The soundtrack to a TV film initially slammed as indulgent, Magical Mystery Tour was issued in the UK as a deluxe double-EP set complete with psychedelic booklet. EPs have long been popular merchandise with a distinct demographic in Britain, but the few tries Capitol had made with the format failed completely. Americans liked 45s, and happily bought full-length albums with all the hits, especially with the quality of Beatles music. So this time, Capitol took all six tracks from the British set and added five extraneous singles sides from the year, making for a very cohesive album. The title track, like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane”, had been started during the Sgt. Pepper sessions, so all the disparate songs from a very productive year fit well into the fuzzy, trippy mix. One thing that pervades this album is fun. With the possible exception of “Strawberry Fields” and George’s “Blue Jay Way”, all the tracks deliver a sense of warped playfulness, for possibly the last time in their career. (Considering it was all for a project Paul alone seemed excited about, that says something for their camaraderie.) John delivers some of his more creative work, with “I Am The Walrus”, “Baby You’re A Rich Man”, “All You Need Is Love”, and the masterful “Strawberry Fields”—all compact classics—while Paul indulges his silly side, with “Hello Goodbye”, “The Fool On The Hill”, “Your Mother Should Know”, and “Penny Lane”. Even the simple instrumental “Flying” fits with the rest of the program.
For once it could not be argued that Capitol was onto something. The expanded LP was a concept that worked so well it was eventually released officially in the UK after years of import sales, and even issued in other countries preferring the LP format. It was also included in the late-‘80s CD rollout, and remains in the official Apple-approved catalog today. If you enjoy Sgt. Pepper, you need Magical Mystery Tour; together they give you everything else the boys did in 1967. And chances are, it will enjoy more spins in your CD player than its big brother. (As for the film itself, let’s just say it’s got its moments.)
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967)—5
Hey Ward,
ReplyDeleteYour doing a great job with the blog....I'm enjoying all the reviews.
john
Thanks pal! Keep reading!
ReplyDeletethis is the great peak of psychedelic albums, it's the tops. from overtures to character songs to instrumentals to all you need is love, the top LP of 1967
ReplyDeleteI don’t quite get why you give “..Pepper’s” a 4 and this a 5. Except for a couple of odd anomalies recorded at the beginning of the “MMT” sessions, everything that they recorded in 1967 is of a piece. After all, the sessions for “MMT” started only two weeks after they finished the other album.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think “Blue Jay Way” is that much better than “Within You and Without You,” or that “You Mother Should Know” is that much better than “When I’m 64”, or that “Lovely Rita” is that much worse than “Hello Goodbye”. I’m a big sucker for anything with a Mellotron on it, but “Flying” is just a bit of soundtrack filler. Nothing like that is hanging with the good Sergeant. The mind-boggler “It’s All Too Much” is tons better than “Blue Jay Way”. I even like “Only a Northern Song.” It’s not just a throwaway.
So, we end up with a great double album from the Beatles. Unlike their next one, it’s totally cohesive. The music can be disorienting, but there’s fun to be had. But soon it would be time to come down to earth..
As for the film, I have no desire to revisit it. The concept was good, but maybe it would have a been a good idea to hire people who actually knew how to make a movie, particularly a scriptwriter, Favorite story: Paul going to Nice, France because he just had to film "The Fool on the Hill" in a certain spot. He overlooked the little detail that you need work permits and a passport to film in a foreign country. At least he didn't bring any pot.
I do need to rewatch the "I Am The Walrus" clip (the best segment) and follow that immediately with "Piggy in the Middle". The Rutles were brilliant
I've always loved this album, because those extra singles were so strong, and (save Blue Jay Way) so were the single tracks. I've probably listened to it twice as much as Sgt Pepper, which hasn't aged as well for me. Ideally these songs (and any other session material) would show up in a Super Deluxe Edition to fill the gap between the bounties of the Pepper and White Album SDEs, but nobody listens to me.
DeleteI Am The Walrus is indeed the highlight of the film, and the Rutles nailed it.