and how catchy they are. Again, nothing bad about this track (plus, I love that drum hit from Ringo - a great touch, and much better than "Lucy In The Sky").

A reprise of the opening track is a great appearance and shows how much the band can do with one basic song. Nothing unbelievable, but essential to the album's structure and doesn't lose you like its (eventual) successor "Abbey Road". A very clever inclusion, as it reminds you that you're sitting in that concert hall, applauding for that encore over a melodic guitar solo. From this climax of emotional outburst, it segues into "A Day In The Life". For most people, this is the greatest song on the album and possibly in the whole Beatles career, but in my opinion it lacks structure when compared to the tight schedule of the Lonely Hearts Club Band's set list. Nevertheless, the talent from each band member is displayed on here, and the track morphs from an intensely emotional minor piano song, into a more trippy section of Paul "slipping into a dream", with John singing a melody over the classic "Hey Joe" chord progression. The symphonic build-up that leads into this is just such a wonderfully pretentious, vast abuse of ultimately how much money was meant to go into a record in those days, but also key to the song. It soon returns to the opening structure (where it starts to fall apart for me) before falling into a gargantuan, overpowering E major chord played by half a dozen pianos simultaneously. A terrific sound leading into the infinite backmasked loop, or for CDs, a fading psychedelic passage acting as a sort of anti-climax to such a grandiose potential ending, almost making it even more ostentatious and devious.

A+: The only real timeless masterpiece from the Fab Four. The most inspirational work to all progressive artists and probably the world of music that emerged from psychedelia.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: ***** With A Little Help From My Friends: ***** Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds: ***** Getting Better: ***** Fixing A Hole: ***** She's Leaving Home: ***** Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite: ***** Within You Without You: ***** When I'm Sixty-Four: ***** Lovely Rita: ***** Good Morning Good Morning: ***** Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise): **** A Day In The Life: *****

Report this review (#984636)
Posted Sunday, June 23, 2013 | Review Permalink
5 stars Paul McCartney has been in the media lately criticizing the Rolling Stones for borrowing from the Sgt. Peppers album, both from the album cover and musical themes (psychedelic rock). I don't know why he chooses to criticize The Rolling Stones? Their Satanic Majesties Request was one of the least successful Stones albums. I would have thought that Mick Jagger's charismatic appeal combined with America's love for rhythm & blues and Keith Richard's innate ability to invent new riffs, is the reason that the Rolling Stones were so successful (although it seems that Paul has some support from Ginger Baker who is critical of the Stones musical abilities).

For proggers like myself, it all started with ITCOTCK, but in terms of influence, was ITCOTCK (incredible album that it was) more influential on other progressive rock bands than Sgt. Peppers, which is not regarded as a progressive rock album? The debut Emerson Lake and Palmer album shows obvious influence from ITCOTCK, but then Keith Emerson did steal Greg Lake from King Crimson. Other than that (as far as I can tell), heavyweight bands such as Pink Floyd, Yes and Genesis were all established bands around the time of ITCOTCK.

Without the influence of The Beatles, I can't imagine bands like The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra or Barclay James Harvest would have existed (at least not in the forms they did). Genesis may never have formed as a rock band. What do the early Beatles albums have in common with the post Beatles solo albums? In my opinion, those early albums (as well as the post Beatles solo works) are not particularly good. Paul wrote some fantastic tunes in 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Yesterday' and John Lennon wrote some great love songs, but George Harrison gets to be pushed out of writing anything in the early albums. Admittedly they did write great singles. However, their albums are also littered with a lot of deadwood.

Then along comes Rubber Soul and a paradigm shift occurs within the entire world wide music landscape. Suddenly, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Mamas and Papas and The Byrds are all writing great albums in the wake of Rubber Soul. So what sets Rubber Soul apart from everything that came before it? In my humble opinion it's the influence of George Martin. George Martin is often referred to as the fifth Beatle, but I don't see him that way. He comes from a different generation of ecliptic tastes including classical, jazz and comedy, which is far removed from the skiffle music that The Beatles were raised on (although John Lennon and George Martin shared a great love for The Goon show). I may be wrong, but I see George Martin as a pioneer of the progressive rock scene of the seventies. I think when Genesis wrote From Genesis to Revelation, they were trying to be another version of The Beatles and then thought it would be better to try to be another version of George Martin instead and wrote Trespass.

