The Beatles —
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
album review

ALBUM REVIEW

More than 30 years later, is the press even more focused on minutia while ignoring the bigger issues? We'd love to turn you on... Mr. Anchorman... and have you report some actual news! John Lennon was ahead of his time with his portion of the lyrics to "A Day in the Life." But then, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was so much more advanced than other albums of its time that it should be no surprise. Sgt. Pepper's is a pseudo-concept album, meaning that there is some level of a binding theme to it—notably the concept of a faux band presenting itself and its songs—but most of the songs themselves are musically distinct, without refererence to musical or lyrical passages from other songs on the album. That, however, is not a detraction. The songwriting is extremely strong, and combined with the Beatles' emerging high-quality production values, the result is a progressive-pop masterpiece. Some of the songs are well-known as radio hits, such as the psychedelic "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and the inventive double-layered "A Day in the Life." Many other songs were also staples of FM radio play for a couple of decades after the album's release, including "Fixing a Hole," Getting Better," "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "Within You Without You" and the inimitable "Lovely Rita (Meter Maid)." Though each of the songs on Sgt. Pepper's holds up perfectly well on its own merits, the album was meant to be enjoyed as a whole. Simply put, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the best albums of all time.

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