Didn’t see a thread on this yet, forgive me if I missed it, but June 1, 1967 saw quite possibly the most recognized, influential, immitated and beloved album of the 60s-- or at the very least, of 1967.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Side 1:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
With a Little Help from My Friends
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Getting Better
Fixing a Hole
She’s Leaving Home
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Side 2:
Within You Without You
When I’m Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita
Good Morning Good Morning
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
A Day in the Life*
What’s your favorite track? What’s your least favorite?
My fav: Getting Better
Least fav: She’s Leaving Home
Although I still appreciate its innovation and “importance” for its time, I’ve found that musically, the appeal Sgt. Pepper has not endured quite as well for me over time as some of the Beatles’ other albums, like Revolver and Abbey Road. Even the remixed version on CD has a rough, tinny quality to the sound in many songs (possibly intentional), and their harmonizing is not at its best.
Still, there are great songs. “A Day in the Life,” although I’m a bit tired of it. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.” “Fixing a Hole,” and “Lovely Rita” are great examples of McCartney managing whimsy without sappiness.
Could never bear “Good Morning, Good Morning,” and “She’s Leaving Home” is the worst sort of schmaltz.
I agree. To me this is just absolutely a bad song-- not just a bad Beatles song, which 9 times out of 10 is still better than a lot of other stuff out there. But this is absolutely a horrible, horrible song that should never have been on this album, or any other album by any other band.
Anyway, at least in the context of the album (and arguably, Sgt. Pepper was the album that made people start considering songs in the context of the album), my favorite track is “A Day In the Life,” while my least favorite is “Within You Without You” (I think it runs too long and throws off the pace of the album).
Its probably the album of theirs that has dated most badly from that period in the Beatles brief career, but it is still very listenable and enjoyable.
Think: in 1967, was anybody waxing nostalgic and planning to gather artists of the day to remake the great popular work of 1927? I think not, at least not on the same scale.
BTW: Day in the Life on top, Within You, Without You on the bottom, although I think it’s one of George’s better Indian-influenced works.
I just listened to this for the first time yesterday.
Songs I liked (in album order)
-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
-With A Little Help From My Friends
-Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
-Getting Better
-Fixing a Hole
-Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
-When I’m Sixty-Four
-Sgt. Pepper’s (reprise)
Songs I’m Neutral About:
-She’s Leaving Home
-Lovely Rita
Songs I Didn’t Like:
-Within You Without You
-Good Morning Good Morning
-A Day in the Life
Top Pick: When I’m Sixty-Four/Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (tie)- two upbeat, vaudevillian songs, though Mr. Kite is a little more trippy than Sixty-Four.
I was looking at the track listing and I had a really hard time picking a least favorite. It is one of those very rare albums that doesn’t have any “misses” IMO.
My favorites:
*
Lovely Rita
Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite*
If I had to pick one song to leave off the album, it would be Within You Without You. I do rather like the song, but as has been previously pointed out it doesn’t seem to “fit” with the rest of the songs on the album.
Standout: Within You Without You - A nice break from the inane la-la-la baby Brit pop of the time.
Worst (We have to pick just 1?):
-Getting Better - Fluff. With poor harmonies
-She’s Leaving Home - Precursor to the rise of David Geddes
-When I’m Sixty-Four - I can’t stand novelty pop, especially unintended novelty pop
-A Day in the Life - What a great idea! A never-ending final note (Sonic Youth’s EVOL notwithstanding)
Optimistically Speaking: If it weren’t for Sgt. Pepper’s, there’d be no We’re Only In It For The Money.
Favourite: When I’m Sixty-Four, A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, and With A Little Help From My Friends.
Least favourite: Like everybody else, not a big fan of Within You/Without You–I think Love Me Too does it much better.