Of all the great albums The Beatles made from Rubber Soul to Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band represents the pinnacle of their career and is their most personal effort. According to Pete Townsend, Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds redefined music in the 20th century, so who am I to disagree with Pete Townsend? The album is innovative in every regard, from the gatefold album cover to the lyrics on the inside sleeve and cover art featuring iconic movie stars and other famous people with the Beatles dressed in their band costumes. This isn't message music (Bob Dylan) but it's personal and autobiographical. All the songs are linked by common threads ' being in a band, growing up in Liverpool, mundane chores around the house, being with friends, leaving home, finding spiritual fulfillment and happiness. The album begins with the brass instruments tuning up (birth) and concludes with a full orchestra tuning down (death). The album lyrics are full of double meanings. Contrary to what a lot of people think, Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds is not a drug song, but is based on a drawing that Julian Lennon brought home from nursery. Lennon could have called the song Lucy in the Sky of Stars, but chose Diamonds instead, maybe because the stars in the drawing do look like diamonds, or maybe because it rhymes well, or just maybe because the words form the letters LSD. All it is is a double meaning, just like his favorite radio program, The Goon Show is full of double meanings. Lennon is not making any comment about LSD here.

Song for song, I think The Beatles wrote better individual songs on Revolver and The White Album then Sgt. Peppers (with the exception of 'A Day In The Life'), but the appeal of Sgt. Peppers is in the way the songs effortlessly support each other. When we listen to a progressive rock album we like to listen to the album from start to finish. We usually don't cut across tracks unless we don't like the music and are trying to focus on some random track we might happen to like (and then we rarely play the album again). Sgt. Peppers makes its impact when you play it start to finish. People who think the album is weak draw that conclusion by comparing songs like Getting Better, Fixing a Hole, Within You, Without You and Good Morning Good Morning to songs on The White Album and Revolver.

The influence of Sgt. Peppers on the progressive rock movement extends past rock heavy weight bands Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd, to a lot of contemporary progressive rock bands today. The biographical elements of Big Big Train's English Electric parts 1 and 2 and use of brass instruments on these albums hacks back to the Sgt. Peppers album. The Flower Kings suite, Garden of Dreams, on the album Flower Power, has an orchestral intro at the start and then is reprised near the end of the suite. The silence at the end of A Day in the Life followed by the voice loop just when you think the song is finished inspired many bands to use voices, as effects, in their songs.

Some of my thoughts on the following tracks from the album:

'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/ With A little Help From My Friends' The band tunes up and then the alto ego personalities of The Beatles strut their stuff and the heavy guitars take over. The chorus comes in and then the music transitions into the one song sung on every Beatles album by Ringo Starr. It has a great melody line by Paul McCartney. Great lyric: 'I get high with a little help from my friends'. Ok. I get a buzz by having my friends around me. Interpret it any way you want to.

'Lucy In The Sky Of Diamonds' This is a song I often mix up with 'Strawberry Fields Forever' from Magical Mystery Tour. Both clock in at similar times and share biographical elements in John Lennon's life. The Beatles are into Indian Mysticism so Tamboura and Sitar are the order of the day here. Celeste and organ add to the effects of the song. Not sure whether psychedelic rock originated with The Beatles or groups from San Francisco, but the genre peaks with these two songs.

'Getting Better' Always regarded Getting Better as a bridging song between LITSOD and the more meatier songs, She's Leaving Home and Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. It has the weakest lyrics of any song on the album, but it has a beautiful base line from Paul McCartney, who is such an underrated base player.

'Fixing A Hole' Another Paul McCartney song, which is introduced by harpsichord and breaks in with electric guitars in the main chorus. Love Ringo's playing on this track. The 'hole' in the lyric line is a not so subtle double meaning about the emptiness in some peoples' minds.

'She's Leaving Home' Sounds like a John Lennon song to me, but Paul McCartney sings the main verse and John Lennon comes in only during the chorus. Unusual for a Paul McCartney song to be fully stringed.

'Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite' Within the same album, we see the range of Paul McCartney's lyric writing from weak (Getting Better), to solid effort (Fixing A Hole) to brilliant (She's Leaving Home). And then along comes John Lennon who raises the ante and writes a simple circus song based on a newspaper article. This is John Lennon at the height of his powers. Was there such a person as Mr. Kite or is he a fictional character? Does it matter? 'Mr. Kite', 'The Hendersons', 'Bishops gate'. The words match perfectly, like butter melting in your mouth. This is a song you can hum for hours on end in your head.

'Within You Without You' Paul Harrison's contribution to the album is a spiritual piece seeped in Maharishi Transcendental Meditation. A little long I think but a perfect prelude into the next song.

'When I'm Sixty-Four' An early Paul McCartney composition that he wrote when he was sixteen. John Lennon must have approved of the lyrics because I can hear him in the background singing. Typical McCartney song in the style of music hall simply orchestrated.

'Lovely Rita' Another Paul McCartney song at his rockiest best with a strong piano line and backing vocals from Lennon.

'Good Morning, Good Morning' I don't know whether animal noises became fashionable after Brian Wilson's aborted efforts on the Smile album, but here we are with roosters waking us up in this John Lennon song just before the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band reprise.

