Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Poll

My vote for "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" secures "A Day In The Life" doesn't get every single vote.

Revolution #9 won the white album so...this must mean Within You Without You wins this poll. Go-go-gadget ILM Contrarianism!

If ILM is supposed to be really contrary here, it'd rather be something more obscure like "Fixing a Hole" or "Lovely Rita". "Within You Without You" is among the more famous tracks here after all.

What track isn't totally, ridiculously famous here?

I voted "She's Leaving Home." I beat up on McCartney a lot but this was probably the last time "McCartneyesque" meant something more than smarmy, cutesy poo self-satisfaction. And John Lennon sings like he knows he's running an unmistakably gorgeous melody through his pipes. Not even the American Idol drones last season could make it sound less than the shameless hymn that it is.

A damn fine album this. Easily the most consistent of their "mature" phase. But Forever Changes still cuts it.

Go-go-gadget ILM Contrarianism!

Actually, were that two-second outro thing an option, THAT would be ILM Contrarianism.

'being for the benefit of mr. kite' is such a bullshit song.

i'm voting 'fixing a hole.'

'with a little help from my friends' is probably the best song tho.

If ILX were to be contrarian it'd vote for Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, because it's fucking shit.

I went for Fixing A Hole. If I were in a more difficult mood I might have picked Good Morning Good Morning. If I were in a soppier mood, She's Leaving Home. A Day In The Life and Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite are good choices too. When I'm Sixty Four is a magical step outside rock. Lovely Rita and Getter Better are a gas. I admire Within You Without You more than I love it, but I admire it a lot.

This album is so much better than Revolver.

Getting Betting.

lol

That dude just convinced me to vote for She's Leaving Home...wtf did I do?

Sometimes conventional wisdom is correct

A Day In The Life

This album has always sounded much more vibrant and colorful to me than the other Beatles albums, both in the production and the arrangements, and that's why it's my favorite. It seems to have slipped from the top of the pecking order over time though, maybe because Paul overshadows John here (except for "Day in the Life") and people seem to prefer John these days.

I voted for "Fixing A Hole"

Someone needs to explain to me why Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite is anything more than John doing some circus shit.

which is actually my fave is a close call, but With a Little Help From My Friends is definitely the one I'm repping for

I love "Love Rita" (those opening notes and the "AAaaaaaahhh" are fucking righteous), but I still get a lump in my throat when I hear "She's Leaving Home". See what becoming a parent does to a man?

That all said, "A Day in The Life" is perpetually chilling.

"Lovely Rita"

i'm not totally sure but i think a day in the life will win this poll,
i voted for it' anyway

I love "Lovely Rita". AAaaaaaahhhhhhh.

"With a Little Help"

It seems to have slipped from the top of the pecking order over time though, maybe because Paul overshadows John here (except for "Day in the Life") and people seem to prefer John these days.

"Revolver" is also a Paul-dominated album though.

Their most John-dominated album is "Rubber Soul", so a bit weird the John-fans don't hold that one more in regard.

sgt peppers, cos it's proper shouty, riffy indie rock.

"Within you" was the weird one that no-one liked back then.

Now, it's the one that seems to have predicted (or at least, predicated towards) drone-rock.

Check out the Sonic Yout' cover.

I really do like "Within You Without You" the best, so I'm voting that. The only other serious contenders for me would be "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "A Day in the Life".

Don't like Leaving Home, Kite, or Good Morning but its a toss up between the rest.

I love the reprise going into Day in the Life. Day in the Life is pure genius.

I voted for Reprise, looks like I'm the only one.

AAAAAARGH! nate narrowly beat me to it:) i was a-gonna just say that "i'm voting for a track that'll prolly remain with that one vote of mine"...

"Getting Better." It's the underrated should-be-hit of the album.

im surprised there wasnt a reissue of this, this year.

yeah "within you without you" is def my honest, non-contrarian choice.

NB i did not vote for rev#9 on the other poll...

im surprised there wasnt a reissue of this, this year.

I'm not. From all accounts, Beatles/Apple management is haphazard at best - witness the "when will they put their music on iTunes?" speculation this year. Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia seriously just need to let Rhino or someone run with it.

oh, and them four should definitely be the ew beatles too.

I'm sure I typed "New beatles" there, but hey.

Around the release of the "Love" album, EMI/Apple officials said there will be remasters released of all of their output though. Exactly when you cannot tell, but chances are they will be there before the copyright runs out on their audio, which will occur in late 2012 in the case of "Love Me Do" and "PS I Love You".

man its always surprising to me how little I like most of the songs on this album. nothing on here would even make it into my top 10 favorites. "A Day In The Life" is probably the most interesting/engaging track.

Same here. "Getting Better" and "Lovely Rita" probably would make my top 30 though.

"A Day In the Life", with the reprise and "Lovely Rita" next in line.

yeah "Getting Better" a close second - great bridge, great lyrics.

the reprise of Sgt Pepper's on the Anthology I like WAY more than the one on the album. much more rokkkkkin

man its always surprising to me how little I like most of the songs on this album. nothing on here would even make it into my top 10 favorites. "A Day In The Life" is probably the most interesting/engaging track.

agreement here

LSD

I was going to vote for "Lovely Rita," but then I remembered how much I like "Getting Better."

