The White Album was meant to be the record that brought the Beatles back to earth after three years of studio experimentation. Instead, it took them all over the place, continuing to burst the envelope of pop music. Lennon and McCartney were still at the height of their songwriting powers, with Lennon in particular growing into one of music's towering figures. But even McCartney could still rock, and the amazement on "Helter Skelter" was that he had vocal cords at the end. From Beach Boys knock-offs to reggae and to the unknown ("Revolution #9"), this has it all. Some records have "legend" written all over them; this is one. --Chris Nickson

All White? Not really, no!!!, 27 Nov 2008
This album is rubbish!! It's a shame I have to give it even one star.

There's not one reference to snow, paper, colombian marching powder or anything else white including Xmas!!!

Nope, it's all over the show, no structure to the album at all, songs all jumbled up. I think The Beatles must have still been on drugs when they put this album together. Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da????? Oh Bloody Hell more like.

Brian Epstein died just before this album was released, and personally, I think he had some insider knowledge as to how this album sounded. This album also coincides with Oh-no making an appearance. Something which must have put them all off their stride, judging by the sounds of it!!

They even had to rope in Eric Clapton to try and make it sound better, but that failed miserably.

Nope, this is a rubbish album by a rubbish band. The Monkees were the original boy band, were far better and produced better songs too.

Great as in GREAT-LES, 23 Nov 2008
It was 40 years ago to this very day when a double album was put out that critics... well, delved into. Opinions were different, meaning: quite often conflicting, and stars may well not have come close to the fivish the Fab4 are being awarded on this site today.

But look back and taste the sheer genius of four artists in their own right who went on to embark on world famous careers every single one of them. Today, Martha My Dear was on the radio, but other tracks ring bells of themselves. Think of Happiness is a Warm Gun and while away thinking of what happened on that fateful December 8th, 1980.
And think of another warm-hearted soul like George, who, perhaps for the very first time, really and definitely got out into the light from under Paul & John's combined creative wings.

Or of that same person, whose *rash* words to the effect that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus have just been forgiven by the Vatican, again today.

Rest assured that the White Album has lost none of its appeal even if The Beatles hardly sound like a band any longer and that the Fab Foursome were not in the Abbey Road studios when a considerable number of tracks were registered. But what the heck, I should say.

I first got into the Fabs in 1962. I still am fond of the wonderful music they made and welcome every footnote (whether in music or text) that shines a new light on these terrific musicians.

And as for Jesus: let there be no doubt about it that, if He likes music (which I for one I'm sure He is), He simply enjoys The Beatles as much as He does Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov or any other top notch composer there has ever been.

Their Tortured Masterpiece, 22 Sep 2008
It had been a tough year and a bit for The Beatles. Their manager Brian Epstein had committed suicide, their Magical Mystery Tour had seen them mauled by critics for the first time, and their attempts to practise transcendental meditation in India with the Maharishi had ended in disaster. It was during that ill-fated trip that most of these songs were written.

Inside the band itself, the situation was also far from hunky dory. Lennon would soon lose interest in the band, spending more and more time with his new partner Yoko Ono instead. Harrison was increasingly sick of being overlooked by John and Paul, who still only permitted him a few songs per album (he has four out of thirty here). Sensing this unease in the band, McCartney increasingly took charge of the group, a fatherly attitude which further annoyed the others. Meanwhile Ringo gets sole writing credit for `Don't Pass Me By', not one of the album's best but certainly pleasant enough.

It was with these tensions that The Beatles made The White Album, a self-titled song collection that derives its popular nickname from a stark white cover. Most of the songs here are pretty much solo compositions, as the band's two main songwriters had both begun to jealously guard their own work, allowing only minimal input from the other. Ironically, this is the album where George Harrison finally became their equal, writing a couple of the very best songs here.

Beginning with the sound of a plane taking off, Back In The USSR is a Beach Boys homage with a thumping piano beat and lyrics that were fairly controversial during the middle of the Cold War. This fades hauntingly into the acoustic Dear Prudence, written to encourage Mia Farrow's sister out of hut-bound seclusion during the India trip. Glass Onion mockingly references other Beatles songs, providing more fodder for those fans desperate to read hidden meanings into their work. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a bouncy tale of inter-racial marriage with a happy ending. Wild Honey Pie is a 50-second oddity that reinforces the strange new direction The Beatles had taken. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill sounds more like a twisted nursery rhyme than a rock song, a trait common to much of The White Album.

Next is While My Guitar Gently Weeps, possibly the album's best song. Written by Harrison and featuring guitar from his friend Eric Clapton, it tells of spiritual pain and disillusionment. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the album's most oddly structured songs, featuring several disorientating changes of tone one after another. Martha My Dear is a nice piano ditty that may or may not be inspired by McCartney's dog, depending on who you believe. I'm So Tired is another pained Lennon contribution (he was clearly not having a fun time in 1968). Blackbird is a Bach-inspired piece, once again acoustic because this was the only instrument available to the band in India, and comprising some tasteful samples of the eponymous bird's song.

Piggies is perhaps the bitterest song present, comparing Capitalism to pigs eating bacon, unfortunately a key inspiration for the Manson cult's murder spree. Rocky Raccoon is a slightly unhinged story of a spurned lover setting out (and failing) to kill his rival for the woman in question's affections, featuring some honky-tonk piano. Don't Pass Me By is a bluesy country song written by Starr, the writing of which predated recording by at least four years. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? originated from Paul seeing two monkeys doing just that, and I Will is another McCartney effort, written for future spouse Linda Eastman. The first disc of the CD version (and second side of the original vinyl) ends with Julia, written for Lennon's dead mother and the only Beatles song on which he is the sole performer. This is one of the album's most beautiful compositions, imbued with a real sense of sadness and longing.

Disc Two opens with Birthday, on which McCartney sounds near-psychotic with celebration. Yer Blues expresses suicidal intent, the sort of soul-purging that would become increasingly common during Lennon's solo career. After this, the subdued Mother Nature's Son is a relief to hear - an early version of what would become Jealous Guy was dropped from the album because of perceived similarities to this McCartney tune. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey supposedly concerns Lennon and Ono, though alternative suggestions have been made such as drugs (it was around this time that Lennon acquired a taste for heroin). Sexy Sadie was originally called Maharishi, but George convinced John to alter the lyrics, though the sentiments remain the same. Helter Skelter is The Beatles' loudest and craziest song, the point where this album sounds most disturbed. Long, Long, Long is an extremely subtle Harrison piece, easy to overlook amidst more attention-grabbing Lennon and McCartney songs, but actually incredibly beautiful.

Revolution 1 was Lennon's response to a hippy movement that had grown increasingly violent, saying that he wants change but won't become brutalised to get it. Honey Pie is another of McCartney's music-hall-style recordings, which a lot of people sniff at but I think are actually quite good (this one especially). Savoy Truffle is probably Harrison's weakest contribution here, name-checking the contents of a chocolate box. Cry Baby Cry was inspired by fairy tales, ending with a brief McCartney segment that pleas `Can you take me back?', as though begging to return to a pre-Beatles childhood. The album's penultimate track is its most controversial, Lennon's chaotic sound collage called Revolution 9: personally I think it's interesting and genuinely haunting, though not one of the album's very best. Finally comes Good Night, a soaring ballad that Lennon wanted to sound deliberately cheesy.

And so that's it. The White Album is The Beatles' most endlessly fascinating album, simply because it features such a wide range of styles and moods. Overall the tone is dark and depressed, a result of the isolation and slight sadness felt by the band that had by now surpassed all its contemporaries. As though longing to regress to youth, many of the songs have a distinctly childhood feel, though it's not the happy one of Sgt Pepper a year earlier. My favourite tracks are `Dear Prudence', `Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', `While My Guitar Gently Weeps', `Blackbird', `Rocky Raccoon', `Julia', `Mother Nature's Son', `Sexy Sadie', `Helter Skelter', `Long, Long, Long' and `Revolution 1'.

First steps to break-up, 03 Sep 2008
Of all the major albums produced by the Beatles, this is the least coherent. The need to produce output for the purposes of the EMI contract led to some distinctly low quality rushed material from all the participants - in many ways a precursor to the substandard offerings to come later under their individual names. No longer greater than the sum of their parts, this is just four individuals showing their limitations. George Martin thought that it could have made one high quality album if the extensive dross (especially from heroin and Ono fixated Lennon) had been dispensed with, and he was right. This was probably the only occasion when the Beatles short changed their fans for selfish purposes. An example of the Beatles in decline, to be matched only by the Spectorised Let It Be.

NO filler, 03 Sep 2008
Really great tunes here! For a contemporary comparison I recommend Nick Worrall. His album is FREE to download as well.

All White? Not really, no!!!, 27 Nov 2008
This album is rubbish!! It's a shame I have to give it even one star.

There's not one reference to snow, paper, colombian marching powder or anything else white including Xmas!!!

Nope, it's all over the show, no structure to the album at all, songs all jumbled up. I think The Beatles must have still been on drugs when they put this album together. Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da????? Oh Bloody Hell more like.

Brian Epstein died just before this album was released, and personally, I think he had some insider knowledge as to how this album sounded. This album also coincides with Oh-no making an appearance. Something which must have put them all off their stride, judging by the sounds of it!!

They even had to rope in Eric Clapton to try and make it sound better, but that failed miserably.

Nope, this is a rubbish album by a rubbish band. The Monkees were the original boy band, were far better and produced better songs too.

Great as in GREAT-LES, 23 Nov 2008
It was 40 years ago to this very day when a double album was put out that critics... well, delved into. Opinions were different, meaning: quite often conflicting, and stars may well not have come close to the fivish the Fab4 are being awarded on this site today.

But look back and taste the sheer genius of four artists in their own right who went on to embark on world famous careers every single one of them. Today, Martha My Dear was on the radio, but other tracks ring bells of themselves. Think of Happiness is a Warm Gun and while away thinking of what happened on that fateful December 8th, 1980.
And think of another warm-hearted soul like George, who, perhaps for the very first time, really and definitely got out into the light from under Paul & John's combined creative wings.

Or of that same person, whose *rash* words to the effect that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus have just been forgiven by the Vatican, again today.

Rest assured that the White Album has lost none of its appeal even if The Beatles hardly sound like a band any longer and that the Fab Foursome were not in the Abbey Road studios when a considerable number of tracks were registered. But what the heck, I should say.

I first got into the Fabs in 1962. I still am fond of the wonderful music they made and welcome every footnote (whether in music or text) that shines a new light on these terrific musicians.

