It was 20 years ago today...

...that my entire family was killed by a band of half-crazed gypsy mimes (or "migrant mimes?" That's probably a funnier image). Actually, it was 40 years ago last month that "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was released. XPN put on a huge tribute show that I missed despite being on the Penn campus just before it started, so now I have to make my amends by adding my own twopence to the whole affair.

For me, the Beatles' recording career fits into 4 easy categories: the early "Yeah yeah yeah" era, which contains some of the greatest pop songs ever; the "Revolver/Rubber Soul" era; "Sgt. Pepper's" as its own thing; and finally, "Abbey Road" as its own entirely different thing. "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul" were always my favorites growing up, and "Sgt. Pepper's" my least. For some reason it took me forever to warm up to it -- forever as in up until last year. There was just something off about it; it wasn't as tight or immediate as "Rubber Soul," but it was much more of a production (and thus should have been tighter? Who knows). I still don't know what I didn't like about it, but I definitely do know what I like about it now.

The most amazing thing about the whole album for me is how much space there is on it. Critics of the album have always said that it was overproduced; that there was too much emphasis on playing with 8-track recording machines and not enough on songwriting. But if you listen to all the space on "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (or any other song, really), that argument doesn't hold up very well (and should really be reserved for "Abbey Road"). Is there a lot of weird stuff on there? Sure. Is "A Day In The Life" bloated and awful? Yes. But the only real musical misstep is an editorial one: "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were both recorded in the same sessions but left off the record for some reason (the "Strawberry Fields" omission being the bigger crime of the two). And I think "Hello Goodbye" and "Rain" may have been contenders at one point as well, although neither of the latter would have fit as well as the former. And who could forget "Exciting Sandwich," with its exquisite four-part harmony and bird's eye view?


For the rebellious at heart, remember that this album was essentially the Beatles rejecting their identity, both personal and public. I've been trying to find a clip from when the "Strawberry Fields" video premiered on American Bandstand. Yes, there was a music video, and yes, that song was released as a single before the full album. The best part about the clip is Dick Clark interviewing the audience after the video plays. Everyone is completely turned off by it, most of them commenting on how "weird" everyone looks with mustaches and beards. I think we take classic albums for granted without considering how possible it is for a sea change to end a band's success, or how often classics are met with skepticism or indifference upon their initial release.

None of that is very profound of course, but it's a good segue into something that probably was. To commemorate the album's anniversary, the University of Leeds hosted a major academic conference about the cultural significance -- or lack thereof -- of "Sgt. Pepper's." Listen, I love quality pop culture that borders on art, and I especially love it when it merits serious academic study. There are plenty of links on Google to academic articles about the album; check them out if you're interested.

Not to be outdone by its Anglo competition (or co-Anglo, as they're both British), the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has an interactive version of the album's iconic art which allows users to read up on most of the actors/musicians/authors featured on the sleeve simply by pointing and clicking. Pointing and clicking! What's next, electronic postal mail? Seriously though, I was pretty mega-nerd excited when I found this tool -- make sure you check it out.

There really is music coming. I promise promise promise it's coming soon. I'm just still juggling my time, my astounding stupidity when it comes to file hosting, my steady paycheck that never seems to be enough, and my complete lack of coordination that makes successful juggling about as likely as my becoming a vegetarian. For now, read this interview with Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers, whom I had the good fortune of finally seeing a couple weeks ago. Perhaps a track from that show will be the first download I have on here...?

And I'd be remiss to forget about my other tidbit of musical history, genteel-ly researched by our friends Drew & Natalie at Marriedtothesea.com: