STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

'Penny Lane'/'Strawberry Fields Forever' is probably the best 7" 45 RPM single ever. 'I Get Around'/'Don't Worry Baby' is close and 'When Doves Cry'/'17 Days' isn't far behind - - and there are plenty of others. But this one's the best. 'Strawberry Fields' is a great song, but in my opinion 'Penny Lane' is in an entirely different league.

'Strawberry Fields Forever'

To my ears, in mid-2019, 'Strawberry Fields Forever' sounds like an old record. It's evident in retrospect that the Beatles were attempting something for which they didn't possess the technology. But on the other hand it's amazing that this record was made by splicing two different takes, each of which was made using only a four-track tape recorder. It's equally amazing that these takes were recorded in different keys at different speeds. We usually remember to credit Beatles producer George Martin for the group's successes - - and rightfully so. But here engineer/technician Geoff Emerick is also responsible for some studio magic that most would've thought was impossible in December 1966.

If there's a 'proto-prog' side of this single, it's 'Strawberry Fields.' While 'Penny Lane' has some progressive lyrical, structural, and sonic elements, 'Strawberry Fields' is archetypal British psychedelic rock. In terms of sound, it has it all, from instrumentation like backwards percussion, the Mellotron and a swarmandal (I had to look that up; it's an Indian harp-like instrument used to mark the transitions into the verses) to sound effects like phased vocals and tape loops. The lyrics are also classic psychedelia. Especially with the knowledge that Strawberry Fields was a place songwriter and singer John Lennon enjoyed as a youngster, the song exemplifies the balance of nostalgia: the happiness of remembering a past which, sadly, can never return. Even without this knowledge, the three words of the title speak volumes. There are also more than a few turns of phrase suggesting that the singer is tripping, which only adds to the psychedelic feel.

In my opinion, the major weakness of 'Strawberry Fields' is the repetition of the tedious transition from chorus to verse. At the end of each of the first three choruses, after Lennon sings the song's title, the song moves from melodic and rhythmic to dreary and static. While this makes a lot of sense artistically, it already sounds monotonous the second time, never mind the third. The Beatles were early adopters of the bridge in pop-music structure; here's a song that would've benefited immensely from such a device. On the other hand, 'Strawberry Fields' reflects Lennon's attempts to bring a very specific vision to sonic fruition. Lennon was famous for being what we'd now call 'technologically challenged' (a rare similarity between him and Nixon) and thus relied on Martin to realize his vision. It seems that, during the creation of this song, adherence to Lennon's ideal took precedence over other concerns. Creating a bridge or having a constant beat would have made the song more radio-friendly, but as it stands, 'Strawberry Fields' would've fit perfectly on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, for which it was initially intended. Despite the group's decision not to prioritize commerciality in the creation of 'Strawberry Fields,' it reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #2 in the UK as part of this double a-side single

'Penny Lane'

I'm sure that there have been thousands of musings on the ways in which 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane' are polar opposites. To begin with, Lennon and 'Penny Lane' writer and singer Paul McCartney have themselves long been viewed as opposites, and each of these songs seems to exemplify the contrasting qualities of its originator.

Compared to Lennon, McCartney is seen as more down-to-earth, organized, commercial, and comprehensible, and these same contrasts exist between the sides of 'Penny Lane'/'Strawberry Fields Forever.' For example, the nostalgia of 'Penny Lane' is less pronounced, yet clearer. The literal nostalgia in 'Strawberry Fields' (i.e., that which is not inferred by the listener knowledgeable about the Strawberry Fields of Lennon's youth) is in the introspective verses in which Lennon is intentionally unclear. In 'Penny Lane,' McCartney's chronology is circular; the punctuated transition 'and meanwhile back' occurs three times to remind the listener that while time does pass in Penny Lane, Penny Lane never really changes. McCartney expertly creates the impression that the scenes are being viewed by youth, and we interpret these remembrances as McCartney's own. Thus, when McCartney says that 'Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes / there beneath the blue suburban skies,' we understand that McCartney is reminiscing.

In the final seconds of the song, McCartney's last recitation of 'Penny Lane' is followed by something like a terminal fermata, perhaps invoking a sense of suspension in accordance with the song's nostalgia. While some songs end with a stop, and other fade, 'Penny Lane' somehow does both.

But generally, musical symbolism doesn't get in the way of the commerciality of 'Penny Lane.' Yes, a bell is played to remind us of the fireman and his engine. Some might regard this as so literal as to be childish; if so, it's all the more symbolic because the scene is a childhood memory. A toe-tapping beat throughout helps ensure radio friendliness.

Summary

As someone who prefers McCartney to Lennon, I (unsurprisingly) prefer 'Penny Lane' to 'Strawberry Fields Forever.' I do enjoy Lennon's experimental, progressive, and psychedelic music, beginning with 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' which was among the most important landmarks in Beatles history. And as good as 'Strawberry Fields' is, two of Lennon's other 1967 songs, 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,' and especially 'I Am the Walrus,' are just as psychedelic, but are, in my opinion, better compositions and better recordings.

On the other hand, McCartney never surpassed 'Penny Lane,' before or after. He's perhaps the greatest pop songwriter, and - - again, in my opinion - - this is his masterpiece.

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P.S. To me, even the best singles don't qualify for five stars on the Prog Archives scale, simply because singles and albums are on equal footing otherwise.