It was 40 years ago today

I know a lot of people say that. I just don't get it.
I bought Rubber Soul and Revolver at the same time, knowing a lot of people said that's when the Beatles came into their own (and they were right) and those were perhaps their two best albums.
Rubber Soul is good. You can see them no longer being that early, bubble-gum band that sang almost nothing but love songs.
But Revolver is like Rubber Soul taken to a whole other level.
To me, it isn't even close between those two.
In fact, I'll put Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's and The Beatles (the White Album) all ahead of Rubber Soul.

 

The White Album isn't even really a Beatles album. It's the four of them, each with the other three as session players.
Revolver, for me.
But Pepper changed the world. It changed how albums were made, and what you would get played on the radio. There is no question that it is far and away the most influential album of that period -- more than Pet Sounds because, frankly, the Beatles meant more than the Beach Boys ever did.

 

Pepper influenced the culture a lot more (I'm not even sure Pet Sounds has reached platinum yet). But Pet Sounds influenced musicmakers more than Pepper did.

 

I was delivering pizzas, listening to the radio and grinning at the very same line.

 

It's hard to separate the cultural impact from the music on Sgt. Pepper. I don't think it's close to their best album (I'd pick Revolver) -- in fact, it's not even my favorite Beatles album of 1967. I'll take Magical Mystery Tour. Certainly, though, Sgt. Pepper is a Work Of Great Art, and Magical Mystery Tour is just the music from a crappy movie.

I'm not sure the Philly writer is wrong. I'd probably go with "Are You Experienced?" for the best of 1967.

 

So that means it was 60 years ago today Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play.

 

On my way home tonight from work, Deep Tracks (XM 40) also referenced the 40-year anniversary of this album and played Day in the Life.

The E Major chord at the end of that song is one of the best chords to turn up the volume to.

 

The CD version even plays the dog-whistle at the end.

 

By big picture, I hope to hell you don't mean the colossal fuckup of a movie.

 

Count me in as a Revolver guy. I won't deny Sgt. Pepper's cultural impact, but there's a higher percentage of unlistenable songs (Within You, Without You, Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, Fixing A Hole, never been a huge fan of When I'm 64) on that album than any from their post Help! period that drags it down in hindsight. Revolver has zero songs in that vein.

Maybe it's because I've never listened to it on acid.

Post Help!, I'd rate 'em: 1. Revolver; 2. White Album; 3. Abbey Road; 4. Magical Mystery Tour; 5. Rubber Soul; 6. Let It Be (I like a lot of the songs, even with the Specter treatment); 7. Sgt. Pepper's.

When you rate seventh in that bunch, it's still a pretty damn good album.

Get back! Get back I say!

 

I hadn't really listened to Revolver since, maybe, 1974.

My wife bought the CD (old school) a while back and I have been giving it a careful and repeated listen.

I really can't argue with anything about it that's been said here.