I am officially and happily deleting abusive, nitpicky or generally unhelpful comments. I worked too hard on this one, I don’t care. For the rest of you: I love y’all so much thanks for all the support! Edit: this isn’t like for criticisms but making fun or being sexual toward me or correcting (incorrectly) things I actually said.
Please consider loosing the jump cut editing, as it gives one the impression of being talked at, rather than spoken to, and gives watching the video a very "teeth on edge" disjointed, feel for the viewer, and when you happen to speak so fast, makes it ... not so easy to fallow.
your about page says you are devoted to diet mt. dew, that is you making fun of yourself, something the beatles did constantly. i say dont delete mean banter just let em rip
thank you algorithm for putting this video on my home page, you deserve a much bigger audience than you have. the editing is on point, your presentation is so much fun, wow! we need more chicks like you in the beatleverse. instant sub
18:40 I believe it is likely that Paul missed the camaraderie the LEAST. During the mid 60's Paul was an enthusiastic socialite living in London with the Asher family and hobnobbing with the likes of william Burroughs and other talented people. He was forever going to gigs, concerts, hanging around Robert Fraser's esoteric bookshop, and was never stuck for company. The other Beatles lived in lonely mansions in enormous grounds faraway from the rabble. Getting fried on LSD. Lennon trying to "dissolve his ego". George meditating, chanting, boning his missus and finger painting all over the outside of his house. Ringo?...hmm..dunno...drinking ale, playing darts and waiting for the call to come to the studio, I guess.
Ringo was gambling with his actor friends and hanging out on Peter Sellers' boat. And, of course, there was camaraderie in the stock brokers belt as the three of them were always hanging out at each other's houses.
Hello 👋 Not sure how you popped up in my YT, but I am glad you did ! Very interesting insight(s). I snickered when I saw the segment on the EP Album. I am in the U.S. and have never seen another copy of that - other than mine. I treasure my hundreds of hours of 'bootleg' stuff that gives added insight on how much of Their production grew to build the final compositions we all know. Goodbye 👋
Wow, you've done it again with another incredible video essay! I just finished watching the 2-hour deep dive into The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. The level of detail, the insightful explanations, and the sheer entertainment value had me hooked from start to finish. This is exactly the kind of content I love to see - informative, engaging, and a true celebration of the musical genius of the Fab Four. Bravo, keep up the amazing work!
Stumbled in here accidentally. But now interested. I love the detail. I am a Beatles aficionado, so the references I get, I am happy about that. Need your thoughts on ... WTF ... happened to the 2023 "remix" of I Am the Walrus. I miss the reverb on the intro of Nowhere Man but I still like it.
So happy to have finally acquired a German 3rd pressing of this late last year. It really does sound great, the bass on "Baby, You're a Rich Man" being one of several highlights. Given it's one of my top 3 Beatles LPs, it was well worth hunting down.
Hey Lars, I just wanna say I've been a huge Beatles fan for about 15 years now, ever since was a freshman in high school. I really love your channel, and have been watching a lot of your videos. I hope you get more and more exposure because you really deserve it. Your videos offer a great insight into the group. Thanks
The Beatles camp haves such a tight grip on their property that any mention of them or their music on RUclips is impossible! I am loving the research and cometary you’ve done on “ the group” for me it’s an education cause I’ve alway been interested in the history “ the group” so thanks
Thanks for all your hard work Lars, I absolutely loved this video. As every year passes, I love the MMT film more. The album is one of my go to favourites. Baby You're a Rich Man all the way!! Subscribed
So...I'm trolling through RUclips as old farts my age are wont to do and found this vid. I love the Beatles. I grew up with them and watched "Yellow Submarine" in a drive-thru in the 1960's. Anyways, I stumbled across your channel and after 2+ hours I am satisfied and smiling. Awesome work and great comments. Love it. I'm hooked. Please let me know if the position of Animal Control Officer becomes available in Lars Land as I want to submit my resume. Great stuff!
...young lady, I share your inexhaustible interest in Magical Mystery Tour. Good hearing from someone who gets it. I've never encountered an individual, as yourself, who has this same inordinate affection for the Beatles. It's unfortunate that I cannot view the unedited version of your work.
absolutely had a blast watching this. I'm so glad I found your channel, reminded me of how much fun it is to be a beatles fan and this vid reminded me how much fun I had watching MMT back in the early 90s on a tape-tree'd copy of a bad print bootleg. :3 love your commentary and explainer, well researched - so well researched. Bravo.
Great stuff, shame you couldn't play the music. A really deep dive on this with a bunch of stuff I didn't know. Probably my favourite beatles lp. Well done..Great work miss
I was in the navy back in... I'll say February1979, and spent a couple days in Honolulu. There was a place called 'Little Orphan Annies''. I saw a band play 'Baby you're a rich man' good af. I forget the name of that band. But I remember halfway through the night declared; 'we're just playing Beatles and Stones(?) the rest of the night'. That band was worthy of remembering.
So great to see someone under 25 taking a real interest in the Beatles. many younger people dont know them at all! I'm old enough to remember - barely - when the Beatles logo had antenna! BTW - you are beautiful. Would never know about your tootoh unless you told us.
The Beatles are a lifetime band. Meaning, not only is there something in there for everybody, there’s something in there for every time in your life. There are certain songs that I didn’t like at all when I was younger but I love them now.. like Brussel sprouts. I never knew Baby You’re a Rich Man was a No.1 hit. I love that song, but it doesn’t scream No.1 hit to me. Love these videos Lars. I always learn something new, and I think I can speak for all of us that we wished you said what was in your mind for Fool On The Hill lol. You’re right, song does go hard
To my English eyes the American early US albums look so strange but the US got it totally right with Magical Mystery Tour. It's an album! The matching of all those magical side two tracks with the original is what we all want to buy. Yes the fade out to the opening track is haunting and yet the track sometimes gets dismissed. People don't listen they just have attitude. And im only 49 mins in!
Wow, you just popped onto my TV screen. Love your work on this one.. Subscribed straight away. A bit in love too, as you are so cute and obviously intelligent... ❤
Love this!! Another seriously in depth review of a brilliant album. Thank you so much. (I was only joking about Americans talking too fast in my other post by the way. ) I actually love your machine gun vocal delivery and it helps as your vids are always packed with information. Thanks for another great vid. xx
I enjoyed your video and found myself concurring with your opinions. I always believed that the film could have been more readily accepted with the addition of a brief prologue and epilogue. For example, if the film began on a cold, wintery night where John is attempting to put his restless son to sleep by telling him an improvised bedtime story. John begins his narration and the film fades to Richie and Auntie Jessie. The epilogue would have John’s wife awakening him in a chair next to his son’s bed where she tells him that their son is asleep and it’s time to come to bed. The viewer would then have to decide at what point did the magical mystery tour stop being John’s ad-libbed story and start becoming John’s dream. Keep up the good work. It’s always great to discover new Beatle people.
exellent review of a wonderfull and totally unique album ...mind blowing to me in 67. i dropped everything i was doing and listened to your review. the last time i did that was when doom by dilly dally premiered on my radio.incidentally please take to heart that you are beautiful in appearance and word. you are the only one on youtube that actually makes me want to be 40 yrs younger- i like being old. thank you for all your great work.