And as for Jesus: let there be no doubt about it that, if He likes music (which I for one I'm sure He is), He simply enjoys The Beatles as much as He does Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov or any other top notch composer there has ever been.

Their Tortured Masterpiece, 22 Sep 2008
It had been a tough year and a bit for The Beatles. Their manager Brian Epstein had committed suicide, their Magical Mystery Tour had seen them mauled by critics for the first time, and their attempts to practise transcendental meditation in India with the Maharishi had ended in disaster. It was during that ill-fated trip that most of these songs were written.

Inside the band itself, the situation was also far from hunky dory. Lennon would soon lose interest in the band, spending more and more time with his new partner Yoko Ono instead. Harrison was increasingly sick of being overlooked by John and Paul, who still only permitted him a few songs per album (he has four out of thirty here). Sensing this unease in the band, McCartney increasingly took charge of the group, a fatherly attitude which further annoyed the others. Meanwhile Ringo gets sole writing credit for `Don't Pass Me By', not one of the album's best but certainly pleasant enough.

It was with these tensions that The Beatles made The White Album, a self-titled song collection that derives its popular nickname from a stark white cover. Most of the songs here are pretty much solo compositions, as the band's two main songwriters had both begun to jealously guard their own work, allowing only minimal input from the other. Ironically, this is the album where George Harrison finally became their equal, writing a couple of the very best songs here.

Beginning with the sound of a plane taking off, Back In The USSR is a Beach Boys homage with a thumping piano beat and lyrics that were fairly controversial during the middle of the Cold War. This fades hauntingly into the acoustic Dear Prudence, written to encourage Mia Farrow's sister out of hut-bound seclusion during the India trip. Glass Onion mockingly references other Beatles songs, providing more fodder for those fans desperate to read hidden meanings into their work. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a bouncy tale of inter-racial marriage with a happy ending. Wild Honey Pie is a 50-second oddity that reinforces the strange new direction The Beatles had taken. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill sounds more like a twisted nursery rhyme than a rock song, a trait common to much of The White Album.

Next is While My Guitar Gently Weeps, possibly the album's best song. Written by Harrison and featuring guitar from his friend Eric Clapton, it tells of spiritual pain and disillusionment. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the album's most oddly structured songs, featuring several disorientating changes of tone one after another. Martha My Dear is a nice piano ditty that may or may not be inspired by McCartney's dog, depending on who you believe. I'm So Tired is another pained Lennon contribution (he was clearly not having a fun time in 1968). Blackbird is a Bach-inspired piece, once again acoustic because this was the only instrument available to the band in India, and comprising some tasteful samples of the eponymous bird's song.

Piggies is perhaps the bitterest song present, comparing Capitalism to pigs eating bacon, unfortunately a key inspiration for the Manson cult's murder spree. Rocky Raccoon is a slightly unhinged story of a spurned lover setting out (and failing) to kill his rival for the woman in question's affections, featuring some honky-tonk piano. Don't Pass Me By is a bluesy country song written by Starr, the writing of which predated recording by at least four years. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? originated from Paul seeing two monkeys doing just that, and I Will is another McCartney effort, written for future spouse Linda Eastman. The first disc of the CD version (and second side of the original vinyl) ends with Julia, written for Lennon's dead mother and the only Beatles song on which he is the sole performer. This is one of the album's most beautiful compositions, imbued with a real sense of sadness and longing.

Disc Two opens with Birthday, on which McCartney sounds near-psychotic with celebration. Yer Blues expresses suicidal intent, the sort of soul-purging that would become increasingly common during Lennon's solo career. After this, the subdued Mother Nature's Son is a relief to hear - an early version of what would become Jealous Guy was dropped from the album because of perceived similarities to this McCartney tune. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey supposedly concerns Lennon and Ono, though alternative suggestions have been made such as drugs (it was around this time that Lennon acquired a taste for heroin). Sexy Sadie was originally called Maharishi, but George convinced John to alter the lyrics, though the sentiments remain the same. Helter Skelter is The Beatles' loudest and craziest song, the point where this album sounds most disturbed. Long, Long, Long is an extremely subtle Harrison piece, easy to overlook amidst more attention-grabbing Lennon and McCartney songs, but actually incredibly beautiful.

Revolution 1 was Lennon's response to a hippy movement that had grown increasingly violent, saying that he wants change but won't become brutalised to get it. Honey Pie is another of McCartney's music-hall-style recordings, which a lot of people sniff at but I think are actually quite good (this one especially). Savoy Truffle is probably Harrison's weakest contribution here, name-checking the contents of a chocolate box. Cry Baby Cry was inspired by fairy tales, ending with a brief McCartney segment that pleas `Can you take me back?', as though begging to return to a pre-Beatles childhood. The album's penultimate track is its most controversial, Lennon's chaotic sound collage called Revolution 9: personally I think it's interesting and genuinely haunting, though not one of the album's very best. Finally comes Good Night, a soaring ballad that Lennon wanted to sound deliberately cheesy.

And so that's it. The White Album is The Beatles' most endlessly fascinating album, simply because it features such a wide range of styles and moods. Overall the tone is dark and depressed, a result of the isolation and slight sadness felt by the band that had by now surpassed all its contemporaries. As though longing to regress to youth, many of the songs have a distinctly childhood feel, though it's not the happy one of Sgt Pepper a year earlier. My favourite tracks are `Dear Prudence', `Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', `While My Guitar Gently Weeps', `Blackbird', `Rocky Raccoon', `Julia', `Mother Nature's Son', `Sexy Sadie', `Helter Skelter', `Long, Long, Long' and `Revolution 1'.

First steps to break-up, 03 Sep 2008
Of all the major albums produced by the Beatles, this is the least coherent. The need to produce output for the purposes of the EMI contract led to some distinctly low quality rushed material from all the participants - in many ways a precursor to the substandard offerings to come later under their individual names. No longer greater than the sum of their parts, this is just four individuals showing their limitations. George Martin thought that it could have made one high quality album if the extensive dross (especially from heroin and Ono fixated Lennon) had been dispensed with, and he was right. This was probably the only occasion when the Beatles short changed their fans for selfish purposes. An example of the Beatles in decline, to be matched only by the Spectorised Let It Be.

NO filler, 03 Sep 2008
Really great tunes here! For a contemporary comparison I recommend Nick Worrall. His album is FREE to download as well.

Psychedelic rebirth , 05 Jan 2009
Never been one for recognising the importance of Paul McCartney. Have been a fan of 'The Beatles' and acknowledge that Paul or 'sir Paul' is a great and worthy song writer, but as an artist his work has been uneven, commercial and as people have already said somewhat mediocre, this is fine if you choose your music on minimums. It seems that many artists have great creative periods and then rot can set in and they can produce crowd pleasing drivel, or albums for contractual obligation, wearing their hearts on their sleeve about the sacrifice they have made to be rich, popular and famous. Paul McCartney is still a superb live performer.
This album however is something that would certainly slip under the radar for a lot of people and the people I have played this too are now looking at 'Sir Paul' in another light altogether. Martin Glover or 'Youth' is a bit of a legendary Psy Trance producer and recording artist. He was originally in 'The Killing Joke'. Great things have been achieved by both Jaz Colman and Youth and the Jaz Colman and Anne Dudley collaboration 'Songs from the Victorious City' seems to share some of this collaboration as a concept. The Fireman was a sort of ambient electronic project Paul McCartney and Youth did. I do not know the history of this but when the first album was released it had a limited release and was a bit mysterious. The album 'Electric Arguments' should be bought by all lovers of Psychedelic music and those who enjoy the sort of music that falls between rock and electronic, such as `Death in Vegas', `Evil Heat' style `Primal Scream' or even `Mercury Rev' or `The Flaming Lips'. It is a kind of come back album in a similar way to 'Aerial' by 'Kate Bush'.
The sophistication of this album and it's production values do not seem to fully reveal themselves when you first hear it. You get the feeling it is rough, unfinished and a bit of a mish-mash of different styles. The first track is a raw heavy blues number, the next track is a loose whimsical number about magpies, blackbird, magpies, maybe a song about a raven or crow next? The album goes on like this, the lyrics are simple, some songs just seem to be about love, other songs seem to be about support, there are references to real objects. The more you listen the deeper it gets, you start noticing subtleties in the production, you get the impression that after a messy divorce with Heather Mills Paul has gone into the studio maybe got a little high with Youth and started making the kind of album that he needed to make as a form of catharsis. It really works. I have been playing this a lot, on my MP3 player, really loud on a club PA. It sounds better louder but also works in so many different contexts. It has the right balance of tunes to feel like a real album and goes off in so many different directions. Track 8 'Dance 'Till W'ere High' is my highpoint, it would make a great song released at Christmas it has bells ringing and lush orchestral arrangements. After this point the album seems to go more into psychedelic realms, there are parts and sounds that remind me of psychedelic 'Beatles' and certainly the end is very music a kind of electronic 'Tomorrow Never Knows' if McCartney had written the music. This is closest to psy chill electronic music that Martin Glover has been well known for. Some of it reminds me of 'The New Radicals' hit, other parts remind me of 'The Arcade Fire'. There are bits that sound like `Tom Waits' or even `Nick Cave. This is what is strange about it. It makes me want to go and investigate Paul McCartney's back catalogue and makes me wonder if he will hit this high (and I mean high man...) again as this is the psychedelic work that we deserve. He has access to all he wants to make the kind of album as much for himself as something to listen to and I think that this is it. He has gone into the studio and done what he does best expressing himself through his music. The cover represents his new flare for abstract art, which is more childlike and playful like some of the motifs on this album, but childlike like a regressive individual who is past living for appearances. I love this record and would rate it as one of the best and understated releases of 2008. It is infectious.


Hear Paul Sing The Changes, 28 Dec 2008
With 'Electric Arguments', The Fireman (a.k.a. Paul McCartney and ex-Killing Joke bassist Youth) have produced something in between a Paul McCartney solo album and an experimental release similar to the last two predominantly instrumental albums under the Fireman guise. After last year's well-received, fairly commercial 'Memory Almost Full', this is a nice change of pace from the mainstream, with Paul using this pseudonym to remind us of his avant-garde, ultra-creative side. Of course, if Paul was feeling particularly brave, he could have released this under his real name instead of The Fireman - but, thinking realistically, he probably wouldn't have got away with it, even though many of these compositions are more than good enough for a Paul McCartney solo album.

