Cities Made of Song, 1967

Cities Made of Song, 1967 - A Day in the Life by the Beatles

Astute readers will recall that I featured a Beatles song once before in the course of this marathon. Just like the show we're tracking, the Beatles have experienced a rapid and quite startling transformation in the time since. In 1964, William Hartnell's Doctor was still gracing screens across the British Isles alongside Susan, Ian, and Barbara. And the Beatles were a pop sensation, selling out stadiums worldwide, at the peak of their first upswing in popularity. How far they've both come! In 1967, Doctor Who has changed leads and has gently embarked on a (temporary) decline in the popular consciousness (or at least the viewing figures), while the Beatles have recused themselves from touring entirely and strictly become a studio group. It's not so hard to draw a parallel here. So at this stage, it seems appropriate to revisit the Fab Four and see how their music has changed.

Needless to say, by this point the Beatles had discovered the world of psychedelic drugs. No reason shying away from it, because they've been pretty open about it in the past. Paul McCartney recounted a conversation with producer George Martin, who asked, "'Do you know what caused Pepper?' I said, 'In one word, George, drugs. Pot.' And George said, 'No, no. But you weren't on it all the time.' 'Yes, we were.' Sgt. Pepper was a drug album." I don't mean to point this out in a derogatory way at all, simply an explanatory one. It's clear that the Beatles' experimentation with mind-expanding drugs strongly affected the trajectory of their music. True enough, this is a trend with pop culture at this point in time, in a society that was rapidly breaking out of post-War austerity and conservatism and exploring a brave new world. Still, it should be noted that even before they'd started to experiment with these, the Beatles were aching to break out of the sterile and highly-managed pop rock world they first thrived in, and make their own mark on the history of music. In this, they clearly succeeded.

I'll confess, I've never held "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" to be the greatest of the Beatles' discography. In that respect, there are at least five albums I'd rank ahead of it ("Revolver", "Abbey Road", "Rubber Soul", the White album, and "Magical Mystery Tour", if you're curious). But I'd never deny that it's a fantastic record. It's a diverse one, covering a number of genres and influences (showtunes, classic rock and roll, Hindustani music, and more) and, needless to say, pioneered music production methodology. Here another hat tip is owed to George Martin, who turned the vision of these musicians into one of the most daring albums of the decade.

For my money, my favorite track (thanks for holding your breaths) is A Day in the Life. Positioned at the end of the album, this song is where the acid trip finally ends, and the surreal and storybook stylings of previous tracks give way to some rather plain and poignant remarks about real life. This is basically the hangover after the fact, the cold morning after the dream. As simple as it is, it's the song that gives the rest of the album size. And musically it is, of course, a masterpiece. No matter how many years pass, the last chord will always give me chills. The juxtaposition between the acoustic guitar and Lennon's haunting verses, against McCartney's jaunty piano bridge, is awesome to behold, especially when bridged by those orchestral swells.

Just like the program I've been discussing for these past six pages, this song's magic lies in the contrast between the everyday and the extraordinary. It's spellbinding, really. And for all that "Sgt. Pepper" is not and probably never will be my favorite, this is, for my money, the finest song the Beatles ever made. Perhaps even one of the finest rock songs ever made.

It's impossible to overstate the degree of influence "Sgt. Pepper" had on the cultural world. It served as the soundtrack for the Summer of Love, which I touched on last year. It was the first rock album to ever win a Grammy. It arguably kickstarted the progressive rock movement (on which more, in probably the majority of these posts during the 1970s). I don't think I could begin to count the musicians who said they were inspired or influenced by this record. It's a pretty big deal. And so it's hard to imagine that any other record could be considered more emblematic of the decade.

It's a decade I've loved exploring culturally, especially its Doctor Who stories. As we enter into its last years, I'm already starting to feel a bit wistful. Well, it appears we are about to get another small glimpse into the new regime on the horizon. I'll be jumping the turnstiles to watch The Web of Fear next. Don't change the channel yeti.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 9 March 2021.)