Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

In my last review I concluded that Revolver was not my own personal choice for the greatest album of all time, or for that matter the greatest Beatles album but I never really explained why. For the most part it was beside the point, Revolver is a brilliant album, there is so much to admire, and next to nothing to criticise, so why bother ranking it? It's part of the reason I don't give album reviews scores, they really mean nothing, what's to be learnt from giving eleven different albums 10 out of 10. Well it struck me when listening to Sgt. Pepper's what it was that Revolver lacked, that Srg. Pepper's has in spades. It's a sense of cohesion. Revolver saw the Beatles really stretching their creative muscles in different directions all at the same time, Harrison, Lennon and McCartney were all experimenting with new sounds and arrangements within their own music, so Revolver never really felt settled, it jumped about, it's a collection of fourteen brilliant tracks but not necessarily fourteen tracks that fit together naturally. Sgt. Pepper's just feels right, there's still this great sense of experimentation, and in fact every track on this album feels like a departure, a revolution in song writing at every turn, but these thirteen tracks blend together magically. The production is sublime and the song selection is unparalleled, it's wonderfully fluid and remarkably cohesive.

Now alot has been written about this record, and it has to be said that alot of it is total nonsense. The old familiar story is that the Beatles wanted to escape being the Beatles so they created the concept of a washed up pavilion band having one last stab at fame and created a concept album around this notion. This simply isn't true Sgt. Pepper's is not a concept album, the concept does not extend beyond the title track and it's reprise. Instead it was a metaphor, The Beatles definitively freed themselves from touring and immersed themselves in the creation of music. Therefore Sgt. Pepper's is more a metaphor, it's a releasing of pressure, allowing the Beatles to shed their stage characters, to be themselves and created the music they always wanted. The results were predictably mind blowing. For a record whose influence is like no other, it's remarkable that when you listen to it now it still sounds so fresh and so distinct, this record could not be by anyone other than The Beatles.

Now returning to that theme of cohesion, the albums opening is just perfect, every single time you hear the transition from raucous goofy rocker Sgt. Peppers to With A Little Help From My Friends it just sounds right. It's an incredibly deft transition, because the two tracks couldn't be more different, the thundering rhythm and the slick guitar licks of Peppers... and the charming sing song hook of With A Little Help... should be totally at odds with each other, but their not, their perfect partners. It's a stark contrast to Revolver where the beautiful Here, There And Everywhere carelessly drops into Yellow Submarine. There's a really charm to the way the music comes to this huge crescendo after this thrilling opener and it drops into the soothing tones of Ringo Star. Ringo was a perfect choice for With A Little Help... because it's a simple and heartfelt song, and that perfectly matches Ringo's character and the tone of his voice.

There are so many stand out tracks on this album, every second sounds unique but it's hard to ignore A Day In The Life. Let's face it, it's the best Beatles song, now that wasn't to contentious was it? But it just is. When that opening chord sequence chimes and Lennon comes in with the unmistakable opening gambit "I Read The News Today Oh Boy", you just know it's going to be the perfect track. It's judged to perfection, the use of the big clumsy thuds of piano is divine, and the drums pound perfectly. It highlights the best of the both the Beatles lead songwriters; Lennon's verse is gorgeous and heartbreaking and McCartney's is earthy, charming and instantly relatable. The arrangement is remarkable, there's just so much going on it's truly staggering, every time I listen to this track I hear a new scratch here or a bounce of bass there it's just doesn't get old. The uses of the orchestra is perfect the tracks conclusion sounds like a earth shaking thunder storm, like a surrealist nightmare come to life, it's beautiful and grotesque, and most of all it's truly original, nothing before or after A Day In The Life truly compares.

However A Day In The Life may shine above others but it's merely the biggest star in a bright sky. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is perhaps the definitive psychedelic track. When I think of psychedelia today that hazy swirling hypnotic guitar line immediately fills my mind. The arrangement is remarkably complex and only the chorus is in traditional 4/4 timing, but as wonderfully trippy as this track sounds, it's not the music but the lyrics that steal the show. The imagination of this track is beautiful, Lennon captures the mood perfectly and it's the opening gambit that always captivated my imagination:

"Picture Yourself In A Boat On A River,

The song creates a mood so beautifully, it's so dreamy and hypnotic, the first two lines set the scene and that final punchline is incredible, the image of a Girl with kaleidoscope eyes is just wonderous. I don't know exactly why I find it so affecting but even though it's nonsense, I know exactly what he means, and there's something beautiful about that.

