Week 2: 50 Records That Changed the Face of Music.

[3-LockBox]

I'd have to go with Revolver as a more influencial album musically speaking, from the Beatles anyway. But yeah, this is the album that solidified the Beatles as one of the greatest recording rock entities of all time. It also open a pandora's box for what could and shouldn't be done.

It could never be replicated by anyone else, even The Beatles themselves. It has all the excesses of progressive rock that came a few years later, which most proggers point to the this album as the genesis of the progressive rock genre, as well as the psychadelic rock craze it so obviously spawned. At the time Sgt. Peppers sounded so experimental, but nowadays it sounds more like a quintissential 60's pastiche of pop and psychadelia. It also spawned a slew of imitations that fell so terribly short.

It is definately a milestone in pop culture as it redifined what was supposed to be hip in the eyes of corporate America, as well as the media and the buying public. This is the point where the 'hippy look' started to infiltrate fashion (although it was more a mix of psychadelia and roaring '20s). The Beatles appearence upon the release of Sgt Peppers influenced long hair as a viable alternative hairstyle for men. No, The Beatles weren't the first band to sport long hair, but they validated the look. Their appearence on the cover of Sgt Peppers was in stark contrast to the mop-topped look of their last album (which they quite frankly spawned that hair craze as well). The tremendous popularity and validation of the album sales meant that no respectable rock band would be 'clean cut' for years.

Beatle-influenced psychadelia also infiltrated television after the success of Sgt Peppers, most evident in the vareity show genre, where new editing technology lent itself to the over-indulgences of some video mixers, where nearly any pop band's TV appearences were accompanied by swirling, kalaidescope imagery, and zip zoom camera effects, as well as other distractions. This, coupled with poorly performed lipsyncing, is part of TV's most embarissing (and laughable) era.

I love this album, but haven't listened to it in whole for years. Maybe I should whip it out (the CD) and try to wash William Shatner out of my ears.

[nobody]

I gotta toss this one in the bin with those albums that were certainly influential, but which never really did it for me. I think I have an old copy floating around without a cover somewhere, too scratchy to matter that it never gets played.

Thing is, I just never really have been too interested in the concept album thing...the operatic rock thing...the happy little trippy lyrics...strings and things tossed into the mix kinda nature of the whole thing. And, frankly, there's not much I really do like that fits the mold of this one at all. Even Smile, much to J's chagrin I would imagine.

Personally, about the only Beatles stuff I really like is when they wore matching suits and shouted a lot. Parts of revolver still sound pretty good to me...but I'm basically done after that and can't really think off hand of any bands that really sound much like their later stuff that I've really gotten into.

Not just because it’s not to my tastes, but as to lasting affects, I do think a case could possibly be made that the album was more important culturally than musically.

[Swish]

Personally, about the only Beatles stuff I really like is when they wore matching suits and shouted a lot. Parts of revolver still sound pretty good to me...but I'm basically done after that and can't really think off hand of any bands that really sound much like their later stuff that I've really gotten into.

...if not for A Day in the Life, I would not miss too much from this record. Really. The White Album, with Dear Prudence and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, two of my favorite Beatles songs, is likely my favorite, although Revolver is a close second. That's not to say I don't think SPLHCB wasn't influential, which is the whole point of the list.

Swish

[Resident Loser]

...I feel like Art Linkletter hosting "Kid's Say The Darndest Things"...

Prior to '64, men's hairstyles consisted of crew-cuts, flattops and greasy DAs...The term longhair referred to those involved with classical music (think Toscanini) and the occasional nutty professor...

Brian Epstein revamped the lads look from the pompadoured leather jacket-clad Teddy Boy-types into the mop-topped, trendy mod icons introduced to America...By '67 and SPLHCB their hair just got longer, keeping them a step ahead of most of the rest of us...military style and Nehru jackets were in and Edwardian affectations were also beginning.

jimHJJ(...there's more but, time's up for today...)

[3-LockBox]

sometimes...I feel like Art Linkletter hosting "Kid's Say The Darndest Things"

uuhhhh....okay

zzzzzzzzz

[Resident Loser]

uuhhhh....okay

zzzzzzzzz

...eyewitness accounts, even if the potential vagaries are taken into account, are significantly more accurate than transcripts...of copies...of word-of- mouth tales and lore, filtered through the lens of time...

I'll take a guess my Art Linkletter reference escapes you...If that is the case, hearsay reigns supreme...

jimHJJ(...context, context, context...)

[MasterCylinder]

Sgt. Peppers is definitely one of the milestones.

And rather than suggesting any one Beatles album is more important than another, I will just reflect that I agree Rubber Soul and Revolver set the stage for Sgt. Pepper to be what it eventually became.

I like to think that is true for each successive release from the Beatles -- a work in progress from "Love Me Do" to "The End".

[3-LockBox]

...eyewitness accounts, even if the potential vagaries are taken into account, are significantly more accurate than transcripts...of copies...of word-of- mouth tales and lore, filtered through the lens of time...

I'll take a guess my Art Linkletter reference escapes you...If that is the case, hearsay reigns supreme...

jimHJJ(...context, context, context...)

I know who Art Linkletter is. I'm familiar with the show as well as Bill Cosby's version of it.

I'm old enough to have an opinion on the subject without having read about it, just incase that's what you meant by your "eyewitness accounts" statement. No hearsay, no re-write of what someone else said or wrote. No references to other people's quotes. Just my observations.

It'd be different if you just out and out disagreed with me. But you have a roundabout way of doing it, requiring more energy than a normal post. If I want conversation like this, I'll talk to my wife.

You're high maintenance.