There is lots of Beatles news going on these days. Rumours are that Paul McCartney is getting married this year in a secret ceremony to his new American sweetheart. Ringo has a new album out and has apparently found God after many decades. The John Lennon museum in Japan is closing down after 10 years. And George... well, okay I don't have any George news.
But it's time to re-invigorate the intent of this blog as a music appreciation source, and what better than to pick up where I left off with the Beatles. I wrote an article claiming that the Beatles' Sgt Pepper is the most overrated album in the history of music, and I've received a lot of flack for that. But I stand by my statements: Beatles Sgt Pepper Overrated
However I've been listening to Pepper a lot and I think it's time I sung it's praises a bit as well, lest my readers think I am not the Beatles-bleeding fan that I actually am.
It's not that 'Pepper' is not great, it's just that it's got a few holes that need fixing, next to the bright spots. Let's talk about those bright spots. "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" is easily one of the best Beatles songs, a truly inspired (and drug-induced I suppose) wonder from the fertile minds of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. There are some other songs from the 60s that paint this sort of colorful dreamscape, but none do it with the panache and combination of childlike wonder and professional songwriting sophistication that you find on this track. And unlike some other Pepper tracks that I have a problem with, LSWD is served perfectly by the production stylings and overuse of stereo on this track, as it is meant to shock and surprise the listener by virtue of its sonics as well as it's lyrical imagery and melodic bouncing.
Another track on Pepper that is not widely discussed is the opener of Side 2 (back when there were actually sides), and that is the brilliant George Harrison composition "Within You, Without You". Many people are bored by this tune because it is really not a Beatles song (none of the other Beatles even played on it), and doesn't quite fit the rest of the album because it is so exotic-sounding. However, as I've gotten older this track has really seeped into my soul, for reasons having to do with the complex musical mix going on in it, as well as the spiritual and holistic message of the words... "you will find peace of mind is waiting there.... life flows on within you and without you". I always thought he meant "without you" in the breakup sense, but now I realize he just meant inside and outside, in a spiritual sense. It's a wonderful lyric, and the indian music combined with a decidedly Western pop sensibility makes this track unique and special among any music made by the Beatles or by any other band I can think of.
Why aren't there any artists around anymore who even attempt to make music this way, by virtue of experimentation with new instruments, odd song structures, served up in a melodic pop context. Can you even name one? There's lots of little indie bands that I love who write tuneful music, but no one seems to pursue the grand ambition that the Beatles had... maybe there's not a market for it anymore, or maybe the record companies talk them out of it. And to think... the Beatles were putting out a record every 6 months at the time they made Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt Pepper.
Beatles USB Box Set
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