It Was 40 Years Ago Today

Released June 2, 1967 - "the most influential album of all time" (Wikipedia)

Tracklist:
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With a Little Help from My Friends
3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing a Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You
9. When I'm Sixty-Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. A Day in the Life

Fantastic review, reprinted from http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=11614

The odds of an album like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band being released at the very beginning (June 1st, to be precise) of the renowned Summer of Love are similar to the chances all the planets have of aligning tomorrow. Ordinary law dictates that the overwhelming majority of people and/or things will not get what they need right when they need it, and indeed that many people won't get their desired object/results at all. This, of course, is human nature, and as such is usually scrubbed out of the average persons' collective consciousness. Put simply, the things that you need most at a given time will more than likely not come when desired. And yet, when scrutinized in retrospect, all albums regarded as revolutionary and classic came at exactly the right time and from exactly the right place. Nevermind, Nevermind the Bollocks, A Night At the Opera, they all arrived right on schedule to change the course of music, and to assert themselves as rightful catalysts. While these occurrences are certainly uncommon, it is far less common for a musical group to do it more than once. It has happened, however. And the group that pulled it off is none other than the Beatles.

While many of the previously mentioned albums made themselves known utilizing some already in-effect scene or movement (in this case, lets say the Summer of Love), the odd thing about Sgt. Pepper is that it could very well be credited with creating the movement. After the album was released in June of 1967, the public at large suddenly dressed differently, behaved differently, and even thought differently. A valid reason for the albums' gargantuan impact is undeniably that it was a work of the already legendary quartet of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and the ever-cuddly Ringo Starr. However, suggesting that the album was anything short of ground-breaking is damn-near blasphemous. Everything about the album was new; from the supremely reverb-drenched vocals to the half-assed concept. Never before had a rock album featured a marching brass section and rhythm and a blistering guitar solo in the same song, let alone in a time-span of ten seconds, as found in the Lennon-penned classic Good Morning, Good Morning.

The case that contains the music is no less innovative and revolutionary than the music itself. Filled with intricate detail and possibly even foreboding clues, no album cover had ever before been so vital and vivacious. By contrast, the next "official" album by the band would feature a plain white sleeve, perhaps to symbolize the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has often been awarded the coveted title of best opening track to ever grace an album. The band, going on a limb, apparently, breaks the fourth wall within moments of the songs entrance, exclaiming that they are a group putting on a show for your pleasure. Brass instruments and guitars duke it out for prominence, while Paul delivers a ripping vocal performance in the vein of the earlier Beatles hit, Long Tall Sally. Evidence of a concept is made, well, evident in the seamless segueing into the one Ringo performance, the jaunty and perky With a Little Help From My Friends.

Allow me to state the obvious. Anyone who thinks that drugs played a diminished role in the sixties is more than likely either a stead-fast conservative, or on too many themselves. While With a Little Help From My Friends presents itself as innocent and good-natured, it is made more than plain just what the Beatles were getting up to in their off hours, no pun intended. Evidence? If you insist.

Mmm I get by with a little help from my friends.
Yes, I get high with a little help from my friends.
Oh, Im gonna try with a little help from my friends.

That accursed LSD.

While new fashions and thought patterns were being invented, new musical genres were to go along with it. It is arguable that the entire genre of psychedelic can be summed-up by the Lennon classic Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds. From the ethereal (a word I'll probably use a lot in this review) mellotron intro to the completely spaced-out lyrics, the song can easily be depicted as an audio acid-trip. A notable Lennon characteristic in the song is the 3/4 time-signature for the verses, and the far more common 4/4 signature found in the chorus. Such rhythmic teetering would become a Lennon trademark in the years to come. While the album is notable and revered for its somewhat frightening flow, the CD version of the album does not contain the original track listing. Somehow, the overall vibe and current was preserved when the album was transferred from vinyl to plastic, even though certain tunes were tampered with.

