Track Listing

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite
8. Within You Without You
9. When I'm Sixty Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2)
13. Day In The Life, A

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2043 in Music
• Released on: 1992-06-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Before Sgt. Pepper's, 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 3-plus decades, 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's was a milestone for both 1960s music and popular culture in general. --Billy Altman

CD Description
One of the most famous albums in the world and definitely the most famous album sleeve, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' ushered in the psychedelic era and the 'Summer of Love' and remains the pinnacle of British psychedelia. From the whimsy of 'When I'm 64' to the stunning orchestration of 'A Day In The Life', the melancholia of 'She's Leaving Home'to Ringo's solo spot 'With A Little Help From My Friends' the album is a true pop masterpiece.

Customer Reviews

It Was 40 Years Ago Today
Well, almost.

What do you say about this truly iconic album, about which millions of words, both intelligent and otherwise, have been written and spoken by millions of people?

As a total package, it's brilliant, from the cover, to the cut-outs (which are much better with the LP version!) to the music itself. The sound, experimentation, the songs and the musicianship are stunning.

If you're at all interested in The Beatles, you already own this and arguments about whether or not it's the 'best' Beatles album (or even 'the best album ever') are irrelevant. But, if you're not that interested, or new to the music, I suggest this isn't the place to start.

Of course, A Day in the Life is probably The Beatles' all time greatest song, but after many hundreds of listens, I really think Revolver, its predecessor, and The Beatles, its successor, are more enjoyable albums and better demonstrate the genius of the band.

Anyway, whatever anyone says, this is still **#@! fantastic.

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME
Listened to this album for the first time in years- quite simply-it's magnificent.
Trends change and attention seeking people will snipe...but when all is said and done..the quality of John,Paul,George and Ringo shines through.

A Day In The Life is stunning...i would recommend buying the album just for this track.
Mccartney dominates this album..but John contributes brilliantly...Lucy In The Sky..and the surreal Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite take us on a journey...
Put on your headphones and drift away...you won't regret it.
Don't listen to me...listen to genius... and enjoy.

The genius of George Martin
Many people believe this album to be the greatest album ever made. But there was more to the creative genius of 'The Beatles' than Lennon and McCartney (and Harrison for that matter). What really made 'Sgt. Pepper' a quantum leap in the evolution of music history was the skill, artistry and production genius of George Martin. He was the master of the sonic soundscape that would define a generation, and turn into reality what Lennon and McCartney could only dream. You might argue about the true identity of 'the fifth Beatle', but this album demonstrates (for me atleast) that George Martin is the most deserving of that particular description.

Every track is now part of popular music legend. Ranging from the twee and silly pop of McCartney in 'When I'm 64', to the fascinating and brilliant 'A Day In The Life' (a song many people regard to be the greatest Beatles song ever written), 'Sgt. Pepper' represents 'The Beatles' at their creative peak. Controversy surrounded several tracks, not least because of veiled (and sometimes downright overt) references to drugs. The BBC infact banned atleast 3 songs for that exact reason, 'Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite' and it's references to 'Henry The Horse' (both Henry and Horse being alternative terms for heroin), 'A Day In The Life' for the lyric "Went upstairs and had a smoke/then someone spoke and I went into a dream" being perceived as a direct reference to marijuana use (and on public transport too!), and of course, 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', which according to John Lennon, was NOT about LSD. Blinding coincidence though, you'd have to say!

But 'The Beatles' were experimenting with more than mere drugs when they made this album. With the expert guidance of 'straight man' Martin (from whom they would hide their joints during rehearsals like naughty schoolboys), 'The Beatles' tried everything to create an original masterpiece that would silence their critics, who couldn't understand what was taking them so long in preparing this album. But to Paul McCartney's endless joy, the end result was more stunning than even the most impatient of critics could have hoped for.

And then of course is the other thing that makes 'Sgt. Pepper' stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of artistic achievement... the legendary cover art by Peter Blake. Packaged in a neat, glossy slipcase, the famous 'crowd' of living and dead celebrities is detailed on the reverse side, telling you exactly who is who. Indeed, this album is a shining example to the record industry of what you should expect from a CD. Like a DVD packed with 'extra features', this CD comes with a thick booklet with all the original lyrics and details of when the tracks were recorded, plus information about the album in general. Indeed, all that is missing is the original idea by Lennon to sell the album complete with coloured pencils and pictures to colour in. A bit impractical today perhaps, but it would no doubt sell like hotcakes!

'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' transcends every other album of it's generation for it's sheer originality and creativity, and (sadly) represents a musical peak that 'The Beatles' would never reach again.