Posted on 05/31/2007 11:32:45 PM PDT by MassRepublicanFlyersFan
It was 40 years ago today.
Ah, you knew the story would start like that. What other way to begin?
June 1, 1967. That's when "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" hit the streets in the United Kingdom, a day later in the United States, and hit the consciousness of the pop world like a dose of something strange in the Kool-Aid.
It was the eighth (British) Beatles album but also the beginning of a new chapter for the band and for a popular culture entering into the Summer of Love and a period of heightened experimentation with music, fashion, sex, drugs, politics and flowers.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
I always dug Rubber Soul and Revolver a whole lot more .
An example of the tremendous popularity of the band that they could sell crap like this.
it was all about lucy in the sky with diamonds....
I can't think of a rap song that I'll be humming along with 40 years from now.... there is no "melody" that sticks with you.
Paperback Writer to Michelle to Yesterday to Help to Twist and Shout to Norwegian Woods.... they all had distinct melodies. I think McCarthy, Lennon and Harrison wrote some great tunes... even Ringo had a couple of good tunes in him.
I'm not a "fan" but I appreciate some of the stuff they put out. As far as "causes"...... well as far as what they thought about politics or war or whatever..... they were good musicians.
Oh my heavens, I feel old!!! I was just almost 13 years old when this album came out. “Fixing A Hole” is one of my favorites, and still one of the most plaintive songs I’ve ever heard. I still don’t have this one on CD; must rectify that. I’ll have my kids get it for me for my birthday in July!
It is of some small satisfaction to me that, by an accident of my year of birth, in my dotage the last boomer will have finally died and we can all finally stop talking about the Sixties.
Great concept album, explored different musical styles,
emotions, world views ,etc...very advanced for
“roll-n-roll”....blew everyone away basically...
stretched all the limits...not my favorite album,
but I made sure I have a CD, cause it’s easily
the most creative (IMHO) “rock” album.
It’s not the best Beatles and it’s still better than 90% of the crap that comes out now.
I always was a Beatles fan and remain one.
I agree with you that their strength was in their melodies. They had a light, common touch, and really, they weren’t even rock and roll for the most part, although they could do rock and roll. They weren’t heavy or loud. Even their words weren’t that aggressive.
I think for the most part I’d describe them as hum-alongs, ditties, something like that.
If Lennon actually saved one life through his songs then fine, but he didn’t.
Yeah, not all of us are so sophisticated though.
The record that killed rock and roll. The Beatles playing as some other band and a lot of poor imitations from other bands followed.
Rock left and “artistic expression” began. What artwork would you point to in the last 40 years as culturally significant and a high point?
You CANT hum a rap tune because the hook is always lifted from some other hit song and looped looped looped.
RAP is spoken word. You might as well look for those holdouts reciting Jim Morrison’s POEMS.
John Lennon couldn’t even negotiate peace with his old PAL Paul McCartney. World peace begins on the personal level. He proclomation of “peace if you want it” requires that the ENEMY who don’t believe in concepts like “war crimes” lay down their weapons TOO.
The Godfather?
???? “killed rock and roll”? nonsense.
“A Day in the Life” and “A Little Help From My Friends” were certainly classics.
I can’t ever get into The Beatles. Some of their stuff is alright, but give me The Rolling Stones any day of the week. I think I might have this CD because it is one you have to have to understand the history of rock as much as anything else.
I would take exception to that, as I can think of one life he may have saved.
Yoko.
He was killed, left her his fortune. Without that, she would have starved to death and saved us all from her unmerciful screaming and lunatic rantings.
Lennon-McCartney were the ultimate team, IMHO. Together they achieved greatness, platinum, Grammies, a fortune.
Separately though?
Lennon turned into an 'artist' who's self indulgent actions produced a few memorable songs and a lot of lunacy.
McCartney, w/o Lennon was lost and allowed to wander into a musical realm that was immensely popular with the under 14 crowd. Catchy tunes, nice melodies, meaningless lyrics. All totally forgettable.
I loved ther music, but I didn’t care for their life styles and the politics of the group. If it was anyone I had a favor for it was George.
I didn’t like their early stuff. It was all ‘Yeah - Yeah’. Their later stuff was good, but you’ll never hear any of it on a Classic Rock station.
For me- The album stunk but boy was it hyped and fawned over. I prefered The Stones ,Yardbirds, Animals
I totally agree, I accept the Beatles for what they were but have never really listned to their music passionately, they just don't cut the mustard.