When it came out, in the states a few months after the u.s. first views, there were midnight showings at artsy theaters. We all loved it. True people living at the edge of the zeitgeist knew the whole psychedelia of the moment in the culture. We had no idea why critics hated it. But who cares? The young wouldn't like it as much if the stiff shirts liked it anyway. It was ours.
I remember buying both SGT Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. All the kids loved both albums. We loved everything the Beatles put out. The Beatles dominated the 1960's music scene. They came to America a few months after JFK was killed and cheered us up. Beatles really belong to my generation. I don't believe people who weren't kids in the 60's will every get the Beatles. Like I'll never get big band music like my grandparents. Of course; I'm glad that younger people enjoy listening to our Beatles. Enjoy!
if you went to live big band music performances every day, you would like big band, but big band records are no comparison to the live version. the beatles is the first music that translated the excitement of live music, and when rap dies out i hope another beatles shows up
I agree. Although I’m only one gen removed and I’m absolutely obsessed with everything the Beatles have done, I still look at old footage of girls completely losing their minds and I can’t imagine that feeling. It’s all about being within the context of that time coming off the stale 50’s
I was very excited to see how long it was going to be. This was Great. All the research you always do and your fun informative videos always give me a multiple appreciation. I don't just hear/see through my eyes but get your honest intimate thoughts too on The Beatles always.. Always laugh a lot while pausing for the easter eggs too. Thanks for highlighting her playing the drums and singing, worth a million bucks and rewinds. Beautiful lady and probably a hoot to have hung out with I like the anticipation of the wait. Good things come and all that. You're so funny. Thanks so much!
I must be old. I saw this back in 1974, I think, in an actual movie theater with a group of friends. In color. Yes, we were high. Before they rolled MMT, they screened The Beatles Live at Shea Stadium. I thought MMT was brilliant.
Crazy that it took 'South Park' to reveal the "Underpants Gnomes", the source of all Beatles underpants issues. The picnic with wine in the English countryside you took me on via this video, was only surpassed by a cameo appearance from Robyn Hitchcock.
Nat Jackley was called the rubber man because that's what he was known for long before Magical Mystery Tour, see his wikipedia article for more info, here's a clip with him from 1946, he's the one in the middle ruclips.net/video/H7R5Ky23mvY/видео.html
@@larsland I probably only know about him because of Magical Mystery Tour + curiosity :D Ivor Cutler on the other hand, there's a real rabbit hole you could go down!
Alright, I'm not even halfway through this thing and already I feel the need to express just how overjoyed I am that there is another human that not only shares my obsession with The Beatles but has the ability to make sense of all the books and other ephemera and then share the results in such a highly produced and entertaining way! Damn that was a long sentence, huh? But yeah, lovin' it, subscribed, will be ingesting your content as time allows for the foreseeable future. I was 6 when MMT came out, but already a huge Beatles fan, as were my hippie-adjacent parents. It was my favorite at the time and probably still is, though Revolver and Pepper are right up there too. I have pretty specific kid memories of each Beatles release from Rubber Soul on. We even had a butcher cover that dad had bought in Berkeley before we moved east in 1967. We were in NYC when Yellow Submarine was first out and saw it in a big theater there, possibly a premier of some kind. Dad later met Lennon, I think at an event in Syracuse with Yoko. So we were a Beatle family for sure, but I'm blathering now. Point is, this is right up my alley, so thanks!!! And hey, check out some NRBQ if you haven't already. The greatest band nobody's heard of, and there are quite a few of their tunes that sound extremely Beatle-y. Or maybe XTC, who have done lots of Beatle-y stuff (Dukes of Stratosphear!) Shutting up now...
It's 3 Am here in Cornwall atm ( Where the lads visited in this film ) And i am here for this 2 hour video :) Well done for getting it past the silly youtube laws. :) x
Yeah i got to that hehe , Also 2 things 1 you're a beautiful human being inside and out and 2 ( Newquay ) is pronounced ( New Key ) :) Happy to help! haha@@larsland
Where have you been all my life? Look forward to delving into your body of work regarding the fab four. I see very little commentary from other Beatles channels that goes beyond the superficial. I'm only just getting started on this clip, but I can see that you are well grounded and thorough. Also curious.
Magical Mystery Tour is my favorite Beatles album and one of my favorite albums ever. Flying is beautiful, Blue Jay Way, The Fool on The Hill, I Am The Walrus, etc. Every song is amazing and I feel like an insane double album could have been assembled out of MMT & SPLHCB
Lars, have you seen any Beatles tribute bands? I have always been interested in them. I saw my favorite tribute band Rain while they were on their "Abbey Road Medley and Rooftop Concert Tour". Currently they are on their "Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour". Fun fact: Rain starred in the first ever Beatles biopic in the year 1975 titled "The Birth Of The Beatles".
Loved this! Thanks for another great vid The EP gotvto number 2 on the British singles chart, kept off the top by Hello Goodbye with Walrus on the B-side, so it was on both numbers 1 & 2. Andvat number 4 at the same time was Paul's brother Mike as part of the Scaffold (music/comedy/poetry group) singing Thank U Very Much. Coach trips like this are still running in Britain! Day trips to the coast or a tourist town are common, a company near me are offering two this week to London and to Stratford on Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace). The mystery destination was often a choice as well - they didn't tell you where the coach was going until you arrived! You book a ticket and hope it'll be a trip you'll enjoy - exactly the premise of the film 😂
Dear "Professor of the Beatles," [well deserved title😁] I appreciate you integrated the Brian Epstein story into this because the Magical Mystery Tour film IMO happened also as a way for the Beatles to continue on while possibly grieving and worrying about their future, or even quiting then...Lennon had said many times he knew it was over when Brian died. Epstein would have made better arrnagement for them to film this show, possibly talking them into getting a director, maybe Richard Lester, to help them. But Paul insited on doing it himself pushed them ahead, at time slike dragging a cement block around on his ankle, to finish the is TV film. Lots of things went wrong lol. Yes I have read many of those books you showed over the years. Another obstacle I read about was McCartney and Lennon would edit the film separately, with no consulting eahc other, back and forth until the film was mess. IKMO they shoild have inculded the Hello Goodbye film they did. Shown in back and whie in Brtitain didn;t help them. I saw a crhystal clear 35 mmm film copy in 1978 in college, on a big screen which made it much better, in stereo. Great job on this! Note: I was a music teacher, and became one in large part due to the Beatles and their music.