'A Day In The Life' And now we come to last and best track on the album. The first verse by Lennon is an account of an incident involving a friend of Lennon, who wiped himself out in a car accident. The second verse is autobiographical containing the quote, 'I'd love to turn you on'. No double meaning here I guess. Paul McCartney provides the middle section of the song and Lennon the last. The two orchestral crescendos link the sections together. For all I know this is the last time that Paul McCartney and John collaborated on a song together. After this album the two spouses came in the way of Lennon and McCartney appearing in the studio together. It's a miracle that George Martin was able to produce two further gems in 'The White Album' and 'Abbey Road' and a credit to Lennon and McCartney that they could put their differences to one side and continue to write great songs within the framework of 'The Beatles'.

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Posted Friday, October 18, 2013 | Review Permalink
5 stars Not much can be said about Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in a review that hasn't already been covered in great detail in books. The only thing left to do is throw in my 2 cents. This album changed the way people thought about popular music. Not just the average radio listener, but musicians and aspiring musicians as well. It made it possible for people to hear pop music as more than just throwaway singles, but as an album as a whole. None of the songs were ever released as singles. The first real concept album. Even the cover art reflects the content that lies within. In my opinion, no other album splintered the rock genre into so many other sub-genres. Obviously, other factors and bands were involved to form more specialized factions of rock, but, I believe this album was the catalyst. It opened up a lot of people's eyes to something possible beyond the two and a half minute pop song. It didn't hurt either that being the most popular band in the world made it easier to get a concept album out to a large amount of people. Some of who might not have listened to The Beatles otherwise, either because they listened to a more sophisticated style of music or because the "I Want to Hold Your Hand" crowd hated it..
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Posted Friday, October 10, 2014 | Review Permalink
5 stars Review #29. Released on the 1st of June 1967, Sgt. Peppers album fell like a bomb in the music scene of the 60's. From that point and on, Rock music would never be the same. I have the feeling that there is no actual reason to try and write a critic for this album. Hundreds - not to say thousands - have done it before me, so what is left to be said after all? So I will just write some info about it instead.

Here we go: The recordings lasted almost 4 months with George Martin as producer. Upon its release it stayed for 27 weeks at No.1 in the U.K album chart, and 15 weeks again at No.1 in the U.S.A Billboard top 200. In 1968 it was rewarded with 4 Grammy awards, and since then it is usually at No.1 in almost every list concerning the greatest Rock albums. As for its sales, there is an estimation of almost 32.000.000 albums being sold up to 2011.

Upon its release, it received some very positive reviews from the press, such as the one written in The Times by Kenneth Tynan, describing the album as "a decisive moment in the history of Western civilization". If we had to name only one album that changed the route of music history, this should be it. Yes, maybe today it sounds kind of "outdated" but back then it was a really big deal! Of course, The Beatles "warned" the world with their previous album (Revolver), which was maybe the first album in the history of Rock music that could be characterized as 'Progressive'.

'Sgt. Pepper's' was including some of the most famous songs in the Beatles catalogue, and in Rock music in general, such as the self-titled song, or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (which was accused that the first letter of each main word spelled LSD), or A Day in the Life among others. It is a very important album, musically speaking, which should have a place in every discography. For its importance in Rock music (if not for anything else), I'll rate it with 5.0 stars.

Report this review (#1596934)
Posted Friday, August 12, 2016 | Review Permalink
jamesbaldwin
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars REVIEW n. 100! Background noises and rumors of a variety show, drums and rock guitar, McCartney's gritty voice and begins the intro, a kind of acronym for an entertainment program, of the most famous album in the History of rock. Never the sound of the Beatles had been so hard rock, with distorted guitars, high-amplification drums, vocals almost shouted. Yet the piece is not only a rock, there are the horns (French horns), the applause and laughter of the audience, the choirs of Lennon: It is a magnificent mix of rock, symphonic pop, vocal piece, small town band's track. The words of Macca, on behalf of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, close the song by introducing the singer of the next piece: Billy Shears (Rating 8).

And Ringo arrives, singing a track written specifically for him by Paul and John. A simple piece, marked by drums and bass, with repartee between the voice of Ringo, who sings very well, and the choirs, in which one hears above all the voice of John. It Is a pleasant song, whose melody follows the good feelings that evokes the text (Rating 7,5/8). Lucy ITSWD is a strange song in the production of the Beatles, with beautiful beginning with psychedelic piano, voice-treated, bass in evidence, background with Indian sounds, chorus made by the only words of the title, conceived by McCartney, who helped Lennon. The song is simple, but with great atmospheric effect and engaging chorus (Rating 8+).

Getting Better is another collaboration between Paul and John, sung in large part by both; It is a song exuberant from the rhythm of percussion, and a little repetitive in the chorus, which makes it pounding. The most beautiful and original pieces in the arrangements are those of the verses, highlighting a great work by Ringo and George to create an Indian atmosphere (Rating 7,5/8).

After a very percussive song comes the melodic Fixing a Hole: It is a beautiful ballad written by Paul, with Martin playing the harpsichord, voice in the foreground together with the electric guitar of George that finally performs the first solo of the album, in fact until now there was been no instrumental part. The song is perfect in its progression, the sound is clear, and continues the happy mood and smoothness that emanates from the songs and their sequence that so far is perfect.

