The Rewind Button is a group blogging project instigated by Rachel Tynan. As part of her New Years’ Resolutions for 2012, she set out to listen to Rolling Stone’s top 50 albums of all time. I thought it would be fun if a group of bloggers listened to the same albums at the same time, then posted their reactions. Starting today, we’re going through the Top 40 and will be continuing with a new album every Thursday. Want to join in? We’d love to have you. Email me if you have a blog, or just offer up your two cents in my comments area below.
This week: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beatles’ psychedelic phase was incredibly hard to interpret as a child. My parents had this in their record collection. The album cover alone made me question whether their claims to have “never done drugs” were true.
Between Sgt. Pepper and Monty Python, I had the impression that Britain in the ’60s was altogether otherworldly and consisted primarily of cardboard cutout people. Clearly LSD had replaced sugar in their afternoon Tetley.
I’d say that I’m more of an early Beatles fan, but re-listening to this album in its entirety (four times) gave me a new appreciation for how ground breaking Sgt. Pepper really was. It’s such a strange and daring departure from their early songs – a real potpourri of classical orchestration, experimental recording techniques, rock and annoying Sitar.
Some of the songs sound like they belong on an earlier Beatles album (Getting Better), while others sound like they belong on a “Best of Bikram Yoga” compilation (Within You Without You). Waking up to the distorted horns in Good Morning seems like a contradiction, but who doesn’t get a bit verklempt when they listen to When I’m Sixty-Four?
Also, I’d never heard She’s Leaving Home - at least not so intentionally – but it’s a sweet and meaningful little moment from the parents’ perspective. My theory on why she’s leaving home: Dad has taken up the Sitar.
To summarize:
Best song: A Day in the Life
Worst song: Within You Without You
Raddest Lyric: “Over men and horses hoops and garters
Lastly through a hogshead of real fire!” – Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Worth dusting off? Always.
Who else rewound Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?
Also posting in the series:
http://www.gradstudentbyday.blogspot.com/
http://sarahkelsey.posterous.com/
NEXT WEEK’S ALBUM: PET SOUNDS – THE BEACH BOYS
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This is such an awesome project! Best of Bikrams – great line. It’s the same Sitar you might listen to whilst smoking hookah on Davie…
I agree with you, Reb, “Within You Without You” is the worst song on the album. And I’m a huge George Harrison fan. I’ve just never really liked this song.
And there’s more sitar in our future with these reviews.
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