While Jimi Hendrix was utilizing the guitar in an incredibly virtuosic manner, the Beatles were still using it more as a backing tapestry. While the Grateful Dead were inventing Jam Rock, the Beatles were still releasing two-and-a-half minute long songs. So what exactly makes the album so worthwhile to listen to? This question can be answered in song form. The song that will solve the riddle will be Getting Better. Simplicity and ingenuity has long been a classic Beatles recipe. While the still new for the times guitar styles and pulsating rhythms captured your ear, the astonishing vocal harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrical content blew your mind. Part of the genius of the Beatles was/is the ability to take a simple idea or chord progression and deliver it in a next to impossible manner. Go figure.

While the infamous Sgt. Norman Pilcher was out and about and jailing Rolling Stones members, the "cute" Beatle Paul McCartney was in some hot water of his own. Seemingly thinking he was helping his fallen comrades, who were confined on minor drug charges, McCartney admitted to taking LSD four times to an interviewer. The news was flashed all around the world, and conservatives and yes, Ed Sullivan, were shocked. Fans and members of the still burgeoning counter-culture were probably less than surprised. Why? All you have to do is this: Listen to Fixing A Hole, and think simultaneously. Lyrically, many accept the theory that the song is about what the title suggests, Paul fixing a hole in his house. Let us scrutinize, shall we?

I'm fixing a hole, where the rain gets in, and stops my mind from wondering. Where it will go
Well, okay. Nothing too revealing there.

I'm filling the cracks, that ran through the door, and kept my mind from wondering. Where it will go
Still nothing too obvious. But how about this?

I'm painting the room, in a colorful way. And when my mind is wondering, there I will go.
Bam. Self-explanation for the win.

Musically, the song has often been derided as bland and/or dull. While many hold this belief, I can't honestly see where they're coming from, as I find it to be superb, from the sharp, reverbed guitar jabs to the (once again) magnificent harmonies. While the song does boast a somewhat rag-time feel, a considerable amount of excitement is generated in the lead break, courtesy of melodic master George Harrison, whose guitar skills were already sharp, and who's songwriting knack was under construction.

She's Leaving Home is without a doubt the counter-part to the 1966 masterpiece Eleanor Rigby. Never in all my years of album hunting have I ever encountered two songs more similar. I have also yet to stumble across two more different. While both are dominated by classical instruments and arrangements, as well as Mr. McCartney's mellifluous vocals, one is distinctly foreboding and haunting, where as the other is more beautiful and poignant. The lyric contains more example of literary genius, and features more of that call and response type singing from John and Paul.

Paul: She...
John: We gave her most of our lives
Paul: Is leaving...
John: Sacrificed most of our lives
Paul: Home...
John: We gave her everything money could buy

Considerably more tender when set against the backdrop of classical instruments, including a harp, the tune signifies the bands' growing skill for utilizing rather, "abstract" instruments and ideas.

When John Lennon told George Martin that he wanted to "smell the sawdust on the floor", he was referring to the production and birthing of his song Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!. Containing some of the most extraordinary studio manipulation to date, Martin did not fail to deliver the carnival themed atmosphere Lennon desired. While pretty much a standard waltz, the song contains the infamous Lennon witticism in the lyrics, which were for the most part taken from a 19th century circus poster. By contrast, George Harrison's Within You, Without You is relatively bare in the studio-trickery department. If there is a low point to Sgt. Pepper, this is undoubtedly it. While the song is one of three Harrison Indian tracks, it is also the longest, and inevitably tends to drag on because of this. While the song can and more than likely will grow on you, the humble listener, the pretentious, "we're all one" lyrical style can admittedly be off-putting.

As shown by songs such as Maxwell's Silver Hammer off of Abbey Road, Paul had an obsession with vaudevillian music, stemming from his fathers' musical taste. While the previously mentioned song can be dull, its counterpart, When I'm Sixty-Four is nothing short of charming. The vocals are delivered in a rather high register by McCartney standards, though the cheeky lyrics make up for any problem I have with that.
Lovely Rita is a chiming, guitar driven song about a meter maid whom Paul seduces. While considerably more peppy than the previous two tracks, the simplistic drumming by Ringo provides an overall more forceful feel to the song as a whole. Allow me to muse here. The album has already covered multiple different styles of music, some of which hadn't been heard by human ears prior to the release of the album. So it seems rather shocking, to be sure, when a reprise of the first track shows itself.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) is only a minute and fifty-five seconds long. And in that short time period, it "rocks" more than the entire album put together had up until this point. While it is lyrically nothing more than a clever refrain of its predecessor, its slightly faster beat and the renewed idea of the concept that was previously abandoned gives it a feel all its own. Remarkable for a reprise of the opening track.

