 "None but the lonely heart" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By eileansiar |
A military band. Yeah, it was that kind of time - you know, a stupid war, an oppressive government enslaving its young men in military duty, changing mores (social science jargon for attitudes and values), right wing nuts against the smart and principled citizens (stupidity is always fashionable in america).
And then this band of young brits got under our skin. Insouciant, flip, disrespectful, wise, love not war types with more than just three chords and the truth. When George Martin, their producer, backed them up with orchestral accompaniment for their unique song writing and musical talents they conquered hearts the world over. And why not? Their songs were morality tales of the quintessentially sad, lonely lives we lead in industrial/military society - exploited, fooled, killed - we exist only to make the wealthy, five percent of the population richer so they can put more co-lobbyist lawmakers into political power to continue to exploit us.
Look! John Lennon was assassinated. If the other Beatles had been seen as a threat they would met a similar fate. People with conventional values hate guys like these. Lennon's infamous comment that he was better known that Jesus Christ (true as it may have been) earned him the odium of millions of american christians, a notoriously hateful group themselves. After all, who wants to hear that "Love is the answer!" Sounds downright socialist.
No one need have worried. Paul copped a knighthood in england through writing (with help from a classical composer) an oratorio for Liverpool. Safe. George retreated to his mansion. Ringo haunted Nashville. They had become the idle rich. But they made us feel good, made us think, made us dream. The long trailing plaint of these songs gave us secret knowledge, a mantra for blind Sampson in Gaza at the mill with slaves. Tunes to displace the pain of our lives. |
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| "A truly creative masterpiece" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By ljdavito1 |
If ever there was a person to earn the title of "5th Beatle"....it would surely have been George Martin and Brian Epstein....and NOT New York radio DJ, Murray the K.
Martins invaluable knowledge of musical theory and arrangement, as well as his vast overall familiarity with each of the instruments and vocalizing; plus his willingness to bet on a longshot and take risks.
It was Brian Epsteins original interest in the band that convinced them to change their appeance/image and got them in the doors at Parlophone in the first place.
When you listen back to 1962 to the Decca Tapes, the Tony Sheridan recordings and the Star Club in Hamburg,Germany.....It doesn't take a genius to figure out that NOBODY transcends from being a barely competent musician to the Beatle level in only 14 or 15 months. Also keep in mind that short of Paul McCartney, no one in the band had any formal musical training.
I believe this is where George Martin and Brian Epstein come into the picture....Their guidance and vision took a group of 4 very ambitious young men who were extremely talented; yet raw and and transformed them into the biggest band of the century. In very short order, they became better than any of their peers. The bands appearance took on a new look....as well as their sound..
In the studio....Martin undoubtedly helped them to polish their vocal and musical skills...showing them the tips and secrets only the pros were familiar with. It was Martin who helped them accelerate their prowess of the piano and organ...as well as giving them tips on how to accentuate their playing style on guitar, bass and drums..This is the job of a good producer....to get the most out of the performer and to capture it all on tape.
So.....If there ever was ANYBODY who deserved to be referred to as a "5th Beatle"....It would have to be George Martin and Brian Epstein. These 2 men were every much a Beatle as the 4 who you saw on all the records and cd's.
When I think back to all the hoopla that was associated with Beatlemania....I am really convinced that it wasn't all hype at all....These guys (with the help of Brian and George) really deserved all that attention and they truly were a phenomenon and destined to be the BAND OF THE CENTURY.
If you doubt me....just listen to the music.
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All I can really say is....If you like this stereo mix....You will probably like REVOLVER and MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR as well....it isn't that hokey "music-left/vocals-right" wannabe stereo that I have been ragging about....This is actually listenable and enjoyable....The remastering job is pretty good....The packaging is a real treat...
Some people have stated they prefer the MONO version of this album.....but unless you are prepared to buy the COMPLETE REMASTERED CD SET in MONO (which is pretty costly)...You better stick with this version.....as you wont find the mono version anywhere else.....until they decide to issue the MONO versions individually.
I would say....All in all...it's worth the investment. |
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| "Remastering makes for a better sound, but how much better?" | 2009-10-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3JN3KKON08QBM |
| I'm giving this record five stars because what else could you give Sgt. Peppers? It's one of the most amazing achievements in pop/rock music. But we all know that, right? What I wanted to comment on is the remastering. I sat down and went back and forth between the older and remastered versions of Peppers and some things immediately jumped out at me. Paul's bass is much crisper and more present. And since his bass playing is usually very interesting (I mean that in a good way - he doesn't play the ordinary lines one would expect), that's a real plus. Vocals are also more crisp and present. But I do think that these differences are not the sort of thing you'd notice on listening to the album in a casual way. So that raises the question for me - one I'm still dealing with - as to whether it's really worth it to replace my entire Beatles collection with the new remastered cds. I'm still not sure since, as a huge Beatles fan I want only the best sound I can get from these guys, but as a consumer who doesn't want to spend money without really getting something I will really value for it, I'm not sure whether these remastered discs are better enough to warrant the extra expense. Sorry to be so inconclusive, but I write this just because I imagine a lot of Beatles fans are wrestling with the same question. As of now, I've resolved to get one new remastered disc each month and see if I stay motivated to keep buying more. So, we'll see. |
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| "greatly different" | 2009-10-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3LUQVM275QGIU |
| I grew up with the Beatles. I bought every album that came out. Sgt. Pepper was a great album, but for all together different reasons. The songs on the album were musically a masterpiece due to the numerous instruments and sound effects that the band utilizes. It is more like a classical music album. The sound will blew you away, but if you were to name and rate your favorite Beatles songs, not many of these song would be rated at the top of my list. The beauty of sgt pepper is that it flows into the next song. The Beatles were the only group that had great talent and rarely produced a song that was not memorable or enjoyable. Sgt pepper is an album that appealed to young and old and broke through the generation gap. If you wanted to pick one definitive Beatle album and play it for someone who had never heard the Beatles, this is definetely not the one I would pick. The Beatles sound was not representative of the songs on this album. This was a phase. The songs are not as catchy as many of their previous albums. The music was intricate and jumps out at you through the speakers. |
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 "Stick with the Vynl" | 2009-10-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: AV9ZZHOYY3IWD |
The songs don't flow like the vinyl. For example there is gap from SGT Pepper's lonely hearts band to With a little help from friends. The vinyl version flows right into the song were as the CD there is a silent gap.
The packaging is nice and yes it's better that the CD versions from 20 years ago. But the Vinyl version is still better. |
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| "YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT UNTIL YOU'VE HEARD THE MONO MIX" | 2009-10-01 |
| - Reviewed By beatles6120 |
| It's been said that you haven't heard Sgt.Pepper until you've heard the MONO mix. The MONO version is a completely different mix than the stereo. You will hear things on the MONO mix that don't appear on the stereo. For instance, The crowd noise on the opening track and the reprise are completely different. She's Leaving Home is in a different key. There's laughing at the end of Within Without You. Good Morning Good Morning has a many more animal sounds. That's just to name a few. It's a different listening experience. The MONO White album has many of the same differences. The Fab 4 took a greater interest in the MONO mixes. They participated in the mixing. They usually left the stereo mixes to the engineers. |
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