It was 40 years ago: TIP's special Sgt. Pepper edition

Hand-painted Fisher-Price Little People, found on eBay.

Forty years ago today (in Britain) and tomorrow (in the United States), the Beatles released what many consider their magnum opus: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

As with any other milestone, the LP is subject to much debate (see the "Is Sgt. Pepper Overrated?" post below). But, whether or not you agree that it's the best album of all-time, or even the best Beatles album, there's no denying it's among the most influential pop LPs ever--and one worth talking a bit about.

So, check out the posts here this weekend and form your own opinions about where the album belongs on the "all-time best" lists. And consider giving the album a commemorative spin, trying to put yourself in the frame of mind of what it must've sounded like for the first time, all those years ago.

Is Sgt. Pepper overrated?

It's the subject of so much discussion and hyperbole, it's no wonder some people seem to hate Sgt. Pepper. Or at least hate that the album is so frequently cited as the "first" or "best" in various categories.

But does that really mean the album is overrated? Or does it just mean that some people are tired of hearing about it?

My own point of view: The LP is not overrated. It had a significant impact on our music and culture--a greater impact than any pop record before or since.

But I also think this: It's not the best Beatles album. Look at it song-by-song as a collection, and I don't feel it contains as many great songs as Rubber Soul or Revolver, or even A Hard Day's Night.

I also don't think it's the Beatles' most innovative album. I'd give that honor to Revolver, which--in terms of new recording techniques and experimentalism--was the band's real artistic breakthrough. "Tomorrow Never Knows" from that album is far more complex and experimental than anything on Pepper.

Geoff Emerick, who took over as the band's recording engineer on Revolver deserves a lot of the credit for helping the Beatles' attain innovative new sounds in the studio. And it's his and the band's technical breakthroughs on Revolver that paved the way for Sgt. Pepper. Not to mention the open mindedness and musical know-how of Beatles producer George Martin.

And, continuing on the topic of what Pepper's not, it's not a concept album. It gets the credit/blame for being the first of the sort, but consider the songs. There's no story or big idea connecting them. The only thing tying them together is the "Sgt. Pepper" theme at the start of the record and its reprise near the end--as if all the songs on the record are being performed by the mythical band in the album's title. But, really, it's a collection of separate songs, just like any other LP.

Real concept albums had been around for a long time before Pepper. Consider Frank Sinatra's series of albums built around thematic concepts (In the Wee Small Hours, Come Fly with Me, Songs for Swinging Lovers) or even the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds from 1966, a huge influence on Revolver. The songs on Pet Sounds share an overarching theme: It's a record about alienation, loneliness, growing up and loss of innocence. And, although not a full concept album, The Kinks included three thematically related songs ("A House in the Country," "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale," and "Sunny Afternoon") on their 1966 Face to Face album.

What Pepper succeeded in doing, however, was to create its own sound world. The Beatles' imaginative use of lyrics, orchestration, recording wizardry and sound effects brings the listener into a rich and eclectic audio scape that's at turns whimsical ("Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"), surreal ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), poignant ("She's Leaving Home"), philosophical ("Within You Without You") nostalgic ("When I'm 64") and abstract ("A Day in the Life"). Using an abundance of musical styles--from straight-out guitar-based rock to chamber music, Indian classical, 30s jazz and avant garde symphonic music--along with studio trickery such as multi-tracking, vari-speeding, "flanging," the band created something captivating and uniquely their own.

And the whole world seemed to notice.

It can be argued that earlier recordings should've been hailed as the first LP to transform pop into "art" (the fact that both critics and U.S. listeners pretty much ignored Pet Sounds when it was first released is criminal), but the fact is that Sgt. Pepper was special, and it was immediately hailed as such.

The album led mainstream publications to publish serious pieces about pop music and cemented the Beatles' position as cultural leaders.

Time magazine, for example, carried a piece praising "Strawberry Fields"/"Penny Lane"--the double A-side single the preceded Pepper--saying:

From the first mewings of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the Beatles have developed into the single most creative force in pop music. And where they have gone in recent months, not even the ardent supporters would have dreamed of. They have bridged the heretofore impassable gap between rock and classical, mixing elements of Bach, Oriental and electronic music with vintage twang to achieve the most compellingly original sounds ever heard in pop music.

And, in its Sept. 22, 1967, issue Time used Pepper as a springboard for a five-page cover story about the Beatles--describing the group as "messengers from beyond rock'n'roll."

They are creating the most original, expressive and musically interesting sounds being heard in pop music. They are leading an evolution in which the best of current post-rock sounds are becoming something that pop music has never been before: an art form.