Glossing over the already explained Good Morning, Good Morning, we make our way to the albums' finale and magnum opus, A Day In the Life. The song not only marks the end of the album, but in a way, the end of the famed Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo, as it would be the last major tune the two conspired on as a pair. Beginning with a simple, piano fueled progression, Lennon provides you, the listener, with a walkthrough of mundane yet oddly surreal events. After proclaiming his desire to "turn you on", Lennon allows a full orchestra to follow George Martin's instructions to "start quiet, finish loud" and blasts out an ascending run. This also provides a gateway for the McCartney portion of the tune, before floating back to John's portion, where he continues as if nothing signifacnt has just happened. But you, dear reader, you will know the truth. Whether or not it registers through your stunned disbelief is really up to you though.

Frankly, the album has obviously secured itself the "classic" title. Honestly, how could it not? While many feel it to be over-rated and pretentious, the impact it had on pop-culture, and the impact it continues to have, is simply massive. It is a fair assumption that there will never be another band like the Beatles, and by extension another album like Sgt. Pepper. While this is rather sad, its also for the best. Anyone who loves the album shouldn't have a problem with this fact, as they can simply put on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; thirty-nine minutes of music that changed the world.

Comments

[Zapata]

It's true -- people changed the way they dressed even. And it was overnight. I was 6 yrs old in 1967. I distinctly remember clothes shopping with my mom in August. (It could have been when I was 7, in 1968).

I wanted 'way out' clothes. I was particularly drawn to deep purple and deep red as a color combination. Sure, throw in some turquoise too.

My mother: "Those colors don't work together!" (And she was pretty cool about letting me wear what I wanted).

5 years later, she's wearing those color schemes.

Just rambling, and reminescing....

[Slugbug]

I just posted this to RaversGeriatric where we are discussing "Concept Albums," as an offshoot to the "Sargeant Pepper" thing.

I'll be 55 next week, so I was about 12 when the Beatles "hit" and I found that thesebands changed with the times, as I did.

The Teenybopper Period

Beatles came out when I was in 6th grade and in those days, we were still bringingBarbies to school (kids grew up less fast), yet we wanted out teacher to get us Beatlesmagazines (there were whole magazines devoted to them). "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was the first single (or record) that I ever bought and then "She Loves You." I had anecklace with their photos and on the back, a design was made from all of their namesmade into kind of a mandala. I watched the screaming girls on Ed Sullivan, and in fact, it even made the evening news (as a phenomenon). "Beatles haircuts" were banned in most schools, even though they were relatively short by later standards. Alot of guys would comb their little tiny bang down and stop putting grease in their hair.

The Beatles had kind of a clean cut image, as did the Beach Boys, and Herman and the Hermits. The Monkees were created by producers (huge auditions) to simulatethe experience fortelevision. It was a kind of mods v rockers thing, maybe. Around this time, or a bit later, I also liked the slightly more raunchy Rolling
Stones, Yardbirds, Animals and Kinks. Unknown to me, the Beatles were older so emulated all thingsAmerican, just as I pretended to have a British accent when I went to the drugstore toshoplift (God, that must have been obvious!) They loved The Everly Brothers and
Ella Fitzgerald.