But comes an interlocutory moment with She's Leaving Home, which sees Paul for the third time in a row at the main singing. It is a very refined song, symphonic, with harp and string quartet. The rhythm expands, the singing has long pauses on the high notes, creating an atmosphere of expectation where much weight has the text, written in collaboration with Lennon, a text of protest, of rebellion towards the family, but it has for sound context a music Neoclassical. The song can, depending on the mood of the listener, delight or appear a bit ' too sliced and long. Remains a symphonic break from the psychedelic pop listened until this moment (Rating 7,5).

The first side is closed by an absolute masterpiece of production by George Martin, which molds a phenomenal circus arrangement to a surreal text of Lennon, inserted in a pop rhythmic all fireworks. We are at the maximum height of originality (Rating 9). Thus closes a first side of 10/10 score, due not only to the quality of the songs but to their variety and smoothness, which together create a synerloptic effect.

The first song of the second side is one of the most ambitious of the Lp, wishing to join Indian music and Western classical music. They play two orchestras: an Indian orchestra and the London Philharmonica. Once again the contribution of George Martin is essential in the central instrumental piece where the sitar dialogue with the strings, of which he wrote the notes. The piece, 5 minutes, without a refrain, is challenging, it may soundsy at times heavy or monotonous because it requires a listen from classical music but has delicious sound peaks both in the singing and, above all, in the instrumental part (Rating 8+). His tail ends with laughter that then fade into the swing clarinet of When I'm Sixty-four, piece by Macca style Thirties or Forty, with flawless execution, accelerated speed so that the voice sounds more acute i.e. childish (Rating 7+).

Another masterpiece of arrangement and another record of originality: a swing after an ethnic Indian song. The listener is so continually amazed, but begins to wonder what happened to the psychedelic pop of the first side, because these first two songs are: the first a mix of Indian sounds and classical music, the other a song of pre-war music.

Arrives so Lovely Rita, with Paul once again starring (he is the conductor of the disc, and the author of most of the music). The piece, however cheerful and rhythmic, is rather weak, simple in arrangement than those of the first side, and does not boast a great melody. It refers, however, with the instrumental parts: the Incipit, the piano solo, and the ending with completely original noises (Rating 7).

Another questionable piece follows: Good Morning (twice), by Lennon, at the rate of goliardic marching, with distorted trumpets and sounds from the hen house in the ending (Rating 7). Overall, these last two songs disorient a bit ' the listener because they appear a bit ' unsheathe, over the line, too vaudeville or exaggerated in tones, while in the first side all the pieces were very measured and refined. In fact, the three central songs of the second side, however cute, are considerably inferior, for quality and arrangement, to those of the first side.

When the reprise of Sgt Pepper arrives, with a good solution of continuity between cluck and electric guitars, it seems that the musicians are pulling the bridle of horses that have now dispersed in infinite directions: the song seems to tighten the files, a pull to collect the music that was a bit too frayed, until you get to the chaotic noisy ending of Good Morning. The reprise is good, it succeeds to be different from the intro, and to bring the sound on the rock, which it was missing in the second side, and that moreover it ends immediately because the mix of SGT (Rating 7,5). Pepper Reprise and A Day In The Life takes place under the banner of the acoustic guitar of Lennon, which makes its way between Pepper's rock that fades.

The atmosphere of the last song is different from the rest of the album. The voice of Lennon is of those that pierce, the accompaniment of drums, almost jazz, is a complete novelty, then there are the piano touches, until the threatening tone of the piece takes an orchestral escalation, desired by Macca, and transcribed by George Martin, with a crescendo of strings (cacophonic) that plays the highest notes, until the deafening ends suddenly and it plays an alarm clock on piano background, on the sound of the drums and of the voice of Paul, free-range as the rhythm. But this piece ends soon and part then a spectacular instrumental passage, marked by Ah-ah-ah-ah sung by Lennon, with a mood epic and classic, which arrives at the climax ending in a crescendo of violins that brings back to the original theme music. We're at very high music levels. The song ends by repeating the orchestral crescendo, ending with a percussion of three pianos that hold the note for a long time, with the reverb (Rating 9,5/10). Masterpiece of avantgarde-pop.

Sgt Pepper is definitely a masterpiece of the Sixties pop, for creativity and arrangements. However It is not a masterpiece of the actual rock, because there is very little rock music in Sgt Pepper: the Lp is a condensed of the musical styles of light music of the time: pop, rock, vaudeville, melodic songs, symphonic songs, swing, world music. Indian music, avant-garde. It is a seminal album, because it contains all the seeds and the genres of progressive rock; andi it is a false concept album because the songs are not connected by a musical or textual motif, but by an opening, then, shooting song: Sgt Pepper, which presents them as the beginning of a show, and then the conclusion of the same.

