MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

Great album although created by a double EP to which were added three singles, the last five songs. It doesn't have a compact, linear sequence of songs, like a real album. Even the first six pieces, featured in the film of the same name, are very heterogeneous and don't flow to perfection as in other Beatles LPs, where they managed to create a sequence that works while combining completely different tracks (both Revolver with Love You To-Here, There ...-Yellow Submarine, both Sgt Pepper with Being... ' Within you... ' When I am 64).

In MMT, for example, the sequence from the third to the fifth song is not fluid, and features weak pieces, which make up the least successful part of the album. In practice, the middle part of the first side is weak, similar to the middle part of Sgt. Pepper's second side. Note that in the double Ep the sequence of the 6 tracks of the film is different, and more appropriate. As with Sgt Pepper, it's McCartney who has taken over the reins of the group and in fact of the six songs of the film, three are his own (MMT, The Fool On The Hill, Your Mother Should Know), one is written by the whole group (Flying), one by Lennon (I Am The Walrus) and one by Harrison (Blue Jay Way).

In no other album Macca's dominance over Lennon is so overwhelming. On side B, Lennon partially rebalances the situation as three of the five singles added are his.

The first two songs work and try to replicate the beginning of Sgt Pepper: a free-range song that serves as the beginning of a variety show (the Magical Mystery Tour) and a melodic song that follows to perfection and with excellent results. Then, as mentioned, the sequence of the three weakest songs, and then the first absolute masterpiece, "I Am The Walrus".

Very orchestrated album, winds and violins are decisive in all the major songs, and very psychedelic album, with electronic elements. After the single "Hello Goodbye" came the A and B sides of the two 1967 singles. "Strawberry" is Lennon's other absolute masterpiece always with the help of George Martin. But if we add "Penny Lane" and "The Fool On The Hill" it turns out that on this album there are 4 masterpieces, two each for John and Paul (John's are greater for the sophisticated and avant-garde arrangement).

Two good songs remain, one each, the anthem "All You Need Is Love" and "Hello Goodbye". For the rest, there's a more than decent Harrison song and a Paul vaudeville of the same quality. There are also two songs under tone: "Flying" and "Baby You Are A Rich Man": they don't hold, at the quality level, with the rest of the album.

In detail: 1) Magical Mystery Tour (7+). Song with winds that seems like a landing, a bit repetitive, the structure that imposes that frenetic rhythm leaves little space for digressions, more than anything is the singing that tries to fit in. Refined piano tail.

2) The Fool on The Hill (8.5). McCartney's melodic masterpiece, original arrangement, ocarina and rhythm that looks like a train to support a delicious singing and melody.

3) Flying (6+). Almost instrumental song, it is the third gear in a row, if you consider the rhythmic part of The Fool. The voices are the background, creating a goliardic chorus. Unnecessarily long and eager ending, considering the brevity of the song.

4) Blue Jay Way (7.5). Slow psychedelic, hypnotic, atmospheric song, which makes in music the expectation of which is spoken in the text. It's a kind of psychedelic folk, with violin in evidence. Ending too long and repetitive.

5) Your Mother Should Know (7+). It's the first easy, catchy, vaudeville song with a nice piano turn, which replaces the chorus. McCartney lightens the gloomy atmosphere of the previous two songs.

6) I Am The Walruss (9.5). Electronic start with string accompaniment, treated voice; Delirious ending with disjointed voices worthy of a horror movie where walking zombies rise up. Absolute masterpiece by Lennon and masterpiece of production by George Martin. Song almost electronic but with an arrangement of violins (and winds at times) fantastic that will inspire Jeff Lynne's ELO. Beautiful, filtered singing.

7) Hello Goodbye (7.5/8). Folk song with very original arrangement, repetitive text, great work on drums and violin, interspersed with sour guitars. Very exuberant tail with Polynesian rhythm. Overall, a song with a too easy melody that is ennobled by the finds of the arrangement.

8) Strawberry Fields Forever (9+). Lennon-Martin's second absolute masterpiece. Start in muted, orchestral arrangement that develops with continuous sound finds, where both the strings and the winds alternate decorating Lennon's voice of very changing and expressive sounds. The final progression of the drums looks like that of a train that increases speed and then fades with the guitar solo. The fade has a psychedelic tail where the train seems to return, transfigured. Great song.

9) Penny Lane (8.5) McCartney's melodic melodic pop masterpiece. Beautiful text, beautiful music, beautiful instrumental pieces with trumpet.

10) Baby You're a Rich Man (6.5). It's a weak piece that's a big hit on the album because of the different sound compared to the other songs. It is a song with a rather strange and unsuccessful arrangement: vocals in the background, intrusive and confusing percussion that cover the melody drawn by the clavioline, the precursor instrument of the synthesizer. Missed opportunity. One of the few Beatles songs ruined by the production. Nice chorus (by McCartney, while the verses are by Lennon).

11) All You Need Is Love (7.5/8). Orchestral pop song in which Lennon's meditative lyrics sung in the verses, with beautiful string melody, strides with the emphasis of the winds in the chorus, very catchy. Anthem piece, detached from rock, a bit rhetorical. Brilliant final queue in which the Beatles take liberties within a song a little cast.

Medium Quality of the songs: 7.82. Rating: 9. Little Masterpiece. Five Stars.