The magazine even called in experts to vouch for the music's importance:

Ned Rorem, composer of some of the best of today's art songs, says: "They are colleagues of mine, speaking the same language with different accents." In fact, he adds, the Beatles' haunting composition, "She's Leaving Home"--of 12 songs in the Sgt. Pepper album--is "equal to any song that Schubert ever wrote." Conductor Leonard Bernstein's appreciation is just as high; he cites Schumann. As musicologist Henry Pleasants says: "The Beatles are where music is right now."

Meanwhile, a review in Newsweek on June 26, 1967, said "A Day in the Life":

...is the Beatles' "Waste Land," a superb achievement of their brilliant and startlingly effective popular art."

And writing in The Saturday Review on Aug. 18, 1967, critic Peter Schrag said:

Sgt. Pepper, undoubtedly, is music; but surely it is also literature and criticism, a kind of selective filtering back from one generation to another. The comments that the record offers were grown in contemporary social thought and literature. Certainly the Beatles did not come upon them on their own. But in England and America they have now become the folklore of a generation.

And writing in The Village Voice on June 22, 1967, critic Tom Phillips said:

I must say that I think the Beatles have scored a genuine breakthrough with Sgt. Pepper. Specifically I think they've turned the record-album itself into an art form, and a form that works.

The album earned these accolades--they weren't the result of record company hype but were the genuine reactions of critics. And the record was a popular success, as well, topping the U.S. album charts for 15 weeks and the U.K. album charts for 27 weeks.

You (and I) may prefer other recordings, but it's hard to deny--or overstate--Pepper's impact.

Have you heard the "real" Sgt. Pepper?

I've got a few different Sgt. Pepper albums around here:

* An old Capitol pressing from the 70s and another, more recent Capitol pressing to replace that one because it wore out.

* A "half-speed mastered" high-fidelity version from Mobile Fidelity Soundlab.

* And, of course, the CD that came out 20 years ago.

But none of those is the real Pepper. That I have on vinyl, too, in 1967 Capitol pressing. Why is it more real than the others? Because it's in mono.

That the mono version of Sgt. Pepper is any more genuine or even more desireable than the stero version may seem odd. Afterall, don't all the way-out sounds of this record sound groovier in stereo?

And, yeah, I've got to agree the stereo mix sounds pretty darn good. But, the thing is, the mono version is the album as the Beatles intended. And it sounds quite different. It's punchier throughout. The bass comes through stronger. The "Sgt. Pepper Reprise," especially, comes through more aggressively--it rocks more. And the songs that use sound effects, such as "Good Morning, Good Morning," are mixed quite differently. In short, it's a much different listening experience and one that should be enjoyed. If you can snag a vintage mono LP, or find a homemade CD copy of the mono mix, I heartily recommend it.

And, since Apple Corps/EMI so badly dropped the ball on giving us a 40th anniversary edition of the album, let's hope they're working right now on such a project--one that will include both the stereo and mono mixes of the album.

A little more Pepper?

Learn more about the Beatles and Sgt. Pepper from these TIP!-recommended books:


The Complete Beatles Chronicle By Mark Lewisohn

With a Little Help from My Friends By George Martin with William Pearson


It Was Twenty Years Ago Today By Derek Taylor


The Beatles Anthology DVD set


The Beatles Anthology Book


Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band CD

The Pepper package

Along with it's sound, Sgt. Pepper also made a visual impact. The stunning cover by pop artist Peter Blake depicted the Beatles--decked out in brightly colored band uniforms--standing in a crowd of political, religious and pop culture icons (including their earlier selves in the form of wax dummies from Madame Tussuad's). To see who all was included, check out this annotated chart. There's also more information on each of the figures featured here.

The album cover also featured a gatefold photo of the band and, inside the sleeve, a cardboard sheet with cutouts of military shoulder stripes, a mustache, Sgt. Pepper badges and a portrait of Sgt. Pepper himself. The record came in a pop-artish LP sleeve with pink "blobs" on it created by Dutch designers the Fool and a cardboard sheet of cut-outs.



Perhaps most notably, the lyrics for every song appeared on the back cover--a rarity for the time period.

Here's a video of designers talking about Blake's cover design:

Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?

Lots of records--some good, some ok, some wretched--have been cited as the next Sgt. Pepper, but here are some of the most significant LPs that followed in the Beatles' wake:

The Rolling Stones' ill-advised flirtation with psychedelia, Their Satanic Majestie's Request, is likely the most frequently mentioned Pepper wannabe. Though it yielded an ok song or two and is better than most people give it credit for, this type of music wasn't the Stones strong suit and they soon returned to bluesy, rocking form, releasing a series of albums between 1968 and the early 1970s that turned out to be the best of their career.

An album recorded at Abbey Road soon after Pepper and engineered by Geoff Emerick to boot, the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle is a very strong LP featuring some excellent songs, including the gorgeous "Brief Candles" and the hit "Time of the Season." It's not a concept album and it doesn't sound much like Pepper but, like the Beatles, this was a band working at the top of its game.