Blue Jay Way...Always one of my favorites, and as well I didn't get it that people hated it. I think at the time that album came out people were all about all four of them on each song, and so didn't have patience for a super far out weirdo song that didn't have everyone in it as a total Beatlish sound. It was really just George. Him being my favorite Beatle, well...of course that's why I liked it especially. ( I forgot to add that the album was perhaps my favorite album of theirs, too. The title song should've been a number one single)('Baby You're a Rich Man', by the way, should've been a #1. The public was too enthralled with the A side to give it it's due)
37:01 The verses for Fool On The Hill are in a major key, which alot of the times is happy and upbeat. The chorus changes from a major to a minor key. Minor keys can often feel sad and/or haunting. Then once the chorus ends, that last note is major again, transitioning into the next verse ^_^
I'm so glad I found your channel, I subbed. I was 13 in 1963 when JFK was assassinated (by our own CIA), and the whole country went into a confused depression. Then the Beatles hit and it was a breath of fresh air. I followed everything they did and recorded avidly. It's not easy for a boy in the chaotic 60s to make it to 21, but astonishingly, every year I faced new challenges and whatever Beatles album came out that year seemed to address my problems, or give me some kind of peace of mind or inspiration to keep going. I drove to SF from Ohio when I turned 16 in 67 and got my DL. It was the summer of love and I was a virgin to everything. I smoked pot in Golden Gate park and met some cool people who kind of took me under their wing. We went to their pad and started drinking Boone's Farm wine and smoking joints. I was feeling wonderful and U met this girl from Sausalito and we hit it off. She asked me if I wanted to take a trip. I asked, "To Sausalito?" She laughed and briefly explained Purple Owsley to me. I thought about it maybe 10 seconds before I said, "Yeah, for sure." I got laid that night for the first time. I realized that there was no need to feel alone or be afraid of life. I was a part of everything including God. This opened up a lifelong determination to spread the word about the power of love. At the same time, the Beatles were also trying psychedelics and discovering love. But by 68 it was already too late and the time of, "Free Love," was past. The Rev. MLK, Jr., RFK and Medgar Evers were all assassinated in 68. After that every major city in the USA went up in flames. I went to Chicago to protest the Vietnam War at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Mayor Daily told his thug cops to get rid of us so they commenced a police riot, hitting everybody with huge billy clubs. Many had to go to the hospital, everybody was hurt to different degrees. At the same time Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour came out and helped us all cope. We analyzed every song on the albums and scrutinized the albums themselves to see if Paul was really dead. I loved the White Album a lot and practically wore the grooves out. In 1970 all four lads went their own ways. I was attending my freshman year in college at Kent State University in Ohio. On May 4th we were protesting the expansion of the Vietnam war into Cambodia. The National Guard opened fire on us killing four, including my roommate's girlfriend Allison. 10 were wounded. That was it for me. The Beatles broke up and I moved to the Sonora Desert. It took me about , 10 years to start functioning again. I can't tell you how much consolation I got from listening to all the Beatles albums. I guess I grew up with the Beatles, sometimes they were leading us and sometimes we were leading them. It was synergistic and one hell of a ride from 63-70.
Neil Innes was in the Bonzos at this time (he's playing the piano in the movie during the scene at the bar) and Neil was in the Rutles as Ron Nasty (basically the 'John' character). In case you're looking for another Rutles tie-in ;)
I think that Blue Jay Way was kind of, music to smoke marijuana by. George couldn't compete with the melodic sense that McCartney or Lennon had in their songs. He wanted to find some alternate way of gaining attention to his work. So, he chose to go with something that looked exotic to him (and would look exotic to Beatles fans): Indian music. This music had an appeal to George's technical side (remember pre fame, out of school, he was going to train for working with electrical.) Indian music can have a lot of rhythmic complexity. It also sounds modal. It has a droning nature, so George could write with a drone, and have a melody line that wove in an out of a static background drone. This is a technical way of writing. It was a good schtick for George. He could claim is turf in being the "different one." He could grab on to some of the mystic shaman schtick, too (and he didn't need a great sense of melody to write this stuff either. Try singing Blue Jay Way, by yourself, with no accompanyment, in its entirety. You'll then understand the minimal melodic content.) That was good for the image (bamboozling young people into thinking that he had some kind of superior wisdom. If only they'd known about him fooling around with Ringo's wife. Smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day, or writing songs about a ditzy blonde. Maybe that might have tempered some of that view of him as kind of mystically advanced person.)
Fantastically thorough, ... and they should've kept the drum solo! The film, which I think is good, would've been even better had her character been better developed. The drum solo would've been a great reflection on her past -- especially as being the aunt to Ringo: the drummer! I would've urged Ringo to have done a duet! Thanks for the research and copyright-approved presentation
I think this album is vastly underrated in the context of the Beatles total cannon. When you ask people to name their favourite, MMT rarely even gets a mention. I think maybe because it wasn't a "normal" album. It was only issued as an EP in the UK. Half the songs on the American LP were singles issues. I remember playing this record over and over in my early teen years. I rank it in the Top 5 of my most played. I'd have to say 'The White Album' is my all-time favourite with 'Revolver' a close second and 'Abbey Road' a close third. Sgt. Pepper has a special place in my heart just because of its over the top psychedelia-inspired format. I think 'Penny Lane' and 'The Fool On The Hill' showed Paul at his zenith as a master melody craftsman. Absolute genius songwriting. I love all four of the boys, but Paul is definitely my favourite. His work ethic is what sustained them after Brians passing. I always wondered how different their history would be had Brian lived.
There is no such thing as an underrated Beatles album. I Am The Walrus and Fool on the Hill are particularly revered Beatles tracks. And personally I love the punchy magical Mystery Tour opening track. Unlike the film (which is more likely to be underrated) the music was loved by fans and critics alike.
I think if they had hadn't done the movie and played the marketing of the album a bit more formally and if it had a less ridiculous cover, people would be calling it a masterpiece. Without the imagery of the film in one's head and the silly cover, imagine if it had had a more stylish, minimalist cover and not been called Magical Mystery Tour, but something else (still keeping the song on the album, of course), less associative of "Pepper" - maybe if it had been called, "All You Need is Love" or some unrelated title, I think it would have much more cache today. I think the mixture of people thinking about the film, which doesn't have a great reputation, combined with a second side of previously released singles and the cover made people think of it more as a lark, when in reality it has some of the best Beatles material ever recorded.
It's interesting that George says he was only vaguely aware of the Joe Orton script and that he had never read it. He also says that he didn't think any of them had met with Orton and that this was probably a Brian thing. In the 90s, Paul also basically dismissed it as a Brian thing. However, Joe Orton's own diaries make clear that the only person he met with was Paul. Joe Orton was suggested to Brian by Walter Shenson, who had produced the first two movies. Brian had set up a meeting at his office but had basically blown him off -- I think Brian was justifiably worried about Joe's enfant terrible reputation and never had any intention of greenlighting his script. Paul had invested in Joe's 1966 play Loot and he was keen to meet with him, so one of Brian's assistants set up a dinner meeting at Brian's house. When Joe arrived, Brian was out (on purpose?), so he had dinner with Paul instead. Paul basically made a deal with him that they would option the script and pay for it, but if they didn't go for it, he was free to re-option it to someone else. Very generous, cuz they could've blocked him. Sadly, Brian and Joe would die both within weeks of each other and the decriminalization of homosexuality.
Just gonna jump in here to say some stuff I love about Penny Lane: so, the song starts in B major (Yeh paul, choose one of the hardest keys!) but by the time you get to the word 'know' it's already modulated to B minor, which then augments to cause tension after the original bouncy chord pattern. Then it modulates *down* (wtf?) to F for the chorus. Three key changes, and that's just the start of the first chorus. This has to be one of the most tonally complex pop songs ever, and it would get more credit if it wasn't the B side of one of the other most tonally confusing pop songs ever. Songs just don't do this, it's so out there, but also sounds so smooth and flowing you'd never notice untill you try to play it. To me, that's good writing :)
IMO the Magical Mystery Tour LP is better than Sgt. Pepper. I know, I know, MMT is basically a group of singles added onto an EP but when comparing quality of songs, to me it's an LP that I did and would play way more than Pepper. One of the biggest mistakes they made was not placing Penny Lane/SFF onto Pepper. They could have easily left off two lesser songs and found space. I get it that Epstein wanted some kind of new product released in February '67 but they could have easily been included on Pepper as well.
