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Is 'Sgt. Pepper' overrated?

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dr wu23 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2020 at 08:43
I'm on the same page as Disaster and Christmas above in that being such an iconic band it's natural it would get a little overrated and the same appiles for many classic lp's by other iconic bands. 
I heard it in June of '67 (age 16) and didn't know what to make of it at first....it sounded like the Beatles..but...?
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rednight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2020 at 10:27
...it was the Beatles, setting the stage like they always did.
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2020 at 13:22
Let's not forget that Sgt. Pepper was released less than 4 years after "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Some bands don't make any albums in that time let alone progress that much.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote uduwudu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 02 2020 at 07:23
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Let's not forget that Sgt. Pepper was released less than 4 years after "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Some bands don't make any albums in that time let alone progress that much.


Having shed loads of money Abbey Road Studios and the brains inside there is not something that happens to anyone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rednight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 02 2020 at 08:46
^Incomprehensible. Explain.
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 02 2020 at 08:59
Originally posted by Rednight Rednight wrote:

^Incomprehensible. Explain.
 
He means a lot of the genius in Sgt Pepper is due to them having the cash and the freedom of Abbey Road studios and its techies (at least I think that's what he means).
 
Which is true to a point but they had to get to that position in the first place.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paulo V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 05 2020 at 10:28
I donīt think that is over rated, but in comparison for the same year is not one of my choices, i Prefer Revolver instead.
Proto-Prog indeed!
Too many overdubs? Yep!!
Great Production? Absolutely!!
Songs out of the context? Maybe but if the idea was a concept album, itīs on the middle of the road!

Good album but not THE ALBUM!
Always taking the point with the dawn patrol fraternity...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote uduwudu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 02:39
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Rednight Rednight wrote:

^Incomprehensible. Explain.
 
He means a lot of the genius in Sgt Pepper is due to them having the cash and the freedom of Abbey Road studios and its techies (at least I think that's what he means).
 
Which is true to a point but they had to get to that position in the first place.


That is exactly what he means. The clout of being a novel teen sensation.

To me the real impact of Sgt Pepper has not really been examined. In between the title track and reprise is a holiday camp representation. But the power of A Day In The Life, bleak, beautiful after all the light weight fun is where the real impact lies. A dire of real life in the real world depiction the real world outside of the purposely escapist fun.

But yes I do mean having someone who can direct sophisticated harmony to his subjects worked very well. Placing an act with a suitable producer worked wonders.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ronstein Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 16 2020 at 04:53
I think it has to be viewed from the perspective of where it was in time. It was a response to Brian Wilson creating Pet Sounds the year before, which completely tore up the rule book and the Beatles were fortunate enough to have the funds and the support from EMI to use it to inspire what was. at the time, unlike anything that had been before. To stand it up alongside more modern music makes no sense to me, as you're comparing it with music that was influenced by the innovations that Lennon/McCartney and Brian Wilson (and others of that generation) made. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 16 2020 at 08:59
Originally posted by uduwudu uduwudu wrote:

...
But yes I do mean having someone who can direct sophisticated harmony to his subjects worked very well. Placing an act with a suitable producer worked wonders.

Hi,

George Martin had been with them since HELP ... and GM was very well known in England already, and even done a lot of comedy (for Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan), which was appreciated and loved by the Fab Four. And he was a great choice, because he ended up working with kids that actually like to explore and play music, rather than the street choice to just do the riff and sing over it, continuously! He explains that in his special!

Sgt Pepper was a wonderful "multi media" thing (that is with sound effects mixed in and different things done), because the producer was innovative and liked the ideas he was hearing from the guys ... and he incorporated a lot of them, which ended up giving us a few songs that were very different and made the band sound better and stronger ... which they had become anyway! But it likely would not have happened as well if the producer was some idiot a$h-hole that wanted to do Rock'n'roll ... so the choice of a GM was designed to improve things and the group did not seem to mind ... 

Plz watch the incredibly nice special on GM ... and how he did what he did, not only with the Beatles, but with more artists than you and I will EVER be able to list in our hands! It will help make better sense of what the Beatles did!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 16 2020 at 09:08
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:


George Martin had been with them since HELP

George Martin was with them from the start - he was the one who signed them to Parlaphone, and also the one who told them not to use Ringo on "Love Me Do".
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rednight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 16 2020 at 12:04
Originally posted by Ronstein Ronstein wrote:

"...and the Beatles were fortunate enough to have the funds and the support from EMI to use it to inspire what was. at the time, unlike anything that had been before."  
Gee, don't you think EMI had no choice in the matter seeing as the Beatles were the biggest thing on the planet at the time?
"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lieutenant_Lan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 22 2021 at 18:20
I like the album dont get me wrong. But I personally think revolver and rubber soul to be much more deserving of all the love that Sgt. Peppers gets. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ssmarcus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 05:57
Let's answer this on two separate axes: the axis of legacy and influence and the axis of overall quality and listenability.  

On the axis of legacy and influence, no the album is not overrated. This was the moment studio album based rock geared towards active listening (as opposed to just general dance or mood music) and began to express real artistic purpose and vision.

