Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - bime.com Product Guide

One of the most famous and influential albums ever recorded, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had a huge impact on the music world, signaling the beginning of a new era of sophistication and maturity in rock. The musical experimentation was dynamic and fresh, several tracks were edited to create seamless transitions, and even the visual design was more elaborate than anything previously attempted. Producer George Martin and The Beatles searched for new sounds and studio effects. They added crowd sounds and animal cries from sound-effects recordings, sped up Paul McCartney's vocals in "When I'm Sixty-Four" (to make him sound younger), and sustained a single piano chord for 40 seconds to end "A Day In The Life." The orchestrations, scored by Martin, were hailed by critics as bridging the gap between pop and classical music, and many people who had never bought a rock record bought Sgt. Pepper's. EMI. 2005.
Before Sgt. Pepper, no one seriously thought of rock music as actual art. That all changed in 1967, though, when John, Paul, George and Ringo (with "A Little Help" from their friend, producer George Martin) created an undeniable work of art which remains, after 30-plus years, one of the most influential albums of all time. From Lennon's evocative word/sound pictures (the trippy "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," the carnival-like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") and McCartney's music hall-styled "When I'm 64," to Harrison's Eastern-leaning "Within You Without You," and the avant-garde mini-suite, "A Day in the Life," Sgt. Pepper was a milestone for both '60s music and popular culture. --Billy Altman

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

My Purchase Experience:

I went on line and purchased this item and was expecting to receive confirmation from the seller that my order had been received (which is common practice). However, I had to send two emails before I heard from the seller. She finally confirmed about a week later that the order had shipped; I got it the next day. The product was great! I just wish I would have heard from the seller a little sooner. In this day and age with scams and all, it made me a little nervous when I had to send two emails to confirm... more info

Possibly the most pretentious, condescending, and long-winded review on Amazon:

Let me start by stating the obvious.
Amazon reviews (such as the one you're reading right now) are not written by professional critics. They're not in-depth essays, they're not artistic appreciations, they're not swiftly-worded polemics, and they're certainly not works of music criticism (or literary criticism, or film criticism, or wicker furniture criticism, or whatever it is that you happen to be shopping for). They are tools intended to help potential customers make buying decisions. A good Amazon... more info

It's not a `concept album,' but it is a plucky concept:

Though groundbreaking and influential in many respects, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is far from the conceptual, free-flowing image it may project. In fact, it could be argued that the Beatles' eighth studio album is a bit choppy in spots, with little rhyme or reason in terms of subject and sound. Nonetheless, the band should be commended for its studio experimentation and range of diverse noises within each unique song. What started as a potentially gimmicky idea by Paul McCartney, in the eyes... more info

Classic:

This is an absolute classic. If you're a Beatles fan, or even if you're not -- this is album is essential to any music lover's collection. (NOT available on iTune$, so if you want it... Amazon.com is the way to go!)

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