STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

This is arguably the most creative pop single of the sixties. Despite not reaching number one - although Penny Lane reached number one in the states - , both Strawberry Fields, & Penny Lane continues to be some of the most well known, & influential songs of the Beatles.

Strawberry Fields Forever is a melancholic masterpiece, & for many (including myself) it's the finest work of the Beatles, with surreal lyrics of John reminiscing his childhood, with longing, & perhaps bittersweet undertones.

Penny Lane is also a great song - of course it can not live up to the masterpiece that is strawberry fields - but it still stands up as some of Paul's finest work. It's a fun, upbeat pop song (a change in pace from Strawberry Fields), & lyrically endearing, talking of a road in Liverpool, the city of which the Beatles originated.

There is one more aspect of these tracks I'd like to discuss. The promotional films. Compared to other music videos at the time, it's completely and utterly revolutionary. Instead of simply showing the band performing their song, it opts to show something completely different. Now despite the fact that this most definitely wasn't the first two song to do this, (an example off the top of my head for earlier videos is "Good Vibration"), it was undoubtedly the best two for it's time. It has everything form outstanding cinematography, to video quality that still holds up over fifty years later (despite it's muted colours, & being in 4:3 ). Strawberry fields opts for dark lighting, with the band showing little emotion, a stark contrast to the upbeat, light, & happy look of Penny Lane.

Overall, Strawberry Fields / Penny Lane is undoubtedly the Beatles finest, & one of their most influential singles.