ALBUM REVIEW: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    1966 proved to be The Beatles' most exhausting and chaotic year of their career up to that point. Further tours for the band had not only gradually become less about the music, but had even began to be a threat to the lads' lives - threatening telegraphs were sent to the group prior to their visit to Japan, and their now infamous trip to Manila in the Philippines is well documented. In the United States, John Lennon was in hot water over a highly publicized comment in which he said "we're more popular than Jesus, now", leading to Beatle record burnings, threats from the KKK, and in a roundabout way John's own death. After the experimental Revolver album, The Beatles' went through the motions of a summer tour around the United States - it was their third US tour, and it proved to be their final. From then-on, The Beatles were a studio group, and just as Paul got a unique idea about an Edwardian military band. Sgt. Pepper's, while arguably not as experimental as Revolver nor as tight as albums like Abbey Road or Rubber Soul, has become The Beatles' defining moment - the "greatest album ever made" on many critic aggregates. While you could argue for or against this album amongst The Beatles' greatest statement, it's hard to deny not only its impact on pop culture, but its brilliant execution and presentation that still makes Sgt. Pepper's a lovely journey to this day.

    One of the things I hear somewhat about this album nowadays is the retroactive removal of that "concept album" label, the very thing that's made Sgt. Pepper's one of the most influential releases ever - well, is it? For those out of the loop, Sgt. Pepper's is The Beatles choosing to not be The Beatles ostensibly - suspension of disbelief is key to the idea that you are not hearing The Beatles, but Sgt. Pepper's Band. I personally feel that people misunderstand this release, that since it sounds like The Beatles, the concept is a failure - I don't think this is the case. First, songs like "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" or "When I'm Sixty-Four" were brand new territory for the group (as were the unrelated non-album songs in "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", but I digress). Second, after many listens to the album, the general "ethos" of that fake band feels very alive here. It's more than the crowd noises during songs like the title track or "Within You Without You" or the introduction of Billy Shears on "With a Little Help From My Friends" (which contains Ringo's best vocal performance, by the way), but a general atmosphere that feels very singular amidst their catalog, and one that creates its own distinct and almost zany world - a world of girls with kaleidoscope eyes, meter maids, men from the motor trade, and of course Mr. Kite - and the album is all the better for it.

     This is all without mentioning the caliber of the album's quality, and it is an incredibly diverse and explorative album. It may even be more diverse and playful than the material on Revolver at points, although that is still up to some contention - still, it's hard to hear material like the rich harmonies of "Getting Better", the heartbreaking tale of "She's Leaving Home", and John's most experimental cuts in "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and not see an album that's pushing the boundaries of what The Beatles can do in the studio yet again. The influence of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds isn't lost on the group either, and while I could draw parallels from songs like "She's Leaving Home" to moments like "Caroline, No", it's not all that necessary - plus, it's not like Pet Sounds influencing the recordings at hand makes Sgt. Pepper a lesser "greatest album", as I've heard some people say (by that logic, Rubber Soul disavows Pet Sounds). Still, listen to the more complex harmonic moments on the album and try not to see where that influence comes in. Paul's first real dive into his vaudeville leanings shine on "When I'm Sixty-Four", and it will hardly be the last - John called it "granny music", but I'll be damned if it isn't hell of a lot of fun. George's Indian tinged "Within You Without You" is musically rich and more interesting than "Love You To" on Revolver, and other moments like "Fixing a Hole" or "Good Morning Good Morning" feel like expansions on The Beatles' signature blend of psychedelic rock ("Fixing a Hole" sits as one of my favorite cuts from this album). It all leads up to the climactic finale of "A Day in the Life", which still stands in many ways as The Beatles' crowning moment, more often than not their greatest song - while it isn't my favorite, it's hard to deny the brilliance and complexity at hand. I'll never forget my first time hearing that final build-up into that last chord. Few things are like it.

    There really is something magic about Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, even if the record signifies the end of an era in some ways for the group - soon after this release, Brian Epstein would suddenly pass away, assuredly beginning the path for The Beatles' break-up. Of course, as it stands on this album, this is a group at the top of their game, all too eager to put greater emphasis into the artistry of their work, and... well the results speak for themselves, eh? Sgt. Pepper's has remained as enduring as it is not just because of its continuous influence, nor its colorful audience on the album cover that still screams "summer of love" all these years later, but because the music still stands amongst The Beatles' greatest musical accomplishments. Hell of a show if you ask me.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.