The post-Revolver psychadelic period is my personal favorite, the period beginning with Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane and ending with The Yellow Submarine soundtrack, of course I absolutely love everything from at least Help! to the very end, the stuff they were churning out during this period is absolutely unparalleled, especially considering they were still using 4-track. MMT is definitely no exception, I Am The Walrus alone might be the closest thing to a God that the universe has to offer. With music that great, it's hard to criticize the band for going out of their way, on their own time, and their own money to film some imagery to accompany the music. Th question is MMT the movie of the same or higher standards as other the other Beatle films. I think it is, when viewed in color and in the correct format, it's not Citizen Kane or 8 1/2, but neither is A Hard Day's Night. I wasn't really aware before i watched one of those bizarre Paul is Dead conspiracy videos, but MMT the movie is laced with all kinds of Aiister Crowley stuff. MMT was the start of the Beatle's headlong dive into things far beyond their comfort zone, things beyond music. Paul got his way and got everybody to assemble to make this movie, that failed, chiefly because there was no marketing or promotion behind it. Ultimately. it should have been shown in theatres, as opposed to a release on television. The decision to do it that way, albeit noble and altruistic, screwed them in the end, since BBC-1 had no idea what to do with it and ended up showing it on the worst possible day and in black and white, then of course with commercials thrown in every 4 to 5 minutes, it would be really difficult to understand just what in the hell it actual is that you're watching. Shortly after this whole debacle Paul somehow gets John on board to announce to the world, without consulting the other two Beatles, that they are now a financial collective called Apple, a mult-faceted enterprise specializing in film, fashion, cutting-edge electronics, a mixed up batch of half-baked shops and boutiques, music producing, music publishing, a record label, and all around talent agency for literally any conceivable artform, and more over, willing to bankroll any endeavor that comes their way, if they see any potential in it, John incidentally would later swear he had no memory of this. Let It Be was a project intended to be a multi-part television docuseries showcasing The Beatles rehearsing songs from the recently released White Album with the show's climax being anywhere from one to several performances featuring the band in front of a live audience. However, this would be another inspired concept full of uncanny foresight doomed for failure. The Beatles, themselves, knew nothing about producing television, and once again they weren't interested in hiring someone who was and working under their tutelage. Even though the resulting movie Let It Be has it's virtues and is quite worth watching, would end up being the workings of a new album with only one live performance, from a rooftop, with no real audience ( outside of The Beatles' inner-circle). And though the very concept of documenting the making of a record on film in and of itself is revolutionary, even though by happenstance this was merely a happy accident, still the world would have to wait another 50 years to understand what Let It Be could've been because of the whole haphazard nature of the entire original project. Since it was shot in 16mm intended for TV format the film had to be transferred over to 35mm in order to be properly formatted for cinema, the inevitable result being a massive over-saturation of color causing all the imagery to appear overly drab, dark, off-colored, and grainy. The audio side of the Let It Be movie is it's own debacle, with the musical performances sounding decent, really just passable at best, while all the dialogue is barely intelligible. Quite unironically the one film from the latter half of their recording career of which they had almost nothing to do with the making of, and would offer up a soundtrack with only two "throwaway" ,at that, Lennon/McCartney coined originals, two unleased George songs, which undoubtedly would not have otherwise seen the light of Day, with an entire B side of George Martin fim score compositions, filled-out with Pepper and Revolver era tracks, The Yellow Submarine, by the creators Hanna-Barbara, would be a massive success. Much like MMT, the four originals that make up The Yellow Submarine are quite good, or at least have aged well, Hey Bulldog lingered in the dark recesses of Beatle fandom for decades only to have been "re-discovered" in the 21st century as one of their best. It seems that even at times exerting as little effort as possible during this period, The Beatles were capable of Shakespearean level greatness wherever music is concerned, while their other efforts mostly serve as cautionary tales of Aesopian proportions. It is absolutely one of the best stories ever told. Ultimately, the severity of the criticisms pointed at them for things like the MMT film, things that are really at worst, examples of mild-success, rather than utterly massive failure, is a reflection of their failure's as businessmen, and the establishment's (particularly Old-British) disgust towards The Beatle's audacity to try and rise so far above their ranks, when the old-world's notoriously faulty perception was they had already been GIVEN so much.
I am officially and happily deleting abusive, nitpicky or generally unhelpful comments. I worked too hard on this one, I don’t care. For the rest of you: I love y’all so much thanks for all the support!
Edit: this isn’t like for criticisms but making fun or being sexual toward me or correcting (incorrectly) things I actually said.
@@gavsezthank you so much ❤😢
@@larsland Keep on doing what you do, you are a brilliant collator of information, Mr. Lewisohn had better watch out!!
Please consider loosing the jump cut editing, as it gives one the impression of being talked at, rather than spoken to, and gives watching the video a very "teeth on edge" disjointed, feel for the viewer, and when you happen to speak so fast, makes it ... not so easy to fallow.
your about page says you are devoted to diet mt. dew, that is you making fun of yourself, something the beatles did constantly. i say dont delete mean banter just let em rip
@@rainblaze.Start a channel and meet your own demands
thank you algorithm for putting this video on my home page, you deserve a much bigger audience than you have. the editing is on point, your presentation is so much fun, wow! we need more chicks like you in the beatleverse. instant sub
I love seeing young Beatles fans like me. It shows they never will die
The Beatle's most mysterious album. I remember hearing "I Am the Walrus" on the radio when I was 5. It was life-changing.
two hours plus. This will keep us busy! Thanks!
At least for now
Two hours of my favorite album yes PLEASE! 🙏
Hell yeah
Your Beatles videos are really interesting. You also look really great!
early!!!!!!! can’t wait to make popcorn, sit down and watch this fully tomorrow 🗣️
hell yeah!
Thank you for providing the list of books in the description, Lars.
18:40 I believe it is likely that Paul missed the camaraderie the LEAST. During the mid 60's Paul was an enthusiastic socialite living in London with the Asher family and hobnobbing with the likes of william Burroughs and other talented people. He was forever going to gigs, concerts, hanging around Robert Fraser's esoteric bookshop, and was never stuck for company.
The other Beatles lived in lonely mansions in enormous grounds faraway from the rabble. Getting fried on LSD. Lennon trying to "dissolve his ego". George meditating, chanting, boning his missus and finger painting all over the outside of his house. Ringo?...hmm..dunno...drinking ale, playing darts and waiting for the call to come to the studio, I guess.
Ringo was gambling with his actor friends and hanging out on Peter Sellers' boat. And, of course, there was camaraderie in the stock brokers belt as the three of them were always hanging out at each other's houses.
Thanks for putting all of this content in one place.
The last part is the best one, I love you
i love love love this album and seeing one of my favourite beatles youtubers review it for 2 hours is like- am i in heaven??
