SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

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.