Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 15, 2002)
• Original Release Date: June 1, 1967
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002UAU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,213 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #180 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Before Sgt. Pepper, no one seriously thought of rock music as actual art. That all changed in 1967, though, when John, Paul, George and Ringo (with "A Little Help" from their friend, producer George Martin) created an undeniable work of art which remains, after 30-plus years, one of the most influential albums of all time. From Lennon's evocative word/sound pictures (the trippy "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," the carnival-like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") and McCartney's music hall-styled "When I'm 64," to Harrison's Eastern-leaning "Within You Without You," and the avant-garde mini-suite, "A Day in the Life," Sgt. Pepper was a milestone for both '60s music and popular culture. --Billy Altman

Product Description
One of the most famous and influential albums ever recorded, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had a huge impact on the music world, signaling the beginning of a new era of sophistication and maturity in rock. The musical experimentation was dynamic and fresh, several tracks were edited to create seamless transitions, and even the visual design was more elaborate than anything previously attempted. Producer George Martin and The Beatles searched for new sounds and studio effects. They added crowd sounds and animal cries from sound-effects recordings, sped up Paul McCartney's vocals in "When I'm Sixty-Four" (to make him sound younger), and sustained a single piano chord for 40 seconds to end "A Day In The Life." The orchestrations, scored by Martin, were hailed by critics as bridging the gap between pop and classical music, and many people who had never bought a rock record bought Sgt. Pepper's. EMI. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

299 of 333 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential, November 25, 2000

By	AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews

One of three LP/CDs by the Beatles among my all-time top ten, along with "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver". Though not my personal favorite, this recording is essential in any collection of pop/rock recordings. It has been, since its release, a standard by which others are measured. It also marks the high-water mark of the Beatles creativity as a band. After "Sgt. Pepper..." came a directionless time during which the "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Yellow Submarine" records were released, followed by the period the band's breakdown, as chronicled in the "White Album", "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road". Though these latter efforts contained plenty of great music, it was clear that the Beatles were increasingly unable to function together as a unit. Individual tracks almost always spotlighted one of the band members while the others worked essentially as a backing group.

During a recent TV special, it wa said that, during the time the Beatles were in the studio making "Sgt. Pepper...", there was a lot of doubt about what they would come out with and many fans were giving up on them. As someone who was around at the time, I certainly don't remember much of that. Of course, the Beatles always had a few doubters and detractors, but most of us were looking forward to their next record. Stories of how much time and effort were going into it only fueled our anticipation. It was like the release of the fourth Harry Potter book when "Sgt. Pepper..." finally came out. Some stores opened early and huge numbers were sold the first day of it's release. I bought a copy that day like many others. Nor was I disappointed. Since then, I have spent many hours listening to "Sgt. Pepper..." and I expect I'll spend many more.

To appreciate the significance of "Sgt. Pepper..." you have to understand the pivotal place of the Beatles in the culture of the time. Quite simply, they changed everything. Before the Beatles, the primary medium of pop/rock music was the 45 rpm single. The Beatles released a flood of good quality songs, many original, so that "albums" became more than just a couple of hit singles packaged with a bunch of throwaway tracks. All of the tracks were good and people began to buy albums because it was the best way to get all the music. "Sgt. Pepper..." took this a step further by making the album a more unified whole. It elevated pop/rock music to the level of art, implying an expressiveness and timelessness beyond anything rock had previously aspired to. But the impact of the Beatles went far beyond music. It entered into fashion, modes of behavior, and popular attitudes in a variety of areas. We were even fed a constant stream of news reports about what the Beatles were doing from day to day or week to week. London became, for a time, THE cultural center of the world.

"Sgt. Pepper..." itself has a timeless quality. Songs such as With A Little Help From My Friends, Getting Better, Within You Without You, When I'm Sixty-four and others have themes that people can relate to just as well today as when they were first released. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and A Day In The Life, while perhaps mored dated lyrically, are among the most interesting pieces in other respects.

For those of us who were around and listening when "Sgt. Pepper..." came out, it is more than just a record or CD. It marks the peak of a time of incredible energy and change. The decline and dissolution of the Beatles is something many of us still feel in a very personal way. Even today, we mourn the end of the Beatles and the death of John Lennon. Those events represent the passing and final end of something we treasured.

"Sgt. Pepper..." is a great record by a great band. Even more, it is a central landmark of its period and of its genre. If you think you like rock music, but you don't have a copy of "Sgt. Pepper...", sorry but you've missed it. Get a copy. You can't really appreciate the Beatles without it. Definitely a favorite of mine, and I expect it will be a favorite of yours, too.

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magical World Never Bettered: V 2.0, January 14, 2000

By	Mike London "MAC" (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This whole album is a masterpiece. Nothing has been done before or since that can equal this one. Of course its been said a zillion times, but its really true. I bought it in Christmas back a few years ago (1997), and as I listened to it, it got better and better. For me, The Beatles (at first) took some time getting used too. Then they got stronger and stronger. On this record, they do almost the impossible. They create an entire magical fantasy. Its delishisouly (spelling?) sweet. The First Concept Album was indeed the finest. Everything works well with the concept. The album sleeve works better with the music than any I have seen. They help endear us to this wonderful world The Beatles are taking us too. At first I thought it was a bunch of hype, and the reason I bought it was because I was rapidly sinking (regressing, some of the younger people I know say) into the older music. I wanted Sgt Pepper cause everyone talked about it and had never heard it. This record will never be equalled, I fear. I wish it would, because I would love to do some more exploring. They took us on a Magical Mystery Tour on this one. Ironic, they did exactly that on this record, and though it was a concept album I don't think it was their intention, and then they made a concept movie with this in mind, and they didn't do that well (for The Beatles). If you want a record like no other, go out and buy this right now. Another great record that came out the same year is The Doors (debut). If it weren't for this, that would easily be the best for that year. But Sgt Pepper has surpassed all others. The Beatles never were able to do it again. They did get it in isolated moments, but never for the whole record like on this. No one else has ever come close. This deserves all the acclaim it gets.

As far as personal favorites go, however, I still enjoy the White Album the most. Rubber Soul and Revolver are good also (Rubber Soul is better than Revolver, tho' Revolver is more of a break thru). YOu could see the dircetion they were going with a few of the songs off Help! Some of that material is on level with Rubber Soul. Abbey Road, which I didn't care much for now, I really enjoy now. Sgt Pepper, however, is the cultural milestone to end all cultural milestones.

87 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest album since the big bang, August 31, 2006

By	J. V. Lewis (secure undisclosed location) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I feel like a monumental jackass reviewing this album: should I review the Q'uran and Coka Cola Classic next? Is there any more fundamentally unassailable album in the history of music? Is anything more impervious to criticism?

I just feel like recording the joy [I am not exagerating] I'm feeling right now as my 11-year-old daughter is discovering this album. She is spurning Christina Aguilera and I don't know what other one-dimensional rot for the complex, multi-layered, polyphonic wonders of the peak album of the most musical foursome of all time. This feels like a great victory for me. Parenthood hath its rewards.

Just had to type that out.