Hello 👋
Not sure how you popped up in my YT, but I am glad you did ! Very interesting insight(s). I snickered when I saw the segment on the EP Album. I am in the U.S. and have never seen another copy of that - other than mine. I treasure my hundreds of hours of 'bootleg' stuff that gives added insight on how much of Their production grew to build the final compositions we all know. Goodbye 👋
This is a pure LSD movie. I have taken LSD seveal times and a lot of moments in the movie I recognize as LSD effects.
awesome video thanks for doing this much appreciated
Very impressed with this video , kept me watching beginning to end ,very professional and entertaining. I’ve subscribed.
Thanks!
Wow, you've done it again with another incredible video essay! I just finished watching the 2-hour deep dive into The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. The level of detail, the insightful explanations, and the sheer entertainment value had me hooked from start to finish. This is exactly the kind of content I love to see - informative, engaging, and a true celebration of the musical genius of the Fab Four. Bravo, keep up the amazing work!
Stumbled in here accidentally. But now interested. I love the detail. I am a Beatles aficionado, so the references I get, I am happy about that. Need your thoughts on ... WTF ... happened to the 2023 "remix" of I Am the Walrus. I miss the reverb on the intro of Nowhere Man but I still like it.
So happy to have finally acquired a German 3rd pressing of this late last year. It really does sound great, the bass on "Baby, You're a Rich Man" being one of several highlights. Given it's one of my top 3 Beatles LPs, it was well worth hunting down.
I love living in Lars Land! The research and care put into your videos is stellar and your personality really brighten everything up
Hey Lars, I just wanna say I've been a huge Beatles fan for about 15 years now, ever since was a freshman in high school. I really love your channel, and have been watching a lot of your videos. I hope you get more and more exposure because you really deserve it. Your videos offer a great insight into the group. Thanks
Thanks!
The Beatles camp haves such a tight grip on their property that any mention of them or their music on RUclips is impossible! I am loving the research and cometary you’ve done on “ the group” for me it’s an education cause I’ve alway been interested in the history “ the group” so thanks
TRUE
This channel is one of my favorites!
Thanks!
27:14 that is interesting.
Lars, this episode: priceless!!
Thanks.😊✌️
Thanks for all your hard work Lars, I absolutely loved this video. As every year passes, I love the MMT film more. The album is one of my go to favourites. Baby You're a Rich Man all the way!! Subscribed
SO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS WOOHOOOOOO HECK YEAH
Yay so excited you’re here!
So...I'm trolling through RUclips as old farts my age are wont to do and found this vid. I love the Beatles. I grew up with them and watched "Yellow Submarine" in a drive-thru in the 1960's. Anyways, I stumbled across your channel and after 2+ hours I am satisfied and smiling. Awesome work and great comments. Love it. I'm hooked. Please let me know if the position of Animal Control Officer becomes available in Lars Land as I want to submit my resume. Great stuff!
...young lady, I share your inexhaustible interest in Magical Mystery Tour. Good hearing from someone who gets it. I've never encountered an individual, as yourself, who has this same inordinate affection for the Beatles. It's unfortunate that I cannot view the unedited version of your work.
absolutely had a blast watching this. I'm so glad I found your channel, reminded me of how much fun it is to be a beatles fan and this vid reminded me how much fun I had watching MMT back in the early 90s on a tape-tree'd copy of a bad print bootleg. :3 love your commentary and explainer, well researched - so well researched. Bravo.
Great stuff, shame you couldn't play the music.
A really deep dive on this with a bunch of stuff I didn't know.
Probably my favourite beatles lp.
Well done..Great work miss
Shoot, love the sourcing! Nice work!
I was in the navy back in... I'll say February1979, and spent a couple days in Honolulu. There was a place called 'Little Orphan Annies''. I saw a band play 'Baby you're a rich man' good af. I forget the name of that band. But I remember halfway through the night declared; 'we're just playing Beatles and Stones(?) the rest of the night'. That band was worthy of remembering.
Can't wait to see you hit 2000! I'll reserve my ticket now!🤣
"Step right this way!" "Roll up!"
People complain that you talk too much??? Do they not understand how informational videos work?🤷🤷♂🤷♀ Great video! (As always).
So great to see someone under 25 taking a real interest in the Beatles. many younger people dont know them at all! I'm old enough to remember - barely - when the Beatles logo had antenna! BTW - you are beautiful. Would never know about your tootoh unless you told us.
The Beatles are a lifetime band. Meaning, not only is there something in there for everybody, there’s something in there for every time in your life. There are certain songs that I didn’t like at all when I was younger but I love them now.. like Brussel sprouts.
I never knew Baby You’re a Rich Man was a No.1 hit. I love that song, but it doesn’t scream No.1 hit to me.
Love these videos Lars. I always learn something new, and I think I can speak for all of us that we wished you said what was in your mind for Fool On The Hill lol. You’re right, song does go hard
Hell yeah, movie-length Lars 🎉
PS those flags look gorgeous with the sun shining through
Thanks!😊
You look good with your hair up in that sort of careless, ‘desinvolte’ way!
To my English eyes the American early US albums look so strange but the US got it totally right with Magical Mystery Tour. It's an album! The matching of all those magical side two tracks with the original is what we all want to buy.
Yes the fade out to the opening track is haunting and yet the track sometimes gets dismissed. People don't listen they just have attitude.
And im only 49 mins in!
Wow, you just popped onto my TV screen. Love your work on this one.. Subscribed straight away. A bit in love too, as you are so cute and obviously intelligent... ❤
Love this!! Another seriously in depth review of a brilliant album. Thank you so much. (I was only joking about Americans talking too fast in my other post by the way. ) I actually love your machine gun vocal delivery and it helps as your vids are always packed with information. Thanks for another great vid. xx
I enjoyed your video and found myself concurring with your opinions. I always believed that the film could have been more readily accepted with the addition of a brief prologue and epilogue. For example, if the film began on a cold, wintery night where John is attempting to put his restless son to sleep by telling him an improvised bedtime story. John begins his narration and the film fades to Richie and Auntie Jessie. The epilogue would have John’s wife awakening him in a chair next to his son’s bed where she tells him that their son is asleep and it’s time to come to bed. The viewer would then have to decide at what point did the magical mystery tour stop being John’s ad-libbed story and start becoming John’s dream.
Keep up the good work. It’s always great to discover new Beatle people.
exellent review of a wonderfull and totally unique album ...mind blowing to me in 67. i dropped everything i was doing and listened to your review. the last time i did that was when doom by dilly dally premiered on my radio.incidentally please take to heart that you are beautiful in appearance and word. you are the only one on youtube that actually makes me want to be 40 yrs younger- i like being old. thank you for all your great work.
Thank you!❤
Wish I could stay in lars land for vacation. I love it here
Stay as long as you want!
When it came out, in the states a few months after the u.s. first views, there were midnight showings at artsy theaters. We all loved it. True people living at the edge of the zeitgeist knew the whole psychedelia of the moment in the culture. We had no idea why critics hated it. But who cares? The young wouldn't like it as much if the stiff shirts liked it anyway. It was ours.
