Magical Mystery Tour is the next album. A lot of people forget about it since it was for a movie with a lot of songs that were released as singles but it counts.
Factoid all Beatle heads know: MMT was released as an EP in the UK; a format alien to NA listeners. Capital made it into an album w MMT on side 1 and singles on side 2. In the UK singles were separate and not pulled from albums (was considered double dipping). Over time the USA LP became canon ( the only one accepted as such in the UK IIRC). PS George Martin said he regretted releasing P Lane and Str Fields as a ‘single’ to buy time before Pepper.. he considered those 2 tracks as a true part of Pepper.. when u listen to those imagine them as Pepper songs.. you’ll feel better 😊
It's not really accurate to call MMT "canon" as being a Beatles "album". When the CDs were released, it was a pragmatic choice to include the MMT LP. The alternative would have been to include all but one track on the LP on Past Masters, which would have required the latter to be a triple LP. And then most people would have asked why they didn't just release the MMT LP instead. So they just released the MMT LP. It's not a Beatles album - they didn't go into the studio and record all the tracks with the intention of releasing them as an album. Just as importantly, they had no involvement in sequencing the tracks. But then they didn't really record the six MMT tracks with that in mind either, and the sequencing of the double EP was almost entirely dictated by the limitations of vinyl. The LP amounts to a compilation of every track released by the band on 7" vinyl in the UK in 1967. As such, it performs a valuable function.
I remember one day ~15 years ago putting Sgt. Pepper on my car stereo on my commute, it was a cool, grey, overcast morning. Started the album as I pulled out of my driveway and the final chord of "A Day In The Life" struck just as I pulled into the parking spot at work. I had to sit in my car for a few minutes and just let the feelings of profundity wash over me before I could gather myself up to walk into the office. Music is the closest thing in this world to magic.
Yup. That bit at the very end though - how do you explain that to anyone who wasn't familiar with the 33 1/3 rpm record format and phonographs without automatic needle lifts?
Dude. I have seen a lot of reviews. This is the third one I have seen of yours, and I have to say...your analysis and insight is so far beyond your years, it unbelievable. And I mean that as an extreme compliment. You have such a great ear, combined with a keen sense of music history...you are adding insight into tracks that I have heard for literally decades and never thought about. Bravo!
Yeah, but he did say that When I’m 64 sounded like doo-wop, which is incorrect. However, I’ve noticed that another young reviewer did the same thing with Honey Pie. Apparently they have a problem picking out the time period of Macca’s “granny” songs. 😂
We bought the album a week after its release, i got to listen to it on a HIGH-END stereo system consisting of MacIntosh gear, Altec Lansing Voice Of The Theater Speakers, and a Dual turntable. My best friend's father was the band director at Marquette University in Milwaukee and in the summer they would gather up all the audio gear from the Band House for safekeeping. So we set it up. We spent hours and days listening to that album. It was a life-altering experience for us. In my mind, this is the BEST and MOST INFLUENCIAL piece of recorded music in human history.
Definitely the most influential. There was no bigger before&after moment culturally, then when Sergeant Pepper was released. The change between December 31, 1966 and December 31, 1967 was the biggest cultural leap of the 20th century. And Sgt. Pepper was the epicenter.
Cool story! I listened to this album for the first time in the summer 1982. I was 17 and experimenting with pot, beer, cigarettes, and looking at girly magazines. My friends and I thought that we were kings. I love this album!!
It was on a Scott Stereo master with a Duel Turntable with a diamond Stylus, . and large AR speakers. It sounded great when the folks were out. The Stereo was the center of the living room.
Rubber Soul was the pot/Dylan album. Revolver was the LSD album which destroyed Brian Wilson for good. Pepper was the ‘we’re insane musical geniuses on who-knows-what’ album. All brilliant
Obviously this is the more widespread album, but given how much the Beatles were inspired by it as well as its own incredible merit, I think it’s fair to say Pet Sounds/Sgt Pepper changed the world.
Seeing your reaction made me remember how good this album is... when you're listening to The Beatles every day since you were born sometimes you forget to appreciate the little things that made them great! Thanks for the video!
I've heard this hundreds of times since 1967, when at age eight I bought the LP at a Sav-On drug store, and "She's Leaving Home" still makes me cry every time.
It's a shame to get to Sgt. Pepper without having heard Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. The single really paved the way for one of the first ever concept albums.
Excellent comment. I recall how SFF (in particular although I loved both sides) just had people's jaws hitting the floor. The Beatles swept us up as innocent very young teens and dragged us happily into spaces we could never have imagined. An extraordinary journey that only gets better as the decades pass. It's so good to see videos like this and to know the magic is still there.
Those two songs were really intended for SPLHCB but the powers that be also really wanted a single out before the album was finished. Just imagine that album…….
@@markearnestfromreno613 Paul could scream and croon as he imitated his idols, but John had the perfect rock and roll voice. Together, they made the Beatles sound. Paul's high harmony at one point in "Because" is magical.
When this album came out it changed everything not just musically but the way albums themselves were put together . This was the first album with all the lyrics printed on the back of the cover . No one ever Thought doing that before . And the cover ! We spent hours looking at the cover . All those celebrities what did all mean ? There were so many firsts . It was light years ahead of what anyone else was thinking about what an album should be . The Beatles were only together for 7 years but the changes from album to album were astounding. I grew up with them . I was 14 when the first album came out and listening to each album in a row , well you couldn’t believe it was the same band .
Listening to one album thinking this is Fuc* ing greatest album ever Revolver is still a favourite Tomorrow never knows ... wow! Then music literally changed in one album. That's not just me and you and millions more that's from those bands that were writing their own music one moment their making songs like Mr Moonlight next minute Fuuuuccc* what can I do that's anything like Sgt Pepper.
I learned how to read from Sgt Peppers. My mom would sit me in front of the "console" and we would read the album cover. She would also play Beatles while I was learning to read from the "Beatles Illustrated' book. Which ironically years later my mom dated the author of that book which is a whole other story...
Dude, your Beatles reactions are my favorite! And I’ve seen them all. For such a young kid you’re genuinely curious and eloquent. Keep it up, my man! You’re doing great. 🫂
@@davidzenner7040 it’s astounding that they did their first five albums, an EP, a slew of singles, two films an a ridiculous touring/public appearance schedule in just about three years.
"I'm genuinely shocked that that song was made in 1967." I feel like I have to say something that doesn't get mentioned enough. Some of the Beatles' ideas were taken from hyper-modernist composers, like Karlheinz Stockhausen. In fact, Stockhausen is one of the faces in the crowd on the album's cover.
I'm so glad I was born in the late 50's and grew up in the 60's and 70's, with one of my first memories being The Beatles first live performance in the US in 1964, which was viewed by 78 million people. It's hard to explain how massively popular they were in the 60's. They were larger than anything that came before and bigger than anything that followed them. There is no way to quantify the cultural impact they had and the influential effect they had on other artists, bands, and the recording industry. I never did drugs either, but still immensely enjoyed all The Beatles music as it was being released.
That last bit of garbled voices was actually at the end of the run-off groove on the original vinyl. So, if you didn't take the needle off the record, it would play forever.
Maybe because I'm from not too far from where the Beatles came from in the north of England, but I never understood why people can't hear what they are saying in this. It's pretty obvious to me they are saying "I can't speak any other way", probably in response to some (American?) journalist's question like "why do you guys speak like that?" referring to their Scouse accent. Or maybe I'm wrong after all.