The Psychedlic Period

My now I was a high schooler, so it was time for the Beatles to drop a big bomb, only Idon't think it was "Sargeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club" at all. I think it was "Rubber
Soul," and again, it was the first full album I bought, as I was into "Greatest Hits" albums (to save money, as other albums tended to have 3-4 hits and then a bunch of rotten, weak throwaway B-sides). It was playable all the way through and I played it til it started to turn white. By then I was a pot smoker, but that was fairly irrelevant to the musical experience, as it stood on its own. "Good Vibrations" came out around this time, and was a very different single for the Beach Boys (like the Beatles, Brian Wilson
was hitting the drugs). "Pet Sounds" was actually very influenced by "Rubber Soul" and was oneof the next big (& timeless) concept albums. These sorts of things ushered in that whole era of psychedelia and I listened to alot of Pink Floyd, Blues Magoos, Doors, Iron Butterfly. I bought a Frank Zappa album, listened to it in shock, put it away for a few months, then got into it (got in trouble for playing "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" over the school PA, which was about molesting).

I did not take LSD until I had already been into this stuff for awhile and I think drugs werea factor in creation of and listening to of the music, but I also think that bands and scenes were evolving to where the drugs fit, or maybe it was kind of a chicken-egg
situation. For bands like the Beatles that I tracked over time, it never seemed like they changed in order to insure their longevity (like Madonna), but that they were just really into their music.
It's hard to compare what was going on back then with times that follow, because of all the differences in production, distribution, publicity and culture.

We had no iPods. We had small turntables with big arms and old needles. If you put a coin on them, they didn't skip as much. We had our parents' hifis. We had no ringtones, no MTV, no downloading. It wasn't easy balancing a 45 on a turntable without a ring adaptor (if it got lost). It was fun playing the singles at different speeds. I loved buying them from the jukebox man for a nickel each when he unloaded the machine. An album was about $4 so that would be about $20 in today's dollars, I think, maybe more.

God I am so old (my husband turns 55 today).

[kayakbiker]

I was also in the 6th grade when the Beatles landed in the states. I saw them perform on Ed Sullivan and thought they were so cool. My Dad said they would be gone from the public record in one or two years. He had seen it before. Twenty-five years later, I heard a song from Rubber Soul playing on the easy-listening radio station while I was riding in his car.

And now it's been forty years since Sgt. Peppers. Forty three years since I appeared during a break in our Elementary school play wearing a Beatle's wig. The wig belonged to Richard Starr, my best friend. At the time, Dick, who was an Orthodox Jew, suffered from Asthma and was sick a lot. He was also picky about what he ate so his mother would allow him to eat BLT sandwiches even though that was against his religion. He was the shortest boy in the class (I was the second shortest). When he learned that he shared a name with Ringo, his mother bought him that wig. It lifted his spirits to know that he shared a name with one of the Beatles. After the 6th grade he moved to Arizona because back then the air was cleaner than it was in DC and more favorable for persons with his serious condition. I never heard from him again.

On stage during the set change for the play, I was interviewed by "Ed Sullivan." I told Ed Sullivan that I, John Lennon, was the only Beatle who could make it because the others were mobbed by fans (the truth is we only had one wig and everybody else was in the play or didn't want to participate). I told one or two jokes that no one heard. Afterwards I lipsynched "I saw her standing there" while the girls behind the curtain who were rearranging the set screamed repeatedly. I was halfway through the song when I heard the record needle scraping against the vinyl. The principal had stopped the show.

I wasn't outgoing enough to be in the school play, and the one chance I had to be on stage - during a changing of the stage set -- was stopped by the authorities. Maybe that is a metaphor how the seeds of my social activism sprouted. The beatles were the catalyst.

[slugbug]

I didn't know you were short and shy as a child, like my son.
& you are both wildly creative & insightful, observant people watchers!

Alan Castle says he definitely remembers "When I'm 64" (relates?)

[from NonnyO]

Posted by: not my president at June 3, 2007 02:06 AM

The Beatles' music is the sound track of my life. They appeared on Ed Sullivan when I was a senior in high school (and I danced to songs of theirs the fall before at Homecoming; in between those two events JFK was assassinated). I've been a fan of The Beatles since their music was comprised of silly teenage love songs through to their mature music and protest songs. I have been collecting their music since the days of 45 rpm vinyl records, and now I also have CDs, videos, and DVDs of their movies and music; and, naturally, I followed up with Wings' music (Paul, the cute one, was always my favorite!). Some of the things I have include recordings from before Ringo joined the group. I've put all of their music on my computer so I listen to them on and off, as the mood strikes. Of course, I memorized the lyrics when the music came out and I still know all the words (Ha! I can sing along with The Beatles so I haven't lost my aging memory yet! ;-) I have a wide range of music in my audio library, and very eclectic tastes in music, so it's fair to say that the list of music I do not like is much shorter than the very long list of music and music styles and artists I do like. The Beatles' music is only one section.)