Pink Floyd were an innovative, experimental singles band before Pepper came out, but their first LPs A Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Saucerful of Secrets (as well as those that followed later in the 1960s and in the 1970s) shared Pepper's same spirit of adventure

Love's Forever Changes is another example of a LP that holds together extremely well as a long-form statement, blending lovely horn and string arrangements with traditional rock instrumentation.

Pepper likely had a big impact on the Who, which went on to record their Who Sell Out and Tommy concept albums afterwards and the Kinks, who went to work on Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur.

The Moody Blues put out Days of Future Passed, which blended classical and rock, and the Small Faces released Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, which featured a side-long fairy tale set to music.

The Pretty Things did a concept album, S.F. Sorrow, in 1968 that's Pepper-inspired, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson was in the midst of working on his super-ambitious Smile album when Pepper was released and took the wind out of his sails. He was so overwhelmed by the Beatles' masterstroke that he lost confidence in himself. Smile songs creeped out here and there (most notably on the Smiley Smile album, Surf's Up and the 1990s Good Vibrations) box set, but it took until 2003 for Wilson to finally put out Smile in complete, newly recorded form.

Pepper pics

Today's videos: "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields"

While not on the Sgt. Pepper album, these two groundbreaking songs were recorded during the same sessions and released on a double A-side single in advance of the Pepper LP. These promotional films are pretty groundbreaking, too, paving the way for the music videos of the 1980s and 1990s.

Pop Artifact! Rowan and Martin Maltese Bippy movie poster

Pop Culture Roundup May 31, 2007

Rock'n'roll pioneer Bo Diddley is showing signs of improvement following his recent stroke.

...the 78-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist was transferred on Thursday from a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, to a facility near his home in Gainesville, Florida, and had been receiving speech and occupational therapy since Friday.

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Dial B for Burbank presents the secret origins of pulp heroes. First up: The Hooded Shadow.

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A live-action Teen Titans film is in the works.

It is not known which heroes will be used, but Nightwing is said to be in the mix.

The film's producer, Akiva Goldsman, said the tone will be consistent with such recent Warners' comic book fare as "Batman Begins," "Superman Returns" and the upcoming "Watchmen."

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Will the current "Doctor Who" series end after its fourth season?

Boss Russell T. Davies has decided to axe the BBC1 sci-fi drama and concentrate on other projects.

He and senior staff have hatched a plot to hand in a group resignation in summer 2008.

A source said: “The heavy workload — nine months of 16-hour days every year — has started to take its toll.

“It was decided the best thing for the show was go out at the top next year.”

Even more DC comics graphic novels / collections announced

After announcing what's coming up in October and November, DC now tells what's up for December:

THE ALL NEW ATOM: FUTURE/PAST TP
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Mike Norton, Eddy Barrows, Andy Owens and Trevor Scott
Collects: THE ALL NEW ATOM #7-11
$14.99 U.S., 128 pages

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: SAGA OF THE SUPER SONS TP
Writer: Bob Haney
Artists: Dick Dillin, Tex Blaisdell, Vince Colletta, Henry Scarpelli, Murphy Anderson and John Calnan
Collects: Stories from WORLD'S FINEST COMICS # 215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 231, 233 and 238
$19.99 U.S., 192 pages

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD VOL. 1: LORDS OF LUCK HC
Writer: Mark Waid
Artists: George Pérez & Bob Wiacek
Collects: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1-6
$24.99 U.S., 160 pages

DCU: WORLD WAR III TP
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Champagne and John Ostrander
Artists: Justiniano, Jack Jadson, Tom Derenick, Pat Olliffe, Andy Smith, Walden Wong, Norm Rapmund, Rodney Ramos, Drew Geraci and Ray Snyder
Collects: 52 WEEK 50, WORLD WAR III PART ONE: A CALL TO ARMS, WORLD WAR III PART TWO: THE VALIANT, WORLD WAR III PART THREE: HELL IS FOR HEROES and WORLD WAR III PART FOUR: UNITED WE STAND
$17.99 U.S., 128 pages

THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE: FULL THROTTLE TP
Writers: Danny Bilson & Paul DeMeo, Marc Guggenheim and Jon Boothby
Artists: Andy Kuhn, Ron Adrian, Art Thibert, Paco Diaz, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Tony Daniel, Rob Lea, Alex Lei and Lorenzo Ruggiero
Collects: THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #7-14 and a story from the DC INFINITE HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1.
$12.99 U.S., 208 pages

THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: AN EYE FOR AN EYE TP
Writers: Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen
Artists: Keith Giffen, Steve Lightle, Joe Orlando and Larry Mahlstedt
Collects: THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1-6
$17.99 U.S., 160 pages