I did mention this ;)
I remember buying both SGT Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. All the kids loved both albums. We loved everything the Beatles put out. The Beatles dominated the 1960's music scene. They came to America a few months after JFK was killed and cheered us up. Beatles really belong to my generation. I don't believe people who weren't kids in the 60's will every get the Beatles. Like I'll never get big band music like my grandparents. Of course; I'm glad that younger people enjoy listening to our Beatles. Enjoy!
if you went to live big band music performances every day, you would like big band, but big band records are no comparison to the live version. the beatles is the first music that translated the excitement of live music, and when rap dies out i hope another beatles shows up
I agree. Although I’m only one gen removed and I’m absolutely obsessed with everything the Beatles have done, I still look at old footage of girls completely losing their minds and I can’t imagine that feeling. It’s all about being within the context of that time coming off the stale 50’s
I was very excited to see how long it was going to be. This was Great. All the research you always do and your fun informative videos always give me a multiple appreciation. I don't just hear/see through my eyes but get your honest intimate thoughts too on The Beatles always.. Always laugh a lot while pausing for the easter eggs too. Thanks for highlighting her playing the drums and singing, worth a million bucks and rewinds. Beautiful lady and probably a hoot to have hung out with I like the anticipation of the wait. Good things come and all that. You're so funny. Thanks so much!
Aww thanks Sue!
I must be old. I saw this back in 1974, I think, in an actual movie theater with a group of friends. In color. Yes, we were high. Before they rolled MMT, they screened The Beatles Live at Shea Stadium.
I thought MMT was brilliant.
yay a new lars !!!!!!!
🎉
Crazy that it took 'South Park' to reveal the "Underpants Gnomes", the source of all Beatles underpants issues. The picnic with wine in the English countryside you took me on via this video, was only surpassed by a cameo appearance from Robyn Hitchcock.
Thank you this was great. My favourite album by The Beatles and the movie is goofy but fun.
Take me to school, Lars 🍎
Lesgoo
Nat Jackley was called the rubber man because that's what he was known for long before Magical Mystery Tour, see his wikipedia article for more info, here's a clip with him from 1946, he's the one in the middle ruclips.net/video/H7R5Ky23mvY/видео.html
Thank you!!😊
@@larsland I probably only know about him because of Magical Mystery Tour + curiosity :D Ivor Cutler on the other hand, there's a real rabbit hole you could go down!
Alright, I'm not even halfway through this thing and already I feel the need to express just how overjoyed I am that there is another human that not only shares my obsession with The Beatles but has the ability to make sense of all the books and other ephemera and then share the results in such a highly produced and entertaining way! Damn that was a long sentence, huh? But yeah, lovin' it, subscribed, will be ingesting your content as time allows for the foreseeable future.
I was 6 when MMT came out, but already a huge Beatles fan, as were my hippie-adjacent parents. It was my favorite at the time and probably still is, though Revolver and Pepper are right up there too. I have pretty specific kid memories of each Beatles release from Rubber Soul on. We even had a butcher cover that dad had bought in Berkeley before we moved east in 1967. We were in NYC when Yellow Submarine was first out and saw it in a big theater there, possibly a premier of some kind. Dad later met Lennon, I think at an event in Syracuse with Yoko. So we were a Beatle family for sure, but I'm blathering now. Point is, this is right up my alley, so thanks!!!
And hey, check out some NRBQ if you haven't already. The greatest band nobody's heard of, and there are quite a few of their tunes that sound extremely Beatle-y. Or maybe XTC, who have done lots of Beatle-y stuff (Dukes of Stratosphear!) Shutting up now...
Just discovered the channel, and your insane research/presentation approach... New subber!
Welcome aboard!
Thank you! It was fun spending a couple of hours in the late 1960s. I think I'll go "freak out" now.
It's 3 Am here in Cornwall atm ( Where the lads visited in this film ) And i am here for this 2 hour video :) Well done for getting it past the silly youtube laws. :) x
I mentioned it a few (dozen) times 😂 so glad you’re here!!!
Yeah i got to that hehe , Also 2 things 1 you're a beautiful human being inside and out and 2 ( Newquay ) is pronounced ( New Key ) :) Happy to help! haha@@larsland
Where have you been all my life? Look forward to delving into your body of work regarding the fab four. I see very little commentary from other Beatles channels that goes beyond the superficial. I'm only just getting started on this clip, but I can see that you are well grounded and thorough. Also curious.
Flying is my favorite song.
great video, you're awesome.
Awesome work!
Thank you!
ITS OUT!!! YIPEE
Finally!
I'm not a third of the way in and this is one of my favorite Beatles things on RUclips. Magical Mystery Tour might be my favorite Beatles music.
Blue Jay Way is a psychedelic masterpiece with that swirling organ imitating the fog upon L.A. Sonic onomatopoeia.
That was a wonderful deep dive! 👋👋
Magical Mystery Tour is my favorite Beatles album and one of my favorite albums ever. Flying is beautiful, Blue Jay Way, The Fool on The Hill, I Am The Walrus, etc. Every song is amazing and I feel like an insane double album could have been assembled out of MMT & SPLHCB
In the video for Strawberry Fields it amazed me that to get the effect of Paul jumping into the tree, Paul had to jump backward out of the tree.
Thank You for all that info! I like your style! 😊
Lars, have you seen any Beatles tribute bands? I have always been interested in them. I saw my favorite tribute band Rain while they were on their "Abbey Road Medley and Rooftop Concert Tour". Currently they are on their "Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour". Fun fact: Rain starred in the first ever Beatles biopic in the year 1975 titled "The Birth Of The Beatles".
I saw one when I was very young but no not recently. It’s admittedly sparked my interest before.
Lars you absolutely crushed it with this video, down to your copyright rants 👏👏👏
Haha thank you!
I loved your long video about MMT! ❤ THANK YOU So much!
Love the album, but never saw the movie.
wow a LOTR reference and beatles at the same time. SUBBED
So good! Thanks ❤️
Lars!! I love your work. Not many young girlies making extensive deep dive Beatles content ❤ I’m here for every upload 🔥 you’re awesome!!!!
Thank you! ❤ (I’m non-binary they/them btw 😉)
@@larsland That’s my bad! thank you very much for letting me know!! much love ❤️
@@steviekaye1403 np ❤❤❤
Well Done!!
Thank you!
Watched the full video and completed two Beatles drawings during it so that’s a success in my book
Will this upload survive? Let's see!
so in my experience, once it's up, it's up. here we go! edit: but obviously i trust no one esp not youtube
Loved this! Thanks for another great vid
The EP gotvto number 2 on the British singles chart, kept off the top by Hello Goodbye with Walrus on the B-side, so it was on both numbers 1 & 2. Andvat number 4 at the same time was Paul's brother Mike as part of the Scaffold (music/comedy/poetry group) singing Thank U Very Much.
Coach trips like this are still running in Britain! Day trips to the coast or a tourist town are common, a company near me are offering two this week to London and to Stratford on Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace).
The mystery destination was often a choice as well - they didn't tell you where the coach was going until you arrived! You book a ticket and hope it'll be a trip you'll enjoy - exactly the premise of the film 😂
Thanks Pete!
