.. Sgt Pepper Taught the Band to Play....

Inspired by some of the other threads that took me back a few decades, I'm curious to hear what other cafe members would say about this seminal album.  Sgt Peppers is considered by many to have changed the lanscape of popular/rock music forever.  It is pretty enlightening to listen to the music pre and post.  What a difference!  There were obviously other influencial musicians and bands but possibly none with a bigger impact.  The Beatles had the poplularity (possibly the power) with their previous success to do just about anything and make it significant.  Sgt Peppers is what they came up with and the rest is history.   The song writing, lyrics, production, even the drumming was special...  So much of what we hear today was seeded here.  What do you think?

I think the Fab Four said it was their reaction to Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) which they considered a masterpiece.
I also think Paul rates 'Revolver' higher.

Exactly. they had kind of a friendly rivalry going on for a few years.  The Beach Boys wrote "Girl Don't Tell Me" that they (supposedly) intended to give to the Beatles, but of course, they ended up recording it themselves.  It does have kind of that 1964 Beatles' sound.  As kind of a return, the Beatles wrote "Back in The USSR" with kind of a "Surfin' USA" feel.  I think the friendly rivalry helped push each band further than I think they would have gone individually, not that either would have been one-hit wonders.

Also, another semi-interesting piece of trivia, Paul and Brian Wilson were born only two days apart of the same year and each played bass for their respective band, although bass was far from their first instrument.  They only picked them up out of necessity, although I'm sure that part's pretty much common knowledge.

I was born about 10 years after this came out, but it was still a big influence on me. I was a guitarist in a metal band while in high school, but we always wasted away our rehearsals playing Beatles songs instead of focusing on our material 

The Beatles really gave me an ear for singing harmony. I used to put on their albums and try to pick out all of the different harmony lines on the choruses until it became second nature.

Smile was supposed to have been the answer to Sgt Pepper's as well.

I think the album was released in June and I got my first kit in July.  Pretty big musical summer for me.  I can still remember going to the record store, returning home and listening to the album for the first time on a sunny, summer vacation afternoon.  This was between 8th and 9th grades, when summer vacation actually seemed like it was going to last forever.  You also got more to like back then.... cover art.  The cover is still one of the best ever, you got words that were printed in type bigger than the 2 pt. type you get in CD's these days.  The larger format for photos and print was at least one reason vinyl had it over CD's.

Thank you guys for the History lesson and bringing back some memories.  I used to love Let it Be.  I am still really liking the White album. I have it on Tape.  I would love to get their music on CD's. I guess all of the albums have hit after hit and I think music in general was influenced by them.  I think it is very cool that Chris got to play with Paul.  What a treat.
                           Nutty

Most Beatles fans would agree with you.
Probably my favourite McCartney song is 'The Long And Winding Road'. As I said, I also love 'I've Got A Feeling'. The rooftop version of 'Get back' is fantastic, especially Billy Preston, and I've always been a sucker for documentaries about albums being made.
 

Of course a large part of the credit for the sound and sound quality (at least on recordings) goes to their producer Sir George Martin.  He may have been THE most important member of the band.  He's responsible for most of the string arrangments, much of the keyboard writing and playing as well as achieving that super high quality they had. 

I dont think Let It Be was a Beatles effort for world domination to begin with. It is what it is. When Mcartney and Lennon get together genious happens. Let IT BE just has an emotional tie with me that overshadows other work. I cant explain it. Across the universe can @$%# near make me cry. For the longest time i detuned my snare and put thin plastic on it to get that Let It Be sound. The entire recording moves me. The Beatles were, are, and will ALWAYS be the greatest song writing team the world has ever known IMO. Sweet Rosetta fat she thought she was a cleana, but she was a frying pan. That album was very emotional for me.