The album opens with the dirty 'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight', featuring Macca's raw, throaty vocals over a persistent bluesy riff. The slightly twee 'Two Magpies' follows, featuring Paul's falsetto over a charming acoustic guitar pattern. The third track 'Sing The Changes' is the first glimpse of something approaching special on this release, even though the chords and melody are a tad simplistic - the production and instrumentation make this track a lot more interesting that it otherwise would have been. Next up is 'Travelling Light', an extremely lovely, dreamy piece which could easily have slotted straight onto 'Chaos & Creation In The Backyard' and been a fan's favourite.

'Highway' takes us back into rock territory and we're treated to a driving bass-line, thundering pianos and wailing harmonicas and it's great stuff. 'Light From Your Lighthouse' is a catchy folk-stomper which is charming enough but soon wears a little thin after a few plays. The next song, 'Sun Is Shining' is a summery, upbeat track which soon gets you tapping your feet and nodding your head, appreciating the musicianship contained within it. After 'Sun Is Shining', we come to the best song on the album, 'Dance 'Till We're High', an uplifting piece of utter brilliance which boast bells chiming, a string section punctuating the chorus, rolling and tumbling towards the almost anti-climatic end.

'Lifelong Passion' is an Asian-tinted piece which seems to be based around one chord and, while pleasant, is not particularly special. 'Is This Love?' is a beautiful mystical piece which seems to have Indian roots. The swelling cymbals, the sweet flute and the gently persuasive tambourine all topped off by Paul's vocals floating serenely over the music make this a very enjoyable track indeed. 'Lovers In A Dream' is a decent piece of ambient dance music backed by a persistent bass drum beat which slowly builds sonic levels until it reaches a climax and then takes a minute-or-so to wind down. 'Universal Here, Everlasting Now' is another, less mellow, "club" track and, again, while decent, for those who don't particularly care for this style of music, the album may be losing a little of its appeal. It does have a very pretty piano outro, though. The final track on 'Electric Arguments' is 'Don't Stop Running', another, albeit dancy, highlight of the album.

I have to admit that I'm not entirely convinced by all of this material. It's undoubtedly great to hear new, leftfield McCartney tracks, but some of the ideas are basic shells of compositions - there are a few three chord wonders here - which are then embellished with layers of instruments and admittedly excellent production, but at least half of these songs wouldn't stand on their own merits if performed by Paul with nothing but an acoustic guitar. This is, richly creative, an entertaining listen and without a doubt, the best of the three 'Fireman' albums. While it certainly keeps us fans ticking over waiting for the next "proper" solo album, I believe this is a little short of the work of genius some fans are proclaiming it to be and it does mean that a lot of these ultra-positive reviews are likely to be raising expectations. However, if you approach this album not expecting it to be absolutely fantastic, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. I have to admit, Paul's eclectic tastes and creativity make you wonder what his next release will be - but considering his current form, you know it will probably be rather good.

More McCartney Solo than Fireman, 27 Dec 2008
OK - after Memory Almost Full, I was beginning to wonder if old Macca had finally given up being truly creative... well, I guess not!

EA is a positive outing attempt to blend rock and dance styles, and amazingly it works! On the downside Macca doesn't sound his best vocally, but having said that, in terms of pleasing fans and maintaining his legend status, I would say he'd have been better releasing this as a solo Macca album and not under the (almost obscure) Fireman banner: and then doing something more in line with what we love about the Fireman albums, i.e. melodic tunes to drift a Sunday afternoon away with!

The first two Fireman albums are genius, this one is excellent but the singing spoils it.

This is more like it., 13 Dec 2008
Following on from the mediocre 'Memory Almost Full' album, 'Electric Arguements' is a breath of fresh air and displays what Macca can achieve when he's making music for his own amusement instead of having it dumbed down for easy-listening consumption.

'Two Magpies', 'Travelling Light' and 'Dance Til We're High' are my personal favourites although most of the first eight tracks are particularly pleasing overall.

Unfortunately standards do start to slip a little following track eight but the album does pick up again towards the end.

So not the perfect album then but a highly enjoyable,inventive,melodic album nonetheless that reveals further delights with each play.

EA should appeal to McCartney/ non-McCartney fans alike.

Back to what he is doing best , 10 Dec 2008
Electric Arguments shows Paul McCartney at his eclectic best rocking out our aural senses with the fiery "Nothing too much, just out of sight" which can leave us guessing where all this pent up aggression and vitirol is coming from? whilst other tracks such as "Two Magpies" is a lovely basic song with added acoustic flavours backed up by Paul's singing which hasn't aged a bit from his day's as a Beatle and the other "Sing the changes" is very uplifting which carries on in a similar vien with "Highway".

His solo career has often been met with added scorn and amazement at times but nobody can ever say he has ever written a boring tune as there is none on here to moan about!

Looking through the booklet that accompanies the album its funny to see Paul letting himself go with a canvas and paintbrush like a kid in a candy shop making the artwork that's seen on this album which despite all the problems he faced with his now ex-wife its good to see him letting himself go to keep us happy.

Before Sgt. Pepper's, no one seriously thought of rock music as actual art. That all changed in 1967, though, when John, Paul, George and Ringo (with "A Little Help" from their friend, producer George Martin) created an undeniable work of art which remains, after 3-plus decades, one of the most influential albums of all time. From Lennon's evocative word/sound pictures (the trippy "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", the carnival-like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") and McCartney's music hall-styled "When I'm 64", to Harrison's Eastern-leaning "Within You Without You", and the avant-garde mini-suite, "A Day in the Life", Sgt. Pepper's was a milestone for both 1960s music and popular culture in general. --Billy Altman

All White? Not really, no!!!, 27 Nov 2008
This album is rubbish!! It's a shame I have to give it even one star.

There's not one reference to snow, paper, colombian marching powder or anything else white including Xmas!!!

Nope, it's all over the show, no structure to the album at all, songs all jumbled up. I think The Beatles must have still been on drugs when they put this album together. Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da????? Oh Bloody Hell more like.

Brian Epstein died just before this album was released, and personally, I think he had some insider knowledge as to how this album sounded. This album also coincides with Oh-no making an appearance. Something which must have put them all off their stride, judging by the sounds of it!!

They even had to rope in Eric Clapton to try and make it sound better, but that failed miserably.

Nope, this is a rubbish album by a rubbish band. The Monkees were the original boy band, were far better and produced better songs too.

Great as in GREAT-LES, 23 Nov 2008
It was 40 years ago to this very day when a double album was put out that critics... well, delved into. Opinions were different, meaning: quite often conflicting, and stars may well not have come close to the fivish the Fab4 are being awarded on this site today.

But look back and taste the sheer genius of four artists in their own right who went on to embark on world famous careers every single one of them. Today, Martha My Dear was on the radio, but other tracks ring bells of themselves. Think of Happiness is a Warm Gun and while away thinking of what happened on that fateful December 8th, 1980.
And think of another warm-hearted soul like George, who, perhaps for the very first time, really and definitely got out into the light from under Paul & John's combined creative wings.

Or of that same person, whose *rash* words to the effect that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus have just been forgiven by the Vatican, again today.

Rest assured that the White Album has lost none of its appeal even if The Beatles hardly sound like a band any longer and that the Fab Foursome were not in the Abbey Road studios when a considerable number of tracks were registered. But what the heck, I should say.

I first got into the Fabs in 1962. I still am fond of the wonderful music they made and welcome every footnote (whether in music or text) that shines a new light on these terrific musicians.

And as for Jesus: let there be no doubt about it that, if He likes music (which I for one I'm sure He is), He simply enjoys The Beatles as much as He does Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov or any other top notch composer there has ever been.

Their Tortured Masterpiece, 22 Sep 2008
It had been a tough year and a bit for The Beatles. Their manager Brian Epstein had committed suicide, their Magical Mystery Tour had seen them mauled by critics for the first time, and their attempts to practise transcendental meditation in India with the Maharishi had ended in disaster. It was during that ill-fated trip that most of these songs were written.

Inside the band itself, the situation was also far from hunky dory. Lennon would soon lose interest in the band, spending more and more time with his new partner Yoko Ono instead. Harrison was increasingly sick of being overlooked by John and Paul, who still only permitted him a few songs per album (he has four out of thirty here). Sensing this unease in the band, McCartney increasingly took charge of the group, a fatherly attitude which further annoyed the others. Meanwhile Ringo gets sole writing credit for `Don't Pass Me By', not one of the album's best but certainly pleasant enough.

It was with these tensions that The Beatles made The White Album, a self-titled song collection that derives its popular nickname from a stark white cover. Most of the songs here are pretty much solo compositions, as the band's two main songwriters had both begun to jealously guard their own work, allowing only minimal input from the other. Ironically, this is the album where George Harrison finally became their equal, writing a couple of the very best songs here.

Beginning with the sound of a plane taking off, Back In The USSR is a Beach Boys homage with a thumping piano beat and lyrics that were fairly controversial during the middle of the Cold War. This fades hauntingly into the acoustic Dear Prudence, written to encourage Mia Farrow's sister out of hut-bound seclusion during the India trip. Glass Onion mockingly references other Beatles songs, providing more fodder for those fans desperate to read hidden meanings into their work. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a bouncy tale of inter-racial marriage with a happy ending. Wild Honey Pie is a 50-second oddity that reinforces the strange new direction The Beatles had taken. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill sounds more like a twisted nursery rhyme than a rock song, a trait common to much of The White Album.

Next is While My Guitar Gently Weeps, possibly the album's best song. Written by Harrison and featuring guitar from his friend Eric Clapton, it tells of spiritual pain and disillusionment. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the album's most oddly structured songs, featuring several disorientating changes of tone one after another. Martha My Dear is a nice piano ditty that may or may not be inspired by McCartney's dog, depending on who you believe. I'm So Tired is another pained Lennon contribution (he was clearly not having a fun time in 1968). Blackbird is a Bach-inspired piece, once again acoustic because this was the only instrument available to the band in India, and comprising some tasteful samples of the eponymous bird's song.

Piggies is perhaps the bitterest song present, comparing Capitalism to pigs eating bacon, unfortunately a key inspiration for the Manson cult's murder spree. Rocky Raccoon is a slightly unhinged story of a spurned lover setting out (and failing) to kill his rival for the woman in question's affections, featuring some honky-tonk piano. Don't Pass Me By is a bluesy country song written by Starr, the writing of which predated recording by at least four years. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? originated from Paul seeing two monkeys doing just that, and I Will is another McCartney effort, written for future spouse Linda Eastman. The first disc of the CD version (and second side of the original vinyl) ends with Julia, written for Lennon's dead mother and the only Beatles song on which he is the sole performer. This is one of the album's most beautiful compositions, imbued with a real sense of sadness and longing.

