29 in 2009 – The Beatles: "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band"

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Originally Released: June 1, 1967

Genres: Rock, Psychedelic Rock

Rating: 8 out of 10 Stars

So here it is, the album which makes it to the top of nearly every best-ever list. Quite a daunting thing for the average blogger to review without mentioning the cultural/historical impact of the record. But then again, I am not the average blogger – so I won’t mention it.

Taken out of the context of the era, where The Beatles were in their career, and how influential it became, Sgt. Pepper‘s is still a wonderful album! And yes, believe it or not, this was my first time to ever listen to the album – ever! The only song on this album that I had previously heard was “Getting Better” which I believe I saw on a TV advertisement. Weak sauce, sure. I understand this. I am a failed music blogger.

Despite this, I would say I’m at least passingly familiar with The Beatles’ earlier, poppier, more-commercial work. It is with that passing familiarity that I’ve always said, “Meh, I’m just not much of a Beatles fan.” Blasphemy!! Cue the pitchforks and torches. Well, Sgt. Pepper’s is far removed from the band’s earlier career, and I like it all the better because of this.

My personal breakdown, interjected into this middle of this article for kicks:

Great Songs

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (Track 1 & Reprise)

“Getting Better”

“She’s Leaving Home”

“When I’m Sixty-Four”

“Lovely Rita”

“A Day in the Life”

Good Songs

“A Little Help From My Friends”

“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

“Fixing a Hole”

Okay Songs

“Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”

Bad Songs

“Within You Without You”

“Good Morning, Good Morning”

I’m sure someone could argue with me about the value of “Within You Without You.” Someone could also argue the value of “2 Girls 1 Cup,” and honestly I’d be more-inclined to listen to this that. It’s just not a very good song. Unique and experimental, absolutely! Just not good.

I once read a review (perhaps from AMG, not sure) that compared Of Montreal’s The Gay Parade to this album, and I certainly see the similarities. Of Montreal is my favorite band, mind you, so listening to this album was a long-awaited treat. Of course, I prefer The Gay Parade due to its consistency in tone and, in my opinion, perfect tracklist; but Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is still a fantastic album! What The Gay Parade lacks in variety, musicality and polish, it has in spades. Both are classic albums, and I’m happy to have finally listened to both of them.

I’m also happy that the next time someone searches for “2 girls 1 cup” and “the beatles” in google, I’ll likely be the top result! Score!!!

Verdict: Classic

Perfect Summer Soundtrack – Week 2

In our continued mission to give you, the reader, something good to listen to in almost any situation or mood, we have been kind enough to begin our Perfect Summer Soundtrack feature.  Every week, we’ll give you music to get you through all of your summer activities, be they tame, exciting, or somewhere in between.  We always have you covered!  You should know that by now.

The Picnic Playlist

Quite the conundrum we have here, ladies and gentlemen.  For as great as picnics are, there’s almost so way to take your computer to the park with you to jam on this playlist; unless, of course, you live in one of the handful of cities with municipal wi-fi.  In which case, lucky you.  But assuming you don’t, you’ll have to either resort to downloading (be it illegal or iTunes…I won’t judge) or spending a ridiculous wad of cash getting all these songs together.  Personally, I’d opt for the downloading route.

So without any further ado, I give you the picnic playlist; a collection of 20 songs that will make even the most mundane, bologna sandwich taste like a bitching Quizno’s Black Angus sub!*  And if you’re lucky, and happen to be going on a picnic with a member of the opposite sex, you might as well go ahead and pack some rubs.  This playlist will totally get you laid.**  Enjoy!

*Results not typical.
**Results extremely typical.

Week 1 – Rooney’s Self-Titled Debut (Beach Trip, Road Trip, Skateboarding)

The Top 5 Retro Reviews I Want to See

As a general rule, AT&T’s DSL internet service sucks. I know this because I am plagued by slow connections and (as South Park noted this week) that damned blinking orange light. Erin, who writes out Retro Reviews here on Audio Overflow, also has AT&T internet. So when the time came for her to post her Retro Review yesterday, wouldn’t you know it, her internet started to suck it up. But rather than make an entire post explaining why her review isn’t up yet, I’ve decided to make this week’s Top 5 Friday related to the issue at hand. That way, I not only get to explain the absence of said review, but I get a totally sweet introduction paragraph out of it! So the following list is a list of Retro Reviews that I want to see written on Audio Overflow. Keep in mind, this isn’t an upcoming schedule, or orders for Erin to follow, just a list.

#5: Atom & His Package: Redefining Music – An odd choice, yes, but one that I think would be humorous to see Erin tackle. For the uninitiated, Atom & His Package is a now defunct one-man, synth punk band. It’s all fairly humorous music, with songs that are either silly, funny, or on serious subject matters – but all of it is actually pretty decent. Take, for example, the song “If You Own the Washington Redskins, You’re a Cock,” which is about racism in sports team names like the Braves, Indians, or Redskins. Atom makes some good points, noting that if we’re going to allow that, we might as well have the “Carolina Negros” and the “New York Kikes.” Ouch! I’d totally love to see this one get reviewed.

#4: Nirvana: Bleach – Bleach was Nirvana’s first album, released on the indie label, Sub Pop. As such, only the really die hard fans have heard it. I’m not one of those people. I happen to find Nirvana severely overrated, and I think people often overlook the technical flaws of the band and focus more on the commercial and cultural impact that the band had on music. I’d like to see a review that focuses on the band’s music prior to their big breakout! Is it as good as their other stuff? Is it good at all without the nostalgia factor added in? These are questions that should be answered, mostly because I’ve never heard it myself.

#3: Michael Jackson: Thriller – The 25th anniversary edition of this album was released a few months ago, which probably would’ve been a perfect time to review it. Still, I’m interested to see how the best selling albums of all time hold up today. There are some definite hits that will probably never die; like “Thriller,” “Beat It,” or “Billie Jean.” But was this an album that thrived on it’s singles, or one that deserves the above-mentioned title? Is there anything to this one besides those three songs? Does it even matter? A retro review on this one would be awesome.

#2: Creed: Human Clay – Creed was the shiz. No doubt about it! I remember being in high school when the song “What If” came out and everybody was all over it. My sister’s boyfriend was totally in a band that performed this song at the school talent show. It was awful, and at the time I thought to myself that it didn’t do the original justice. About a decade later, I can safely say that the original didn’t even do itself justice. Creed sucks soooo hard! How did we ever enjoy this crap? There are no urgent questions that need to be answered like the above two albums, I just sometimes like to see an album get torn to shreds. That being said, I’m just glad I’m not the one that would have to review it – ’cause then I’d have to listen to it all over again. Not cool.

#1: The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Widely considered to be the greatest album of all time, this one seems like a natural choice for the #1 pick on this list. But there’s more to it than that; namely that I have just never been able to get into The Beatles. Strange, I know, considering my adoration for indie pop, which is heavily influenced by the band. But still, it’s just never done it for me. Sgt. Pepper’s has some classic songs, and is without a doubt, the oddest CD that The Beatles ever put out. I have no intention of listening to it any time soon. But if Erin reviews it and gives it a score that’s an 8 or higher, ok…I’ll bite. Your play, Erin.