I have two versions. One to me sounds like "there never could be any other," and the other starts with laughter followed by indecipherable speech. I shall have to check them out again. As for playing them backwards, apart from ruining your records, I believe that is a load of nonsense perpetrated by the "PID" conspiracy nutcases who were feverishly looking for clues that weren't even there in the first place. However, there is a high-pitched tone before that as the stylus moves towards the label that is only audible to dogs. The Beatles thought it would be funny if dogs started barking after the final fade out.
great reaction-i was laughing the whole time knowing that each song would hit you in so many ways-a real mind blow. it takes many listens to fully comprehend what is going on musically/emotionally. btw i'm turning 64 in 2 months so when i'm 64 has personal significance. life does go fast my friend.
The thing to remember about the Beatles albums is that their big hits were usually not on the albums, and were only available as singles until later compilation albums came out. So you’re currently missing the really heavy hitters from each year/era that went to number one as songs.
Best thing about the US Capital ‘butchered’ track listings was how they included the hit singles in a timely fashion on albums. Yesterday and Today is an excellent example imo. However, after Revolver the Beatles banned ‘tampering’ and all singles starting w Paperback/Rain couldn’t be blended onto existing albums. Hence side 2 of MMT and the Hey Jude singles ‘album’. I ‘get it’ but the Past Masters part of UK canon doesn’t do it for me. There are good things about the earlier USA track listings .. best is get both lol
@@Zholobov1 Of course, no doubt. What I’m saying is, so far in his Beatles journey, this reactor is missing the #1 singles that were recorded and released at the same time as each album he’s listening to. Those are a really great and enjoyable chunk of the big picture.
@@Zholobov1 if he is intending to see the progression of The Beatles in order (which seems to be the case in the video), it can be said that he’s missing some important songs
Watching your reactions to The Beatles music makes my heart so happy. I remember my first time, and it changed my life. FOREVER. Keep it up, there so much more gold!
bro, honestly you’re my favorite beatles reaction, i’ve watched every your reaction from rubber soul till white album u have such a good intelegent and sensitive feelings. i cant wait ur next video. so chill, junk, and fun. just like having a friend when listen to it. and keep going to mention the refrence/similarity/sampling with the new artist. it shows how influenced they are good job, bro
As far as mixing and balance, it sounds like you’re listening to the 2009 Remaster, which is based on the original Stereo mix back when the stereo mix wasn’t the priority (Abbey Road was their first album released in only stereo). The recent stereo remixes help the albums match the levels and sound of the Mono mixes, and will rectify things like hard panned vocals.
Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever are from the same period as Sgt Pepper. BTW, Rubber Soul was great with the incorporation of world music, e.g. Greek, French, and Indian influence, and harpsichord sounds.
@@johne.tucats5493 The last remix by Giles Martin re-established the bass and drums in the mix (to Ringo's delight), it's the best sounding Pepper, even more so than the original vinyl. I must admit i didn't quite get Dave's comments on the "gross" guitar sounds. I'll be curious to hear what he has to say the day he tries Yes' The Gates of Delirium.
@@johne.tucats5493 The originals were mono and mastered to work on a tiny dashboard speaker in a car via AM radio. Amazing they still sound pretty good no matter what you listen on.
One of the best and most thoughtful reaction reviews I've ever seen. You really hit the nail on the head with many of your takes on various songs. Loved this!
One thing to keep in mind is that you're missing great singles from the same time periods of these albums, namely "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" from the Revolver era and "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" from the Pepper sessions (Although that one's on Magical Mystery Tour so never mind on that if you're doing MMT next. Still, that first one is not to be missed.)
I was 15 when this came out and my first listen was pretty much like yours... the emotional journey was intense and the music was great but in ways I couldn't explain. It took several listens till I finally got it - such was the way with a new Beatles album from Revolver on really. It's the mark of a classic art work that it continues to affect people nearly 60 years later. BTW if you want to delve into the musical complexities then do watch Howard Goodall's documentary on the album. It's great.
You are amazed on your first listen--- so was I, in 1967. You will appreciate it even more when you learn how these songs came about. Lennon's verses in A Day in the Life came from (verse 1) a traffic accident in which an English noble died, (verse 2) the movie he had just completed a cameo in about the English Army in WW1, and (verse 3) a newspaper article he read about 4,000 chuckholes in the streets in the City of Blackburn, Lancashire after a bad winter. Paul wrote Lovely Rita after a meter maid gave him a parking ticket. John wrote "Lucy" after his 4 year old son came home from school with a painting and, when asked by John what is was about, said "my friend Lucy, in the sky, with diamonds."
I have always heard that the holes referred to the 4,000 young ladies in attendance. Mr. Kite’s lyrics were lifted directly, word do or word, from an old circus poster John had bought. Again, that is what I have always heard.
@@FavoriteMovieDate Thanks for responding! In the Beatles Anthology Book, they show the article about the chuckholes that was in the newspaper John read. Yes, you are so right--- John copped the lyrics to Kite directly from a circus poster!
@ Thanks for letting me know. I prefer the chuckhole story! It actually has always felt a little yucky to me about the girls. Can’t even remember where I heard that. A lot of people seem to always want to put the worst possible connotations on song motives and meanings. Not every song is salacious or druggy at it’s core!
Particularly John Lennon lyrics! He loved Lewis Carrol"s jabberwocky word usage. So he loved putting words and phrases together even if it read --- and sounded-- odd. There are no hidden meanings in I am the Walrus or Come Together--- it is word play.
Dave, excellent reaction! Good on you for hearing the development over just two years, between Rubber Soul and Sgt Peppers. You will also find other "quantum leaps" within their career, say, between the release of the "Please Please Me" album, in March 1963, and the release of "A Hard Day's Night" album in June of '64. They went from a Club, theater, and small auditorium band, on tours with several other acts, to RULING THE WORLD, by June 1964. And the progression in music reflects that leap. By Mid-1964 they were the first ARENA ROCK band in history. A Hard Day's Night is a wall of sound and a powerful Rock and Pop statement from the band. They were untouchable in '64 and again in '67! By the way, you said you didn't want Sgt Peppers to end. Well, brace yourself for "The Magical Mystery Tour" album! It is a feast for the ears, just as Sgt Peppers was (with even a bit more weirdness)! Enjoy, brother!
If not for Martin they might have remained mostly a cover band. How lucky it turned out that first getting Epstein who saw their potential and then Martin who brought it out in spades... starting with kicking out Pete Best. Good drummer but he really didn't fit like Ringo.
I'm loving these reactions man! Also I got the exact same reaction listening to Mr. Kite for the first time, I just can't help but to imagine how blown away people in the 60s must've been
I thoroughly enjoyed that, am so glad it lived up to the hype. Extended thoughts and analysis after a few more listens is welcomed. I also recommend the book Revolution In the Head by Ian MacDonald; it chronicles all their songs in order of recording with stories and context, analysis and who sang and played what. Fascinating stuff that only makes you appreciate the talent, timing, impact and of course, the music even more.
@@Zholobov1 That's subjective. The impact on me, at that time, was similar to the impact on Dave, EXCEPT now a listener has usually heard music that was influenced by this album, and this band. It was completely novel and groundbreaking in 1967. This album changed how music is made and recorded.
It's always kind of interesting to watch somebody listening to a Beatles album for the first time. It reminds me how magical was when I hear em for the first time 13 years ago when I was 8.
You should listen to “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” along with this album since they were originally part of the album but were spun off as a double A side single ahead of the album. The Beatles felt that including singles in albums was cheating the consumer so they left the two songs off of the album. However, George Martin has said that leaving them off the album was one of his biggest regrets.
It would have been an incredible album with those two songs. As it is, Revolver tops this album for me. Maybe less adventurous, but stronger songwriting overall for me. Songs like Good Morning, Good Morning and Lovely Rita are not among their best.
