Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album)
The eighth studio album by The Beatles, released in 1967. It is a loose Concept Album, that sees The Beatles performing as the fictitious band of the album's title. It became one of the most acclaimed albums of the band, being often at the top spot in "Best Albums Of All Time" lists, and sold over 32 million copies worldwide. It became a benchmark for Concept Albums, Psychedelic Rock, and an influence in Progressive Rock.
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"We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
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Also the inspiration for many Sgt. Pepper's Shout Outs.
Tropes:
- Album Filler:
- John only composed "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" (which basically transcribed a circus poster) because he didn't have enough songs.
- For a filler it's a very good and rhythmically complex song...
- Book Ends: The title track and its reprise (with "A Day in the Life" being an encore)
- Call-and-Response Song: "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Getting Better".
- Captain Obvious: "That the singer's going to sing a song..."
- Concept Album: Besides the title tracks, it attempts to be like a concert. The concept was that The Beatles were pretending to be another band and doing the kind of songs that that band would do instead of just making an album as themselves. Although there is intense debate over whether it actually is a concept album proper, since apart from the two title songs and "With A Little Help From My Friends" the concept of 'the fictional band's concert' doesn't really develop much further; Lennon himself said that he wasn't working to this idea and that his songs, at least, could have easily gone on any other album.
- Day in the Life: "A Day in the Life"
- Epic Rocking: "A Day in the Life", which has parts by both John and Paul
- Fading Into the Next Song: Both the title track and the reprise do this to the song that follows.
- Falling Bass: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
- Fleeting Demographic Rule: Variation. Before this album, The Beatles had putting out albums and touring almost unendingly, and they were feeling burned out. So, from this album onward, they decided to stop touring and take their time working on the album instead of working as hectically as they had been. However, since that meant the album took much longer to be completed and the band wasn't making any official public appearances during the process, the perceived decreased productivity of the band in the public's eye led critics to declare that the band was officially dead. These people were proven to be very wrong.
- Genre Roulette: Music hall, jazz, rock and roll, classical music, Indian music...
- Grow Old with Me: "When I'm Sixty-Four" (and then you consider the fact that Paul McCartney got into a divorce shortly before his 64th birthday)
- Intercourse with You: At the end of "Lovely Rita".
- Last-Note Nightmare: "Within You Without You", "A Day in the Life", and the "Inner Groove" chatter that follows it (particularly because it looped on the vinyl).
- Line-of-Sight Name: The name Sgt. Pepper came from salt and pepper recipients.
- Lyrical Dissonance: "Getting Better", and the opening of "Good Morning, Good Morning"
- Magnum Opus Dissonance: This is frequently regarded as The Beatles' greatest album, but the Beatles themselves were divided over it. Although not disliking it, George Harrison and John Lennon would later admit they didn't see what all the fuss was about. Lennon himself preferred The White Album.
- Match Cut: The cock cowing in "Good Morning, Good Morning" to the guitar of "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise".
- Non-Appearing Title: "A Day in the Life". The whole phrase "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" too.
- One-Woman Song: "Lovely Rita"
- Ripped from the Headlines: "She's Leaving Home" was based on a story John read in the paper about a girl who ran away from her home. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" was based on a really old headline...specifically, a poster for one Pablo Fanque's fair that John saw in an antique shop. His verses in "A Day In The Life" are similarly based on various newspaper articles.
- Shout-Out: The cover, which got plenty of shout outs later. See Sgt. Pepper's Shout Out.
- At least one the Name's the Same reference was made between this album and Police Womans lead character Police Sgt. Pepper Anderson.
- Subliminal Seduction: The inner groove. Specifically, when it's played backwards it sounds remarkably like, "I'll fuck you like a superman!" In Many Years from Now Paul McCartney insists that this was accidental. Listen here.
- Throw It In: Almost literally invoked in "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" considering the song's strange sounding bridge was created by taking a tape recording of some music, cutting it up into small strips, throwing them up in the air and splicing them back together at random.
- Title-Only Chorus: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds",
- Triumphant Reprise: "Sgt. Pepper's (Reprise)"
- Trope Codifier: For Concept Albums.
- Truck Driver's Gear Change: "Sgt. Pepper's (Reprise)"
- Uncommon Time: "Good Morning Good Morning"
- Wanderlust Song: "She's Leaving Home"
- What Could Have Been: "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were recorded during the sessions for this album with the intention of them being part of it, but they ended up being released as non-album singles instead. Additionally, there was supposed to be a television special based on the album, but it was scrapped before completion. There was, however, a promotional video produced for "A Day in the Life" (as well as the aforementioned singles).
- What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?: Despite popular perception "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" is not actually code for "LSD"; it was about a drawing John's son Julian drew of his classmate Lucy (whom he drew in the sky. With diamonds). Additionally, "Fixing A Hole" isn't about heroin. It is quite likely, however, that these were made on drugs.
- World of Chaos: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" even provides the quote for that page.
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"We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
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