Although the cover of Sgt. Pepper was artistic and creative, musically I like Rubber Soul better (my all-time favorite Beatles' song is on that album: "In My Life"). I like certain songs from each album really well, but my favorites are still on Rubber Soul, as well as a few earlier albums.

Many years ago there was a TV special called 'The Beatles Anthology' and I remember one of Paul's comments to the effect that he was proud of their music because they sang about love; they never had lyrics that talked about hate or murder or used profane language. They sang about love and peace. I suspect that's one of the reasons their music endures, aside from the fact that musically they have had various styles and they were inventive and experimented with new and non-tranditional instrumentation through the years they were together. Practically everyone who was a contemporary or came after them imitated The Beatles to one degree or another for quite a long time. (The TV show was about three hours. I later obtained the eight-video set of the unedited version of the show and songs are played in their entirety.)

[Kayakbiker]

There's a part 2 to the story. I was kind of interested in girls in the 6th grade so I talked Dick into asking a girl out so we could double date. My parents drove us to a bowling alley.

Later that year, I discovered that the rest of the boys in the class began to believe that girls didn't have kooties. We all took a poll to see which girls were the most attractive.
There were only two girls that every boy in the class picked and they were the ones Dick and I took out on our "date." All of the Jewish boys picked the girl Dick selected and the Christian boys picked my date. The class was about 50-50. Isn't that weird? I didn't even think of religion when I picked her.

I was shy but not when it came to the important stuff. And I was never shy with girls. I just didn't talk when I didn't have to, especially to teachers in school. I wasn't in to showing off and most of the classroom learning was boring.

[slugbug from Chris]

You are alot like my son - only girls are worth talking to - LOL

This is from Chris

http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/07/06/01/beatles.itunes.in.08/

Report: Beatles on iTunes in '08

The Beatles music catalog may be coming to iTunes and other online music services in early 2008 according to Olivia Harrison, the widow of late guitarist/singer/songwriter George Harrison. Despite the landmark settlement of a trademark dispute that dates back to Apple Inc. (then Apple Computer Inc.'s) inception, Harrison told Reuters "We just have a few things to work out elsewhere" before the music will be available for digital download and purchase.

One factor holding back the release is a complete re-mastering of all Beatles CDs. Harrison added "I think we're a little bit behind. We (the band's members and widows) all agree. It's been done. It's just trying to now get it out there."

Meanwhile, as reported last month, band member Paul McCartney says that a deal allowing the Beatles catalog to make the digital move was "virtually settled," while refraining from providing a specific time-frame.

Interestingly enough, the Beatles' songs will be distributed through EMI when they do go online, meaning they will theoretically be available as "iTunes Plus," DRM-free tracks.

----------

[not my president]

I keep finding good Beatles stuff - this is from Monkey at DCP
My son watched a bunch of old John Lennon interviews from Rolling Stone and said he used the F word for about every adjective and had a huge ego.

'Truth Is, I'm the Same Guy I Always Was'
'You can't replace someone like John, and I don't think he could have replaced someone like me.'

Newsweek

June 11, 2007 issue - Paul McCartney hasn't slowed down. in the midst of a messy divorce, the 40th anniversary of "Sgt. Pepper" and preparations for his 65th birthday, McCartney is releasing his 22nd post-Beatles studio disc, "Memory Almost Full," on Starbucks' Hear Music label. Nostalgic yet inventive, it's his most vibrant record in years—and the first one to come out on Apple's iTunes store. McCartney spoke to NEWSWEEK's Andrew Romano and Daniel Klaidman last week by phone while driving through the English countryside to rehearse with his band for an upcoming series of (shh!) secret, small-club shows. Excerpts:

MCCARTNEY: Good morning to the two of you. Welcome to our little soiree.