@tonydalton459The UK Revolver def tops Pepper. In the US Capital harvested some Revolver songs for Yesterday and Today ( hence the butcher cover). Ironically Yesterday and Today is a great mix of songs and sounds great as a ‘mixtape’ kinda thing 😊
as a linguist(someone who studies grammar for a living) i loved the rant at 6:00 about the phrase “the beatles remind me of ____”- ppl like to be pedantic about language/grammar when they know literally nothing about it.
You’re 22? Talk about being ahead of your time. Great, great reactions. I’m 72 and my adolescence spanned the Beatles from Beatlemania to breakup. It’s truly impossible to understand the groundbreaking of everything that unfolded from them. You have, it appears to me, a breadth of knowledge about music that far exceeds mine and I could learn a lot from you about how to appreciate current music. As Tom Petty said theres the Beatles and then everybody else. Love listening to your insights and following the journey
Enjoyed your reaction and insights, you were made for this! Like some others I do encourage you to go back to the beginning before continuing forward. You rightfully observe that the change between Rubber Soul and Sgt Pepper in such a short time is amazing, yes! But fans were already used to this from the start, from Please Please Me through Help!, no two albums the same, no two SONGS the same! Clearly, though, Revolver was just a precursor to the genius of Sgt Pepper, with the latter predominantly considered to be the most influential album of all time. After August 1966 the lads had shed the demands of performing live and could devote their full attention to writing and being innovative in the studio, and did they ever deliver! Regardless of which direction you go, to the beginning or to MMT, I look forward to your next Beatles reaction. Keep it up! (And resist letting a few negative comments get under your skin. All your fellow reactors get them too, it seems to come with the space you all occupy. And yes, as we age, time itself definitely seems to accelerate. Ahh, to be 22 again... I just reached a certain milestone Paul sings about this year.)
Nice work again, Dave! I like how you’ve made me think of this record differently, as way harsher and more gritty than its perception from some people (that it’s too slick, believe it or not 😂). Glad you liked Within You WY so much - I know a lot of people who skip it and I think they are insane. It’s, like a lot of Pepper, overwhelming but emotionally solid. And dunno if this helps, but I had those thoughts about aging at 22 also - and here I am at 57 and things are radder than ever. I bet you’ll enjoy all the phases of your life - or at least you’ll try to! 💪🏼 Onto Magical Mystery Tour!
You are completely correct: the music doesn't need drugs to appreciate or understand it, the music itself communicates that experience, that's what's so beautiful about it. So many of us heard this technicolor music super young and it always did the trick, it's always been magical, we never needed anything to appreciate it. That said: when I finally did get stoned for the first time......the first thing I did was re-listen to every Beatles album, starting with Revolver!🤣😂😂😂😂
For Mr. Kite, John told producer George Martin he wanted to be able to smell the sawdust on the floor. They raided EMI's tape library found a number of calliope sounds and the like, cut them into little pieces, threw them in the air, and then randomly taped them back together for that swirly dervish sound. Besides playing various keyboards themselves.
At the end of "A day in the life" you heard a short track of repeating sounds of talking, laughing, etc. The actual way this was done originally was that all vinyl LPs had an inner "track" that the stylus would move to after the record was over, this physical groove in the vinyl was right next to the record label and that position activated most record players to pick up the stylus and move it off the record. The Beatles put a sound track on that single circular groove. When played by turntables that can disable the automatic lifting of the stylus, the track will play over and over. On the other types of turntables, it might play once or less. Even more interesting, different distributions of the record (British vs American, etc) had different tracks on that groove. The one I got used to in 1968 (when I first heard the album) is not the one you heard.
A Day In The Life: "I don't know where I was, I don't know what was happening, I don't know what I was feeling ... This was really good, but I don't really know why." That's why you'll be listening to it for the next 60 years - just like we have.
When this album came out A Day In The Life immediately became my favorite song for the next several decades. I just could not get over it, or find anything to compare as a musical experience. Then I heard Bach's "unfinished fugue" Contrapunctus 14, unvollustandig (bwv 1080-19) ...
Here for this ride... This was me in 1994. You're killing this. Just keep registering your actual reactions. I can't wait to see your reactions as the Beatles mature...
Hey there ! We take issue with yer dismissal of the earlier Beatles albums ! Yesterday's on Help! as is Ticket To Ride (preheavymetal) and the Dylanesque You've Got To Hide Your Love Away ! Also several great tracks in many genre's on the other albums particularly Please Please Me and A Hard Day's Night ! And don't forget all their single hits - so check out the two albums Past Master's ! And lastly The White Album is famous for it's phenomenal variety but my favourite is Magical Mystery Tour ! 😹
Good review, and interesting from someone so many years on from its release... the weird bit at the end of the final long note of Day in the Life, was embedded into the very end of the groove of the vinyl record, so it would continually repeat until you got up and lifted the needle off the record!
“For the Benefit of Mr Kite” was based off a circus poster that Lennon saw. You can look it up on line and see all the characters Lennon sings about. Great reaction….you are excellent in giving your “take”. Very insightful!
I think of Paul at over 80 years old now and thinking 64 was so ancient back when he wrote it. Like you need to be spoon fed at 64 lol. Well some might and others are like 60's are the new 40's. Genetics and state of mind I guess.
23:57 That last bit, in a vinyl, is a loop. I first had it on cd and it fades out, but in the vinyl it never stops. You have to actually get up and stop it yourself.
OK, saw it all the way thru and it was so enjoyable I'm THIS close to joining your Patreon, lol! We shall see. Only so many hours, etc! btw, you are RIGHT to be occupied, at 22, with thoughts about not wasting your youth! I had similar thoughts then, and I STILL f'd it up pretty good, ha! But had a lot of fun, too. Tho at 59 now, I will pronounce in general that "Youth is wasted on the Young," heh. Dude, you have really good music critic chops, and quite effortlessly say, in an intelligent, interesting way why some songs fuck you up (in a good way!).
I'll just pick it up from here: 1.) Within You, Without You - loved how you took to that track. In general, I love how much you appreciate melody, and instrumental sections of songs. And psychedelic production! (also love when you point out other bands that the tracks remind you of. You mentioned Sigur Ros earlier.) 2.) When I'm 64 - No need to explain why it hit you hard, that's totally understandable!! I actually am also thinking about when you're 64! The whole world needs to be thinking about that! 3.) Lovely Rita - I agree about the last section begging to be sampled! Not my fave song, but that last section is one of my favorite parts on any Beatles record! I love what the bass is doing. The bass and the piano, while Ringo lays it down. And of course the John Lennon voices with the echo, trippy AF! 4.) Good Morning, Good Morning - Making it your alarm cracked me up! "The drugs are taking effect" lol 5.) The Beastie Boys actually sampled that very moment from "Sgt. Pepper Reprise"....interloping with the drum solo that's on "Abbey Road"!) 5.) Oh man I couldn't agree more about John's voice on "A Day In The LIfe". And his voice in general Paul is definitely a great, great singer, but John has a quality, an "x" factor! I love how versatile both of them are, how both of them have multiple "voices" and styles they can use, depending on what the song requires. They can scream, or they can sing real soft and tender. They can harmonize, or they can belt it out solo. And then they let Ringo sing, who has character in his voice. And George, who can definitely write a great song! Well I've written a book.....can't wait for Magical Mystery Tour!!!! Same year, same era....but even moreso! Magical Mystery Tour is Sgt. Pepper....on drugs! 🤣
What you're hearing on this album is rhe precursor to Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd was recording Piper at the Gates of Dawn next door and some of the same engineers that worked on the Beatles albums worked on DSOTM. Plus Roger Waters and David Gilmour are huge Beatles fans. The use of sound sampling and audio effects was matured in Revolver (Yellow Submarine, Tomorrow never Knows) and perfected in this album.