On the axis of listenability, there are definitely circles where the record is overrated. But in recent years, I have seen polls and lists in Rolling Stone and Louder Sound that most people realize that records like Abby Road and Revolver are better records. 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MortSahlFan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 07:28
Yes... It's not even one of their best. Remove "A Day In The Life" and its one of their worst.

Most of great things said about this could have been said about "Revolver".. I think an imaginary band is an interesting concept, but John and George said they didn't have this in mind at all when they wrote their songs.


Edited by MortSahlFan - March 01 2021 at 07:29
https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 08:03
Originally posted by Rednight Rednight wrote:

^Incomprehensible. Explain.

Hi,

Why bother walking, or driving a car when you have a limousine? With a bar and munchies, and maybe even a girl bartender!

Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 08:11
Originally posted by ssmarcus ssmarcus wrote:

Let's answer this on two separate axes: the axis of legacy and influence and the axis of overall quality and listenability.  
...

Hi,

It's very sad to see that people, do not see or can relate to the incredible thing that the Beatles were at the time, and the most important part ... how different and far out the album was compared to all the crap available on radio and on LP at that time!

Today's folks, are making comments based on what they know, but without the historical fact, I doubt that a comment can stand up ... at the time, there was no "internet" or "media" talking about these things, although both the Beatles and Rolling Stones had broken the barrier, others were making their voice heard as well, which helped folks like The Kinks, The Who and many others take off ...

Seeing many of these comments without a strong background and slight knowledge of the time and place, this album is something that we ... who cares? ... but in the end, the album and the Beatles will survive, because many of the comments don't factor into the history of the whole thing.

Sgt. Pepper's is not over rated and PA needs to stop and close this thread for the lack of intelligent and comments that help the time and place. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS MISSING in the discussion and definition of PROGRESSIVE BRUHAHA .... to help folks understand it ... I sincerely hope it doesn't take a reign of horror, that sets off a trend of occult and horror novels for some 25 to 30 years ... hello French Revolution ... and all we're doing is bringing the album down to "our level" because we don't like the idea that someone else is more artsy than we are!

So bizarre ... but we buy their music!


Edited by moshkito - March 01 2021 at 08:12
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 08:56
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by ssmarcus ssmarcus wrote:

Let's answer this on two separate axes: the axis of legacy and influence and the axis of overall quality and listenability.  
...

Hi,

It's very sad to see that people, do not see or can relate to the incredible thing that the Beatles were at the time, and the most important part ... how different and far out the album was compared to all the crap available on radio and on LP at that time!

Today's folks, are making comments based on what they know, but without the historical fact, I doubt that a comment can stand up ... at the time, there was no "internet" or "media" talking about these things, although both the Beatles and Rolling Stones had broken the barrier, others were making their voice heard as well, which helped folks like The Kinks, The Who and many others take off ...

Seeing many of these comments without a strong background and slight knowledge of the time and place, this album is something that we ... who cares? ... but in the end, the album and the Beatles will survive, because many of the comments don't factor into the history of the whole thing.

Sgt. Pepper's is not over rated and PA needs to stop and close this thread for the lack of intelligent and comments that help the time and place. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS MISSING in the discussion and definition of PROGRESSIVE BRUHAHA .... to help folks understand it ... I sincerely hope it doesn't take a reign of horror, that sets off a trend of occult and horror novels for some 25 to 30 years ... hello French Revolution ... and all we're doing is bringing the album down to "our level" because we don't like the idea that someone else is more artsy than we are!

So bizarre ... but we buy their music!
Well for once I agree with Mosh. Part of the legacy of Sgt Pepper is the impact it had at the time of release. People will listen to it now and not understand or know how it compared to other music around at the time and what impact it had on other musicians as well.
Me? I was around but too young to understand.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A Crimson Mellotron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 09:58
I thought this old poll was forgotten!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ssmarcus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2021 at 10:41
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by ssmarcus ssmarcus wrote:

Let's answer this on two separate axes: the axis of legacy and influence and the axis of overall quality and listenability.  
...

Hi,

It's very sad to see that people, do not see or can relate to the incredible thing that the Beatles were at the time, and the most important part ... how different and far out the album was compared to all the crap available on radio and on LP at that time!

Today's folks, are making comments based on what they know, but without the historical fact, I doubt that a comment can stand up ... 

Hi Mosh, there's two possibilities here, either you did not read what I wrote, or you misunderstood what I wrote. If the latter, it is possible that I simply wasn't clear enough. So I'll restate: the album's influence (i.e. the way it changed music) is NOT overstated in anyway. I gave a reason and you also gave a reason about various barriers it broke, all is well! 

My point about it being overrated is only that, when compared to some other Beatles' records one to one without any consideration for its legacy or place in music, the tunes on albums like Abby Road and Revolver tend to hold up better in a lot of people's opinions (for the record, I prefer peppers to Revolver). While this was not always the case, due to the recorod's legacy, time has allowed fresh ears to make that listenability evaluation without the "baggage" of its historical context. 

So in sum, I am basically agreeing with you. But unlike, I have respect for the question and approach the answer systematically. I don't ask the mods to ban the discussion because my feelings are hurt... 
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