For me it's The Stone Roses everytime the greatest band that never were, Americans probably never heard of them!
While I agree with everything else you said.... IMHO, Ringo had ZERO good tunes in him.
He kept a fabulous beat, though.
The Rolling Stones are the best live band ever, but they can’t touch The Beatles on record.
“It’s not the best Beatles and it’s still better than 90% of the crap that comes out now.”
Succinctly and correctly stated.
Nothing will top sitting in a movie theater with my older teenage sisters, packed full of teenage girls watching “A Hard Days Night”. They literally screamed at the top of their lungs throughout the entire movie. Never experienced anything close to it since. Makes all sporting event crowds seem like whipped puppies in comparison. I think a few of them even fainted if I am not mistaken.
Sgt Peppers album is crap ? wow
I’d say better then %100 of the total crap thats been out for the last 20 years
Funny that all 3 bands you mention would probably say it was a huge influence on them .
I remember reading that The Beatles considered themselves to be in a sort of artistic competition with The Beach Boys, specifically Brian Wilson. The Beatles were so blown away with Pet Sounds in 1966, they conceived of Sgt. Pepper as a means of ‘topping’ Pet Sounds.
>>>>I think McCarthy, Lennon and Harrison wrote some great tunes... even Ringo had a couple of good tunes in him.<<<<
Who’s McCarthy?
Wow, man! “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was a revolutionary document for spaced-out acid heads.
How can anyone fail to be moved to action by this: “Lucy in the sky with diamonds?”
Like, man, where’s the barricades? Let’s bring down “the man.”
Eat your hearts out, John Stark and John Parker.
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes! Then fire low!” is minimal. Had the men at Bunker Hill heard “ Lucy in the sky with diamonds” instead, the war could have been over in, like, two weekends...man.
Hey Alice, lighten up. Its just music.
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Yep, the pre-acid stuff at its peak. The Beatles were always into drugs (ever notice Lennon holding the bottle of Coke to his nose and sniffing in 'A Hard Day's Night'?). But once they started tripping the world changed.
No way did Sgt Pepper influence the best work by the Stones, Animals and Yardbirds. The Stones put out “Satanic Majesties Request” which was Pepper influenced. That album was sub par. The Stones then got back on track, putting out a string of 5 great albums ending with Exile. Exile and Sticky Fingers don’t have one darn thing to do with that over rated Sgt Pepper. Which actually sucked big time. For me at least. I could never bear listening to a single song
I remember reading that The Beatles considered themselves to be in a sort of artistic competition with The Beach Boys, specifically Brian Wilson. The Beatles were so blown away with Pet Sounds in 1966, they conceived of Sgt. Pepper as a means of ‘topping’ Pet Sounds.
Pepper was Paul’s idea. John was in the midst of his prolonged writer’s block, Paul brought this to him as a vehicle to take the pressure off being “The Beatles”. Most of the album is Paul songs, thus the bass heavy melody lines.
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You had to be there. That might seem trite but it's true. The Beatles were miles and miles ahead of everyone else, the most cutting edge band ever. But, what was once cutting edge always becomes familiar and eventually boring to those who were not around at the inception.
The Stones never did anything as innovative or risky as Lennon/McCartney. They just made themselves the best rock&roll band ever. That's why they endure.
I have to think that Yoko was and is historically significant, if only for this reason:
One morning John Lennon wakes up, looks over at Yoko, and has an epiphany. He says to himself "I broke up the most popular band in the world...for this?!? Somebody shoot me!"
And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Stones were a R&B band and had no interest in the Acid or Progressive rock movement.
The closest they ever swayed in that direction was “Sympathy for the Devil” and maybe “Emotional Rescue”.
Muddy Waters, Bo Didly, were more of an influence on them than the Beatles. James Brown was also a huge inspiration on them.
Sgt. Pepper makes me think of the pied piper leading children into the sea. It needn’t have been an LSD advertisement but that’s how they liked it dressed up. Beautiful New Age perversion, verging on the satanic. “Sometimes Satan Comes As A Man Of Peace”, Dylan later wrote.
The Hendersons will all be there, late of Pablo Fangues fair, what a scene!.......
The Stones were a R&B band and had no interest in the Acid?.......RU kidding?......
Re-read what I wrote.........
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