Why was Sgt. Peppers such a huge album?

[drew]

I want to hear the answer to that jello thing too "I always like the studio best, once I got the hang of it and the control. I like it because it's complete control" - John Lennon

[ernstinen]

Favorite Beatle story! During the recording of "Helter Skelter," it seems the lads may have injested some substance or another. Inspired by the moment, they turned down the lights in the studio. George took a large ashtray, poured lighter fluid in it, put a match to it, and ran around the room with the ashtray on his head!"I got blisters on me fingers!" Ringo Ern

[katy]

Lennon was a "bullshit artist" and "MLK was an adulterer"? My response? There really is no perfect human, andI don't think either of the examples given invalidate ordiminish the extraordinary contributions of both Lennonand MLK.

[mani]

Sorry Katy!Don't mean to sound like a televangelist damning everyone to hell! I do in fairness have a pretty blunt style of calling a spade a spade. Something both Lennon and King would appreciate I'm sure! As for their contributions: I don't see them as being any more important than the guy who sweeps the street well or a plumber who does a good job on the pipes. John Lennon made some lovely music but he was not a nice man by any stretch of the imagination. King wasn't much better.

[katy]

No need to apologize to me, mani. I didn't know Lennon or MLK, obviously, but my guess is that they were "nice" sometimes and not so "nice" other times (like most humans). But, what's "nice" got to do with it?

[mani]

Well Katy! I could just as easily say: Who said anything about invalidating or diminishing anything?

[katy]

Hmmm... I think you did. When calling MLK an "adulterer"on MLK day... when calling Lennon a "bullshit artist" ona thread about Sgt. Pepper's. Clearly, those are "diminishing"statements about them, and I can't imagine you'd arguethat they're not diminishing statements. It only makes me wonder what you've got to say, in your music (or inspirational speeches) that couldpossibly be more valuable.Plumbers? Sure, who wouldn't value a good plumber?!But, this is a music site, so the value of a good plumberdoesn't seem relevant. Unless, we're flushing the b.s.

[mani]

Hi Katy,When saying Lennon was a bullshit artist I was responding to something Jimi said in her post regarding a Lennon quote. I don't see what the problem is with that. I certainly don't see anything I say about the man as diminishing his body of work. How could it? My calling MLK an adulterer was in response to something Rock said. Basically I was trying to bust stereotypes by saying I'm neither a democrat or a republican and I still don't like MLK. I didn't think of it as being diminishing. Just true. And fyi I'm not the one who brought up MLK first on this music forum. I don't see his achievements as any more relevant to music than my plumber! Maybe we should track down who did and censor them! The thing is Katy, I come from the same neck of the woods as Mr. Lennon. Like Liverpudlians, Irish people are very forthright in a way that's very often shocking and/or distasteful to Americans. I personally know so many Yanks who've come to Ireland and once they stop giggling at our ridiculous accents and start to pay attention to what we're actually saying are mortally offended by our blunt honesty about everything. They go around in a daze for a few days at how honest/rude we are but after a while they realize the benefits and start to enjoy it. And the benefits are these: Because everyone is so blunt, nobody takes anything anyone says personally. This in turn opens up to a world of easy and frank discussion and camaraderie where there are no sacred cows, no politically correct nonsense and no hard feelings! That's why we have the best pubs in the world! (The lack of this social freedom is why American bars suck) This idea of taking everything so seriously and tip-toeing around people in the name of all sorts of conventions is so unhealthy and is a large part of why it's like a pressure cooker here in the U.S. To sum up; when I make a statement like the ones above I'm coming from a certain angle that may not be the same as yours. Please allow for that and take it with a pinch of salt! As for my own music, I look forward to the day very soon when you can buy my album!! I sure hope you might find some value in it. Finally Katy, I hope we're not going to fall out over two dead guys.

[mani]

I think we're off topic a wee bit!

[katy]

Dead guys? I think the point is that their work lives onand continues to effect music and lives. (The issue ofMLK came up because it was MLK Day.) I think a greatcommonality between the Beatles (John & Paul especially)and MLK is their masterful use of language. Since I'mprimarily a lyricist, I highly admire their "way with words". When considering music (or any other publicentity), I couldn't care less about their personal lives.I'm referring specifically to their work. I'm Irish and from NJ, so certainly I understand the valueof being direct. Direct and diminishing aren't the same, though.National Plumbers Day? Sure! Why not?!