Disc Two opens with Birthday, on which McCartney sounds near-psychotic with celebration. Yer Blues expresses suicidal intent, the sort of soul-purging that would become increasingly common during Lennon's solo career. After this, the subdued Mother Nature's Son is a relief to hear - an early version of what would become Jealous Guy was dropped from the album because of perceived similarities to this McCartney tune. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey supposedly concerns Lennon and Ono, though alternative suggestions have been made such as drugs (it was around this time that Lennon acquired a taste for heroin). Sexy Sadie was originally called Maharishi, but George convinced John to alter the lyrics, though the sentiments remain the same. Helter Skelter is The Beatles' loudest and craziest song, the point where this album sounds most disturbed. Long, Long, Long is an extremely subtle Harrison piece, easy to overlook amidst more attention-grabbing Lennon and McCartney songs, but actually incredibly beautiful.

Revolution 1 was Lennon's response to a hippy movement that had grown increasingly violent, saying that he wants change but won't become brutalised to get it. Honey Pie is another of McCartney's music-hall-style recordings, which a lot of people sniff at but I think are actually quite good (this one especially). Savoy Truffle is probably Harrison's weakest contribution here, name-checking the contents of a chocolate box. Cry Baby Cry was inspired by fairy tales, ending with a brief McCartney segment that pleas `Can you take me back?', as though begging to return to a pre-Beatles childhood. The album's penultimate track is its most controversial, Lennon's chaotic sound collage called Revolution 9: personally I think it's interesting and genuinely haunting, though not one of the album's very best. Finally comes Good Night, a soaring ballad that Lennon wanted to sound deliberately cheesy.

And so that's it. The White Album is The Beatles' most endlessly fascinating album, simply because it features such a wide range of styles and moods. Overall the tone is dark and depressed, a result of the isolation and slight sadness felt by the band that had by now surpassed all its contemporaries. As though longing to regress to youth, many of the songs have a distinctly childhood feel, though it's not the happy one of Sgt Pepper a year earlier. My favourite tracks are `Dear Prudence', `Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', `While My Guitar Gently Weeps', `Blackbird', `Rocky Raccoon', `Julia', `Mother Nature's Son', `Sexy Sadie', `Helter Skelter', `Long, Long, Long' and `Revolution 1'.

First steps to break-up, 03 Sep 2008
Of all the major albums produced by the Beatles, this is the least coherent. The need to produce output for the purposes of the EMI contract led to some distinctly low quality rushed material from all the participants - in many ways a precursor to the substandard offerings to come later under their individual names. No longer greater than the sum of their parts, this is just four individuals showing their limitations. George Martin thought that it could have made one high quality album if the extensive dross (especially from heroin and Ono fixated Lennon) had been dispensed with, and he was right. This was probably the only occasion when the Beatles short changed their fans for selfish purposes. An example of the Beatles in decline, to be matched only by the Spectorised Let It Be.

NO filler, 03 Sep 2008
Really great tunes here! For a contemporary comparison I recommend Nick Worrall. His album is FREE to download as well.

Psychedelic rebirth , 05 Jan 2009
Never been one for recognising the importance of Paul McCartney. Have been a fan of 'The Beatles' and acknowledge that Paul or 'sir Paul' is a great and worthy song writer, but as an artist his work has been uneven, commercial and as people have already said somewhat mediocre, this is fine if you choose your music on minimums. It seems that many artists have great creative periods and then rot can set in and they can produce crowd pleasing drivel, or albums for contractual obligation, wearing their hearts on their sleeve about the sacrifice they have made to be rich, popular and famous. Paul McCartney is still a superb live performer.
This album however is something that would certainly slip under the radar for a lot of people and the people I have played this too are now looking at 'Sir Paul' in another light altogether. Martin Glover or 'Youth' is a bit of a legendary Psy Trance producer and recording artist. He was originally in 'The Killing Joke'. Great things have been achieved by both Jaz Colman and Youth and the Jaz Colman and Anne Dudley collaboration 'Songs from the Victorious City' seems to share some of this collaboration as a concept. The Fireman was a sort of ambient electronic project Paul McCartney and Youth did. I do not know the history of this but when the first album was released it had a limited release and was a bit mysterious. The album 'Electric Arguments' should be bought by all lovers of Psychedelic music and those who enjoy the sort of music that falls between rock and electronic, such as `Death in Vegas', `Evil Heat' style `Primal Scream' or even `Mercury Rev' or `The Flaming Lips'. It is a kind of come back album in a similar way to 'Aerial' by 'Kate Bush'.
The sophistication of this album and it's production values do not seem to fully reveal themselves when you first hear it. You get the feeling it is rough, unfinished and a bit of a mish-mash of different styles. The first track is a raw heavy blues number, the next track is a loose whimsical number about magpies, blackbird, magpies, maybe a song about a raven or crow next? The album goes on like this, the lyrics are simple, some songs just seem to be about love, other songs seem to be about support, there are references to real objects. The more you listen the deeper it gets, you start noticing subtleties in the production, you get the impression that after a messy divorce with Heather Mills Paul has gone into the studio maybe got a little high with Youth and started making the kind of album that he needed to make as a form of catharsis. It really works. I have been playing this a lot, on my MP3 player, really loud on a club PA. It sounds better louder but also works in so many different contexts. It has the right balance of tunes to feel like a real album and goes off in so many different directions. Track 8 'Dance 'Till W'ere High' is my highpoint, it would make a great song released at Christmas it has bells ringing and lush orchestral arrangements. After this point the album seems to go more into psychedelic realms, there are parts and sounds that remind me of psychedelic 'Beatles' and certainly the end is very music a kind of electronic 'Tomorrow Never Knows' if McCartney had written the music. This is closest to psy chill electronic music that Martin Glover has been well known for. Some of it reminds me of 'The New Radicals' hit, other parts remind me of 'The Arcade Fire'. There are bits that sound like `Tom Waits' or even `Nick Cave. This is what is strange about it. It makes me want to go and investigate Paul McCartney's back catalogue and makes me wonder if he will hit this high (and I mean high man...) again as this is the psychedelic work that we deserve. He has access to all he wants to make the kind of album as much for himself as something to listen to and I think that this is it. He has gone into the studio and done what he does best expressing himself through his music. The cover represents his new flare for abstract art, which is more childlike and playful like some of the motifs on this album, but childlike like a regressive individual who is past living for appearances. I love this record and would rate it as one of the best and understated releases of 2008. It is infectious.


Hear Paul Sing The Changes, 28 Dec 2008
With 'Electric Arguments', The Fireman (a.k.a. Paul McCartney and ex-Killing Joke bassist Youth) have produced something in between a Paul McCartney solo album and an experimental release similar to the last two predominantly instrumental albums under the Fireman guise. After last year's well-received, fairly commercial 'Memory Almost Full', this is a nice change of pace from the mainstream, with Paul using this pseudonym to remind us of his avant-garde, ultra-creative side. Of course, if Paul was feeling particularly brave, he could have released this under his real name instead of The Fireman - but, thinking realistically, he probably wouldn't have got away with it, even though many of these compositions are more than good enough for a Paul McCartney solo album.

The album opens with the dirty 'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight', featuring Macca's raw, throaty vocals over a persistent bluesy riff. The slightly twee 'Two Magpies' follows, featuring Paul's falsetto over a charming acoustic guitar pattern. The third track 'Sing The Changes' is the first glimpse of something approaching special on this release, even though the chords and melody are a tad simplistic - the production and instrumentation make this track a lot more interesting that it otherwise would have been. Next up is 'Travelling Light', an extremely lovely, dreamy piece which could easily have slotted straight onto 'Chaos & Creation In The Backyard' and been a fan's favourite.

'Highway' takes us back into rock territory and we're treated to a driving bass-line, thundering pianos and wailing harmonicas and it's great stuff. 'Light From Your Lighthouse' is a catchy folk-stomper which is charming enough but soon wears a little thin after a few plays. The next song, 'Sun Is Shining' is a summery, upbeat track which soon gets you tapping your feet and nodding your head, appreciating the musicianship contained within it. After 'Sun Is Shining', we come to the best song on the album, 'Dance 'Till We're High', an uplifting piece of utter brilliance which boast bells chiming, a string section punctuating the chorus, rolling and tumbling towards the almost anti-climatic end.

'Lifelong Passion' is an Asian-tinted piece which seems to be based around one chord and, while pleasant, is not particularly special. 'Is This Love?' is a beautiful mystical piece which seems to have Indian roots. The swelling cymbals, the sweet flute and the gently persuasive tambourine all topped off by Paul's vocals floating serenely over the music make this a very enjoyable track indeed. 'Lovers In A Dream' is a decent piece of ambient dance music backed by a persistent bass drum beat which slowly builds sonic levels until it reaches a climax and then takes a minute-or-so to wind down. 'Universal Here, Everlasting Now' is another, less mellow, "club" track and, again, while decent, for those who don't particularly care for this style of music, the album may be losing a little of its appeal. It does have a very pretty piano outro, though. The final track on 'Electric Arguments' is 'Don't Stop Running', another, albeit dancy, highlight of the album.

I have to admit that I'm not entirely convinced by all of this material. It's undoubtedly great to hear new, leftfield McCartney tracks, but some of the ideas are basic shells of compositions - there are a few three chord wonders here - which are then embellished with layers of instruments and admittedly excellent production, but at least half of these songs wouldn't stand on their own merits if performed by Paul with nothing but an acoustic guitar. This is, richly creative, an entertaining listen and without a doubt, the best of the three 'Fireman' albums. While it certainly keeps us fans ticking over waiting for the next "proper" solo album, I believe this is a little short of the work of genius some fans are proclaiming it to be and it does mean that a lot of these ultra-positive reviews are likely to be raising expectations. However, if you approach this album not expecting it to be absolutely fantastic, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. I have to admit, Paul's eclectic tastes and creativity make you wonder what his next release will be - but considering his current form, you know it will probably be rather good.

More McCartney Solo than Fireman, 27 Dec 2008
OK - after Memory Almost Full, I was beginning to wonder if old Macca had finally given up being truly creative... well, I guess not!

EA is a positive outing attempt to blend rock and dance styles, and amazingly it works! On the downside Macca doesn't sound his best vocally, but having said that, in terms of pleasing fans and maintaining his legend status, I would say he'd have been better releasing this as a solo Macca album and not under the (almost obscure) Fireman banner: and then doing something more in line with what we love about the Fireman albums, i.e. melodic tunes to drift a Sunday afternoon away with!