In conclusion, we are faced with a historical album, with a first perfect side, from 10/10 score, and a second from 9/10 thanks to the first and last track, because in the middle the second side shows a drop in creativity and inspiration. The album is representative of an era, it shows an impressive variety of musical genres, which in the first side run very well, in songs as inspired as those originals. In the second side, while witnessing a passage of ambitious opening, which requires a listening from classical music, with the march we lose a bit ' that thread of art- psychedelic-rock that even in the midst of so much variety constituted the backbone of the record. However, before they degenerate into more and more confusing songs, Pepper's reprise brings the second side to the initial mood and prepares it for the final track, A Day in The Life, which mixes pop and avant-garde music, reaches one of the absolute peaks of contemporary pop-rock music.

Average quality of the songs: 7,94. Rating album: 9,5. Five Stars.

Report this review (#2182360)
Posted Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | Review Permalink
patrickq
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Surely more has been written about Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band than about nearly any piece of twentieth-century music. It has the best claim to the appellation "most influential rock album ever." It's credited with punctuating the ascendance of the album over the single as the primary form of rock music, of sparking the "concept album" trend, of introducing postmodernism into pop music, and even of spawning the genre of "progressive rock." While earlier examples of concept albums, prog rock, et cetera can be found, Sgt. Pepper is not a derivative of any of these. Rather, I (and many others before me) would argue, it was the first LP to fully integrate these ideas.

We can argue endlessly about the location of the headwaters of progressive rock. Sgt. Pepper's claim to being prog-rock's ultimate progenitor is largely unrelated to its status as a concept album?the contention is that early prog largely grew out of a melding of rock & roll with high(er) art, or more narrowly, that it melded (post-)psychedelia with harder, electric-guitar-oriented rock. With Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles and producer George Martin did this without following a template. That the album was released before most other similar examples seems to be further evidence of its claim as "the first progressive rock album."

If pressed for a year, I'm pretty sure most music historians would cite 1967 as the point where the forty-minute, long-play album supplanted the seven-inch, 45 RPM "single" as the primary way rock bands were judged. The first two songs recorded for Sgt. Pepper were "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," but these were ultimately excluded from the album, released instead as a single three months prior to the LP release. The single was another gold-certified chart-topper, although the songs would've charted higher and had a higher combined sales total had they been released separately. But more to the point, each side is regarded as a masterpiece (I regard "Penny Lane" as the greatest pop song ever). So Sgt. Pepper is often regarded as the best album by the greatest rock band, despite overtly eschewing "Strawberry Fields" (#1 in Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden; #2 UK; #8 US) and "Penny Lane" (#1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the US; #2 UK). Meanwhile, with some very minor exceptions, there were no singles released from Sgt. Pepper.*

So how great is this album? To be fair, there are a few pedestrian songs here, all on Side Two: George Harrison's overlong "Within You Without You," Paul McCartney's silly "Lovely Rita," and John Lennon's equally silly, but more endearing, "Good Morning Good Morning." None of these is a disappointment, but imagine replacing any two of these with "Strawberry Fields" and "Penny Lane." Some listeners have referred to McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four" as fluff, but I strongly disagree; it's my favorite song here.

By the time Sgt. Pepper was released, McCartney had eclipsed Lennon as the Beatles' premier songwriter. Nonetheless Lennon's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is an all-time classic, as is his contribution to "A Day in the Life;" and the Lennon-McCartney collaboration "With a Little Help from My Friends" is excellent. Furthermore, both "Lucy in the Sky" and "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" are historically important, given their influence on late-1960s popular music.

But McCartney's Sgt. Pepper compositions are even better. And while the title song may stand out as the most accessible, the trio of consecutive McCartney songs on Side One, "Getting Better," "Fixing a Hole," and "She's Leaving Home" represent a pop sophistication only matched by Brian Wilson. None was a single, nor does any one stand alone as a Beatles classic. Each, however, is a good example of a type of song that was still emerging at the time, which we now refer to as an "album cut" or a "deep cut."

I could go on explaining why I think Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is so great. My suggestion to any fan of prog rock?and indeed to any fan of popular music: get it. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

___

*"She's Leaving Home" was released as a b-side in Italy (1967) and four-song EPs from the album were released in Argentina and Spain in 1967 and 1968. A promo single, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" b/w "A Day in the Life" was pressed in Italy in 1967. Also, in 1978 a three-song single ("Sgt. Pepper's" / "With a Little Help from my Friends" b/w "A Day in the Life") was released worldwide in connection with Michael Schultz's film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton.

Report this review (#2264940)
Posted Sunday, September 29, 2019 | Review Permalink
5 stars One of the best BEATLES if not the best, yes it's him!. So dive back into it a little!