God I wish I could hear these songs for the first time again. Lucy in the sky, A day in the life, Within you without you and Mr. Kite are my favorites and I think the last two are so underrated!
Here's how they did the organ sounds on "Mr. Kite": they took a tape recording of a carnival organ, cut it up with scissors, threw the pieces up into the air, and then taped the fragments together, resulting in some of the pieces being played backwards.
The famous infinite fadeout at the end of Day in the Life was produced by John Lennon and George Martin closely micing two grand pianos placed next to each other and pounding the final chord as hard as possible while they held down the sustain pedals, and then just recording as long as it took to fade out, with the active reverberation between the two instruments extending the fade. That piano recording was then blended into the orchestral finale of the song, so it sounds like the orchestra itself is fading away until it first became inaudible, then just ghostly silence. This was part of the artist's continued pioneering use of the recording studio as an instrument that began around their recording of "Revolver".
I appreciated all of your comments about Sgt Peppers. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD?) was mind blowing at the time. I was 14 years old and the drummer in a local garage band and we all loved the Beatles. For The Benefit of Mr. Kite, was so complex and layered, it carried us all away with it. And A Day in the Life is their masterpiece and different than what they had done up to now. Sgt Peppers is my second most favorite Beatles album, Abbey Road is my favorite. That said, the White album has a different feel and is great in its own way. Thanks again for sharing your personal thoughts and being so vulnerable and open to the music. I'll check out your other video reviews now.
Now that you've had a great first listen, the kinds of questions you were asking means you would have a great time looking up info on each individual track - the production innovations are indeed mind-boggling!
Hey man, love your reactions and i have a subtle suggestion. After you finish reacting to all the Beatles albums you intend to listen to, you could try listening to the Love album by them. It’s an album full of remixes and transitions between their songs from the albums and it’s blowing my mind every time of how great the album sounds. I was intending on making this shorter, sorry. 😂
Imagine listening to this for the first time back in '67! It was a life-altering experience. Nothing like it had been heard before. Amazing arrangements and sounds.
It's so strange watching someone hear these songs for the first time and all these decades later are as blown away as we were back in the day. It's also refreshing to see that greatness is timeless in a sense, The chemistry of The Beatles really was and is still untouched.
There is discussion as to whether or not this is the best Beatles album. But without question it is their most revolutionary. And maybe it is the most revolutionary by anyone ever.
Magical Mystery Tour another album soaked in weed and lsd. There even sang roll up for the mystery tour. In an interview recently, Paul said that we were telling fans to roll a joint sit back and experience The psychedelic Beatles sooo experimental and they were fearless at this point.
I was 14 when this came out. To truly appreciate it, you need to listen to what some of the music in 1967 was like. The Beatles were light years ahead of everyone.
I was 15 years old when Sgt Pepper's came out. I am now 72. I have had the pleasure, twice, of being in the audience and singing along with Ringo as he performed With a Little Help from My Friends. It became an anthem of my generation. Those of us in the audience singing along with Ringo were wiping our eyes at the end.
I saw a video of how "A Day in the Life" was made and I was especially fascinated with the long slow glissando between the Jon section and the Paul section and the end. The orchestra was told to start at the lowest note or close to it and slowly slide up to their highest possible note. Without specific notation, it took them a bit to get it. Also, you mentioned a Do Wop influence in When I'm 64. It's more Tin Pan Alley, or as the Brits called it Music Hall style, like Paul's dad used to play in his band. Especially the end of the chorus, "will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" is pure circle of 5ths motion.
hey man, great video! So, what you commented on this and the last albums about the rough panning and mixing sometimes has a lot to do with the fact that these were not made to be listened with headphones, but in a turntable, also was the technology limited There are new mixes that have been made for each album since 2017, aiming to update the beatles catalog to modern listening, for example sgt peppers has this release called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remix)", which is basically the very same album but remastered and remixed to sound better today Staring from revolver on, all beatles albums have this new mixes available for streaming, so it'd be cool if you chose them :)
Plus all early recordings were taped and mixed for MONO. Mono vinyls are available up to and including White Album. The earlier stuff they just panned and shifted the 4 tracks to whatever sounded ok; it wasn’t a priority ( hence the drums on one side and vocals on the other etc). Purists prefer mono up to Peppers it seems.
oh boy when he hears the white album
Was thinking the same...
Yeah, he's in for a treat
Revolution #9!
Like Abbey Road is any slouch?😁
He thinks he's heard them being heavy 😂😂😂
Magical Mystery Tour is the next album. A lot of people forget about it since it was for a movie with a lot of songs that were released as singles but it counts.
love mmt. so underrated
Factoid all Beatle heads know: MMT was released as an EP in the UK; a format alien to NA listeners. Capital made it into an album w MMT on side 1 and singles on side 2. In the UK singles were separate and not pulled from albums (was considered double dipping). Over time the USA LP became canon ( the only one accepted as such in the UK IIRC). PS George Martin said he regretted releasing P Lane and Str Fields as a ‘single’ to buy time before Pepper.. he considered those 2 tracks as a true part of Pepper.. when u listen to those imagine them as Pepper songs.. you’ll feel better 😊
It's not really accurate to call MMT "canon" as being a Beatles "album". When the CDs were released, it was a pragmatic choice to include the MMT LP. The alternative would have been to include all but one track on the LP on Past Masters, which would have required the latter to be a triple LP. And then most people would have asked why they didn't just release the MMT LP instead. So they just released the MMT LP. It's not a Beatles album - they didn't go into the studio and record all the tracks with the intention of releasing them as an album. Just as importantly, they had no involvement in sequencing the tracks. But then they didn't really record the six MMT tracks with that in mind either, and the sequencing of the double EP was almost entirely dictated by the limitations of vinyl. The LP amounts to a compilation of every track released by the band on 7" vinyl in the UK in 1967. As such, it performs a valuable function.
My favorite Beatles album
And it’s beautiful
I remember one day ~15 years ago putting Sgt. Pepper on my car stereo on my commute, it was a cool, grey, overcast morning. Started the album as I pulled out of my driveway and the final chord of "A Day In The Life" struck just as I pulled into the parking spot at work. I had to sit in my car for a few minutes and just let the feelings of profundity wash over me before I could gather myself up to walk into the office. Music is the closest thing in this world to magic.
Very well said.
What a masterpiece! From the moment it began, I was thinking, "Just wait til this kid hears A Day In The Life."
Haha same
Yup. That bit at the very end though - how do you explain that to anyone who wasn't familiar with the 33 1/3 rpm record format and phonographs without automatic needle lifts?
Lol you can't @@G-Q67
I was waiting for his reaction to *that* line in Getting Better lol
Dude. I have seen a lot of reviews. This is the third one I have seen of yours, and I have to say...your analysis and insight is so far beyond your years, it unbelievable. And I mean that as an extreme compliment. You have such a great ear, combined with a keen sense of music history...you are adding insight into tracks that I have heard for literally decades and never thought about. Bravo!
Thanks so much!
Agreed!
Yeah, but he did say that When I’m 64 sounded like doo-wop, which is incorrect. However, I’ve noticed that another young reviewer did the same thing with Honey Pie. Apparently they have a problem picking out the time period of Macca’s “granny” songs. 😂
We bought the album a week after its release, i got to listen to it on a HIGH-END stereo system consisting of MacIntosh gear, Altec Lansing Voice Of The Theater Speakers, and a Dual turntable. My best friend's father was the band director at Marquette University in Milwaukee and in the summer they would gather up all the audio gear from the Band House for safekeeping. So we set it up. We spent hours and days listening to that album. It was a life-altering experience for us. In my mind, this is the BEST and MOST INFLUENCIAL piece of recorded music in human history.
