Posted on 06/20/2007 11:37:29 AM PDT by weegee
The Beatles, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Nominated by Billy Childish, prime mover of British garage rock
I had a Beatles wig Beatles guitar when I was four - so I know what I'm talking about, but Sgt Pepper signalled the death of rock'n'roll. Rock'n'roll is meant to be full of vitality and energy, and this album isn't. It sounds like it took six months to **** out. The Beatles were the victims of their success. This is middle-of-the-road rock music for plumbers. Or people who drive round in Citroens - the sort of corporate hippies who ruined rock music.
I bought it the day it came out: it was ideal for a seven-year-old. These days, well, it's my contention that it represents the death of the Beatles as a rock'n'roll band and the birth of them as music hall, which is hardly a victory.
The main problem with Sgt Pepper is Sir Paul's maudlin obsession with his own self-importance and Dickensian misery. (Paul McCartney is the dark one in the Beatles, not John Lennon, because he writes such depressing, scary music.) It's like a Sunday before school that goes on forever. It's too dark and twisted for anyone with any light in their life. Then again, when he tries to be upbeat, it rings false - like having a clown in the room.
The best thing about the album was the cardboard insert with some medals, a badge and a moustache. But the military jackets they wore on the front made them look like a bunch of grammar-school boys dressed by their mummy.
[snip]
This isn't the greatest album ever made; in fact, it's the worst Beatles album up to that point. Live at the Star Club trounces it with ease.
(Excerpt) Read more at music.guardian.co.uk ...
Other artists/albums at the link. This was the main one worth reading. Others are a bit petty (people didn't like the bands to begin with).
Billy likes the Beatles. He doesn't like this album. Or what came in its wake (from the industry, not just 'The Beatles').
Billy Childish has released over 100 albums and a mind boggling number of singles. People may not like his recordings either, but at least he has a body of work from which he can speak.
Billy's latest band: http://www.myspace.com/themusiciansofthebritishempire
And his 1977-1980 stab at prime 50s-60s rock and roll: http://www.myspace.com/theemilkshakes
St Pepper is the worst? They never heard Magical Mystery Tour?
However, Rubber Soul, Hatful of Hollow and Safe As Milk are excellent, excellent albums.
The negative review of The Velvet Underground And Nico is frankly brainless.
Actually it’s “most overrated” - I’m sure you would agree that SPLHCB has received far more hype than MMT.
Who ever claimed Sgt Pepper was a “rock ‘n roll” album?
The Beatles didn’t.
They can say what they want, but the Peppers was a groundbreaking album at the time. Dwarfed by Abbey Road, but still groundbreaking. Childish could hold Pest Best’s jock.
Should be PETE Best.
-- Frank Zappa, quoted in Linda Botts, "Loose Talk" (1980)
Arcade Fire is way overrated....
Rolling Stoned Magazine, self appointed authority of a generation calls it one:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595610/1_sgt_peppers_lonely_hearts_club_band
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the most important rock & roll album ever made, an unsurpassed adventure in concept, sound, songwriting, cover art and studio technology by the greatest rock & roll group of all time.”
They are the same corporate entity that tell us how wonderful Al Gore Jr. and Bill Clinton are.
This isn’t “journalism” it is recording artists picking apart their record collections (or the record collections of bandmates).
So were the Knack in their day...
LOL!
They have two or three decent songs.
They have become enormously overhyped because David Bowie - who himself hasn't released a good song in at least 20 years - screamed their praises from the rooftops.
Far too much buzz.
I guess. All I knew as a teen was that both of them suc.....uh, were lacking in appeal. ;)
I’ve been getting into The National recently...they’re pretty good.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve been listening to The Essex Green’s last record over and over again.
A one hit wonder.
Well, they said that about John Barleycorn too.
Honey Pie is many things, but depressing and scary? Only if one is being ironic.
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