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Review Summary: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band may not be the best album of all-time, but it is the most influential Artist: The Beatles-John Lennon/Paul McCartney/George Harrison/Ringo Starr
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Date: June 1, 1967
Genre: Pop/Rock/Experimental
Label: Apple Corps
The crucifixion of music, there is before Sgt. Pepper and there is after Sgt. Pepper, and after this album everything in music would change forever. Upon listening to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the listener has to realize that the album probably isn’t the best Beatles album, Abbey Road or Revolver probably hold that title to most people, but it is, however, the most influential album of the past century. Released in June 1967, it became a worldwide critical and commercial success, spending 27 weeks at the top of the Uk charts and 15 weeks at number one on the American billboard top 200. The album also won 4 Grammy awards including album of the year, best album cover (which has now become infamous), best engineered recording, and best contemporary album. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a breath taking experience and shows The Beatles in top form at the height of their power and reign over the world.
Building off the sophistication and experimentation heard on Revolver, The Beatles took It a step further incorporating elements of genres including music hall, jazz, western classical, traditional Indian music, psychedelic, art song, and rock n roll, often all in the same song. All this experimentation could’ve been disastrous but The Beatles pull it off by keeping their focus and making all the songs flow together, where each song sounds like a logical conclusion to the previous song. They also utilize the extra instruments to become a part of the composition, vital elements if you will, that add depth to the music, and at no point on the album does the influences sound forced and that is by any measure impressive considering all the sounds that go into their songs. Another impressive aspect about the great flow of the album is that every song is different and unique from all the other songs on the album, it’s simply astounding how the band can start the album of with a hard rocking tune, Title track, and then lead off perfectly into a Ringo sung ballad, With A Little Help From My Friends, that on the surface expresses happiness and cheer, but beneath, in Lennons lyrics, shows vulnerability, it’s truly a remarkable achievement. Other examples follow on the album; Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is British psychedelic at its best, Getting Better is as cheerful as pop music gets, Being for Benefit of Mr. Kite! Is pure childish, Within You Without You opens the second part of the album with George Harrison playing his beloved sitar in an Indian style ballad, it’s surprising that all these songs could possibly ever work on an album together. Every song on the album is strong but for the final two songs that end the album, words simply can’t describe, starting with a reprise of the title track, which had lead many to the conclusion that the album is a comcept of sorts, and then as it ends it leads off into A Day in the Life, one of the best songs ever made by The Beatles, it’s an extremely haunting number that perfectly blends Lennons verse and chorus with McCartneys bridge, ending with one of the most famous final chords ever, it’s a fitting finale to the album that gives it an epic feel.
The album is truly an experience of the mind with its eclectic influences, genius compositions, and overall epic feel, it’s a near perfect album and there are arguably better Beatles albums than Sgt. Pepper, but there’s no denying the impact that it had on the world, after it there were no rules to follow. Sgt. Pepper showed everyone that rock music was a form of art and should be treated like a form of art; it’s a bold and majestic statement, one that changed music forever. So Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band may not be the best album of all-time, but it is by far the most influential.
Highlights
• A Day In The Life
• With A Little Help Form My Friends
• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
• Within You Without You
| other reviews of this album |
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Album Rating: 5.0
Im happy with this review
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Review is well-written but doesn't say anything new about the album
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I compared it to the crucifixion...thats new! lol
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
The point of my review tho is that its not the beatles best work, its just the most influential..that was mainly the point i was trying to get across. thanx for saying it was well written tho.
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Good review, pos. Doesn't matter if it doesn't say anything new, it's your review. Write whatever you
like.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Thank you!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Good review, if a bit unnecessary. Have a pos.
Perhaps, you could divide the middle segment into a few more paragraphs. As it is, it seems a bit like a wall of text. Additionally, in the middle paragraph, a few of the sentences run on a bit, it would be a bit easier to read if they were broken up into more sentences.
For example:
Another impressive aspect about the great flow of the album is that every song is different and unique from all the other songs on the album. It’s simply astounding how the band can start the album of with a hard rocking tune, Title track, and then lead off perfectly into a Ringo-sung ballad, With A Little Help From My Friends. On the surface, this song expresses happiness and cheer, but beneath, in Lennons lyrics, shows vulnerability-a remarkable achievement. Other examples follow on the album: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is British psychedelic at its best, Getting Better is as cheerful as pop music gets, Being for Benefit of Mr. Kite! is pure childish, and Within You Without You opens the second part of the album with George Harrison playing his beloved sitar in an Indian style ballad. It’s surprising that all these songs could possibly ever work on an album together.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Good point. Thanx for the pos.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
this album is incredible in it's influence. it's not a stretch to assume rap, electronic music and all forms of pop and rock followed it..great review man, poz'd
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I agree. they influenced everybody! THEYRE THE BEATLES! thanx man
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I sure do love this album!
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
then you have good taste in music
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I approve of this review
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Thanx
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I think just because an album has influence it doesn't make it immediately 5-worthy. I hold it at a 4 because it's a really good album, but not my favourite Beatles record - Rubber Soul is my favourite.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
It's a classic in every sense of the word! It changed the way music was made! Every Beatles album, with the exception of yellow submarine and let it be, deserve a classic status, they're all essential albums.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
See, I disagree. I love the band, but blindly giving their discography 5s is unnecessary and a little naive. The Beatles were not without their faults, like every other band.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I understand your opinion, i dont agree with it, but were all diffrent so thanx for providing your insight.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Well, thank you for being a non-troll new user. Always good to have fresh blood on Sputnik and it's clear you have a love for both music and writing. Cheers, Alex.
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alex: all the beatles albums are "classic" in a sense, but you take the rating too literally. music ratings here generally boil down right to the content of the album and how good it is.
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