In 1967 one of the most heavily influential landmark albums to ever be brought into creation came out: The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. When it came out it was an over night sensation, staying at number one in the charts for 15 weeks and 27 in the top albums. This was one hell of a way for the band to show that they could be a powerful creative force and still sell millions of albums throughout the world without having to do any more touring to promote their product (as they had retired permanently from touring the year before due to them tiring of all the screaming girls ruining the experience).
Sergeant Pepper is a concept album where all the songs are a performance from the fictitious band the album is named after which happens to be an Edwardian era themed military band. In this album The Beatles move even further away from the bubble gum pop rock kind of stuff they started with and more into the creative psychedelic music they became famous for creating in the latter part of their semi-short lived career as a group. They had been shifting that way for a while, but this is where they really took the plunge into their more innovative material.
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds has acid trip written all over it. It has an Indian flair all over the intro as well as the verses. That of course is probably due to the fact that George Harrison is playing a tanpura. John Lennon's vocals are also unusually sweet sounding, probably to add to that oozing syrup-like feel that the song is supposed to give off. Believe it or not, the song is NOT about LSD - rather it is based off a drawing done by Lennon's (at the time) young son Julian that showed the child's puppy love for a class mate with the name Lucy.
With a Little Help From My Friends might not be the most technically advanced song on the album, but who cares? Even the Ringo Starr stuff has its purpose - usually to be easy to listen to and have fun with. Plus, having Paul McCartney back him up on vocals makes it that much more pleasing to the ear. It's one of those songs that is easy to clap along to while also feeling close to your friends (the title kind of gives that one away, right?). I think the beauty is in its straightforward simplicity. It gets across a good message and makes you want to get up and join hands with friends.
Sergeant Pepper is one of those albums that has something for everyone, though if you listen to it all the way through you will still find enjoyment in being taken for the ride through this magical performance from this enchanting band - both the actual Beatles and the fake band they are playing the role of. It definitely at the very least has several Beatles classics which anyone who knows anything about them has come to know every lyric of and love over the years. This is for sure a must have.
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, by The Beatles receives 5 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Sergeant 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. Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)
13. A Day in the Life
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club/dp/B01929I77M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472200444&sr=8-1&keywords=Sergeant+Pepper
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