The first two Fireman albums are genius, this one is excellent but the singing spoils it.

This is more like it., 13 Dec 2008
Following on from the mediocre 'Memory Almost Full' album, 'Electric Arguements' is a breath of fresh air and displays what Macca can achieve when he's making music for his own amusement instead of having it dumbed down for easy-listening consumption.

'Two Magpies', 'Travelling Light' and 'Dance Til We're High' are my personal favourites although most of the first eight tracks are particularly pleasing overall.

Unfortunately standards do start to slip a little following track eight but the album does pick up again towards the end.

So not the perfect album then but a highly enjoyable,inventive,melodic album nonetheless that reveals further delights with each play.

EA should appeal to McCartney/ non-McCartney fans alike.

Back to what he is doing best , 10 Dec 2008
Electric Arguments shows Paul McCartney at his eclectic best rocking out our aural senses with the fiery "Nothing too much, just out of sight" which can leave us guessing where all this pent up aggression and vitirol is coming from? whilst other tracks such as "Two Magpies" is a lovely basic song with added acoustic flavours backed up by Paul's singing which hasn't aged a bit from his day's as a Beatle and the other "Sing the changes" is very uplifting which carries on in a similar vien with "Highway".

His solo career has often been met with added scorn and amazement at times but nobody can ever say he has ever written a boring tune as there is none on here to moan about!

Looking through the booklet that accompanies the album its funny to see Paul letting himself go with a canvas and paintbrush like a kid in a candy shop making the artwork that's seen on this album which despite all the problems he faced with his now ex-wife its good to see him letting himself go to keep us happy.

Height of their powers?, 19 Oct 2008
First things first. Sgt Pepper is not a concept or themed album. 3 of the 13 songs are vaguely based on the theme of the Beatles "playing" at being an old time band (including a reprise of the title song) and some of the music is continuous between songs. The rest of the songs are unrelated so why is the album so often described as groundbreaking? Listen to it and you will find out. The band and producer George Martin produced a remarkable album that at times is unashamedly experimental.

It is probably best summed up in "A Day in the Life", where they really throw the kitchen sink at it. In the middle and at the end of the song an orchestra builds a wall of sound for what seems like forever, until a crescendo is reached. It sounds remarkable now, it must have blown minds when it was released. And all this from songwriters in their twenties, though undoubtedly greatly influenced and encouraged by Martin.

"She's Leaving Home" deserves special mention. The lyrics beautifully describe the angst felt by a teenager who feels she has been "living alone" with her parents for too long. Along with the gorgeous music this song never fails to resonate with me.

"When I'm 64" shows Paul at his most playful music wise but again the lyrics are spot on. John contributes the classic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". George demonstrates his experimental work with Indian music in "Within You Without You".

And I haven't even mentioned "With a Little Help from my Friends" and the title song, both classics in their own right.

Not every song is a classic. "Getting Better" and "Fixing a Hole" aren't up to the standard of the more famous songs though they do show how willing the band were to try new things, especially lyrically.

The best Beatles album? Quite possibly. I never tire of listening to it.


Sorry, I just don't get it, 10 Oct 2008
I really want to like it. It's ingenious and marvellous and at the time I'm sure it was groundbreaking. But though I love Abbey Road, I can't say the same for this. I was genuinely disappointed.

Beautiful, mad, silly, cheerful, philosophical, alarming, 28 Sep 2008
I don't know why I think that this is the best album by the best band that ever was. I may as well admit that the Beatles are my favourite band, but it's not like every single song here is a solid gold classic. "Revolver" has more really great songs than "Pepper", so why does "Revolver" just feel like a great album while "Pepper" feels like a great album that is also a major work of art?

It has something to do with the idea, something to do with the sequencing, something to do with the spirit of the whole thing. "Revolver", like most of the Beatles' albums, was put together as one album like any other, with everyone throwing in their best songs. "Pepper" was conceived as an experiment, with the most famous band in the world pretending to be some unknown bunch of guys dressed as a brass band. Most Beatles albums have pictures of the Beatles on the cover. So does this one, but it also has a gallery of their heroes. It's the Beatles' most ambitious album, but also their most emotionally generous one.

Consider that it puts Ringo in the top spot, singing one of the best songs on the album. Many of the songs are about trying to recover from emotional distress or damage; even George, who was usually either preachy or sulky in his songs, is here reflective and thoughtful. Lennon's snarling "Good Morning, Good Morning" is done as cantankerous comedy, not as serious disgust. McCartney's "Lovely Rita" is a love song to an authority figure; as the late Ian Macdonald pointed out, an American band would have depicted Rita as an uptight pig, but the Beatles decided that it'd be better to love her. Elsewhere, "Getting Better" is ruefully realistic ("It can't get much worse"). "She's Leaving Home" lets the parents realise what it was that they'd done wrong and in that respect is far more hopeful than the brilliant but chilling "Eleanor Rigby". Yes, "Eleanor Rigby" is a better song, but "She's Leaving Home" is better integrated into this album than "Rigby" is integrated into "Revolver".

"A Day in the Life" is the ultimate answer to people who think that this album is frothy or frivolous. Epic, melancholy and unnerving, it's the greatest single track the Beatles ever did and a fittingly ambiguous finale to a great album, perhaps the only Beatles album that is truly more than the sum of its parts. It's also, I think, the only Beatles album where if you put it on, you have to listen to the whole thing from start to finish. So who cares if it inspired art-rock? If without "Sgt Pepper" we wouldn't have had King Crimson, then that to me is just another point in its favour. The Beatles' best music is so good that you realise that valuing bands on the basis of how "authentic" or "dangerous" they are is just childish; what matters is what the music can do to you.

I have grown up on the Beatles. They were the first band I ever listened to and the first band I ever liked, even though they had split up before I was born. They never grow stale. More rubbish has been talked about them than any other popular culture figures except Dylan. Clear your mind of the rubbish and give this mysteriously inspiring album a listen.

The BIG one...., 28 Sep 2008
Of all the Beatles albums this one excites the most debate. It was probably the most eagerly awaited album ever - up that time. During 1966 the Beatles had gone from being on every TV show, concert tour, poster and News bulletin to being secretive, and reclusive and making no personal appearances - and everyone wanted to know what they were up to.
Then they issued the double A sided single, Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever and we got a taster of what this album was going to be like. Originally intended to be part of this ensemble, these two songs were pushed out as a single to revive what Brian Epstein feared was waning interest in his "boys" whilst they completed the album. Breaking the mould they released a "promotional film" to go with the single - arguably the first pop video. This film was a pretty feeble affair though as I recall, with the Beatles riding horses up and down Penny Lane in Liverpool trying to look mystical, limbering up for the Magical Mystery Tour, no doubt, and not even miming the songs, which was unheard of in 1967!
So, what do we have here on this Sgt Pepper album? Song-wise we have the rocking title track which segues into "With a Little Help from My Friends" engagingly sung here by Ringo Starr (the song memorably turned into a massively overlong soul dirge by Joe Cocker who - inexplicably to me at least - had a huge number one hit with it).
Then, it's on to "Lucy In the Sky (With Diamonds)" - a wistful ballad with a chorus that has a driving percussion under it. In my humble opinion, the track actually sounds a lot better if you play it in Mono.
Onwards into "Getting Better" - a bouncy and optimistic tune with wonderful bass line sequences (play it at double speed, if you can, to hear how McCartney is actually playing little sub-tunes and counterpoint melodies, or just adjust your graphics equalizer to accentuate the bass).
Then it's "Fixing a Hole" - lots of earnest debate at the time about whether this was a 'drug song' (gasp, horror!): Truly, it doesn't matter because it's a nice enough song. The song repays listening closely to the various layers of the backing track, some very craftsman like playing by all concerned. The short lead guitar solo (I guess by George) in the middle is neat too. On the record - though much less so on the CD - you could hear the start of an intriguing vocal improvisation by McCartney near the very end of the fade out - I'd love to have heard a bit more of that, but it's not here.
"She's Leaving Home" was never my favourite track on this album - I always thought that Harry Nilsson's version was better - he actually sounded upset and engaged with the sad subject matter of the song, whereas Paul really doesn't. It's a great lyric, which hit some real targets in child-parent relationships (then) though.
On the Vinyl disc side one ended with "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite" - a sonic romp in which every cliche fairground sound is brought into play at some stage.
Next, it's George with "Within You, Without You" - somewhat out of place in this collection I always thought, the music of the Indian sub-continent and Edwardian town band theme very much at odds. One has to say though that, considered in isolation, the track is a quite brilliant fusion of east and west (I guess the other George had a hand in that magic) veering from Indian restaurant wallpaper music, through a sitar solo and riffs that play all the pop/rock conventions of the time but sound just soooo cool. George used to say to Kenny Everett, whenever Ken asked him about the meaning of life - "It's all around you, Ken". Likewise, let the song wash over you - and I defy you not to feel better for it.
Again, switch to Mono for "When I'm 64" - Paul sings on one speaker and the backing plays on the other. What was George Martin thinking of? Anyway (In mono please) we have a song that rewinds all the way back via George Formby to the music hall stars of the Edwardian era. One could just imagine them doing the soft shoe shuffle whilst singing the song in a costamonger's cockney accent "A-weel-ya-stilla-needme-awillya-stilla-feedme". Paul of course sings it with strong traces of Liverpool, and it sounds great (in mono!).
Now we come to "Lovely Rita" a song about a man's fancy for a lady traffic warden. We have to remember that Traffic Wardens had only appeared on the scene in London a year or so before the song was written, and the name 'Meter Maid' was a very current one then. As has been observed many times before, the lyrics to the song veer engagingly between the highly formal ('May I enquire discreetly') to the cheeky and colloquial ('Give us a wink and make me think of you'). Love the piano solo too - that could have gone on a lot longer and I would not have objected.
'Good Morning, Good Morning' is next. Wonderfully crafted lyrics 'Somebody needs to know the time, glad that I'm here' or ' Go to a show, you hope she goes' and some classy saxophone on the backing track (Ronnie Scott was it on the session?) and the track ends with an audio dissolve into a cacophony of farmyard animal noises (for some reason that is not clear to me even now!).
A quick whip through a much rockier rendition of the album's title track and then we arrive at the final track "A Day in the Life", a track that always felt to me as if a couple of not quite finished songs had been incredible skillfully stitched together by George Martin using some wonderful bridge pieces played by a full orchestra. A tour de force of technique, but I can't agree with people who say it is a Beatles masterpiece. For me the most impressive part of the track is that (pure Martin I think) orchestral climax at the end, and then that huge orchestral boom which oh-so-gradually fades away. Near the end of the movie Star Wars there is that famous scene where the Death Star explodes, and if you play the ending of this track over that scene I think you will have to agree with the way I always thought of that ending, as 'music to accompany the end of the world'. Spine tingling stuff, and oh-so-much better from CD than it ever was from Vinyl.
On the Vinyl album's run out groove (the groove right at the very centre of the record next to the label) there was a fragment of sound with the Beatles singing (something like) "I never could be any other" over and over again. Some wag discovered that, if you played this backwards, it sounded something like "We're hodi-Macki Supermen" - and there were debates about what these messages meant - with many dark hidden meanings suggested. This oddity is hard to reproduce on a CD of course, so it's not here. What's the betting that vinyl copies of the album will retain their price for years to come on the basis they are the only place to get that little snippet of 'Beatles' sound from! It's a mad world my masters.
Should you buy the album? Yes, even if you sell it again afterwards. Everyone should hear it at least once. Is it a masterpiece? If it had been done by anyone else, yes, but I believe Revolver was the Beatles best album so I can't say yes to that one. But buy Pepper anyway - what do I know? ;-)


