A question

[ericcoleman]

Every so often I hear someone refer to Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as a concept album ...

Can anyone tell me what that concept is? It sure sounds like a lot of unconnected songs, one of which is reprised at the end, to me.

Comments

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I don't think it is a concept album. Sgt. Pepper was McCartney's reaction to the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds: Pushing the technological envelope. Please keep in mind that the audio killer app at the time was stereo. In this sense, it was less of an "album" in the sense of a collection than it was a "record" in the sense that it was going to be released as a whole. The songs only vaguely relate to the concept of the band Sgt. Pepper, though the movie Yellow Submarine demonstrates that they had that in mind.

It's too early close to noon to look it up, but the track order as released was not their first choice, apparently. With the CD release (many years ago), people were saying how easy it was to program the CD to play in the original order. I have never done so.

[ericcoleman]

I don't think it is a concept album.

I don't either ... I was just wondering if anyone else did

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

Afaik "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were originally supposed to be on there. It's weird to think about since it doesn't seem like there's really any room for improvement on Sgt. Pepper, but if those two songs were somehow fit on there, it would be all the more awesome.

[ericcoleman]

They were on the list of songs for the record, but vinyl has limitations, and so they ended up on a double A-side single instead. They would certainly fit soundwise, but there still isn't a concept there.

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I know :) I have entirely too much Beatles trivia stored up there.