Vinyl of the Week - 6 June 2021

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles

If an album is capable of summing up an era it’s this epic album from 1967. The Beatles had become cultural icons. The constant touring and being in the public eye had taken its toll on the Fab Four so they took a solid 3 months off to do their own thing. During this break McCartney came up with a concept for an album that would allow them to reinvent themselves and reignite their love of music. Creating a different persona for the band insured that they wouldn’t be restrained by their previous work and they could take their music in whatever direction they wanted. At the time McCartney had taken notice of albums like “Pet Sounds” by the Beach Boys and “Freak Out” by Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. He freely admits to being strongly influenced by both. Musically the Beatles reached new heights with Sgt. Pepper. More complex harmonies and instrumentation made this one of the best produced albums of the entire 1960s. Revered by peers and fans alike, it remains one of the best selling albums of all time and is often attributed as bridging the cultural divide between popular music and high art. The cover is a virtual who’s who of the best and brightest, a collage of cardboard cut-outs of celebrities and historical figures with the band front and centre as their alter egos, adorned in brightly coloured military-style uniforms. Even the Stones get a nod, represented by a doll wearing a football jumper with a message welcoming the band. A cultural phenomenon and one of the most important rock & roll albums ever made. A fitting choice for our 100th post - DS