SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

For 1967, this was amazing and groundbreaking. Listening to it in a bedroom 40 years later, groundbreaking is far from the first word that comes to my mind. I was thinking more along the lines of extremely dated and tired sounding. Must of been the drug references talking to the masses back in the day...

The title track starts off this album, and it is sort of a tale about a mock rock n' roll band. Fairly good, their isn't a lot of substance past the basics. "With A Little Help From my Friends" is one of my favorite songs off of this album, even if I do prefer the later Joe Cocker version to this one. An excellent semi-ballad about the importance of friendship, this is one of the few songs that still seems to have a relevant meaning in today's' world. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is about as subtle a drug reference song as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lake Shore Drive". Forget about peer pressure, if you can't resist thinking about LSD after this song you should get a handshake. Really dated and boring 40 years later however, and it wasn't all that interesting to start with. "Getting Better" is an okay song, not too great but nothing to laugh at either. That's the case with most of these songs, pretty neutral. "Fixing A Hole" and "She's Leaving Home" are two absolutely horrendous songs. They have almost no melody and the worst lyrics to grace paper and later sound. Please do yourself a favor and skip these songs.

"Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite" is a jolly little tune that makes excellent use of circus style calliopes and organs. One of my favorites off of the album, no doubt about it. "Within You, Without You" is the only George Harrison composition on the entire album, and I'm glad so. This is another horrible song, and the although the Eastern influences were a symbol of the times they really didn't fit too well into a Beatles song without completely destroying the intended sound. "When I'm Sixty-Four" is another over the top poppy and upbeat songs, which ends up making me more and more annoyed every time I hear it. Just gets on my nerves, and I'm sure other people share the same feels about this song. "Lovely Rita" is one of only two songs on the album that actually strike me as very good. This is an excellent little ballad of sorts, and I always seem to think of this track during Beatles discussions. I doubt this song will ever lose my interest. "Good Morning Good Morning" is a barrage of sounds in the beginning, and once again instead of giving me that fluttery feeling as intended, I just get rather annoyed. The reprise of the title track is just the very same thing with a little heavier guitar and outro lyrics instead of intro ones. Much better than the original. "A Day In The Life" is the second song off of this album that I really, really like. A great mix of psychedelia and Paul McCartney's school boy blues, no other song could end this album like "A Day In The Life" could. Perfect song.

I just do not understand the hype. Rolling Stone says it is the #1 Rock N' Roll album of all time. I think not! Most of this album is useless, over the top crap. Honestly, I can't think of another way to say it. They were trying too hard to appeal to the masses instead of focusing on their musicianship and the overall quality. This is no album to get excited about, trust me. Two stars, but only because of "Lovely Rita", "A Day In The Life", and "With A Little Help From My Friends".