First video I've seen of yours, you're a cool cat
Hey thanks 😅
Dear "Professor of the Beatles," [well deserved title😁] I appreciate you integrated the Brian Epstein story into this because the Magical Mystery Tour film IMO happened also as a way for the Beatles to continue on while possibly grieving and worrying about their future, or even quiting then...Lennon had said many times he knew it was over when Brian died. Epstein would have made better arrnagement for them to film this show, possibly talking them into getting a director, maybe Richard Lester, to help them. But Paul insited on doing it himself pushed them ahead, at time slike dragging a cement block around on his ankle, to finish the is TV film. Lots of things went wrong lol. Yes I have read many of those books you showed over the years. Another obstacle I read about was McCartney and Lennon would edit the film separately, with no consulting eahc other, back and forth until the film was mess. IKMO they shoild have inculded the Hello Goodbye film they did. Shown in back and whie in Brtitain didn;t help them. I saw a crhystal clear 35 mmm film copy in 1978 in college, on a big screen which made it much better, in stereo. Great job on this! Note: I was a music teacher, and became one in large part due to the Beatles and their music.
40 mins in. Very impressive. Subbed. When i was a young lad i PLANNED to take lsd while listening to MMT. Best bit was hello goodbye. Cheers
My 17 year old son's favorite movie
Blue Jay Way...Always one of my favorites, and as well I didn't get it that people hated it. I think at the time that album came out people were all about all four of them on each song, and so didn't have patience for a super far out weirdo song that didn't have everyone in it as a total Beatlish sound. It was really just George. Him being my favorite Beatle, well...of course that's why I liked it especially. ( I forgot to add that the album was perhaps my favorite album of theirs, too. The title song should've been a number one single)('Baby You're a Rich Man', by the way, should've been a #1. The public was too enthralled with the A side to give it it's due)
37:01
The verses for Fool On The Hill are in a major key, which alot of the times is happy and upbeat. The chorus changes from a major to a minor key. Minor keys can often feel sad and/or haunting. Then once the chorus ends, that last note is major again, transitioning into the next verse ^_^
Lars rocks! I love you Lars ❤ you're fantastic 🥰 and I love MMT anyway 😬🤭❤️
Paul is such a Golden Retriever
Omg so happy to watch this
I'm so glad I found your channel, I subbed. I was 13 in 1963 when JFK was assassinated (by our own CIA), and the whole country went into a confused depression. Then the Beatles hit and it was a breath of fresh air. I followed everything they did and recorded avidly. It's not easy for a boy in the chaotic 60s to make it to 21, but astonishingly, every year I faced new challenges and whatever Beatles album came out that year seemed to address my problems, or give me some kind of peace of mind or inspiration to keep going. I drove to SF from Ohio when I turned 16 in 67 and got my DL. It was the summer of love and I was a virgin to everything. I smoked pot in Golden Gate park and met some cool people who kind of took me under their wing. We went to their pad and started drinking Boone's Farm wine and smoking joints. I was feeling wonderful and U met this girl from Sausalito and we hit it off. She asked me if I wanted to take a trip. I asked, "To Sausalito?" She laughed and briefly explained Purple Owsley to me. I thought about it maybe 10 seconds before I said, "Yeah, for sure." I got laid that night for the first time. I realized that there was no need to feel alone or be afraid of life. I was a part of everything including God. This opened up a lifelong determination to spread the word about the power of love. At the same time, the Beatles were also trying psychedelics and discovering love. But by 68 it was already too late and the time of, "Free Love," was past. The Rev. MLK, Jr., RFK and Medgar Evers were all assassinated in 68. After that every major city in the USA went up in flames. I went to Chicago to protest the Vietnam War at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Mayor Daily told his thug cops to get rid of us so they commenced a police riot, hitting everybody with huge billy clubs. Many had to go to the hospital, everybody was hurt to different degrees. At the same time Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour came out and helped us all cope. We analyzed every song on the albums and scrutinized the albums themselves to see if Paul was really dead. I loved the White Album a lot and practically wore the grooves out. In 1970 all four lads went their own ways. I was attending my freshman year in college at Kent State University in Ohio. On May 4th we were protesting the expansion of the Vietnam war into Cambodia. The National Guard opened fire on us killing four, including my roommate's girlfriend Allison. 10 were wounded. That was it for me. The Beatles broke up and I moved to the Sonora Desert. It took me about , 10 years to start functioning again. I can't tell you how much consolation I got from listening to all the Beatles albums. I guess I grew up with the Beatles, sometimes they were leading us and sometimes we were leading them. It was synergistic and one hell of a ride from 63-70.
Neil Innes was in the Bonzos at this time (he's playing the piano in the movie during the scene at the bar) and Neil was in the Rutles as Ron Nasty (basically the 'John' character). In case you're looking for another Rutles tie-in ;)
A tech tip: move your circle-light so it doesn't reflect in your glasses!
When I first heard this album back when I was 12 or 13, Blue Jay Way was my favorite and I think it still is. Incredible group of artists.
I think that Blue Jay Way was kind of, music to smoke marijuana by. George couldn't compete with the melodic sense that McCartney or Lennon had in their songs. He wanted to find some alternate way of gaining attention to his work. So, he chose to go with something that looked exotic to him (and would look exotic to Beatles fans): Indian music. This music had an appeal to George's technical side (remember pre fame, out of school, he was going to train for working with electrical.) Indian music can have a lot of rhythmic complexity. It also sounds modal. It has a droning nature, so George could write with a drone, and have a melody line that wove in an out of a static background drone. This is a technical way of writing. It was a good schtick for George. He could claim is turf in being the "different one." He could grab on to some of the mystic shaman schtick, too (and he didn't need a great sense of melody to write this stuff either. Try singing Blue Jay Way, by yourself, with no accompanyment, in its entirety. You'll then understand the minimal melodic content.) That was good for the image (bamboozling young people into thinking that he had some kind of superior wisdom. If only they'd known about him fooling around with Ringo's wife. Smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day, or writing songs about a ditzy blonde. Maybe that might have tempered some of that view of him as kind of mystically advanced person.)
@@KenTeel
🙄
Fantastically thorough, ... and they should've kept the drum solo! The film, which I think is good, would've been even better had her character been better developed. The drum solo would've been a great reflection on her past -- especially as being the aunt to Ringo: the drummer! I would've urged Ringo to have done a duet! Thanks for the research and copyright-approved presentation
I think this album is vastly underrated in the context of the Beatles total cannon.
When you ask people to name their favourite, MMT rarely even gets a mention.
I think maybe because it wasn't a "normal" album. It was only issued as an EP in the UK. Half the songs on the American LP were singles issues.
I remember playing this record over and over in my early teen years. I rank it in the Top 5 of my most played.
I'd have to say 'The White Album' is my all-time favourite with 'Revolver' a close second and 'Abbey Road' a close third.
Sgt. Pepper has a special place in my heart just because of its over the top psychedelia-inspired format.
I think 'Penny Lane' and 'The Fool On The Hill' showed Paul at his zenith as a master melody craftsman. Absolute genius songwriting.
I love all four of the boys, but Paul is definitely my favourite. His work ethic is what sustained them after Brians passing.
I always wondered how different their history would be had Brian lived.