overrated novelty album, 16 Sep 2008
when i was a boy,hitting my teens in the sixties,you were as the cliche goes.beatles or stones,and i was very much with the latter. from the beginning the beatles always had novelty songs,and maybe george martin is to blame,(he did produce the goons after all)i mean ;til there was you, taste of honey,michelle,penny lane.....etc,etc.even their best lp is spoilt by yellow submarine.but by the time they got to this one,well you could blame macartney or martin or maybe they just took the wrong acid.but it is,apart from one song(you can guess which one) one massive overrated novelty album.the stones got slaughtered for satanic majesties,but not this pile of old tutt.afterwards they came out with classics like ob la di and octopus garden.so for me the beatles were great when they were rockin in the early days,i saw her standing there,twist and shout and that sort of stuff,also the powerpop of ticket to ride,hard days night and that sort of stuff.but in my life they dont come close to the stones or plenty of other groups to many to mention.if its an lp from 67 you want,buy velvet underground with nico.end of story.

Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new--if not exactly fresh--product, the Fab Four Minus One released this single disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to long-time Fabs faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of "No. 1 hit" and the exclusion of seeming contenders like "Please Please Me" and "Strawberry Fields"), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s and beyond. But more than merely a trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find people to argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), 1 is also a quick sketch of a remarkable seven-year musical evolution, one that stretches from the neo-skiffle of "Love Me Do" through a remarkable synthesis of R&B, rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country and classical that still defies efforts to effectively deconstruct it. --Jerry McCulley

All White? Not really, no!!!, 27 Nov 2008
This album is rubbish!! It's a shame I have to give it even one star.

There's not one reference to snow, paper, colombian marching powder or anything else white including Xmas!!!

Nope, it's all over the show, no structure to the album at all, songs all jumbled up. I think The Beatles must have still been on drugs when they put this album together. Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da????? Oh Bloody Hell more like.

Brian Epstein died just before this album was released, and personally, I think he had some insider knowledge as to how this album sounded. This album also coincides with Oh-no making an appearance. Something which must have put them all off their stride, judging by the sounds of it!!

They even had to rope in Eric Clapton to try and make it sound better, but that failed miserably.

Nope, this is a rubbish album by a rubbish band. The Monkees were the original boy band, were far better and produced better songs too.

Great as in GREAT-LES, 23 Nov 2008
It was 40 years ago to this very day when a double album was put out that critics... well, delved into. Opinions were different, meaning: quite often conflicting, and stars may well not have come close to the fivish the Fab4 are being awarded on this site today.

But look back and taste the sheer genius of four artists in their own right who went on to embark on world famous careers every single one of them. Today, Martha My Dear was on the radio, but other tracks ring bells of themselves. Think of Happiness is a Warm Gun and while away thinking of what happened on that fateful December 8th, 1980.
And think of another warm-hearted soul like George, who, perhaps for the very first time, really and definitely got out into the light from under Paul & John's combined creative wings.

Or of that same person, whose *rash* words to the effect that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus have just been forgiven by the Vatican, again today.

Rest assured that the White Album has lost none of its appeal even if The Beatles hardly sound like a band any longer and that the Fab Foursome were not in the Abbey Road studios when a considerable number of tracks were registered. But what the heck, I should say.

I first got into the Fabs in 1962. I still am fond of the wonderful music they made and welcome every footnote (whether in music or text) that shines a new light on these terrific musicians.

And as for Jesus: let there be no doubt about it that, if He likes music (which I for one I'm sure He is), He simply enjoys The Beatles as much as He does Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov or any other top notch composer there has ever been.

Their Tortured Masterpiece, 22 Sep 2008
It had been a tough year and a bit for The Beatles. Their manager Brian Epstein had committed suicide, their Magical Mystery Tour had seen them mauled by critics for the first time, and their attempts to practise transcendental meditation in India with the Maharishi had ended in disaster. It was during that ill-fated trip that most of these songs were written.

Inside the band itself, the situation was also far from hunky dory. Lennon would soon lose interest in the band, spending more and more time with his new partner Yoko Ono instead. Harrison was increasingly sick of being overlooked by John and Paul, who still only permitted him a few songs per album (he has four out of thirty here). Sensing this unease in the band, McCartney increasingly took charge of the group, a fatherly attitude which further annoyed the others. Meanwhile Ringo gets sole writing credit for `Don't Pass Me By', not one of the album's best but certainly pleasant enough.

It was with these tensions that The Beatles made The White Album, a self-titled song collection that derives its popular nickname from a stark white cover. Most of the songs here are pretty much solo compositions, as the band's two main songwriters had both begun to jealously guard their own work, allowing only minimal input from the other. Ironically, this is the album where George Harrison finally became their equal, writing a couple of the very best songs here.

Beginning with the sound of a plane taking off, Back In The USSR is a Beach Boys homage with a thumping piano beat and lyrics that were fairly controversial during the middle of the Cold War. This fades hauntingly into the acoustic Dear Prudence, written to encourage Mia Farrow's sister out of hut-bound seclusion during the India trip. Glass Onion mockingly references other Beatles songs, providing more fodder for those fans desperate to read hidden meanings into their work. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a bouncy tale of inter-racial marriage with a happy ending. Wild Honey Pie is a 50-second oddity that reinforces the strange new direction The Beatles had taken. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill sounds more like a twisted nursery rhyme than a rock song, a trait common to much of The White Album.

Next is While My Guitar Gently Weeps, possibly the album's best song. Written by Harrison and featuring guitar from his friend Eric Clapton, it tells of spiritual pain and disillusionment. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the album's most oddly structured songs, featuring several disorientating changes of tone one after another. Martha My Dear is a nice piano ditty that may or may not be inspired by McCartney's dog, depending on who you believe. I'm So Tired is another pained Lennon contribution (he was clearly not having a fun time in 1968). Blackbird is a Bach-inspired piece, once again acoustic because this was the only instrument available to the band in India, and comprising some tasteful samples of the eponymous bird's song.

Piggies is perhaps the bitterest song present, comparing Capitalism to pigs eating bacon, unfortunately a key inspiration for the Manson cult's murder spree. Rocky Raccoon is a slightly unhinged story of a spurned lover setting out (and failing) to kill his rival for the woman in question's affections, featuring some honky-tonk piano. Don't Pass Me By is a bluesy country song written by Starr, the writing of which predated recording by at least four years. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? originated from Paul seeing two monkeys doing just that, and I Will is another McCartney effort, written for future spouse Linda Eastman. The first disc of the CD version (and second side of the original vinyl) ends with Julia, written for Lennon's dead mother and the only Beatles song on which he is the sole performer. This is one of the album's most beautiful compositions, imbued with a real sense of sadness and longing.

Disc Two opens with Birthday, on which McCartney sounds near-psychotic with celebration. Yer Blues expresses suicidal intent, the sort of soul-purging that would become increasingly common during Lennon's solo career. After this, the subdued Mother Nature's Son is a relief to hear - an early version of what would become Jealous Guy was dropped from the album because of perceived similarities to this McCartney tune. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey supposedly concerns Lennon and Ono, though alternative suggestions have been made such as drugs (it was around this time that Lennon acquired a taste for heroin). Sexy Sadie was originally called Maharishi, but George convinced John to alter the lyrics, though the sentiments remain the same. Helter Skelter is The Beatles' loudest and craziest song, the point where this album sounds most disturbed. Long, Long, Long is an extremely subtle Harrison piece, easy to overlook amidst more attention-grabbing Lennon and McCartney songs, but actually incredibly beautiful.

Revolution 1 was Lennon's response to a hippy movement that had grown increasingly violent, saying that he wants change but won't become brutalised to get it. Honey Pie is another of McCartney's music-hall-style recordings, which a lot of people sniff at but I think are actually quite good (this one especially). Savoy Truffle is probably Harrison's weakest contribution here, name-checking the contents of a chocolate box. Cry Baby Cry was inspired by fairy tales, ending with a brief McCartney segment that pleas `Can you take me back?', as though begging to return to a pre-Beatles childhood. The album's penultimate track is its most controversial, Lennon's chaotic sound collage called Revolution 9: personally I think it's interesting and genuinely haunting, though not one of the album's very best. Finally comes Good Night, a soaring ballad that Lennon wanted to sound deliberately cheesy.

And so that's it. The White Album is The Beatles' most endlessly fascinating album, simply because it features such a wide range of styles and moods. Overall the tone is dark and depressed, a result of the isolation and slight sadness felt by the band that had by now surpassed all its contemporaries. As though longing to regress to youth, many of the songs have a distinctly childhood feel, though it's not the happy one of Sgt Pepper a year earlier. My favourite tracks are `Dear Prudence', `Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', `While My Guitar Gently Weeps', `Blackbird', `Rocky Raccoon', `Julia', `Mother Nature's Son', `Sexy Sadie', `Helter Skelter', `Long, Long, Long' and `Revolution 1'.

First steps to break-up, 03 Sep 2008
Of all the major albums produced by the Beatles, this is the least coherent. The need to produce output for the purposes of the EMI contract led to some distinctly low quality rushed material from all the participants - in many ways a precursor to the substandard offerings to come later under their individual names. No longer greater than the sum of their parts, this is just four individuals showing their limitations. George Martin thought that it could have made one high quality album if the extensive dross (especially from heroin and Ono fixated Lennon) had been dispensed with, and he was right. This was probably the only occasion when the Beatles short changed their fans for selfish purposes. An example of the Beatles in decline, to be matched only by the Spectorised Let It Be.

