|
You have to hear Sgt. It's a shame it's limited release. Mono is where it is at. Pepper in mono and Lucy in the sky with diamonds among others. There are different mixes and takes. I now realize why this album is a masterpiece. Stereo doesn't compare on most of the songs.
Now 21st century fans will be able to judge for themselves. Sgt. Pepper has been called the greatest rock album of all time. Without debating the merits of the original music, the remastering on this CD is nothing short of phenomenal. It's still one of the baddest kids on the block, the rocket launcher for all modern rock. That muddy warm sound was state of the art for its day, but that day is over. No, it is not an exact recreation of the original, compressed 4 track recording on vinyl. This newly remastered CD sounds so fresh, so cutting edge, that it unchains the original LP and makes it relevant again.
Some of the tracks have with time partially lost some of the appeal they originally had. The same can be said about "Lovely Rita". Today, when this more or less is taken for granted, the album probably appears less significant than in 1967 when it was first released. The album is probably the first with McCartney as the dominant vocalist - and his songs are generally great. "Sgt.
Ringo's singing on "With a Little Help From My Friends" could well be his best Beatles vocal performance. The two title tracks are both very charming and always a pleasure to listen to. "Getting Better" and "Fixing a Hole" have always been among my favorites, and both tracks have a lot of the old Beatles sound intact. I feel that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" often has been overestimated, while "Good Morning, Good Morning" is okay, but no more. I suspect that many listeners today choose to skip the number. Kite". George Harrison's "Within You, Without You" is very accomplished, but it is also very typical of its time. Lennon's strongest contributions are "A Day in the Life" and "Being for the Benefit of Mr.
Pepper's" contributed at its time very much to widen the scope of what a pop / rock band could play and it also helped breaking down barriers between different musical genres. I've never been crazy about "When I'm 64," but I must nevertheless acknowledge that it has become a classic - but it is not rock'n roll at any level. A milestone and also a great Beatles album. Looking soberly at the music today some tracks are really not that interesting. The same could apply to "She's Leaving Home", which has interesting lyrics, but which musically is rather dull.
IT SOUNDS DIFFERENT, DISAPPOINTED. REMIX CHANGED INSTUMENTS AND VOCALS PLACEMENT BY ALTERING, AT TIMES THE VOCALS AND INSTRUMENTS RELATIONSHIPS FROM FOREGROUND TO BACKGROUND. SOUNDS LIKE THOSE DOING THE REMASTERING THOUGHT, " IF WE MAKE THESE CHANGES IT WILL SOUND EVEN BETTER" THE SAMENESS WOULD BE BEST AS THE BEATLES HAD IT JUST RIGHT.
Still wish they made a 24/96 version. Seriously, how did they do it. CD is superb, the way it should be.
|
