MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

The only "canonical" American Beatles album, this can be seen as something of a predecessor to "Past Masters". Like many, when I first heard it I thought I was listening to the follow up to "Sgt. Pepper". Despite being a weaker "album" than its predecessor, most of the songs here hold up well. Side 1 is the soundtrack side. The title track has great drumming. "Fool on the Hill" has nice flute, reminiscent of "I Talk to the Wind". "Flying", one of their few instrumentals, is mostly mellotron and makes good use of it. "Blue Jay Way" is a creepy Harrison song, and in this way prefigures "White Album". "I am the Walrus" is THE John song, and very progressive and symphonic with it's use of Mellotron and sampling. Side 2 is made up of non-album singles. "Penny Lane" is a good symphonic Paul song. But it is "Strawberry Fields Forever" that really makes the album. It's nostalgic and melancholically beautiful. Perhaps no other song has been as influential on the sound of prog. I would be surprised if it didn't influence "Days of Future Passed" and "In the Court of the Crimson King". Overall, this is essential proto-prog.