The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was seen as a big step forward for The Beatles. Many looked upon it as the beginning of a new era in popular music where pop music could be more than just fun, it could be "art" too. While I do think the album deserves a lot of credit for expanding the horizons of popular music, I do think that 1966's Revolver (and to a lesser extent 1965's Rubber Soul) are somewhat overlooked in comparison.

The point is that it's not as if this album came out of nowhere. The Beatles had been progressing rapidly from 1964 through 1966 having gone from simple songs like "Can't Buy Me Love" (on 1964's A Hard Day's Night) to far more complex groundbreaking music such as "Tomorrow Never Knows" (on Revolver.)

That being said, Sgt. Pepper's did hold together as "concept" in a new way (and the songs ran together rather than there being a pause between each.) They also really pushed the boundaries of how many different styles of music could be included on a single album with songs as different as "Within You Without You" and "When I'm 64" coming one right after the other!

Even as I write this article in October of 2009 based on the fantastic new remastered stereo version of the album heard in The Beatles In Stereo Box Set and the very interesting original mono mix heard in The Beatles In Mono Box Set, I find it amazing how "arty" and "edgy" this music sounds. It's not as if popular music has continued to progress since then. In fact, I think a very strong argument can be made that it's regressed significantly to the point where garbage like American Idol is taken seriously by a great many people.

Of course "arty" and "experimental" music usually falls flat for most listeners without good musical hooks to draw them in. With The Beatles, hooks were never in short supply. While the songs on Sgt. Pepper's are great "art" music, they are also great pop music. Songs like "With a Little Help from my Friends" and "When I'm 64" are instantly catchy and invite the listener to sing along.

The album really works as a "psychedelic journey" where you are taken to various fantastic "worlds" such as the circus atmosphere of "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite," the intense philosophical Indian vibe of "Within You Without You," and the world weary album closer "A Day in the Life."

This concept is a rather loose one and mostly works because of a bit of "sleight of hand" which connects the first two songs and the last few songs. I think this is part of the reason it works so well. Most of the concept albums that have come since Sgt. Pepper's have been too "heavy handed." They're too obvious in that it's all one long story and I think that actually makes those albums a bit tiresome.

When I think of this album it's often tracks #4 and #5 that really stick out to me. I think that's because many of the other songs are so well known on their own that I have a harder time thinking of them as a part of the album (for example: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.")

These two songs are both Paul McCartney gems: "Getting Better" and "Fixing a Hole." They're brilliant songs that are not pushy in their psychedelia (but it's definitely there.) "Fixing a Hole" in particular I think is one of McCartney's finest moments. And to be sure, Sgt. Pepper's was filled with great moments for McCartney as it was largely his concept and he wrote a majority of it's songs.

The song that closes the album, "A Day in the Life," was a joint effort with John Lennon providing the verses and McCartney providing the middle bit ("woke up...") In my opinion it's the best song ever. By anyone. And it's really all the proof I need to say that anyone who says this album is "overrated" is full of crap. No album that ends with a song this brilliant can be overrated. It's impossible.