Definitely the most influential. There was no bigger before&after moment culturally, then when Sergeant Pepper was released. The change between December 31, 1966 and December 31, 1967 was the biggest cultural leap of the 20th century. And Sgt. Pepper was the epicenter.
Cool story! I listened to this album for the first time in the summer 1982. I was 17 and experimenting with pot, beer, cigarettes, and looking at girly magazines. My friends and I thought that we were kings. I love this album!!
It was on a Scott Stereo master with a Duel Turntable with a diamond Stylus, . and large AR speakers. It sounded great when the folks were out. The Stereo was the center of the living room.
This is the art album. This album changed the world. This album tops as the greatest album of all time in many rankings.
Rubber Soul was the pot/Dylan album.
Revolver was the LSD album which destroyed Brian Wilson for good.
Pepper was the ‘we’re insane musical geniuses on who-knows-what’ album. All brilliant
The World used to be triangle before Pepper, I guess
Obviously this is the more widespread album, but given how much the Beatles were inspired by it as well as its own incredible merit, I think it’s fair to say Pet Sounds/Sgt Pepper changed the world.
@@loadedorygun
Don’t forget, though, that Pet Sounds was, itself, inspired by Rubber Soul.
Seeing your reaction made me remember how good this album is... when you're listening to The Beatles every day since you were born sometimes you forget to appreciate the little things that made them great! Thanks for the video!
Bro has an exsistential crisis on the most upbeat song of the album 😂 but time starts moving faster in your mid twenties, so make the most of each day
That was the most bizarre take on a song I've ever heard.
@@joeschmoe6908 Worth noting: while he is only 22, The Beatles were only 24-27 when this came out
@@joeschmoe6908 As a 21 yo who cannot believe I'm not 17 and still feel like a kid, it's completely relatable
I think Paul was his teens when he wrote this. It's more of a young man's meditation than it appears.
@@gettingkilt Yeah, one of his first songs.
She's Leaving Home is a masterpiece
Saddest song ever recorded.
I knew a guy once who ate roast flamingo.
I've heard this hundreds of times since 1967, when at age eight I bought the LP at a Sav-On drug store, and "She's Leaving Home" still makes me cry every time.
Whats sad about it?@@kirkspears9992
@@vandalayindustries3057
WTF kinda random comment is that?! 😂😂😂
It's a shame to get to Sgt. Pepper without having heard Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. The single really paved the way for one of the first ever concept albums.
Excellent comment. I recall how SFF (in particular although I loved both sides) just had people's jaws hitting the floor. The Beatles swept us up as innocent very young teens and dragged us happily into spaces we could never have imagined. An extraordinary journey that only gets better as the decades pass. It's so good to see videos like this and to know the magic is still there.
Agree those songs would have been the icing on the cherry of that cake.
Those two songs were really intended for SPLHCB but the powers that be also really wanted a single out before the album was finished. Just imagine that album…….
Lennons voice sends shivers down your spine in a way no other singer could
You're absolutely right!
I’m in this line, and agree with Dave that he was the Beatles’ true singing ace. Range tonally and emotionally.
@@markearnestfromreno613 Paul could scream and croon as he imitated his idols, but John had the perfect rock and roll voice. Together, they made the Beatles sound. Paul's high harmony at one point in "Because" is magical.
@@aquamarine99911 totally agree! The contrasts between them were often amazing to hear.
When this album came out it changed everything not just musically but the way albums themselves were put together . This was the first album with all the lyrics printed on the back of the cover . No one ever Thought doing that before . And the cover ! We spent hours looking at the cover . All those celebrities what did all mean ? There were so many firsts . It was light years ahead of what anyone else was thinking about what an album should be . The Beatles were only together for 7 years but the changes from album to album were astounding. I grew up with them . I was 14 when the first album came out and listening to each album in a row , well you couldn’t believe it was the same band .
Listening to one album thinking this is Fuc* ing greatest album ever Revolver is still a favourite Tomorrow never knows ... wow!
Then music literally changed in one album.
That's not just me and you and millions more that's from those bands that were writing their own music one moment their making songs like Mr Moonlight next minute Fuuuuccc* what can I do that's anything like Sgt Pepper.
I learned how to read from Sgt Peppers. My mom would sit me in front of the "console" and we would read the album cover. She would also play Beatles while I was learning to read from the "Beatles Illustrated' book. Which ironically years later my mom dated the author of that book which is a whole other story...
Loved your reaction to this! made me think of some of the songs in a different way. You have a unique perspective that i appreciate
Dude, your Beatles reactions are my favorite! And I’ve seen them all. For such a young kid you’re genuinely curious and eloquent. Keep it up, my man! You’re doing great. 🫂
Pepper was released nine months after Revolver!
And only 17 after Rubber Soul and 22 after Help!
@@davidzenner7040 An incredible musical progression!
@@davidzenner7040 it’s astounding that they did their first five albums, an EP, a slew of singles, two films an a ridiculous touring/public appearance schedule in just about three years.
"I'm genuinely shocked that that song was made in 1967." I feel like I have to say something that doesn't get mentioned enough. Some of the Beatles' ideas were taken from hyper-modernist composers, like Karlheinz Stockhausen. In fact, Stockhausen is one of the faces in the crowd on the album's cover.
I'm so glad I was born in the late 50's and grew up in the 60's and 70's, with one of my first memories being The Beatles first live performance in the US in 1964, which was viewed by 78 million people. It's hard to explain how massively popular they were in the 60's. They were larger than anything that came before and bigger than anything that followed them. There is no way to quantify the cultural impact they had and the influential effect they had on other artists, bands, and the recording industry. I never did drugs either, but still immensely enjoyed all The Beatles music as it was being released.
That last bit of garbled voices was actually at the end of the run-off groove on the original vinyl. So, if you didn't take the needle off the record, it would play forever.
Play it backwards and it says will Paul be back as super man.
@@peterbarratt3524 I heard it say.. "This is Paul and I'm still alive".
Maybe because I'm from not too far from where the Beatles came from in the north of England, but I never understood why people can't hear what they are saying in this. It's pretty obvious to me they are saying "I can't speak any other way", probably in response to some (American?) journalist's question like "why do you guys speak like that?" referring to their Scouse accent. Or maybe I'm wrong after all.
I have two versions. One to me sounds like "there never could be any other," and the other starts with laughter followed by indecipherable speech.
I shall have to check them out again.
As for playing them backwards, apart from ruining your records, I believe that is a load of nonsense perpetrated by the "PID" conspiracy nutcases who were feverishly looking for clues that weren't even there in the first place.
However, there is a high-pitched tone before that as the stylus moves towards the label that is only audible to dogs.
The Beatles thought it would be funny if dogs started barking after the final fade out.
Perhaps someone should ask Paul.
great reaction-i was laughing the whole time knowing that each song would hit you in so many ways-a real mind blow. it takes many listens to fully comprehend what is going on musically/emotionally. btw i'm turning 64 in 2 months so when i'm 64 has personal significance. life does go fast my friend.
Can’t believe this kid’s insights. Perceptive way beyond his years.
kid ??? he is 22....at that age the beatles were already remolding the entire musical landscape
@@junkersish You BOTH are right, lol!
My son is 22 and has few interests. This young RUclipsr is a prodigy and has found a great niche.
Yeah, he's got a really great musical ear.
Can also read a shit load of stuff off the internet that we never could.
