Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

The nations favourite old person, Sarah Kennedy kept me entertained for the main part for my journey to London, she is like a walking talking version of The Daily Mail, after all she does believe that Enoch Powell was the best leader this country never had. She does play show tunes though and there really is nothing better than zipping through England screaming at the top of your lungs, “Therea ain’t nothing like a dame”.
It doesn’t last long though and as soon as Terry Wogan came a long it bought me neatly to my commute CD, apparently the greatest album ever made depending on the day, The Beatles’ Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Its not the greatest album ever made though, its note even The Beatles greatest album, but considering I wasn’t particularly looking forward to listening to it, it wasn’t an altogether bad experience.
I hadn’t listened to this album in quite some years, I had listened to the NME compiled Sgt Pepper Knew My Father but the actual album that tribute was based on, it may have been around 25 years since I last heard it, I find it quite dull you see.
It wasn’t dull though, I would say that She’s Leaving Home is possibly The Beatles most accomplished and well put together song. Potentially their best song, it caught me off guard a little as it was a song that I hadn’t really given any thought to.
The album as a whole demonstrates extremely well just how good Lennon and McCartney were as songwriters, in all of the songs on this album there are no clichés, they aren’t lazy lyrically or musically, they don’t feel the need to add superfluous “ooh baby’s” and the album fits together better than a jigsaw, carefully compiled running order makes it an effortless album to listen to.
The only downside for me is when they allow George Harrison to have free reign as he does on the tabla and sitar infused Within You Without You. If The Beatles can’t be arsed to play on it, then I think that is rather telling. It only takes one bad apple and this bad album loses this surprising (to me) album a point. 9 out of 10.



She’s Leaving Home by The Beatles