There is no such thing as an underrated Beatles album. I Am The Walrus and Fool on the Hill are particularly revered Beatles tracks. And personally I love the punchy magical Mystery Tour opening track. Unlike the film (which is more likely to be underrated) the music was loved by fans and critics alike.
Lennon said it was his favorite
I think if they had hadn't done the movie and played the marketing of the album a bit more formally and if it had a less ridiculous cover, people would be calling it a masterpiece. Without the imagery of the film in one's head and the silly cover, imagine if it had had a more stylish, minimalist cover and not been called Magical Mystery Tour, but something else (still keeping the song on the album, of course), less associative of "Pepper" - maybe if it had been called, "All You Need is Love" or some unrelated title, I think it would have much more cache today. I think the mixture of people thinking about the film, which doesn't have a great reputation, combined with a second side of previously released singles and the cover made people think of it more as a lark, when in reality it has some of the best Beatles material ever recorded.
It's interesting that George says he was only vaguely aware of the Joe Orton script and that he had never read it. He also says that he didn't think any of them had met with Orton and that this was probably a Brian thing.
In the 90s, Paul also basically dismissed it as a Brian thing. However, Joe Orton's own diaries make clear that the only person he met with was Paul. Joe Orton was suggested to Brian by Walter Shenson, who had produced the first two movies. Brian had set up a meeting at his office but had basically blown him off -- I think Brian was justifiably worried about Joe's enfant terrible reputation and never had any intention of greenlighting his script. Paul had invested in Joe's 1966 play Loot and he was keen to meet with him, so one of Brian's assistants set up a dinner meeting at Brian's house. When Joe arrived, Brian was out (on purpose?), so he had dinner with Paul instead. Paul basically made a deal with him that they would option the script and pay for it, but if they didn't go for it, he was free to re-option it to someone else. Very generous, cuz they could've blocked him. Sadly, Brian and Joe would die both within weeks of each other and the decriminalization of homosexuality.
Just gonna jump in here to say some stuff I love about Penny Lane: so, the song starts in B major (Yeh paul, choose one of the hardest keys!) but by the time you get to the word 'know' it's already modulated to B minor, which then augments to cause tension after the original bouncy chord pattern. Then it modulates *down* (wtf?) to F for the chorus. Three key changes, and that's just the start of the first chorus. This has to be one of the most tonally complex pop songs ever, and it would get more credit if it wasn't the B side of one of the other most tonally confusing pop songs ever. Songs just don't do this, it's so out there, but also sounds so smooth and flowing you'd never notice untill you try to play it. To me, that's good writing :)
IMO the Magical Mystery Tour LP is better than Sgt. Pepper. I know, I know, MMT is basically a group of singles added onto an EP but when comparing quality of songs, to me it's an LP that I did and would play way more than Pepper. One of the biggest mistakes they made was not placing Penny Lane/SFF onto Pepper. They could have easily left off two lesser songs and found space. I get it that Epstein wanted some kind of new product released in February '67 but they could have easily been included on Pepper as well.
The post-Revolver psychadelic period is my personal favorite, the period beginning with Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane and ending with The Yellow Submarine soundtrack, of course I absolutely love everything from at least Help! to the very end, the stuff they were churning out during this period is absolutely unparalleled, especially considering they were still using 4-track. MMT is definitely no exception, I Am The Walrus alone might be the closest thing to a God that the universe has to offer. With music that great, it's hard to criticize the band for going out of their way, on their own time, and their own money to film some imagery to accompany the music. Th question is MMT the movie of the same or higher standards as other the other Beatle films. I think it is, when viewed in color and in the correct format, it's not Citizen Kane or 8 1/2, but neither is A Hard Day's Night. I wasn't really aware before i watched one of those bizarre Paul is Dead conspiracy videos, but MMT the movie is laced with all kinds of Aiister Crowley stuff. MMT was the start of the Beatle's headlong dive into things far beyond their comfort zone, things beyond music. Paul got his way and got everybody to assemble to make this movie, that failed, chiefly because there was no marketing or promotion behind it. Ultimately. it should have been shown in theatres, as opposed to a release on television. The decision to do it that way, albeit noble and altruistic, screwed them in the end, since BBC-1 had no idea what to do with it and ended up showing it on the worst possible day and in black and white, then of course with commercials thrown in every 4 to 5 minutes, it would be really difficult to understand just what in the hell it actual is that you're watching. Shortly after this whole debacle Paul somehow gets John on board to announce to the world, without consulting the other two Beatles, that they are now a financial collective called Apple, a mult-faceted enterprise specializing in film, fashion, cutting-edge electronics, a mixed up batch of half-baked shops and boutiques, music producing, music publishing, a record label, and all around talent agency for literally any conceivable artform, and more over, willing to bankroll any endeavor that comes their way, if they see any potential in it, John incidentally would later swear he had no memory of this. Let It Be was a project intended to be a multi-part television docuseries showcasing The Beatles rehearsing songs from the recently released White Album with the show's climax being anywhere from one to several performances featuring the band in front of a live audience. However, this would be another inspired concept full of uncanny foresight doomed for failure. The Beatles, themselves, knew nothing about producing television, and once again they weren't interested in hiring someone who was and working under their tutelage. Even though the resulting movie Let It Be has it's virtues and is quite worth watching, would end up being the workings of a new album with only one live performance, from a rooftop, with no real audience ( outside of The Beatles' inner-circle). And though the very concept of documenting the making of a record on film in and of itself is revolutionary, even though by happenstance this was merely a happy accident, still the world would have to wait another 50 years to understand what Let It Be could've been because of the whole haphazard nature of the entire original project. Since it was shot in 16mm intended for TV format the film had to be transferred over to 35mm in order to be properly formatted for cinema, the inevitable result being a massive over-saturation of color causing all the imagery to appear overly drab, dark, off-colored, and grainy. The audio side of the Let It Be movie is it's own debacle, with the musical performances sounding decent, really just passable at best, while all the dialogue is barely intelligible. Quite unironically the one film from the latter half of their recording career of which they had almost nothing to do with the making of, and would offer up a soundtrack with only two "throwaway" ,at that, Lennon/McCartney coined originals, two unleased George songs, which undoubtedly would not have otherwise seen the light of Day, with an entire B side of George Martin fim score compositions, filled-out with Pepper and Revolver era tracks, The Yellow Submarine, by the creators Hanna-Barbara, would be a massive success. Much like MMT, the four originals that make up The Yellow Submarine are quite good, or at least have aged well, Hey Bulldog lingered in the dark recesses of Beatle fandom for decades only to have been "re-discovered" in the 21st century as one of their best. It seems that even at times exerting as little effort as possible during this period, The Beatles were capable of Shakespearean level greatness wherever music is concerned, while their other efforts mostly serve as cautionary tales of Aesopian proportions. It is absolutely one of the best stories ever told. Ultimately, the severity of the criticisms pointed at them for things like the MMT film, things that are really at worst, examples of mild-success, rather than utterly massive failure, is a reflection of their failure's as businessmen, and the establishment's (particularly Old-British) disgust towards The Beatle's audacity to try and rise so far above their ranks, when the old-world's notoriously faulty perception was they had already been GIVEN so much.
Yeah, those ungrateful uppity Beatles need to be put back in their place! 🙊
Jolly Jimmy Johnson.