1.Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band for the title rock more than pop, sound effects, we are still in a crazy psyche period, the one that will launch a movement that we don't yet know the name of 2. With a Little Help from My Friends continues, a sign; perfect title instrumentally speaking; perfect title in terms of choirs, nothing to throw away, a hit, a tube, perfect period; it's fresh, catchy, there is progression like I would find in the XTC later with their little nursery rhymes reminding me of the BEATLES, the loop is... done 3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds stop... nothing but the air makes my hairs freeze, nothing but the crystalline sound and that psyche rush that tells you it's going to explode, yes ringo boom boom and here we go or how to put in less than 3 minutes everything you need to think about prog... before it existed! 7' title which only lasts half... prog then; I laugh about it but how fruity is this title, like blackcurrant paste, the best 4. Getting Better yes don't imagine that it's a gem on all levels, there it's the consensual title BEATLES; good Hindu break to vibrate 5. Fixing a Hole and the 2nd consensus title; there is the air, the reminiscence but the thing that could make it break through is missing; the guitar of the good guys that we saw in gangster films, everything is there, it's well sung, it's vintage but here they can since vintage is not for tomorrow

6. She's Leaving Home for my phenomological basis of similes, or my primary syrupy word found thanks to this piece; sweetness, marshmallow, neo-classical orchestration, simplicity and bliss, everything is explained here; ah I add Charisma for those who follow 7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite ah this pon pon that my uncle did so well in the village clique; only good memories; ah this soaring tune, a proto 'Love is All' without a doubt, just giant; ah this organ of time; ah beauty is priceless; of the prog I tell you if there on the cloth at your feet 8. Within You Without You yes LED ZEPPELIN will pump his sauce on it; yes they 'merchandised' their oriental trip, but it's so good; one of the 2 titles which exceeds 5 minutes and which goes far, very far; languorous, hypnotizing, mantranic, perfect 9. When I'm Sixty Four for a syrupy title, now you know; progressive in the soul, deep down, a beauty like the colorful nursery rhymes of QUEEN which denoted, a title 'so romantic seaside rendez-vous', a title which aims to be jovial and far from the mods, hey, that word is funny just there; in short, nothing to throw away, perfect 10. Lovely Rita for bass drum, not Rita OK; for the jovial rhythm and the boosted BEATLES sound still seeking to shock; a piano saloon air that we will find much more on the following white album; note the final progression latent but definitely there 11. Good Morning Good Morning I kick in, too festive, not too military and with the upcoming war it scares me too much; crazy final cinematic noise yes, that's how the prog starts 12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) yes 'Don't bring me down' I agree with you, ELOs; well it's magnificent it made me revise it in fact 13. A Day in the Life concludes the album with one of the most marshmallowy tracks, the perfection of the bass combined with the acoustic guitar; the distant rumble of the drums delivers the final blow to fall in love or at least in admiration on this OMNI album before UFOs existed; the crazy break, psyche, and you arrive on another floor; this AH AH AHA in the distance which still makes you shiver, yes THE BEATLES invented prog according to my padawan criteria with this title; this orgasmic rush is another example; this ending with silence and the 30" as an outro, in short.... nothing to throw away, masterpiece!

Report this review (#2312115)
Posted Sunday, February 2, 2020 | Review Permalink
5 stars The Beatles were always a hard band for me to get into, I had listened to Norwegian Wood (Rubber Soul), but it was covered by Allan Holdsworth on None To Soon. Abbey Road was never an album I was crazy about but this album is. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a phenomenal album by The Bealtes. The hit songs are very complimenting to the entire album as a whole, the stand alone (AOT [Album Oriented Tracks]) are also very unique and are quite mature sounding Beatles songs. I really think that this is The Beatles best record, it's got amazing vocal melodies, the catchy tunes, great harmonies, and very well written tracks as a whole. Both sections of the title track are very catchy, and they have great harmonies. With A Little Help From My Friend is a great hit track, I've heard this one played on the radio and I've always loved it. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is probably one of (if not) the most well known tracks by the band. The catchy harmonies and chords, it's a great song for an even better album. Getting Better is another hit sounding track, it's a very interesting song with good lyrics, great vocal melodies, and most importantly, grabbing chord progressions. Fixing A Hole has another really cool hit feel to it with more grabbing chord progressions, and soft vocal melodies. She's Leaving Home, Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!, Within You Without You are all equally great tracks, everything here is well written yadda yadda. When I'm Sixty-Four is quite a jazz influenced piece, I love Paul's vocals here, his voice really fits the slow feel of this piece. Lovely Rita has more of Paul's best vocals in The Beatles. I love the chord and song structures, melodies, etc. Good Morning Good Morning is a very good piece sung by John, but the real amazing piece is A Day In The Life. It's the perfect ending track to this amazing album, the lyrics are unbelievable, the vocals and orchestration are fantastic, and finally it's just a huge mess but... it's a cleverly written huge mess. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a brilliant Beatles album and a fantastic Proto-Prog album. Need I say more? No.. I won't.
Report this review (#2403613)
Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | Review Permalink
4 stars Sgt Peppers by The Beatles Released in 1967 as the bands eighth studio album. It was there second psychedelic record, and this one definitely had a bigger impact on the progressive rock scene to come, simply because it was more popular, and way more psychedelic. that being said I do not think this album is perfect. Some of the songs are bad and the production is not the best. But its still an essential in any classic rock collection. And a decent addition to a prog collection. I would only give it a 3/5 if it wasn't for the huge impact it made. So I will have to give it a 4/5.
Report this review (#2508917)
Posted Thursday, February 25, 2021 | Review Permalink
5 stars When Sgt. Pepper was originally released in 1967, it was hailed as the Beatles' ultimate masterpiece and a key work in Western music history. There were a few critical voices at the time, most notably Richard Goldstein of the New York Times who felt it was more about effects than music - not to mention Frank Zappa who thought the Beatles were insincere in their approach to psychedelia, that they were "Only in It for the Money". Apart from that, the album was met with almost universal praise. In later years it has almost become a sport to downgrade it as insanely overrated, but I guess that's just the general fate of such monolithic albums (The Dark Side of the Moon is another example of that).

