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The bass drum on the LP cover reads "Sgt Peppers" (no period or apostrophe)". But the lyrics on the back cover and on the name of the album and song on the LP label itself is "Sgt. Pepper's".@Godsbrother, I have silly question that I know you'll know the right answer to: is it "Sgt. Pepper's" (period) or "Sgt Pepper's" (no period)? I see it both ways. I've been using the period but don't want to keep posting incorrectly.
This might be related to my next post.
Probably my second favorite song on the Pepper LP. I just love it -- one interesting note about the composition is that Beatles long time roadie Mal Evans claimed to have written some of the lyrics and that Paul promised to credit him as a writer but it never happened. He also said he co-wrote Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.I just realized I had miscounted and have only six more songs in the bottom half rather than the seven I thought I still had to do. Congratulations and welcome to the top half, unnamed song!
But back to the bad news.
108. Fixing A Hole (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Credit to @Godsbrother for this being as high as it is. I'd always thought this was one of my least favorites, bottom 30-40, but then I noticed that he hyped it in a thread or two as underrated, so I thought I should give it a shot. Now when I play it, I can't get it out of my head, in a good way. Maybe as more time goes by it will climb even higher.
See what I did there? "Higher" in a post on a song about pot?
Oh yeah, back to the song. It's about pot. It's about Paul wanting to be free to experiment, to let his mind wander and not be constrained. Maybe to include stuff other than pot, but definitely including pot. And I think that's one of the most admirable qualities about Paul: for all the criticism I've given to many of the vaudeville songs, his experimentation into different types of music well exceeded the others', both during the time of the Beatles and thereafter. He can simply do it all, and even if we don't appreciate the results of his forays into certain genres, I think all his attempts are well-meaning and based on a genuine love for and interest in them. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a mind that brilliant.
Also, he sure did look dreamy in that "Hey Jude" video.
Oh yeah (again), back to the song (again). I might mention chord progressions too often, but these are fascinating and move through minor/major in a way that complements the lyrics beautifully. The lilt of the vocal moving into a more urgent sound along with the guitar, culminating in the blast of "why they don't get in my door," is sublime, as is the guitar work itself. The song shows off Paul's incredible vocal range not just in terms of the notes but the emotion. The harpsichord forming part of the rhythm section is a brilliant touch.
Fun story about the session for this song: a guy showed up at Paul's front door and when Paul asked who he was, he said he was Jesus. Wait, I'll let Paul tell it. "This guy said, 'I'm Jesus Christ.' I said, 'Oop,' slightly shocked. I said, 'Well, you'd better come in then.' I thought, 'Well, it probably isn't. But if he is, I'm not going to be the one to turn him away.' So I gave him a cup of tea and we just chatted...We used to get a lot of people who were maybe insecure or going through emotional breakdowns or whatever. So I said, 'I've got to go to a session but if you promise to be very quiet and just sit in a corner, you can come.' So he did, he came to the session and he did sit very quietly and I never saw him after that. I introduced him to the guys. They said, 'Who's this?' I said, 'He's Jesus Christ.'"
Mr. krista: "I don’t know. I don’t like it. It doesn’t go anywhere. Just plods along. Made totally in the studio rather than the product of songwriting. Seems like a high-dea."
Suggested covers: I dunno about this vocal, butThe Fray. Love it or hate it version from Electric Würms (count me as hate it).
Not a big fan aside from the fact that it was two different songs joined together "How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people" (John) and "Baby You're a Rich Man" (Paul) and John's crazy clavioline playing.
The best thing Spector did here was lengthen the song from a little over a minute and a half to almost two and a half minutes. I Me Mine was the only song recorded in it's entirety in 1970. As Krista pointed out, Lennon had already left the Beatles by the time this was recorded. Take 15 which is available on bootlegs and edited onto Anthology 3 has Harrison joking about John not being there with the statement "You all will have read that Dave Dee is no longer with us. But Mickey and Tich and I would just like to carry on the good work that's always gone down in number two". A reference to EMI studio #2.105. I Me Mine (Let It Be, 1970)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Though most of Let It Be was recorded before Abbey Road, the version of this song recorded during the Let It Be sessions was not included on the album. Instead, this version was later recorded (after Abbey Road), making this the last song the Beatles ever recorded together.Or, sorta together, since John didn't participate. In fact, it appeared that neither Paul nor John ever much liked this song. What do those dummies know about music.
