four thoughts on Sgt. Pepper

[calimac]

1. It was forty years ago today, or yesterday, or some time around then, an event I don't specifically remember, though I may already have realized that I rather liked the Beatles, but more than rather disliked almost everything else I heard with the "rock" label on it. I never owned a copy of the LP, but I bought the CD when it was released 20 years ago, and by now I have just about all the Beatles' authorized work on CD.
   
   
2. So there's been much newspaper and online chatter on the subject. One article was a list of other great rock & pop songs released in 1967. The list included "Sunshine of Your Love", "Light My Fire", and "I Second That Emotion". I recognize those titles; I've heard all those songs many times. If you admire them, good for you. But I still detest all three of them. I still like the Beatles.
   
   
3. It's trite now to say that Sgt. Pepper isn't as good as Revolver or Abbey Road. So what if it isn't? It's still the Beatles. An album with both "A Day in the Life" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on it has nothing to apologize for. (A thought which keeps me from requesting an apology for "Within You Without You.") And if anyone's minded to claim that the presence of the charming "When I'm 64" makes the album too lightweight, may I remind you that the legendarily heavyweight Abbey Road has both "Octopus's Garden" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"?
   
   
4. All the same, you can praise the Beatles' enduring legacy without going overboard and making specious comparisons. Daniel Levitin, overwrought author of This Is Your Brain On Music, writes,

   How many people can hum even two bars of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, or Mozart's 30th? I recently played 60 seconds of these to an audience of 700 -- including many professional musicians -- but not one person recognized them. Then I played a fraction of the opening "aah" of "Eleanor Rigby" and the single guitar chord that opens "A Hard Day's Night" -- and virtually everyone shouted the names.

   Even leaving aside questions of which field of music the listeners were professionals in, and which 60 seconds of 25-30 minute works - really, Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, one of his least known? Mozart's 30th, which even I don't know offhand? Play the first five seconds of Beethoven's Fifth, or of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and then we'll talk. But this isn't about liking or disliking; it's just an invidious machismo competition. We shouldn't celebrate the universality of great music by tearing down that of other great music. Sheesh.

Comments

[rozk.livejournal.com]

The odd thing about 'Within You Without You' is how good Patti Smith's cover of it is.

Levitin's comments are crass and dim - his book though is really rather good.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I second the recommendation of Patti Smith's cover of "Within You Without You," a song I've never liked much either. Also the mash-up of "Within You Without You" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" on Love.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

"Tomorrow Never Knows" is essentially the same song done well, so I'm not surprised that they'd mash together appropriately.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

To the anonymous person who commented here: please identify yourself, preferably in private e-mail. I do not care to be stalked by people who claim to know me intimately but will not identify themselves on request.

[asimovberlioz.livejournal.com]

We shouldn't celebrate the universality of great music by tearing down that of other great music. Sheesh.

You mean as Chuck Berry has been doing since 1956?

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly.

The Beatles covered that song, you know. It was not one of their finest moments.

Somone should tell Chuck Berry that Beethoven isn't buried near Tchaikovsky, anyway. He's buried near Schubert. Get it right!

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

I'd comment but LJ hates me.

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Hehe. Own the Vinyl and any other form I could lay my hands on... But then again you already knew I was a certifiable Beatles fan.
I like Within You Without You. Then again, I usually like George's songs, he is not as easy listening as Paul and not as weird as John. It's not one of his best, but it's still good.
I ran an All Beatles all the time radio show in College. I started with Sgt Pepper's opening, ended with Sgt Pepper's ending (to the end track). Usually threw in Her Majesty because British radio ends the day with God Save the Queen.
40 Year Ago Today. Between that and Paul turning 65, ghods I feel old some times.

[nellorat.livejournal.com]

I was going to ask if I'm the only human being who likes "Within You and Without You," but I guess there are two of us.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't think "When I'm 64" is all that lightweight a song. It may be bright, and chipper; melodically, it may treat the subject with a certain devil may care style, but the actual question... how will someone think of one 20, 30, 40 years down the road, that's not trivial.

TK