Is Sgt. Pepper the best Beatles album? Not necessarily. But is it overrated? Absolutely not. On a solely musical level an album like Revolver may be better. Several tracks may not be as strong when judged as individual songs, but if you take them out of the album, the whole construction would fall apart. They are all crucial part of the suite, because that is essentially what it is. The songs compliment each other perfectly and - as was then highly unusual - they often crossfade into each other, making it a unified musical journey. If the ending of one song doesn't entirely match the beginning of the next, then they are bound together by small intersections, like the one between the title track and "A Little Help From My Friends", or the chicken sounds between "Good Morning Good Morning" and the reprise of the title track.

Some have argued that the concept doesn't work because only the first two songs - plus the reprise on side 2 - actually relate to Billy Shears and Sgt. Pepper's band. I think that is a misunderstanding of the whole work. The overall frame is of course that of a concert with the band: first an introduction to the band (title track), then to the singer ("A Little Help?"), then at the end of side 2 there's the farewell song plus an extra ("A Day In the Life"). The songs in between are not related to Sgt. Pepper and his band as such, but if instead you choose to look at the album as the idea of this fictional orchestra painting a picture of modern society and the world around us in its different aspects, then all the songs make perfect sense to the album as a whole. We get around many different aspects: the psychedelic and spiritual ideas of the time ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Fixing a Hole" and "Within You Without You"), entertainment ("Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite"), generation conflicts and coming of age ("She's Leaving Home", "Getting Better", "When I'm 64"), and the absurdities of modern society ("Good Morning Good Morning", "A Day in the Life").

Musically we are far from Liverpool, and even Revolver is much more rooted in rock and roll than this album is. The compositions are becoming more complex: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" have tempo changes, the title track and "A Day In the Life" abandon traditional verse/chorus song structure, and "Good Morning Good Morning" has irregular bars (plus a shift to a 6/8 time signature in the "chorus"). Another interesting aspect that sets Sgt. Pepper apart from their previous work is the swing feel of many songs: "A Little Help From My Friends", "Getting Better", "Fixing a Hole", "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "When I'm Sixty Four". Not to mention the many unusual instruments, especially wind instruments like french horns (title track), saxophones ("Good Morning"), clarinets ("When I'm 64"), but also Indian instruments ("Lucy in the Sky", "Getting Better", Within You Without You", harpsichord ("Fixing a Hole"). And then there are the many sound effects, out of which the most radical are the cacophonic collage of randomly combined tape pieces in "Mr. Kite" and the orchestral crescendo in "A Day In the Life". Other interesting sounds include the piano intro of "Getting Better" where the piano strings were hit with hammers rather than with the keys. The great thing is the combination of, on one side these radical sounds, and on the other side some easily accessible compositions that you can sing along to. That itself is a great achievement.

McCartney was the main mastermind behind the album as a concept, and his songs outnumber Lennon's. But I actually think Lennon stands out more on this album - as opposed to Revolver where McCartney really shone. Apart from his magnum opus, "A Day In the Life", which I will come to later, there are really interesting things happening in "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Mr. Kite" and Good Morning". The latter really benefits from the previously mentioned irregular time signature whereas "Mr. Kite" also contains some intriguing key changes along the way. Lyrically these songs represent a side of Lennon which he sadly dismissed later on, probably due to the influence of Yoko Ono. Instead of writing from his own experiences, he takes on the role as the observer here.

Still, there is plenty of superb melody writing from McCartney on songs like "Getting Better", "Fixing a Hole" or the warm and charmingly altmodisch "When I'm 64" which clearly shows the influence from music hall (it was actually one of the first songs he wrote, and it was played now and then during the Hamburg years). "Fixing a Hole" might stand out as his biggest moment as a melodist on the album with its wonderfully dynamic wave-like melody, but the song also deserves praise for its play with minor (vers) and major (chorus).

