It was twenty years ago today!

4.17.2007

Plugs.
Sunshine number 30 asks, have you lost something?

There has also been a ton of cool recent activity at the WoW, read it and enjoy. If you want to join the WoW, contact me.

As for the finger, it is doing much better, especially after watching the latest episode of Deadliest Catch. I wrote a 15 minute speech today (more on that later) and it did pretty well, so I will see how this blog goes.

You are listening too .. .
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, off of the album of the same name by the Beatles.
What can I say about the album? Well the album has been voted not only the best Beatles album, but the best album of all time by a number of music magazines and resources, their magnum opus if you will. Is it so to someone like me? I like the White Album better, but I can why this album is considered in that way.

Immediately upon the albums release it meet with critical and popular success. Innovative from everything to the music and recording to it's famous album cover (a good list of the people and things is on the cover is located here).

Sgt. Pepper was the first of the Beatles studios albums after they stopped touring. Sgt. Pepper took them 129 days to record, by far the longest period ever for a Beatles recording. This album was also a culmination of everything before, and took off from the many experimentations of of the Revolver and Rubber Soul album. Much of the stuff the Beatles were exploring with avant garde, acid and psychedelic rock, eastern music, recording techniques, and strange music, culminated with Sgt. Pepper.

Technically, Abbey Road was advancing as a studio rather rapidly because of the Bealtes. The way the were mixing this stuff on a 4 track recorder, made the development of 8 track recorders speed up (with the first one being invented after the release of this album). Because of the noise generated by this type of recording, the Beatles were one of the first band to use Dolby Noise Reduction.

The Beatles also made extensive use of exotic instruments and sounds on the album; the sitar of course, clarinet, string orchestras, echo, reverb, and double track recording, as well as backward masking, and reverse recording. The album also has their first heavy use of piano and organ.

The album was also a sort of concept album, about a fictional band by the same name. McCartney came up with the idea of creating fictional alter egos for each band member, and base the album upon a show this band was giving. Thus the album starts with the title track introducing "Billy Shears" and runs right into A Little Help From My Friends. There is a reprise at the "end" of Sgt. Pepper which reintroduces the concept. Then, weirdly A Day In The Life follows.

Strangely, the beyond that, the Beatles sort of abandon the whole concept, with many of Lennon's songs not even related to the rest of the album. There is no real overarching theme to the album, but it is one of the earliest version of a concept album/rock opera.

There is a lot of possible drug reference in the album as a whole, we will get into that later. The album itself has an obvious trippy feel.

It can be also argued that this is the last album the Beatles worked of a a real cohesive unit. You will see in later albums, walk outs, argument, and petty head butting matches with later albums. Brian Espstein died 2 months after the release of this album, and that began a end to the cordial relationships, and again, more on that in future blogs.

As for the title song itself, written mainly by McCartney, it is a concept song, an introduction if you will to this fake band. So notable things beyond this, an admitted Hendrix inspired lead guitar, a french horn section, and lots of sampled noise. The song ends abrupty on the CD version and leads into A Little Help From My Friends.

The Mood of Red Sox Nation.
Dice K is going to be good, he just not getting any run support right now. Mood: Disappointed but hopeful.

Well fingers done for now . .
I leave you with part three of Mr. Deity.

I am Malach and the Bishop loves me (not in that way pervert).