In between all the mind blowing song writing, irregular song structure and experimentation, the Beatles managed to sneak in some of their sweetest and most immediate pop music. Gettin' Better feels almost hypnotic with it's thudding piano line, catchy chorus and the subliminal drone of Harrison's tambura. The track feels jolly and light but it has a dark twist lyrically;

"I Used To Be Cruel To My Woman,

And I'm Doing The Best I Can"

Gettin' Better is so light and charming you almost forget what it's actually about, yes Paul McCartney did just croon that he used to beat is girlfriend, this is no throwaway thoughtless pop delight it's so much more. Speaking of a light throwaway When I'm Sixty-Four is delightful, it's so unexpected, the arrangement is just designed to make you smile, it's so subversive. I can't imagine how people responded to it at the time, it's feels so ironic and charming at the same time. Lovely Rita flirts with folksy-show tunes and is utterly irresistible and for such a simple and charming song the arrangement is fascinatingly deep.

She's Leaving Home is another clear standout, it's so soulful and melodic and the contrast between McCartney's sorrowful verse and Lennon's ghostly chorus is truly beautiful. It's also notable as the Beatles don't play a single jot of music, it's all sung over a beautifully crafted orchestral arrangement. It's reminiscent of Eleanor Rigby, it feels equally tragic but more personal, Rigby feels like a ballad for a world a lost souls, She's Leaving Home feels intensely intimate with it's single narrative, a family trauma and an internal awakening. Musically it's so mature and meticulously crafted it's simply staggering how much McCartney and Lennon had evolved into in just four years! Its followed by Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! a Victorian circus freak show come to life. It feels both nightmarish and charming with the grinding accordian and the brutish harmonica, it draws you in, it feels utterly surreal and incredibly captivating, and it shows the extreme depth and breadth of the Beatles creativity and their talent as composers.

It's almost unimaginable that three such different, beautiful and brilliant tracks as She's Leaving Home, Mr. Kite... and Within Without You could possibly fit side by side so organically, let alone even be on the same album as each other, or be forged by the same band. Within Without You is Harrison's only entry on Sgt. Pepper's... but it easily matches up to it's peers. George Martin's string arrangement is wonderful and it seems amazing that they managed to trim this track down as it started at over thirty minutes in duration. Lyrically the track is fascinating, incorporating Hinduism and Indian philosophy sublimely into pop music, just as the music bends and swirls this is a track that will warp your mind and is a fascinating, contemplative listen;

I've always found those last few lines incredibly touching and affecting, but even if you think it's all gobbledygook it doesn't matter, as you can just sit back and enjoy the wonderful swirling arrangement.

Srg. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band really holds a special place in music history, it changed everything but I'm not here to give you a musical history lesson, what's truly important is how fresh, vibrant and unique this album still sounds today. Every track on this album feels utterly unique and totally Beatles, no other western pop bands has ever done anything like this. Sgt. Pepper's is a master-work, it channels all these divergent ideas, all this unending creativity and these deeply contrasting musical styles and brings them together divinely. Unlike Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's is more than the sum of it's parts, it's one fluid perfectly weighted album, and it's a pleasure to listen to, and best of all it contains some of the greatest and most creative pop music ever forged. Whether you want to bend you mind with Lucy In The Sky... and Within Without You, or whether you want to have a fun charming sing a long there's With A Little Help and Lovely Rita, or if you'd rather cry there's She's Leaving Home, if you want to rock there's Srg. Pepper's itself, and hell if you want a surrealistic Victorian waltz they've got that to, and best of all if you want some transcendent genius there's A Day In The Life. For too long now there's almost been a backlash against this album, it's too cliche to say it's amazing, well it's about time we all grew up because guess what, it is one of the greatest and most important albums of all time, and it always will be. Is it the Beatles finest moment? That's too tough to say, Rubber Soul is such a unique experience but this is the most creative, cohesive and important album the Beatles ever released.