On the flipside, a couple of songs recycle elements that had been done better on Revolver, most notably the string section on "She's Leaving Home" which sadly doesn't live up to "Eleanor Rigby"s intensity and complex emotional signals. Here the feel is more one-dimensional, and a tad sentimental too. Also Harrison's "Within You Without You" - another exercise in incorporating Indian sounds - isn't quite as strong as "Love You To". It is also rather long, and a bit monotonous without the nerve of the track from Revolver. On the other hand, there is also something meditative and hypnotic about it that fascinates anyway. Not to mention, the sequencing of that song and McCartney's cozy and old-fashioned "When I'm 64" is pure genius: after the spiritual journey we are back to something very down-to-earth, and it is contrasts like these that make the album such an enjoyable experience.

The absolute peak is without question "A Day In the Life"; the single greatest track of their whole career, and one of the greatest pieces of art in the 20th Century. Lyrically it is based on three unrelated stories: the death in a traffic accident of a member of the House of Lords, a war that had just been won, and the - in the context - absurd story of 4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. And then there's McCartney's everyday story about waking up and going to work. All in all a sort of collage that paints a picture of the world, and as such you could say it's the essence of the whole album cooked down to one song. The unease is perfectly captured in the music, both in the playing (Ringo's drumfills in particular), the unstable harmonic structure and Lennon's singing voice.It gets even more ominous with the cacophonic orchestral crescendos that really depict the craziness of it all perfectly, and then the dark prolonged piano chord at the end - a possible hint at nuclear weapons. Only McCartney's everyday story contrasts with its more down-to-earth feel. The vocal production captures this contrast perfectly: Whereas Lennon's voice has a lot of reverb, McCartney's is totally stripped of effects and sounds much more "close" to the listener. Had the song been a painting, his intermission would be the small spot of red in an otherwise mostly blue picture; it's the contrast that gives the whole thing balance. And yet, the everyday story of waking up is just as important to the picture as the traffic jam, the war, the potholes and the nuclear bomb.

So is Sgt. Pepper a perfect album on its musical merits alone? Not necessarily. But as an overall piece of conceptual art, I'd say yes.

Report this review (#2590599)
Posted Monday, August 30, 2021 | Review Permalink
4 stars This is another fine album by the Beatles, filled with non-conventional pop experiments (progressive for 1967).

Lennon delivers strong vocals, semi-progressive attempts and one filler song ("Good morning good morning"). McCartney balances between safe pop ("When I'm 64"), experimental pop ("Lovely Rita", "Fixing a hole"), his bass is quite audible and adds to the good feeling. His voice and overall contribution to the album are overwhelming. Harrison feels most distant than on any other Beatles album - only one contribution that seems to be out of place albeit good in its own merits; guitar playing is more in the background in favour of studio experimenting and other instruments such as organs or brass instruments. Starr, who delivered very decent drumming on Revolver, seems to be going through the motions here; obsolete drumming with little creativity; yet there is the "Day in the life" standout and his drive makes the reprise of the title track more bearable.

Let's review each song now. The first, title song, is a great melody and proto-hard-rock number with distinct McCartney voice. "With a little help from my friends" suits Starr's voice, bass playing is another highlight here as are vocal harmonies. The baroque and psychedelic pop is launched by "Lucy in the sky with diamonds". The 3/4 rhythm during the verse is seductive, otherwise there aren't that many more musical selling points. McCartney's mini-suite of 3 distinct songs starts with the optimistic "Getting better", organ-supported "Fixing a hole" with heart-felt singing and the best and only ballad on the album "She's leaving home" featuring a mini orchestra of violins and cellos. "Being for the benefit of Mr.Kite" is certainly less accessible than a usual Beatles song but contains excellent rhythm changes and psychedelic experimentation. Several keyboard instruments like Hammond, piano, Wurlitzer organ are featured to a great effect. "Within you without you" is the only Harrison's contribution and feels like out of a different unrelated world. Also, no other band members participated on its recording. Indian music was quite in a conflict with the psychedelic experimentation of the Sgtpepper however it can stand on its own. "Lovely Rita" feels first like a throwaway track until you hear McCartney bass during the chorus, the splendid piano solo and progressive instrumental outro. Sadly the good impression is ruined by the two next tracks of little ambition - the lightweight "Good morning good morning" and a short less formal version of the title track. The last track is probably the best one - the highly admired "A day in the life". The track consists of 3 parts in my opinion - sung by Lennon (main verse), then the typical melodic and charming McCartney's to be followed by the symphonic part with crescendo that sounded so avantgarde at that time. In the end, we hear the famous 40-second chord on three pianos which sound as majestic as some of the prog-rock outros a few year later. A major music achievement in 1967 and a solid/memorable album in the 21st century.

Report this review (#2787894)
Posted Saturday, September 3, 2022 | Review Permalink

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