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Topic: Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper |
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 7:10 pm |
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| Incredible! |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 7:52 pm
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| When that came out in 1967 I remember a crashpad bandhouse full of hippies on acid laying around on the floor - and myself amongst them - listening to that record over and over for days at a time. I heard all sorts of magic stuff in there but now when you solo the trax,I can the poorly grounded guitar and all the punches where guitar fills and french horns share a track,etc. It's still magical though. As a recording engineer who didn't hit my stride in that field till the late 70s,it's extremely interesting to hear what they accomplished with talent,good engineering,good songs,4 tracks and a bit of bouncing. Amazing... |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 8:17 pm
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I too listened to the Album hundreds of times when it came out in '67. The songs were all over the radio too. That's back when AM radio played music. So much has been written about what a groundbreaking record Sgt. Pepper was... the music, the engineering, the artwork, etc. It was the soundtrack of the "summer of love"... 1967, and it changed music and recording forever. A lot of us have some sweet memories when we hear these songs. Rolling Stone Magazine listed the "Top 100 Albums of All Time" a few years ago, and Sgt. Pepper was #1.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 10:36 pm
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I lived and breathed Beatles from fall '63 till summer '67. I waited in line outside the record store from early morning on the day of release for Sgt. Pepper (I admit, I didn't camp out overnight!). I listened to it over and over immediately following that, in various states of consciousness. The only album that comes close to rivaling my burnout on Sgt. P. is Cream's Disraeli Gears. Sgt. Pepper brings back sweet memories now, after decades of ignoring it completely, but I see it today as a relatively weak entry in the Beatles' oeuvre. And the song, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"--manifesting Paul's entirely shallow "concept"; is it not a piece of fluff? IMO, the songs that stand the test of time on Sgt. P. are: Getting Better, Fixing a Hole, She's Leaving Home, Within You Without You, and A Day In the Life.
That's a low percentage compared to any of their previous albums.
This is all my personal opinions!!! Nobody is right or wrong about art! |
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 10:52 pm
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| I share your opinion, although I feel that lightening may strike both of us at any moment! |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 2:56 am
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| Henry Nagle wrote: |
| I share your opinion, although I feel that lightening may strike both of us at any moment! |
If I could just be an angry cloud right now........
Would both of you have been placated if the other two songs that were supposed to be on Pepper were included? The record company took them and put them out on a single because they would not wait for the completed record.
Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were the start of what became the Pepper project.
"Shallow"? |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 4:25 pm
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I got burned out quickly on all the Beatles stuff from the insane overplay by stoners and radio. I keep thinking maybe time will freshen my ears, but it hasn't happened yet.  |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 11:02 pm
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The only old LP I remember listening to for hours on end over and over and over was Rick Wakeman's Wives of Henry the Eight,Something about it just mesmerized me. That is kind of strange because I'm NOT a fan of keyboards.But it's one of my all time favorite LP'S. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 7:53 am
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George Martin did a speaking tour a few years ago that I went to--it was billed as being about the making of Pepper. It was truly an amazing experience--it was in a theater that held about 2500 (sold out). He had a big screen showing the tracks like the youtube video. The best part, besides just being in a room with George Martin, were the stories he told about being there--wish I had an audio copy  .
An interesting sidebar was they announced a question and answer session. When we got there you had to submit your question in writing as his hearing is so bad he would not be able to take the question in person from the audience...
Just ordered the remastered box set...
Also, does anybody have the big book "Recording the Beatles"? It is truly amazing--I got one of the early signed and numbered pre release editions....
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar
Last edited by John Macy on 20 Sep 2009 4:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 2:36 pm
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Wow, I never noticed the low harmony on the chorus before. Very cool.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Ron Page
From:
Penn Yan, NY USA
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 8:31 am
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Last rock record I ever bought. I listened to it once, didn't get it at all (I was 12), bought The Best Of Buck Owens, Vol. 1 and never looked back.
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HagFan
Emmons Lashley LeGrande II |
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Chuck Thompson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 8:49 pm
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| i always liked revolver better than pepper |
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Justin Douglas
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 8:01 am
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wow - that's a great video, thanks for posting b0b!
george martin gave a multi-media presentation on the making of sgt. pepper's back when i was in college in boston. it was pretty amazing how the album came together, but i mostly remember him saying how paul would come into the studio a couple hours before everyone else for months to try to nail this vocal.
i'm a studio owner and engineer and just love hearing stuff like this. i'm mixing a song with over 100 tracks right now. beatles, hendrix, early zeppelin, all done with 4 tracks.
limitations really do spawn creativity. |
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Bob Ritter
From:
pacfic, wa
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 6:02 pm
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| Pepper is a great album. But Revolver is much the best of any rock album or Beatles album ever recorded. |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 7:15 pm
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| Quote: |
| Pepper is a great album. But Revolver is much the best of any rock album or Beatles album ever recorded. |
I hear ya. I thought "Rubber Soul" was equally if not more incredible than "Revolver" in every way. And even the couple albums before that like "Help" and "Beatles VI" I thought epitomized the Beatles as a self-contained band way more than Sgt Pepper where I knew I was hearing a lot more George Martin input. After that even though there were good things here and there I thought it was kinda downhill for the Beatles. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 8:56 pm
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Gosh, I liked all the Beatles stuff.
What's the fu&^#$@ point of comparing one album to another.
You guys, pardon the expression,
blow my mind 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Arty Passes
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 6:57 am
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Check out the book by Geoff Emerick 'Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Beatles"
Interesting perspective and lots of insight into what was going on at the time. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 7:44 am
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| Chip Fossa wrote: |
Gosh, I liked all the Beatles stuff.
What's the fu&^#$@ point of comparing one album to another.
You guys, pardon the expression,
blow my mind |
Chip, not understanding the point of comparing one album to another made by a musical group? Maybe because in the ear and mind of the listener, they enjoy one album more than another, and place more value on it, and play it more often? Like one enjoys a certain Steinbeck novel more than another?
Sorry, you had me scratching my head over that one.
I also am of the opinion that Pepper, overall, is far from their best work. Forced to pick one, as the top effort, I guess I'd go with Rubber Soul.
I would put the White Album right up there if the best tracks were distilled down to one disc, but that might be a little bit like reviewing Sgt. Pepper as if Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were included on the album. 
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Mark |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 8:04 am
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| I have the impression that the lead guitar was played by P. McCartney. |
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