"She's Leaving Home" is one of their better examples of song craft - from the stoyline to the diminishing keys; nothing short of brill.

"Day in the Life" is one of the BEST examples of studio craft -- George Martin deserves as much (if not more) credit for the ending impact -- even the Anthology take needed ample tinkering.

But the one for me that will live on forever is "Within You Without You" -- Harrison really nailed the whole hippy-lovin'-maharishi-havin'-transcendentin' tune-out. On a stick.

Last night I dreamt that I saw a .jpg of Geir's calves and feet.

Fixing a Hole.

I settled on that too in the end.

I realized while going over this how much I like the intro's to some of these songs. The wind up of the opener. The punchy guitar of Getting Better. Phasey guitars on LSD. Hip-hoppy drums on Reprise. For my money, the opening to Lovely Rita is about as good as pop gets. The song itself is always kind of a (slight) letdown after the brilliance of its start.

Hated, hated, hated Within You Without You when I was a kid. Always skipped over it. Thought it was totally inexcusable, inexplicable. It was like putting spinach in a pie or something like that...

Lovely Rita.

but... spinach pies are delicious

... when you're a grown-up

Alba exactly otm. Thank you!

i voted with my heart. "she's leaving home".

had i voted with my head -- and it was close -- it'd have been "a day in the life".

might listen to this album today.

I love the way Rita breaks down at the end - the way the groove shambles along. I never noticed this as a kid, but is that a bong hit in there?

This album shimmered for me and meant a lot to me when I was 10 years old...it seems incredibly flat now, whilst some of the other Beatles albums have stayed fresh.

...Lovely Rita, at a stretch.

"Sgt Pepper" was very much of its time. A time that was looked upon as glorious until punk. And still should have today.

In a fair world, the current scene would be dominated by 40 minute long symphonic rock suites, and "Sgt. Pepper" would still be considered the masterpiece.

^Thesis statement

"Revolver" is also a Paul-dominated album though.

Their most John-dominated album is "Rubber Soul", so a bit weird the John-fans don't hold that one more in regard.

Craziness! The most John-dominated album is without question "A Hard Day's Night" - dude sings like 3/4 of the songs on it. And there's no way that either Paul or John dominates "Revolver" - both of them are absolutely on their A game on that album.

I think I'm gonna vote for "A Little Help."

"A Day In The Life"

I also hated, hated, hated "Within You Without You" as a kid and now it has just about earned my vote. Yeah, I'm gonna vote for it. Sweet.

Craziness! The most John-dominated album is without question "A Hard Day's Night"

OK. Not going to disagree. Only it's slightly less "canonical" than the rest (not deserved though, easily my second favourite album by them)

i'm not gonna vote for a song, but for a moment: paul's count-in urging on ringo's hi-hat in the reprise.

Wasn't HDN the first "all beatles originals" album? (in fact, "All Lennon/McCartney" ?)

"Getting Better"

xpost

Yeah, HDN was the first "all originals" album and the only instance of all Lennon/McCartney (no Harrison) in their career.

Had to give this one a listen (with headphones, of course) in preparation for voting. Found that many songs sounded like suites unto themselves, with all those intros and outros and middle sections sounding like individual songs. Where did that congas-and-tambouras bridge to "Getting Better" come from?

Not my favourite Beatles, but close. "Good Morning Good Morning" is my choice. Really, I think all of Side Two is perfect.

XP

Curiously, there was one Harrison composition intended for inclusion on "A Hard Day's Night", but "You Know What To Do" just wasn't considered quite good enough, which is kind of obvious when you listen to it on "Anthology".

reprise, for the drum line (and the macca count mentioned upthread)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Yeah, "You Know What To Do" is poop.

I wish you could vote for Reprise and Day in the Life, I hear them as one song.

"She's Leaving Home" gets my vote for prefiguring The Colourfield's deliciously gauzy cover of The Roches' "Hammond Song." In the future all pop songs should be written from the point-of-view of someone's sentimental, overprotective parents and smothered with sappy string arrangements to drive the point home.

Results please!

(Oouh, fekkin "time zones" - teh sukk!)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

wtf!

(I haven't looked yet)

Can't believe the love for Getting Better. It's the worst song on the album (apart from With A Little Help From My Friends, maybe.)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1

way to go ilm!

('cept for, uh, one of you.)

ILMers scared of teh rock

Surprisingly strong showing for "She's Leaving Home" here. Great song of course.

And "Sgt. Pepper" is a pop album, not a rock album. The rock songs (title track, "Good Morning Good Morning) are IMO the weakest on the album.

You don't think the title track is rocky, Geir?

Oh, you do!

Obviously rocky. Particularly the reprise. Paul does this Little Richard-influenced "shout singing", which he only does on his ill-advised attempts to "rock out".

The reprise rocks. The non-reprise is a bit of a lumbering fool.

https://news.justcollecting.com/unseen-beatles-sgt-pepper-album-artwork-to-sell-at-sothebys/?fbclid=IwAR1kXwz-Ydfnk_nMRJC14IZfC2IzHQ-xRlt4RZNAEMRtfauifLYISFDZiWQ

these results make no sense

she's leaving home is weak and title track is great and intro >>>>>> reprise

and who doesn't like ringo?