NO filler, 03 Sep 2008
Really great tunes here! For a contemporary comparison I recommend Nick Worrall. His album is FREE to download as well.

Psychedelic rebirth , 05 Jan 2009
Never been one for recognising the importance of Paul McCartney. Have been a fan of 'The Beatles' and acknowledge that Paul or 'sir Paul' is a great and worthy song writer, but as an artist his work has been uneven, commercial and as people have already said somewhat mediocre, this is fine if you choose your music on minimums. It seems that many artists have great creative periods and then rot can set in and they can produce crowd pleasing drivel, or albums for contractual obligation, wearing their hearts on their sleeve about the sacrifice they have made to be rich, popular and famous. Paul McCartney is still a superb live performer.
This album however is something that would certainly slip under the radar for a lot of people and the people I have played this too are now looking at 'Sir Paul' in another light altogether. Martin Glover or 'Youth' is a bit of a legendary Psy Trance producer and recording artist. He was originally in 'The Killing Joke'. Great things have been achieved by both Jaz Colman and Youth and the Jaz Colman and Anne Dudley collaboration 'Songs from the Victorious City' seems to share some of this collaboration as a concept. The Fireman was a sort of ambient electronic project Paul McCartney and Youth did. I do not know the history of this but when the first album was released it had a limited release and was a bit mysterious. The album 'Electric Arguments' should be bought by all lovers of Psychedelic music and those who enjoy the sort of music that falls between rock and electronic, such as `Death in Vegas', `Evil Heat' style `Primal Scream' or even `Mercury Rev' or `The Flaming Lips'. It is a kind of come back album in a similar way to 'Aerial' by 'Kate Bush'.
The sophistication of this album and it's production values do not seem to fully reveal themselves when you first hear it. You get the feeling it is rough, unfinished and a bit of a mish-mash of different styles. The first track is a raw heavy blues number, the next track is a loose whimsical number about magpies, blackbird, magpies, maybe a song about a raven or crow next? The album goes on like this, the lyrics are simple, some songs just seem to be about love, other songs seem to be about support, there are references to real objects. The more you listen the deeper it gets, you start noticing subtleties in the production, you get the impression that after a messy divorce with Heather Mills Paul has gone into the studio maybe got a little high with Youth and started making the kind of album that he needed to make as a form of catharsis. It really works. I have been playing this a lot, on my MP3 player, really loud on a club PA. It sounds better louder but also works in so many different contexts. It has the right balance of tunes to feel like a real album and goes off in so many different directions. Track 8 'Dance 'Till W'ere High' is my highpoint, it would make a great song released at Christmas it has bells ringing and lush orchestral arrangements. After this point the album seems to go more into psychedelic realms, there are parts and sounds that remind me of psychedelic 'Beatles' and certainly the end is very music a kind of electronic 'Tomorrow Never Knows' if McCartney had written the music. This is closest to psy chill electronic music that Martin Glover has been well known for. Some of it reminds me of 'The New Radicals' hit, other parts remind me of 'The Arcade Fire'. There are bits that sound like `Tom Waits' or even `Nick Cave. This is what is strange about it. It makes me want to go and investigate Paul McCartney's back catalogue and makes me wonder if he will hit this high (and I mean high man...) again as this is the psychedelic work that we deserve. He has access to all he wants to make the kind of album as much for himself as something to listen to and I think that this is it. He has gone into the studio and done what he does best expressing himself through his music. The cover represents his new flare for abstract art, which is more childlike and playful like some of the motifs on this album, but childlike like a regressive individual who is past living for appearances. I love this record and would rate it as one of the best and understated releases of 2008. It is infectious.


Hear Paul Sing The Changes, 28 Dec 2008
With 'Electric Arguments', The Fireman (a.k.a. Paul McCartney and ex-Killing Joke bassist Youth) have produced something in between a Paul McCartney solo album and an experimental release similar to the last two predominantly instrumental albums under the Fireman guise. After last year's well-received, fairly commercial 'Memory Almost Full', this is a nice change of pace from the mainstream, with Paul using this pseudonym to remind us of his avant-garde, ultra-creative side. Of course, if Paul was feeling particularly brave, he could have released this under his real name instead of The Fireman - but, thinking realistically, he probably wouldn't have got away with it, even though many of these compositions are more than good enough for a Paul McCartney solo album.

The album opens with the dirty 'Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight', featuring Macca's raw, throaty vocals over a persistent bluesy riff. The slightly twee 'Two Magpies' follows, featuring Paul's falsetto over a charming acoustic guitar pattern. The third track 'Sing The Changes' is the first glimpse of something approaching special on this release, even though the chords and melody are a tad simplistic - the production and instrumentation make this track a lot more interesting that it otherwise would have been. Next up is 'Travelling Light', an extremely lovely, dreamy piece which could easily have slotted straight onto 'Chaos & Creation In The Backyard' and been a fan's favourite.

'Highway' takes us back into rock territory and we're treated to a driving bass-line, thundering pianos and wailing harmonicas and it's great stuff. 'Light From Your Lighthouse' is a catchy folk-stomper which is charming enough but soon wears a little thin after a few plays. The next song, 'Sun Is Shining' is a summery, upbeat track which soon gets you tapping your feet and nodding your head, appreciating the musicianship contained within it. After 'Sun Is Shining', we come to the best song on the album, 'Dance 'Till We're High', an uplifting piece of utter brilliance which boast bells chiming, a string section punctuating the chorus, rolling and tumbling towards the almost anti-climatic end.

'Lifelong Passion' is an Asian-tinted piece which seems to be based around one chord and, while pleasant, is not particularly special. 'Is This Love?' is a beautiful mystical piece which seems to have Indian roots. The swelling cymbals, the sweet flute and the gently persuasive tambourine all topped off by Paul's vocals floating serenely over the music make this a very enjoyable track indeed. 'Lovers In A Dream' is a decent piece of ambient dance music backed by a persistent bass drum beat which slowly builds sonic levels until it reaches a climax and then takes a minute-or-so to wind down. 'Universal Here, Everlasting Now' is another, less mellow, "club" track and, again, while decent, for those who don't particularly care for this style of music, the album may be losing a little of its appeal. It does have a very pretty piano outro, though. The final track on 'Electric Arguments' is 'Don't Stop Running', another, albeit dancy, highlight of the album.

I have to admit that I'm not entirely convinced by all of this material. It's undoubtedly great to hear new, leftfield McCartney tracks, but some of the ideas are basic shells of compositions - there are a few three chord wonders here - which are then embellished with layers of instruments and admittedly excellent production, but at least half of these songs wouldn't stand on their own merits if performed by Paul with nothing but an acoustic guitar. This is, richly creative, an entertaining listen and without a doubt, the best of the three 'Fireman' albums. While it certainly keeps us fans ticking over waiting for the next "proper" solo album, I believe this is a little short of the work of genius some fans are proclaiming it to be and it does mean that a lot of these ultra-positive reviews are likely to be raising expectations. However, if you approach this album not expecting it to be absolutely fantastic, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. I have to admit, Paul's eclectic tastes and creativity make you wonder what his next release will be - but considering his current form, you know it will probably be rather good.

More McCartney Solo than Fireman, 27 Dec 2008
OK - after Memory Almost Full, I was beginning to wonder if old Macca had finally given up being truly creative... well, I guess not!

EA is a positive outing attempt to blend rock and dance styles, and amazingly it works! On the downside Macca doesn't sound his best vocally, but having said that, in terms of pleasing fans and maintaining his legend status, I would say he'd have been better releasing this as a solo Macca album and not under the (almost obscure) Fireman banner: and then doing something more in line with what we love about the Fireman albums, i.e. melodic tunes to drift a Sunday afternoon away with!

The first two Fireman albums are genius, this one is excellent but the singing spoils it.

This is more like it., 13 Dec 2008
Following on from the mediocre 'Memory Almost Full' album, 'Electric Arguements' is a breath of fresh air and displays what Macca can achieve when he's making music for his own amusement instead of having it dumbed down for easy-listening consumption.

'Two Magpies', 'Travelling Light' and 'Dance Til We're High' are my personal favourites although most of the first eight tracks are particularly pleasing overall.

Unfortunately standards do start to slip a little following track eight but the album does pick up again towards the end.

So not the perfect album then but a highly enjoyable,inventive,melodic album nonetheless that reveals further delights with each play.

EA should appeal to McCartney/ non-McCartney fans alike.

Back to what he is doing best , 10 Dec 2008
Electric Arguments shows Paul McCartney at his eclectic best rocking out our aural senses with the fiery "Nothing too much, just out of sight" which can leave us guessing where all this pent up aggression and vitirol is coming from? whilst other tracks such as "Two Magpies" is a lovely basic song with added acoustic flavours backed up by Paul's singing which hasn't aged a bit from his day's as a Beatle and the other "Sing the changes" is very uplifting which carries on in a similar vien with "Highway".

His solo career has often been met with added scorn and amazement at times but nobody can ever say he has ever written a boring tune as there is none on here to moan about!

Looking through the booklet that accompanies the album its funny to see Paul letting himself go with a canvas and paintbrush like a kid in a candy shop making the artwork that's seen on this album which despite all the problems he faced with his now ex-wife its good to see him letting himself go to keep us happy.

Height of their powers?, 19 Oct 2008
First things first. Sgt Pepper is not a concept or themed album. 3 of the 13 songs are vaguely based on the theme of the Beatles "playing" at being an old time band (including a reprise of the title song) and some of the music is continuous between songs. The rest of the songs are unrelated so why is the album so often described as groundbreaking? Listen to it and you will find out. The band and producer George Martin produced a remarkable album that at times is unashamedly experimental.

It is probably best summed up in "A Day in the Life", where they really throw the kitchen sink at it. In the middle and at the end of the song an orchestra builds a wall of sound for what seems like forever, until a crescendo is reached. It sounds remarkable now, it must have blown minds when it was released. And all this from songwriters in their twenties, though undoubtedly greatly influenced and encouraged by Martin.

"She's Leaving Home" deserves special mention. The lyrics beautifully describe the angst felt by a teenager who feels she has been "living alone" with her parents for too long. Along with the gorgeous music this song never fails to resonate with me.

"When I'm 64" shows Paul at his most playful music wise but again the lyrics are spot on. John contributes the classic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". George demonstrates his experimental work with Indian music in "Within You Without You".