NEWSWEEK: Let's start out with the new record, "Memory Almost Full." It's absolutely fantastic—your best, I think, in some time. I hear a definite Wings influence.
People are saying Wings, but I must admit that I can't see it. Then again, I'm the worst analyzer of my music ever.

When a song evokes Wings or the Beatles, is that spontaneous or a conscious decision?
I don't think I ever say, "Let's write a Beatles song." But the truth of it is, I'm the same guy I always was. I use virtually the same bunch of tricks that I always have used—and add a few as I go along. Sometimes they resemble Wings or the Beatles just because that's who I am. No other reason.

How do you see the songs you're writing now as different from the songs you were writing when you were, say, 24?
Some aren't that different, but some have a more mature viewpoint. I'm more mature. More water has gone under the bridge. Still, I look back and say, "Man, I was writing 'Yesterday' when I was 24 or something." Talking about "I'm not half the man I used to be" as if I'm an old geezer or something. Even though I was 24 ... You find it in 24-year-old novelists. They talk like they're old people, when they're patently not. If there is a difference, I think "The End of the End" is something I wouldn't have tackled then. Because it's about ... death. Which then I might have thought was too tricky a subject, or just something to avoid.

Is mortality something you've thought about more recently?
[Laughs] I think so, yeah. I wrote this song "When I'm Sixty-Four" not expecting to be here. Of course, little did I realize that I would not only reach that mark but still be here working, and highly embarrassed at the attention that song would bring to my age. But, you know, it's actually passed off relatively peacefully. In a few weeks I move on to actual retirement age. Sixty-five! Luckily, I still have a sense of humor—and some hair.

more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18999828/site/newsweek/

[not my president]

Cool! Another good Beatles story from Monkey!! I will post it!!

40 years ago, Sgt. Pepper taught a band to play
After all these years the Beatles seminal album is the Babe Ruth of rock

Occasionally I’ll hear an argument that Babe Ruth was overrated. Detractors contend that, measured today, he’d be just a flabby carouser whose lust for hot dogs, whiskey, females and late hours would keep him trapped in the low minor leagues, if he got even that far.

That position is misguided, because the only realistic measure of the man is to evaluate him in the context of his times. And history is clear on that: During Ruth’s era, he dominated, he changed the game, he was larger than life.

The same approach applies to countless other topics. Sometimes I will recommend an old film to a friend, like “Double Indemnity.” He or she will watch and then proceed to dismiss the heavy-handed direction, hard-boiled dialogue or the stylized acting, which will cause me to point out that, in the context of its times, that picture was groundbreaking and audacious.

All of this comes to mind because the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” considered one of the greatest albums of all time, soon will celebrate its 40th anniversary (it was released in the UK on June 1, 1967, and a day later in the U.S.). In the context of its time, “Sgt. Pepper” was a head-turning marvel. It trod new sonic territory with its experimental use of multi-track recording, with its unconventional orchestrations, with its lyrical impact both playful and profound, with its dazzling cover art and with the very sequence of the songs.

But here’s how it differs from Ruth, “Double Indemnity” and scads of other cultural landmarks: It hasn’t lost a step, it hasn’t fallen from favor. It does not need to be viewed in the context of its times in order to be appreciated. “Sgt. Pepper” is just as artistically and technically significant today as it was upon its initial release 40 years ago.

Of course, failing to view it in the context of its times would be to miss out on a lot of fun, for aficionados of popular music in general and Beatles freaks in particular.

-snip-

Taken as a whole, “Sgt. Pepper” — a collection of 13 songs that took over 700 hours to record, a rarity for its time — is acclaimed for its overall excellence and innovation, but clearly some songs have stood out. The track most often marveled over is the climactic “A Day In The Life,” which represented the start of eight-track recordings in Britain; two four-track recorders were used together, synched up. The song is an exquisite amalgam of dreamy lyricism and musical majesty. It just sounds like an important song, even though it has a simple and ethereal feel.

more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18871476/