"It was twenty years ago today"

The Beatles --Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remastered)

*****

It was more than forty-three years ago today when “Sgt. Pepper” took the world by storm, eventually becoming the most important album release ever--unsurpassed in concept, sound, songwriting and studio technology, put together by one of the greatest rock groups of all time. When it was first released on June 1, 1967, it kicked off what was considered the “Summer of Love.” With vivid tracks that were about non-violence and an extreme push towards peace and love, “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” is a concept album that sort of takes a wild turn into its own world. The eponymous first track starts off with a live audience then kicks into gear with Paul McCartney playing the electric guitar eventually giving way to their alter-ego band. “Billy Shears” (also known as Ringo Starr) lends his vocals to "With a Little Help from My Friends.” This song is a somewhat entertaining listen, but it comes off rather boring and a little basic in song structure. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was the song that still, to this day, causes controversy. Many people believe it was inspired by a popular drug in the sixties called LSD. Also if the song is initialed, you'll spell 'LSD'. Although John Lennon has said many times this song isn't about LSD, people to this day believe it to be true. However the song is still amazing whether inspired by drugs or not. The whole structure of the song is very ahead of its time. Giving a vivid picture of a child's imagination put into a very musically complex song. “Good Morning, Good Morning” is one of those songs that is usually ignored and it is often considered a throw-away song, with loud horn section and overly loud brass. The song doesn't come off pretentious more like a loud wake up call. The album sums up with “A Day in the Life”; one of the best on the album. It starts off with a slow yet steady beat, but mid way into the song the beat sort of rises and gets louder and louder. Sort of like an innocent dream turning into a nightmare. The sound then fades away and goes into Paul's vocals. Originally his part of the song was supposed to be for another song, but it was ultimately included in this song. It does sound somewhat out of place here, but when listening to it, it does make sense. With much ties to the legendary “Paul is Dead” hoax that caused everyone to back mask much of their music. This lasted until a special interview was conducted that proved Paul really wasn't dead. “Sgt. Pepper” (Remastered) brings the sound quality to a new, more exceptional standard. Each song is clear and the vocals and instruments can be heard more clearly than ever. These few tweaks have made an album released nearly forty-three years ago sound just as good as its first release in 1967. That kind of achievement is not very easy to obtain.

Devon M