And I haven't even mentioned "With a Little Help from my Friends" and the title song, both classics in their own right.

Not every song is a classic. "Getting Better" and "Fixing a Hole" aren't up to the standard of the more famous songs though they do show how willing the band were to try new things, especially lyrically.

The best Beatles album? Quite possibly. I never tire of listening to it.


Sorry, I just don't get it, 10 Oct 2008
I really want to like it. It's ingenious and marvellous and at the time I'm sure it was groundbreaking. But though I love Abbey Road, I can't say the same for this. I was genuinely disappointed.

Beautiful, mad, silly, cheerful, philosophical, alarming, 28 Sep 2008
I don't know why I think that this is the best album by the best band that ever was. I may as well admit that the Beatles are my favourite band, but it's not like every single song here is a solid gold classic. "Revolver" has more really great songs than "Pepper", so why does "Revolver" just feel like a great album while "Pepper" feels like a great album that is also a major work of art?

It has something to do with the idea, something to do with the sequencing, something to do with the spirit of the whole thing. "Revolver", like most of the Beatles' albums, was put together as one album like any other, with everyone throwing in their best songs. "Pepper" was conceived as an experiment, with the most famous band in the world pretending to be some unknown bunch of guys dressed as a brass band. Most Beatles albums have pictures of the Beatles on the cover. So does this one, but it also has a gallery of their heroes. It's the Beatles' most ambitious album, but also their most emotionally generous one.

Consider that it puts Ringo in the top spot, singing one of the best songs on the album. Many of the songs are about trying to recover from emotional distress or damage; even George, who was usually either preachy or sulky in his songs, is here reflective and thoughtful. Lennon's snarling "Good Morning, Good Morning" is done as cantankerous comedy, not as serious disgust. McCartney's "Lovely Rita" is a love song to an authority figure; as the late Ian Macdonald pointed out, an American band would have depicted Rita as an uptight pig, but the Beatles decided that it'd be better to love her. Elsewhere, "Getting Better" is ruefully realistic ("It can't get much worse"). "She's Leaving Home" lets the parents realise what it was that they'd done wrong and in that respect is far more hopeful than the brilliant but chilling "Eleanor Rigby". Yes, "Eleanor Rigby" is a better song, but "She's Leaving Home" is better integrated into this album than "Rigby" is integrated into "Revolver".

"A Day in the Life" is the ultimate answer to people who think that this album is frothy or frivolous. Epic, melancholy and unnerving, it's the greatest single track the Beatles ever did and a fittingly ambiguous finale to a great album, perhaps the only Beatles album that is truly more than the sum of its parts. It's also, I think, the only Beatles album where if you put it on, you have to listen to the whole thing from start to finish. So who cares if it inspired art-rock? If without "Sgt Pepper" we wouldn't have had King Crimson, then that to me is just another point in its favour. The Beatles' best music is so good that you realise that valuing bands on the basis of how "authentic" or "dangerous" they are is just childish; what matters is what the music can do to you.

I have grown up on the Beatles. They were the first band I ever listened to and the first band I ever liked, even though they had split up before I was born. They never grow stale. More rubbish has been talked about them than any other popular culture figures except Dylan. Clear your mind of the rubbish and give this mysteriously inspiring album a listen.

The BIG one...., 28 Sep 2008
Of all the Beatles albums this one excites the most debate. It was probably the most eagerly awaited album ever - up that time. During 1966 the Beatles had gone from being on every TV show, concert tour, poster and News bulletin to being secretive, and reclusive and making no personal appearances - and everyone wanted to know what they were up to.
Then they issued the double A sided single, Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever and we got a taster of what this album was going to be like. Originally intended to be part of this ensemble, these two songs were pushed out as a single to revive what Brian Epstein feared was waning interest in his "boys" whilst they completed the album. Breaking the mould they released a "promotional film" to go with the single - arguably the first pop video. This film was a pretty feeble affair though as I recall, with the Beatles riding horses up and down Penny Lane in Liverpool trying to look mystical, limbering up for the Magical Mystery Tour, no doubt, and not even miming the songs, which was unheard of in 1967!
So, what do we have here on this Sgt Pepper album? Song-wise we have the rocking title track which segues into "With a Little Help from My Friends" engagingly sung here by Ringo Starr (the song memorably turned into a massively overlong soul dirge by Joe Cocker who - inexplicably to me at least - had a huge number one hit with it).
Then, it's on to "Lucy In the Sky (With Diamonds)" - a wistful ballad with a chorus that has a driving percussion under it. In my humble opinion, the track actually sounds a lot better if you play it in Mono.
Onwards into "Getting Better" - a bouncy and optimistic tune with wonderful bass line sequences (play it at double speed, if you can, to hear how McCartney is actually playing little sub-tunes and counterpoint melodies, or just adjust your graphics equalizer to accentuate the bass).
Then it's "Fixing a Hole" - lots of earnest debate at the time about whether this was a 'drug song' (gasp, horror!): Truly, it doesn't matter because it's a nice enough song. The song repays listening closely to the various layers of the backing track, some very craftsman like playing by all concerned. The short lead guitar solo (I guess by George) in the middle is neat too. On the record - though much less so on the CD - you could hear the start of an intriguing vocal improvisation by McCartney near the very end of the fade out - I'd love to have heard a bit more of that, but it's not here.
"She's Leaving Home" was never my favourite track on this album - I always thought that Harry Nilsson's version was better - he actually sounded upset and engaged with the sad subject matter of the song, whereas Paul really doesn't. It's a great lyric, which hit some real targets in child-parent relationships (then) though.
On the Vinyl disc side one ended with "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite" - a sonic romp in which every cliche fairground sound is brought into play at some stage.
Next, it's George with "Within You, Without You" - somewhat out of place in this collection I always thought, the music of the Indian sub-continent and Edwardian town band theme very much at odds. One has to say though that, considered in isolation, the track is a quite brilliant fusion of east and west (I guess the other George had a hand in that magic) veering from Indian restaurant wallpaper music, through a sitar solo and riffs that play all the pop/rock conventions of the time but sound just soooo cool. George used to say to Kenny Everett, whenever Ken asked him about the meaning of life - "It's all around you, Ken". Likewise, let the song wash over you - and I defy you not to feel better for it.
Again, switch to Mono for "When I'm 64" - Paul sings on one speaker and the backing plays on the other. What was George Martin thinking of? Anyway (In mono please) we have a song that rewinds all the way back via George Formby to the music hall stars of the Edwardian era. One could just imagine them doing the soft shoe shuffle whilst singing the song in a costamonger's cockney accent "A-weel-ya-stilla-needme-awillya-stilla-feedme". Paul of course sings it with strong traces of Liverpool, and it sounds great (in mono!).
Now we come to "Lovely Rita" a song about a man's fancy for a lady traffic warden. We have to remember that Traffic Wardens had only appeared on the scene in London a year or so before the song was written, and the name 'Meter Maid' was a very current one then. As has been observed many times before, the lyrics to the song veer engagingly between the highly formal ('May I enquire discreetly') to the cheeky and colloquial ('Give us a wink and make me think of you'). Love the piano solo too - that could have gone on a lot longer and I would not have objected.
'Good Morning, Good Morning' is next. Wonderfully crafted lyrics 'Somebody needs to know the time, glad that I'm here' or ' Go to a show, you hope she goes' and some classy saxophone on the backing track (Ronnie Scott was it on the session?) and the track ends with an audio dissolve into a cacophony of farmyard animal noises (for some reason that is not clear to me even now!).
A quick whip through a much rockier rendition of the album's title track and then we arrive at the final track "A Day in the Life", a track that always felt to me as if a couple of not quite finished songs had been incredible skillfully stitched together by George Martin using some wonderful bridge pieces played by a full orchestra. A tour de force of technique, but I can't agree with people who say it is a Beatles masterpiece. For me the most impressive part of the track is that (pure Martin I think) orchestral climax at the end, and then that huge orchestral boom which oh-so-gradually fades away. Near the end of the movie Star Wars there is that famous scene where the Death Star explodes, and if you play the ending of this track over that scene I think you will have to agree with the way I always thought of that ending, as 'music to accompany the end of the world'. Spine tingling stuff, and oh-so-much better from CD than it ever was from Vinyl.
On the Vinyl album's run out groove (the groove right at the very centre of the record next to the label) there was a fragment of sound with the Beatles singing (something like) "I never could be any other" over and over again. Some wag discovered that, if you played this backwards, it sounded something like "We're hodi-Macki Supermen" - and there were debates about what these messages meant - with many dark hidden meanings suggested. This oddity is hard to reproduce on a CD of course, so it's not here. What's the betting that vinyl copies of the album will retain their price for years to come on the basis they are the only place to get that little snippet of 'Beatles' sound from! It's a mad world my masters.
Should you buy the album? Yes, even if you sell it again afterwards. Everyone should hear it at least once. Is it a masterpiece? If it had been done by anyone else, yes, but I believe Revolver was the Beatles best album so I can't say yes to that one. But buy Pepper anyway - what do I know? ;-)


overrated novelty album, 16 Sep 2008
when i was a boy,hitting my teens in the sixties,you were as the cliche goes.beatles or stones,and i was very much with the latter. from the beginning the beatles always had novelty songs,and maybe george martin is to blame,(he did produce the goons after all)i mean ;til there was you, taste of honey,michelle,penny lane.....etc,etc.even their best lp is spoilt by yellow submarine.but by the time they got to this one,well you could blame macartney or martin or maybe they just took the wrong acid.but it is,apart from one song(you can guess which one) one massive overrated novelty album.the stones got slaughtered for satanic majesties,but not this pile of old tutt.afterwards they came out with classics like ob la di and octopus garden.so for me the beatles were great when they were rockin in the early days,i saw her standing there,twist and shout and that sort of stuff,also the powerpop of ticket to ride,hard days night and that sort of stuff.but in my life they dont come close to the stones or plenty of other groups to many to mention.if its an lp from 67 you want,buy velvet underground with nico.end of story.

A great CD that takes you on a journey, 02 Jan 2009
What I like about this CD is that these are not the Beatles "greatest hits" we are talking about. There are a few in there however most of the hits take you on a journey of the Beatles' life as a band. Here's a little information about the beatles:
The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England: John Lennon(rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Former members included Pete Best (drums, vocals) and Stuart Sutcliffe (bass, vocals). Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and skiffle, the group worked with different musical genres, ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, style and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. After the band broke up in 1970, all four members embarked upon solo careers.

The Beatles are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music, selling over one billion records internationally. In the United Kingdom, The