SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

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 Yes, maybe today it sounds kind of "outdated" but back then it was a really big deal!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.