Wasn’t expecting bro to nut on cam @ 15:15 but here we are 😂
Nah, that a violation
The thing to remember about the Beatles albums is that their big hits were usually not on the albums, and were only available as singles until later compilation albums came out. So you’re currently missing the really heavy hitters from each year/era that went to number one as songs.
Yep. Listening to Revolver without hearing Paperback Writer and Rain, or this without Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever is a real shame.
Best thing about the US Capital ‘butchered’ track listings was how they included the hit singles in a timely fashion on albums. Yesterday and Today is an excellent example imo. However, after Revolver the Beatles banned ‘tampering’ and all singles starting w Paperback/Rain couldn’t be blended onto existing albums. Hence side 2 of MMT and the Hey Jude singles ‘album’. I ‘get it’ but the Past Masters part of UK canon doesn’t do it for me. There are good things about the earlier USA track listings .. best is get both lol
No one is missing anything. You can hear a Beatles song anytime in your life and be surprised anyway.
@@Zholobov1 Of course, no doubt. What I’m saying is, so far in his Beatles journey, this reactor is missing the #1 singles that were recorded and released at the same time as each album he’s listening to. Those are a really great and enjoyable chunk of the big picture.
@@Zholobov1 if he is intending to see the progression of The Beatles in order (which seems to be the case in the video), it can be said that he’s missing some important songs
Watching your reactions to The Beatles music makes my heart so happy. I remember my first time, and it changed my life. FOREVER. Keep it up, there so much more gold!
Wonderful reaction...The Beatles were so far ahead of their time, they still are.
Now you have to listen strawberry fields forever to close the full Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club experience
Needs Penny Lane as well to do that.
Strawberry Fields would blow his mind.
Watching you through A Day in The Life was wonderful. 100%. Been there. Been in that moment. Overwhelming.
bro, honestly you’re my favorite beatles reaction, i’ve watched every your reaction from rubber soul till white album
u have such a good intelegent and sensitive feelings. i cant wait ur next video. so chill, junk, and fun. just like having a friend when listen to it.
and keep going to mention the refrence/similarity/sampling with the new artist. it shows how influenced they are
good job, bro
As far as mixing and balance, it sounds like you’re listening to the 2009 Remaster, which is based on the original Stereo mix back when the stereo mix wasn’t the priority (Abbey Road was their first album released in only stereo).
The recent stereo remixes help the albums match the levels and sound of the Mono mixes, and will rectify things like hard panned vocals.
Mono sounds much better
In regards to Within You Without You, it's not Middle Eastern soundscapes, but rather Indian (sitar and tabla).
and tampura, dilruba and swarmandal.
Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever are from the same period as Sgt Pepper. BTW, Rubber Soul was great with the incorporation of world music, e.g. Greek, French, and Indian influence, and harpsichord sounds.
Love your reactions. So genuine.
The harshness you mention is probably the treble. The Beatles LOVED treble, and used the technology they had to augment treble at every opportunity.
The version he's listening to is probably one of those "remastered" versions. I don't think the original mixes were quite as bright…or compressed.
@@johne.tucats5493 The last remix by Giles Martin re-established the bass and drums in the mix (to Ringo's delight), it's the best sounding Pepper, even more so than the original vinyl. I must admit i didn't quite get Dave's comments on the "gross" guitar sounds. I'll be curious to hear what he has to say the day he tries Yes' The Gates of Delirium.
Based on hearing She’s Leaving Home this was the 2009 mix. The 2017 mix makes the stereo version the same speed/key as the mono (sorry to geek out)
@@johne.tucats5493 The originals were mono and mastered to work on a tiny dashboard speaker in a car via AM radio. Amazing they still sound pretty good no matter what you listen on.
out of all the reaction review videos i've watched yours is objectively the best
One of the best and most thoughtful reaction reviews I've ever seen. You really hit the nail on the head with many of your takes on various songs. Loved this!
One thing to keep in mind is that you're missing great singles from the same time periods of these albums, namely "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" from the Revolver era and "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" from the Pepper sessions (Although that one's on Magical Mystery Tour so never mind on that if you're doing MMT next. Still, that first one is not to be missed.)
Do you know this album was recorded on a 4 track? Only 4….that in itself makes it genius
Love your reaction on Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Great insight
Yep he nailed it. John meant for it to be a crazy carnival.
Watching someone listening the first time to Sgt.Peppers is equal to watch a toddler take his first steps.
I was 15 when this came out and my first listen was pretty much like yours... the emotional journey was intense and the music was great but in ways I couldn't explain.
It took several listens till I finally got it - such was the way with a new Beatles album from Revolver on really. It's the mark of a classic art work that it continues to affect people nearly 60 years later.
BTW if you want to delve into the musical complexities then do watch Howard Goodall's documentary on the album. It's great.
You are amazed on your first listen--- so was I, in 1967. You will appreciate it even more when you learn how these songs came about. Lennon's verses in A Day in the Life came from (verse 1) a traffic accident in which an English noble died, (verse 2) the movie he had just completed a cameo in about the English Army in WW1, and (verse 3) a newspaper article he read about 4,000 chuckholes in the streets in the City of Blackburn, Lancashire after a bad winter. Paul wrote Lovely Rita after a meter maid gave him a parking ticket. John wrote "Lucy" after his 4 year old son came home from school with a painting and, when asked by John what is was about, said "my friend Lucy, in the sky, with diamonds."
I have always heard that the holes referred to the 4,000 young ladies in attendance.
Mr. Kite’s lyrics were lifted directly, word do or word, from an old circus poster John had bought. Again, that is what I have always heard.
@@FavoriteMovieDate Thanks for responding! In the Beatles Anthology Book, they show the article about the chuckholes that was in the newspaper John read. Yes, you are so right--- John copped the lyrics to Kite directly from a circus poster!
@ Thanks for letting me know. I prefer the chuckhole story! It actually has always felt a little yucky to me about the girls. Can’t even remember where I heard that. A lot of people seem to always want to put the worst possible connotations on song motives and meanings. Not every song is salacious or druggy at it’s core!
Particularly John Lennon lyrics! He loved Lewis Carrol"s jabberwocky word usage. So he loved putting words and phrases together even if it read --- and sounded-- odd. There are no hidden meanings in I am the Walrus or Come Together--- it is word play.
Was just watching your Revolver video, then saw this was uploaded 6 minutes ago.
Gonna be fun ;)
me too haha
Dave, excellent reaction! Good on you for hearing the development over just two years, between Rubber Soul and Sgt Peppers. You will also find other "quantum leaps" within their career, say, between the release of the "Please Please Me" album, in March 1963, and the release of "A Hard Day's Night" album in June of '64. They went from a Club, theater, and small auditorium band, on tours with several other acts, to RULING THE WORLD, by June 1964. And the progression in music reflects that leap. By Mid-1964 they were the first ARENA ROCK band in history. A Hard Day's Night is a wall of sound and a powerful Rock and Pop statement from the band. They were untouchable in '64 and again in '67! By the way, you said you didn't want Sgt Peppers to end. Well, brace yourself for "The Magical Mystery Tour" album! It is a feast for the ears, just as Sgt Peppers was (with even a bit more weirdness)! Enjoy, brother!
If not for Martin they might have remained mostly a cover band. How lucky it turned out that first getting Epstein who saw their potential and then Martin who brought it out in spades... starting with kicking out Pete Best. Good drummer but he really didn't fit like Ringo.
john lennon asked the engineers to invent automatic double tracking vocals for revolver
I'm loving these reactions man! Also I got the exact same reaction listening to Mr. Kite for the first time, I just can't help but to imagine how blown away people in the 60s must've been
I thoroughly enjoyed that, am so glad it lived up to the hype. Extended thoughts and analysis after a few more listens is welcomed. I also recommend the book Revolution In the Head by Ian MacDonald; it chronicles all their songs in order of recording with stories and context, analysis and who sang and played what. Fascinating stuff that only makes you appreciate the talent, timing, impact and of course, the music even more.
