I was intrigued back in the day of flower power. LBJ [ my fellow Americans ] was giving the fireside chats, allah FDR, and he was the CEO of these United States.
I remember seeing him in person as he rode through Golden Pond in his bulletproof limo. He did have the door open and was waving to the crowd. Although he looked tired and sad.
And Vietnam was heating up. And the civil rights era was in full bloom. And Sean Connery was hitting his peak as the suave, debonair, Bond, James Bond.
And the Fab 4 were turning out one momentous l.p. [ long playing ] after another.
According to Rolling Stone, the Sgt. Pepper album, circa 1967, was/is the greatest album of all time.
I concur. Even tho I liked the White Album and Abbey Road just as much. The former was a double album. Indeed a special bonus.
My first glimpse of the Pepper cover made me visualize a magical mystery tour lay ahead. It was an album jacket like no other I had ever seen before. The 4 lads from Liverpool, prominently featured, were dressed in their Sgt. Pepper attire. Behind them were Madame Tussauds wax replicas of famous people, including Einstein, Laurel and Hardy, Bobby Zimmerman, er, Dylan, Lawrence of Arabia, Marilyn Monroe, and Sonny Listen-of all people-just to name a few. And to their side, wax replicas of themselves portrayed as mop-tops.
And there were flowers. And a garden of marijuana. And a disparaging dig at the Rolling Stones. On the inside a pic of the boys. And on the back cover were the words to the songs.
Words to the songs? My first thought was WOW! The music must really be good to have the WORDS published.
And it was:
1) Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [ title cut ] : French horns and guitar riffs. Go figga.
2) With A Little Help From My Friends: Interplay between the lead singer [ Ringo ] and the backup singers [ John, Paul, and George ] Priceless. And a new consciousness, if you will. [ Also see Joe Cocker and Woodstock for more details ]
3) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: Most say the song was an acronym for LSD but John always claimed his son, Julian, showed him a picture drawn at school entitled Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
4) Getting Better/Fixing a Hole: A new way of expressing a new culture-the hippie culture, that was on the immediate horizon.
"I'm taking the time for a number of things
That weren't important yesterday."
6) She's Leaving Home: Freakin' Harp of all things but it works. And another interplay between the singers. Freakin' awesome. Makes me want to put it on the turntable, er, cd playa now.
7) Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite: Calliopes/circus sounds, etc. Stolen, er, borrowed from a circus poster that John found, which advertises: "A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All."
8) Within You/Without You: More sitar from George Harrison. "Life flows on within you and without you," eh?
9) When I'm 64: What a cozy song from Paul. Whimsical clarinet throughout.
"In the summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight
If it's not too dear.
We shall scrimp and save.
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck and Dave."
10) Lovely Rita ( Meter Maid ) : Bouncy tune from Paul.
"Took her home and tried to win her
Had a laugh and over dinner.
Told her I would really like to see her again."
11) Good Morning, Good Morning: John supposedly watched a lot of television. And was inspired to write by viewing a Kellogg's Cornflakes commercial. [ a rooster's crow jump-starts the song ]
"Went by the old school.
Nothing has changed; it's still the same.
I've got nothing to say
But it's o.k.
Good morning."
12) Reprise-Sgt. Pepper: Grande finale- One, two, three, four! Which ends with a bang and mutates into:
13) A Day in the Life: What an ending. And what a song. Sugar plum fairies, sugar plum fairies.
Sgt. Pepper was the beginning of the "concept album." After listening, I thought the music was amazing. And "A Day in the Life" was unlike any song I had ever heard. But in hindsight, Sgt. Pepper was a symbol of the times, circa 1967. Of a new beginning. The world was changing. Vietnam, L.B.J., civil rights, et al. And there was no turning back.
Farewell and adieu, v.c.
P.S. The following is another "off-the-cuff foray" by you know who. And is submitted for your approval and perusal.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6595610?rnd=1102833896421&has-player=true&version=6.0.11.847
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