I'm starting something new for the Omnibus this year. We are a people who love to make lists, and those who love music do the same. The Billboard top 40 has been a part of the landscape as long as Elvis as been shaking his hips. Since the blog and radio show deals with the music of our past, I thought it be a cool idea to write about the albums that have influenced modern music, and the albums that should have done so. There will also be a opportunity for me to stretch out a bit beyond the confines of where the Omnibus usually goes in the way of content. Hope you like it, and if you have any suggestions...I'm all ears.
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It's easy to pick this one as the first album to write about. For someone who was not familiar with music before 1990, I'd hand them this one, because much of what happened in rock music after 1967, for better or worse came because of Sgt. Pepper. Personally, it's not my favorite (that usually flips between 'Revolver' and 'Abbey Road' depending on my mood), but it is not arguable of it's influence in it's day, and in the decades since.
There are many places where you can read the whole story of the album's conception, but the real beginning of the album came at the end of the group's last tour in 1966. Unencumbered by the rigors of touring the world, they could focus on the experimentation begun with the 'Revolver' album.
The original concept was Paul's, that the group had become pigeon-holed and that a way they go beyond what the fans expected was to create an alter ego, which would have different names which would allow them to go in whichever direction musically they wanted to go. It seems like a bit of a silly proposition now, and the other members were not crazy about the idea per se, but all were interested in pursuing a different sound in the studio. As it turned out, other than the the opening song (and it's reprise), any of songs, as John Lennon later said, "could have been on any other album".
The first song lays out that initial concept of Sgt. Pepper, and then leads into a song written especially for Ringo. "With a Little Help From My Friends" was sung in the character of Billy Shears, and looking back at it, was a perfect vehicle for the drummer. Starr rejected an original line in the song, "What you do if you sang out a tune/Would you stand and throw and throw tomatoes at me?" Ringo remembered a comment that George had made in the early days of Beatlemaina about liking jelly beans, and spending the rest of his touring days as a Beatle dodging the little missiles being throw at him from a distance. He begged the boys to change the lyrics....which they did....
I remember reading about "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" for the first time. Even as a teenager it was hard for me to believe it when Lennon said it wasn't about acid. Was it really about a picture Julian drew and brought home for his dad to see? Well....sure. I don't have a doubt that the picture was the first inspiration for his song. It also wouldn't be the first time a Beatle would write a song that had layered meaning. All of that aside, it is a great song that has had a great cover as well. Lennon provided background vocals and guitar to Elton John's cover of the song in 1974. It became the only Beatle cover to reach #1 on the charts.
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