It’s a great book
Try, for a couple of minutes, to imagine being 16 years old in 1967 hearing *THIS* for the first time, as I did.
Would it be any better?
@@Zholobov1 That's subjective. The impact on me, at that time, was similar to the impact on Dave, EXCEPT now a listener has usually heard music that was influenced by this album, and this band. It was completely novel and groundbreaking in 1967. This album changed how music is made and recorded.
It's always kind of interesting to watch somebody listening to a Beatles album for the first time. It reminds me how magical was when I hear em for the first time 13 years ago when I was 8.
You should listen to “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” along with this album since they were originally part of the album but were spun off as a double A side single ahead of the album. The Beatles felt that including singles in albums was cheating the consumer so they left the two songs off of the album. However, George Martin has said that leaving them off the album was one of his biggest regrets.
Beat me to it; I mention this on a subcomment above ❤
It would have been an incredible album with those two songs. As it is, Revolver tops this album for me. Maybe less adventurous, but stronger songwriting overall for me. Songs like Good Morning, Good Morning and Lovely Rita are not among their best.
@tonydalton459The UK Revolver def tops Pepper. In the US Capital harvested some Revolver songs for Yesterday and Today ( hence the butcher cover). Ironically Yesterday and Today is a great mix of songs and sounds great as a ‘mixtape’ kinda thing 😊
i used to play "good morning good morning" as a wake-up alarm, it worked quite well
as a linguist(someone who studies grammar for a living) i loved the rant at 6:00 about the phrase “the beatles remind me of ____”- ppl like to be pedantic about language/grammar when they know literally nothing about it.
cant wait for the next one, I love Magical Mystery tour
You’re 22? Talk about being ahead of your time. Great, great reactions. I’m 72 and my adolescence spanned the Beatles from Beatlemania to breakup. It’s truly impossible to understand the groundbreaking of everything that unfolded from them. You have, it appears to me, a breadth of knowledge about music that far exceeds mine and I could learn a lot from you about how to appreciate current music. As Tom Petty said theres the Beatles and then everybody else.
Love listening to your insights and following the journey
Enjoyed your reaction and insights, you were made for this! Like some others I do encourage you to go back to the beginning before continuing forward. You rightfully observe that the change between Rubber Soul and Sgt Pepper in such a short time is amazing, yes! But fans were already used to this from the start, from Please Please Me through Help!, no two albums the same, no two SONGS the same! Clearly, though, Revolver was just a precursor to the genius of Sgt Pepper, with the latter predominantly considered to be the most influential album of all time. After August 1966 the lads had shed the demands of performing live and could devote their full attention to writing and being innovative in the studio, and did they ever deliver! Regardless of which direction you go, to the beginning or to MMT, I look forward to your next Beatles reaction. Keep it up! (And resist letting a few negative comments get under your skin. All your fellow reactors get them too, it seems to come with the space you all occupy. And yes, as we age, time itself definitely seems to accelerate. Ahh, to be 22 again... I just reached a certain milestone Paul sings about this year.)
Nice work again, Dave! I like how you’ve made me think of this record differently, as way harsher and more gritty than its perception from some people (that it’s too slick, believe it or not 😂). Glad you liked Within You WY so much - I know a lot of people who skip it and I think they are insane. It’s, like a lot of Pepper, overwhelming but emotionally solid.
And dunno if this helps, but I had those thoughts about aging at 22 also - and here I am at 57 and things are radder than ever. I bet you’ll enjoy all the phases of your life - or at least you’ll try to! 💪🏼 Onto Magical Mystery Tour!
I really enjoyed your reaction. Everytime you stated a thought, I was thinking, "just wait to the next tracks!" lol. :)
You are completely correct: the music doesn't need drugs to appreciate or understand it, the music itself communicates that experience, that's what's so beautiful about it. So many of us heard this technicolor music super young and it always did the trick, it's always been magical, we never needed anything to appreciate it. That said: when I finally did get stoned for the first time......the first thing I did was re-listen to every Beatles album, starting with Revolver!🤣😂😂😂😂
Actually refreshing to hear you’ve never been high/done drugs.
For Mr. Kite, John told producer George Martin he wanted to be able to smell the sawdust on the floor. They raided EMI's tape library found a number of calliope sounds and the like, cut them into little pieces, threw them in the air, and then randomly taped them back together for that swirly dervish sound. Besides playing various keyboards themselves.
Great reaction! Somehow they take the trippy even further on Magical Mystery Tour.
At the end of "A day in the life" you heard a short track of repeating sounds of talking, laughing, etc. The actual way this was done originally was that all vinyl LPs had an inner "track" that the stylus would move to after the record was over, this physical groove in the vinyl was right next to the record label and that position activated most record players to pick up the stylus and move it off the record.
The Beatles put a sound track on that single circular groove. When played by turntables that can disable the automatic lifting of the stylus, the track will play over and over. On the other types of turntables, it might play once or less.
Even more interesting, different distributions of the record (British vs American, etc) had different tracks on that groove. The one I got used to in 1968 (when I first heard the album) is not the one you heard.
A Day In The Life: "I don't know where I was, I don't know what was happening, I don't know what I was feeling ... This was really good, but I don't really know why."
That's why you'll be listening to it for the next 60 years - just like we have.
When this album came out A Day In The Life immediately became my favorite song for the next several decades. I just could not get over it, or find anything to compare as a musical experience. Then I heard Bach's "unfinished fugue" Contrapunctus 14, unvollustandig (bwv 1080-19) ...
Here for this ride... This was me in 1994. You're killing this. Just keep registering your actual reactions. I can't wait to see your reactions as the Beatles mature...
I live watching your reactions to this Beatles music from the 60s. I lived through it and now you probably can understand why there was Beatlemania!
Lovely to see your ‘Beatles’ reactions. I’ll be visiting John Lennon and McCartney’s childhood homes this month in Liverpool on a tour, can’t wait!
Discovered this band and listened every song of them was really the most important musical experience in my life. 2 years ago
Hey there ! We take issue with yer dismissal of the earlier Beatles albums ! Yesterday's on Help! as is Ticket To Ride (preheavymetal) and the Dylanesque You've Got To Hide Your Love Away ! Also several great tracks in many genre's on the other albums particularly Please Please Me and A Hard Day's Night ! And don't forget all their single hits - so check out the two albums Past Master's ! And lastly The White Album is famous for it's phenomenal variety but my favourite is Magical Mystery Tour ! 😹
Good review, and interesting from someone so many years on from its release... the weird bit at the end of the final long note of Day in the Life, was embedded into the very end of the groove of the vinyl record, so it would continually repeat until you got up and lifted the needle off the record!
“For the Benefit of Mr Kite” was based off a circus poster that Lennon saw. You can look it up on line and see all the characters Lennon sings about. Great reaction….you are excellent in giving your “take”. Very insightful!
Wow.... makes you think about getting old... wait I am 64... dang it
I'm 76 and have to look backwards at 64. I hate being old, but I am happy that I was in my prime at the same time the Beatles were.
I think of Paul at over 80 years old now and thinking 64 was so ancient back when he wrote it. Like you need to be spoon fed at 64 lol. Well some might and others are like 60's are the new 40's. Genetics and state of mind I guess.
Turned 64 a month ago
23:57 That last bit, in a vinyl, is a loop. I first had it on cd and it fades out, but in the vinyl it never stops. You have to actually get up and stop it yourself.