George composed this "heavy waltz" after an LSD trip caused him to look at everything around him and see ego, so the song is a criticism of egotism. I'd quote some of his actual words here if I understood them at all; George was on a different plane than I am (I intend that admiringly). Well, here's part of it anyway: "'I Me Mine' is the ego problem. There are two 'I's: the little 'i' when people say 'I am this'; and the big 'I' – i.e. Om, the complete, whole universal consciousness that is devoid of duality and ego. There is nothing that isn't part of the complete whole. When the little 'i' merges into the big 'I' then you are really smiling!"
This is one of the only songs on the record where I strongly prefer the Spector-ized version. The Spector version - adding 27 strings and six brass! - captures an eerie feel that I associated with the underlying basis of the song and also seems to have better flowiness. Which is not a word, I guess. Anyway, great jam. Beautiful vocal. Love the guitar intro. Particularly nice work by Ringo. Funky AF. That middle that doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the song is way cool (apparently a Paul contribution - WTGPM).
Mr. krista: "I like that song, too. Solid four to start this record. I like that heavy chorus after the first part’s a waltz and then that is hard 4/4. Great Harrison jam."
Suggested covers: Beth Orton Spoon
Lots of great things tidbits- thanks! Had never heard this one.
Disagree with Mr K4 on this one. This record seems to me like they were thinking about how they wanted to sound, as opposed to "let's see what happens; we know we're good, so it'll probably be great". Not that they didn't think hard on their earlier hits (or, God knows, think less hard on their later stuff), but - I dunno - this one and the title track from the album seem different to me. I think John was starting to feel himself as creator and (especially) singer. It's my favorite vocal by him up until this point in Beatles history (among those that k4 has posted already).krista4 said:
Agree with the bolded. The playing on the reprise is some of the most ferocious this band ever did. It's probably better this is the shorter version, as they'd have broken all of their instruments and the sound board if they kept on like this for very long. Ringo absolutely slays on this song.
When someone does their thread ranking all 204 of Mr. krista's comments in this thread, that should mark that one as a bit lazy.
Good point.
Makes me want to go out and buy a pair of Skechers.The one about Ringo swinging a big pair is going to be awfully tough to beat.
Was your #1 chosen?Top 100!!!
I have to cut off my #1 and top 10 contests here, because next up will be a song that some people chose as a guess for my top 10.
Ben Folds Five is pretty #####in'.
I don't think I should say!
I like that one, too, but I have a firm rule that I'm not linking anything to that movie. OK, except when I posted the Steve Martin one earlier. A semi-firm rule.
I'm going to. And I'm calling in a favorite poster when I do. Second best Beatle cover ever.
whoa.I just updated the second post and noticed that there are only seven Help! songs left. Fans of that album, have no fear! Of the seven remaining, four are in my top 20.
If one of them is "Act Naturally" Ima burn this place down.I just updated the second post and noticed that there are only seven Help! songs left. Fans of that album, have no fear! Of the seven remaining, four are in my top 20.
It could reasonably be argued that it doesn't really go anywhere.
Help!
I'm one of those fans! Those are 7 great songs.I just updated the second post and noticed that there are only seven Help! songs left. Fans of that album, have no fear! Of the seven remaining, four are in my top 20.
Right? I'd say all but one could slip into my top 20 on a given day (and the one that doesn't is still a great song).
I dig the song because there was nothing else like it when it came out. It was paired with "Something" and I believe was the first single where both sides were charted as a single record "double A-side" because both sides were getting so much airplay. Another Beatle first!
Musically, I like this one much better than many of John's during this period of the Beatles. I can handle nonsense lyrics to a degree, but they get really tiresome to me after awhile, especially from John. Whenever I hear someone perform this song, I just find myself thinking "How are they earnestly singing these lyrics with a straight face?" It's different if you wrote them; you're proud of them and you can sell them. But it's a little harder to fire off a convincing JuJu Eyeball if you're, say, Miley Cyrus. I think this ranking is perfect for this one, right about where I'd put it.
Come on, turn that frown upside down.
