MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

Progressive rock took a giant leap forward with this way-ahead-of-its-time album. The Fab 4 had hinted at this in "Revolver" and "Sgt. Peppers" but now, with the help of certain stimulants (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) they immersed themselves in unlimited experimentation without regard to popular opinion or approval and the result shows why these guys are rightly considered Proto-prog. Just listen to "Strawberry Fields" and tell me that it didn't make every keyboard player in the world crave to get his fingers on a Mellotron. Other songs like the title cut, "Fool on the Hill," "Flying," "Blue Jay Way," and the incredible wonderful fantastic "I am the Walrus" truly inspired groups like Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis to veer off the beaten path and create their own musical universes. Of that I am convinced. "Penny Lane" is a timeless model of perfect songwriting and arrangement. "Baby you're a rich man" and "All you need is love" are simply amazing for a thousand reasons. These songs may seem ordinary/passe these days but when they were first unleashed on the listening public it was like hearing music from another planet. To those who think The Beatles are overrated I can only offer my condolences for your deceased spirit of discovery. If you happen to think that these guys are only truly represented by songs like "I Want to Hold Your Hand" then I invite you to sit and listen to this album with an open mind and then reassess your opinion of them. If you are a fan then you already know how great this collection of songs is. This album alone opened a hundred new doors for a million musicians.