OK, saw it all the way thru and it was so enjoyable I'm THIS close to joining your Patreon, lol! We shall see. Only so many hours, etc! btw, you are RIGHT to be occupied, at 22, with thoughts about not wasting your youth! I had similar thoughts then, and I STILL f'd it up pretty good, ha! But had a lot of fun, too. Tho at 59 now, I will pronounce in general that "Youth is wasted on the Young," heh. Dude, you have really good music critic chops, and quite effortlessly say, in an intelligent, interesting way why some songs fuck you up (in a good way!).
I'll just pick it up from here: 1.) Within You, Without You - loved how you took to that track. In general, I love how much you appreciate melody, and instrumental sections of songs. And psychedelic production! (also love when you point out other bands that the tracks remind you of. You mentioned Sigur Ros earlier.) 2.) When I'm 64 - No need to explain why it hit you hard, that's totally understandable!! I actually am also thinking about when you're 64! The whole world needs to be thinking about that! 3.) Lovely Rita - I agree about the last section begging to be sampled! Not my fave song, but that last section is one of my favorite parts on any Beatles record! I love what the bass is doing. The bass and the piano, while Ringo lays it down. And of course the John Lennon voices with the echo, trippy AF! 4.) Good Morning, Good Morning - Making it your alarm cracked me up! "The drugs are taking effect" lol 5.) The Beastie Boys actually sampled that very moment from "Sgt. Pepper Reprise"....interloping with the drum solo that's on "Abbey Road"!) 5.) Oh man I couldn't agree more about John's voice on "A Day In The LIfe". And his voice in general Paul is definitely a great, great singer, but John has a quality, an "x" factor! I love how versatile both of them are, how both of them have multiple "voices" and styles they can use, depending on what the song requires. They can scream, or they can sing real soft and tender. They can harmonize, or they can belt it out solo. And then they let Ringo sing, who has character in his voice. And George, who can definitely write a great song! Well I've written a book.....can't wait for Magical Mystery Tour!!!! Same year, same era....but even moreso! Magical Mystery Tour is Sgt. Pepper....on drugs! 🤣
One of my favorite albums of all time
I absolutely love She's Leaving Home.
Being For the Benefit of Mister Kite is from the words of a circus poster.
What you're hearing on this album is rhe precursor to Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd was recording Piper at the Gates of Dawn next door and some of the same engineers that worked on the Beatles albums worked on DSOTM. Plus Roger Waters and David Gilmour are huge Beatles fans. The use of sound sampling and audio effects was matured in Revolver (Yellow Submarine, Tomorrow never Knows) and perfected in this album.
God I wish I could hear these songs for the first time again. Lucy in the sky, A day in the life, Within you without you and Mr. Kite are my favorites and I think the last two are so underrated!
Here's how they did the organ sounds on "Mr. Kite": they took a tape recording of a carnival organ, cut it up with scissors, threw the pieces up into the air, and then taped the fragments together, resulting in some of the pieces being played backwards.
The famous infinite fadeout at the end of Day in the Life was produced by John Lennon and George Martin closely micing two grand pianos placed next to each other and pounding the final chord as hard as possible while they held down the sustain pedals, and then just recording as long as it took to fade out, with the active reverberation between the two instruments extending the fade. That piano recording was then blended into the orchestral finale of the song, so it sounds like the orchestra itself is fading away until it first became inaudible, then just ghostly silence. This was part of the artist's continued pioneering use of the recording studio as an instrument that began around their recording of "Revolver".
Stellar reaction young man
I appreciated all of your comments about Sgt Peppers. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD?) was mind blowing at the time. I was 14 years old and the drummer in a local garage band and we all loved the Beatles. For The Benefit of Mr. Kite, was so complex and layered, it carried us all away with it. And A Day in the Life is their masterpiece and different than what they had done up to now. Sgt Peppers is my second most favorite Beatles album, Abbey Road is my favorite. That said, the White album has a different feel and is great in its own way. Thanks again for sharing your personal thoughts and being so vulnerable and open to the music. I'll check out your other video reviews now.
So fun to see someone react to this album with fresh ears. Reinforces how incredible and timeless it really is.
Now that you've had a great first listen, the kinds of questions you were asking means you would have a great time looking up info on each individual track - the production innovations are indeed mind-boggling!
Hey man, love your reactions and i have a subtle suggestion. After you finish reacting to all the Beatles albums you intend to listen to, you could try listening to the Love album by them. It’s an album full of remixes and transitions between their songs from the albums and it’s blowing my mind every time of how great the album sounds.
I was intending on making this shorter, sorry. 😂
Time is not a constant. Its relative. It moved so fast in the 60s compared to now. A year was like decade now.
Imagine listening to this for the first time back in '67! It was a life-altering experience. Nothing like it had been heard before. Amazing arrangements and sounds.
And Jimi's Are You Experienced in the same year.
June 1 1967.. I remember some stations playing it 24/7 for a week or so
It's so strange watching someone hear these songs for the first time and all these decades later are as blown away as we were back in the day. It's also refreshing to see that greatness is timeless in a sense, The chemistry of The Beatles really was and is still untouched.
You can thank George Martin "RIP" for the incredible production. The 5th Beatle.
Harsh is not a word I'd use to describe Pepper's sonics. Deep, layered and gorgeous maybe.
There is discussion as to whether or not this is the best Beatles album. But without question it is their most revolutionary. And maybe it is the most revolutionary by anyone ever.
love seeing you getting haunted by this album, amazing video brother
Magical Mystery Tour another album soaked in weed and lsd. There even sang roll up for the mystery tour. In an interview recently, Paul said that we were telling fans to roll a joint sit back and experience The psychedelic Beatles sooo experimental and they were fearless at this point.
I was 14 when this came out. To truly appreciate it, you need to listen to what some of the music in 1967 was like. The Beatles were light years ahead of everyone.
I was 15 years old when Sgt Pepper's came out. I am now 72. I have had the pleasure, twice, of being in the audience and singing along with Ringo as he performed With a Little Help from My Friends. It became an anthem of my generation. Those of us in the audience singing along with Ringo were wiping our eyes at the end.
I saw a video of how "A Day in the Life" was made and I was especially fascinated with the long slow glissando between the Jon section and the Paul section and the end. The orchestra was told to start at the lowest note or close to it and slowly slide up to their highest possible note. Without specific notation, it took them a bit to get it. Also, you mentioned a Do Wop influence in When I'm 64. It's more Tin Pan Alley, or as the Brits called it Music Hall style, like Paul's dad used to play in his band. Especially the end of the chorus, "will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" is pure circle of 5ths motion.
hey man, great video!
So, what you commented on this and the last albums about the rough panning and mixing sometimes has a lot to do with the fact that these were not made to be listened with headphones, but in a turntable, also was the technology limited
There are new mixes that have been made for each album since 2017, aiming to update the beatles catalog to modern listening, for example sgt peppers has this release called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remix)", which is basically the very same album but remastered and remixed to sound better today
Staring from revolver on, all beatles albums have this new mixes available for streaming, so it'd be cool if you chose them :)
Plus all early recordings were taped and mixed for MONO. Mono vinyls are available up to and including White Album. The earlier stuff they just panned and shifted the 4 tracks to whatever sounded ok; it wasn’t a priority ( hence the drums on one side and vocals on the other etc). Purists prefer mono up to Peppers it seems.
Really hope to check out some of the post Pet Sounds stuff the Beach Boys released. Like Smile, Sunflower, Surfs Up
Awesome reaction, man. Keep it up.
loving the beatles react videos!! keep it up
I truly enjoyed watching your reaction. Made me very happy 🤍
Magical Mystery Tour next!! Really loved this one!!