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: JONAH HEX VOL. 2
Writers: Michael Fleischer, John Albano and David Michelinie
Artists: George Moliterni, Bill Draut, Luis Dominguez, Ernie Chua, José Luis García-López, Oscar Novelle, Tony DeZuñiga, Romeo Tanghal, Vicente Alcazar, Danny Bulanadi, Rich Buckler, Dick Giordano and Val Mayerik
Collects: JONAH HEX #1-22 and stories from WEIRD WESTERN TALES #34-38
$16.99 U.S., 528 pages

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: TEEN TITANS VOL. 2
Writers: Mike Friedrich, Bob Haney, Neal Adams, Steve Skeates, Marv Wolfman and Robert Kanigher
Artists: Gil Kane, Neal Adams, Nick Cardy, George Tuska, Carmine Infantino, Sal Amendola, Dick Dillin, Jim Aparo, Wallace Wood and Joe Giella
Collects: TEEN TITANS #19-36, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #83 and 94 and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #205
$16.99 U.S., 520 pages

THE SPECTRE: TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED TP
Writer: David Lapham
Artists: Eric Battle, Tom Mandrake and Prentiss Rollins
Collects: TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #4-8
$14.99 U.S., 128 pages

THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 23 HC
Writer/Artist: Will Eisner
Collects: SPIRIT stories from July 1, 1951, through December 30, 1951
$49.99 U.S., 204 pages

SUPERMAN: CAMELOT FALLS VOL. 2 HC
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artists: Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino
Collects: SUPERMAN #662-664 and 667-668
$19.99 U.S., 128 pages

SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE HC
Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Artist: Tim Sale
Collects: SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #1-6
$24.99 U.S., 160 pages

TALES OF THE BATMAN: TIM SALE HC
Writers: Alan Grant, James Robinson and Darwyn Cooke
Artists: Tim Sale and Jimmy Palmiotti
Collects: BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #32-34, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #7-9 and stories from SOLO #1, SHOWCASE '94 #3-4 and BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE VOL. 2
$ 29.99 U.S., 240 pages

TALES OF THE MULTIVERSE: BATMAN - VAMPIRE TP
Writer: Doug Moench
Artists: Kelley Jones & John Beatty
Collects: BATMAN & DRACULA: RED RAIN, BATMAN: CRIMSON MIST and BATMAN: BLOODSTORM
$19.99 U.S., 296 pages

WONDER WOMAN: AMAZONS ATTACK TP
Writer: Will Pfeifer
Artist: Pete Woods
Collects: AMAZONS ATTACK #1-6
$24.99 U.S., 160 pages

VERTIGO titles scheduled to arrive in stores in December include:

HELLBLAZER: BLOODLINES TP
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artists: Will Simpson, Steve Dillon, Mike Hoffman, Mike Barreiro, Kim DeMulder and Stan Woch
Collects: HELLBLAZER #47-50, #52-55 and #59-61
$19.99 U.S., 296 pages

LOVELESS VOL. 3: BLACKWATER FALLS TP
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artists: Danijel Zezelj and Werther Dell'Edera
Collects: LOVELESS #13-20
$14.99 U.S., 192 pages

WILDSTORM titles scheduled to arrive in stores in December include:

DANGER GIRL: BODY SHOTS TP
Writer: Andy Hartnell
Artists: Nick Bradshaw & Jim Charalampidis
Collects: DANGER GIRL: BODY SHOTS #1-4
$12.99 U.S., 96 pages

WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Neil Googe
Collects: WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #1-6
$19.99 U.S., 160 pages

CMX titles scheduled to arrive in stores in December include:

EMMA VOL. 6
Writer/Artist: Kaoru Mori
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

THE EMPTY EMPIRE VOL. 6
Writer/Artist: Naoe Kita
$9.99 U.S., 200 pages

FROM EROICA WITH LOVE VOL. 11
Writer/Artist: Yasuko Aoike
$9.99 U.S., 208 pages

GO GO HEAVEN!! VOL. 4
Writer/Artist: Keiko Yamada
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

MOON CHILD VOL. 9
Writer/Artist: Reiko Shimizu
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

PIECES OF A SPIRAL VOL. 10
Writer/Artist: Kaimu Tahibana
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

TOWER OF THE FUTURE VOL. 9
Writer/Artist: Saki Hiwatari
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

THE YOUNG MAGICIAN VOL. 10
Writer/Artist: Yuri Narushima
$9.99 U.S., 192 pages

Marvel Superheroes found on DVD in UK

We were promised a DVD box set collecting Marvel's 1960s toons a long, long time ago, but it's still not out. Here.

But in Britain a box is due out June 11. And already out are two-disk sets collecting the animated Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Sub-Mariner.

Here's the cover art for each. You can click to order any of them from Amazon UK. The disks are in PAL format so you'll want to check that your machine will play them.

Vintage comic book ad