I think because of the massive amount of attention that is given to this album’s so called “historical significance” that sometimes not enough attention is given to the music itself. I hope to correct that imbalance with this review which focuses entirely on the album’s 13 tracks.
01. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – This opening track really sets the mood for the entire album. The song shifts styles abruptly just like the album does from song to song. And of course the crowd noise and the entire “Sgt. Pepper” concept are introduced here.
02. “With a Little Help from my Friends” – The perfect song for Ringo Starr to sing. John Lennon & Paul McCartney wrote this song together specifically for Ringo to sing which I think makes the great lyrics all that much greater (think of them in that context.)
03. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – Now that the original mono version is available easily (with the release of The Beatles in Mono Box Set) it’s great to be able to hear what this album sounds like in mono (how it was “meant to be heard” originally.) And the heavy vocal effects on this song is probably one of the more interesting things about the mono mixes for me.
04. “Getting Better” – The “it couldn’t get much worse” lyric that Lennon added to this McCartney song is such a great example of the way that Lennon and McCartney made each others songs better even when they weren’t righting them “eyeball to eyeball” like in the early days.
05. “Fixing a Hole” – I love this kind of more subtle psychedelia. And yes, this is a very psychedelic song. And how about those lyrics? Anyone who doesn’t think McCartney could write lyrics should pay close attention to these.
06. “She’s Leaving Home” – Another great reason to get The Beatles in Mono Box Set. This song sounds faster and higher (by a semitone) in the mono version. It’s a treat to hear!
07. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” – How brilliant is it that these lyrics were taken entirely from an 1800s circus poster that Lennon came across? I believe a big part of real genius is being able to be inspired by things that most people wouldn’t notice. This is a good example of that.
08. “Within You Without You” – Speaking of “far out” how about we go all the way to India? Some people don’t like this song because it doesn’t fit with their preconceived notions of what music is supposed to sound like. To me this song is brilliant because of that very reason. We shouldn’t limit ourselves.
09. “When I’m 64″ – Some people don’t seem to get how “tongue in cheek” this song is. McCartney loved to mess around with different musical styles in this way. In fact I think Ween sort of ripped off their whole shtick from Paul McCartney. Listen to McCartney’s “fruity” songs (as George Harrison called them sometimes) from the perspective of Ween doing them and I think maybe they’ll click.
11. “Lovely Rita” – I have to admit that tracks #10 and #11 are probably my least favorites on the album. But considering I quite like both of those tracks, that says a lot about how much I love this album.
11. “Good Morning Good Morning” – There’s some interesting time changes in this one. I also love the Jimi Hendrix style guitar leads by Paul McCartney.
12. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” – This song, of course, ties together the whole album by linking us back to the first song. It gives the impression that everything we’ve been hearing (even though it’s all of these wildly different styles) has been a part of one big performance by this fictional band.
13. “A Day in the Life” – In my opinion this is the best song ever written. An absolutely epic way to end the album.
In order to hear Sgt. Pepper’s in mono you must buy The Beatles In Mono. It’s highly recommend that you buy both Beatles Remastered Box Sets.