Revisiting the Beatles Albums: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

If you read my post about Revolver, you already know that I believe that, despite what many a Rock critic believes, Revolver is the best Beatles album of all time.  In fact, if you stay tuned as I write about the rest of the Beatles catalogue, you’ll find out that I think Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band isn’t even second best. 

That doesn’t mean its not a great album.  It doesn’t mean it it’s not groundbreaking.  It is.  But the the build up of hype around it over the past 40 years is, in my opinion, a bit over the top. 

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One thing did stand out about revisiting Sgt. Peppers, the song “Good Morning, Good Morning” has never sounded so good.  The remastering of it really brought out the the layers in it as well as of the studio produced textures in songs like “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “Lovely Rita”.

My problem with Sgt. Peppers really comes from the fact that its not super listenable straight through.  Every listen has at least one, two, or even 3 songs that you hit the next button on. But the question to ask yourself is this: Are those songs really so boring or is it that I just want to get on to “A Day in the Life”?

“A Day in the Life” has got to be one of the best 10 songs of all time.  There is nothing to hate about it and only things to love. They lyrics provoke thought and by the time you reach the end and the famous final chord, the fade out gives you space to process all those thoughts. Every great song stimulates extreme emotion of one kind or another, “A Day in the Life” just happens to be the one that incorporates 60 seconds of time to allow you to drive deep into the meaning of those emotions.