The Ever Popular Pepper

It was forty years ago today, Sgt Pepper told the band to play.....

Have you ever heard the album?
Do you think it is over-hyped?

I've been that much of a fan of the album. Aside from the marvellous "A Day In The Life" and maybe "When I'm 64", I'm not too enamoured with it. The music is good, it rocks along and the special effects still enthrall, but in the overall scheme of things, I believe Abbey Road or even Revolver to be superior offerings. I find the songs on those albums to be more effecting and memorable.

However, I seem to be in the minority as 'everybody loves Pepper'.

I think both John and Ringo got it right when they showed their disapproval of the project. They saw it for what it was, a shiny, maybe even dazzling production - devoid of any real heart. I would even go further by saying that, had A Day In The Life not been included, Pepper would not have received the kind of respect and adulation that it still elicits from both fans and critics alike.

It does rock, it sometimes rolls but I feel that Paul's songs therein are far from being his best (aside from She's Leaving Home, which is truly great, even though Sir George Martin didn't produce it). If anything, I would say that it is John who provides the best input, with dizzying classics like Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and the said final track (which happens to be my favourite Beatles' song).

It was forty years ago today, but it was also forty one years ago since Revolver and thirty eight since Abbey Road.

Let's keep things in perspective, eh?