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Post by Helmut83 on May 9, 2016 18:27:39 GMT
This time I won't come up with anything original, just the Beatles' album Magical Mystery Tour. It was released in 1967 as a LP in the United States. In the United Kingdom it was only released in 1976 as a LP, although some of it's songs featured on a 1967 double EP. That might be the reason why this album is so overlooked and underrated when it comes to the Beatles' discography. In my opinion it has to be in the Beatles' top 4 in terms of albums, it has many brilliant songs.
NOTE: these days it's very difficult to get a good quality version of the songs on YouTube. Most of them have been sped up, lost quality, come out by just one channel or whatever other trick allows the video not to be taken down from YouTube because of copyright issues.
1. Magical Mistery Tour
2. The Fool on the Hill
3. Flying: I couldn't find the original version of this one, so I uploaded a bootleg that is not so different:
4. Blue Jay Way:
5. Your mother should know:
6. I am the Walrus:
7. Hello, Goodbye
8. Strawberry Fields Forever:
9. Penny Lane:
10. Baby you're a rich man:
11. All you need is love:
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Post by 88keys on May 9, 2016 19:24:31 GMT
I own this album, so I didn't have to rely on YouTube. The Great
Magical Mystery Tour...brassy! All You Need Is Love....should be the anthem for all humans. Fool On The Hill....Sheer beauty Penny Lane....majestic! I Am The Walrus.....Lennon at the top of his game! Strawberry Fields Forever.....Breathtaking! The GoodFlying...instrumental trip! Blue Jay Way....Silly but good Hello, Goodbye....One of the best Beatles choruses of all time Baby You're A Rich Man....Mick Jagger sings backing vocals. Did you know that? Your Mother Should Know.....Yea she should! Almost flawless album from the Fab Four!
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Post by unomusette on May 9, 2016 19:44:45 GMT
As you know, one of my Claims to Shame is not owning a single Beatles recording - scrolling down this I am much cheered to see how stuffed with great tunes this album is. I shall throughly enjoy having a wallow as soon as poss
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Post by Helmut83 on May 9, 2016 20:02:12 GMT
I own this album, so I didn't have to rely on YouTube. Good thing for you, you got a quality listen (or you do whenever you play it). It's a pity many of the originals are not to be found in decent quality on youTube.
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Post by Helmut83 on May 9, 2016 20:04:11 GMT
As you know, one of my Claims to Shame is not owning a single Beatles recording Yeap, I won't defend you on that one.
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Post by dillwyn on May 10, 2016 22:41:30 GMT
Seven (i didn;t need to count i just know) of these tracks appeared on the blue album (a compilation best of 67-70) that sold massively ... there was a companion album (Red 62-66). The blue album was by far my favourite and the music seemed wired into my dna by the time i was six or seven. listening to these now i remain astounded at what a great set of work this is. there are obviously more peaks than troughs. this is a smashing reminder of just how brilliant they were. most favourite the seven (i refuse to separate them), least favourite flying
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Post by unomusette on May 11, 2016 20:11:42 GMT
Magical Mystery Tour - Great opening track which drags you in to join the fun. Loved the clips from the film too. Doesn't hang around either, excellent. Fool on the Hill - Sudden change in tempo here for this classic. Apart from the recorder it's just about perfect, lovely tune and interesting lyrics. More film clips too, winner. Flying - Echoey instrumental much beloved of radio and TV producers as background music. Sounds like they had fun making it, a bit like those out-takes of Jeff and Richard in the studio which surfaced a few years ago. Blue Jay Way - First song I'm not familiar with, the distorted vocals get on my nerves after a bit but it's a good example of the sort of experimental stuff they were coming out with at the time. Your Mother Should Know - Back on familiar territory. I never realised the vocals were distorted on this song too, the catchy tune makes up for that a bit though. Perfect pop. Love the film too, the boys looking tasty in their white tails I Am The Walrus - This is where Jeff and Roy came in if the stories are to be believed, and took the idea further. Another faultless song with hilarious film accompanying it - not sure about the masks but they are so awful they're endearing. Really love John's raspy, shouty vocals too, one of his best talents I reckon. Hello, Goodbye - Yet another fantastic, catchy tune, these guys were pretty darned good, weren't they? They never looked better than around this era either, you can see where Liam Gallagher copied his look from but on him it looks annoying instead of cool as with John. This is a serious contender for Best on Album for me. Strawberry Fields - Similar vibe as with Flying, dreamy but with heavy strings which make it meaty. Can't be criticised apart from the random ending which sounds a bit tacked on and doesn't add much. Jeff did that sort of thing better on MBS. Penny Lane - I really can't believe how many familiar classics are on this album, here comes another one, the type of which other bands can only dream of emulating. I do feel sorry for them having to ride those horses in the film, none of them look at all comfortable Some epic moustaches on show here and George is looking particularly tasty. Classic once again. Baby You're a Rich Man - The title is familiar but I don't recall the song itself. Trips along nicely with lots going on, doesn't grab me immediately but it's pleasant enoough. All You Need is Love - Going out with a bang, one of best singalong songs ever and of course one of the best sentiments too. 9 out of 10 for this, it's not perfect but it's pretty close and I might even consider acquiring it to improve my street cred round here. Most of the songs are so familiar it's easy to take them for granted, but to come up with all of them at the same time is hugely impressive. Thanks for sharing @helmut 83
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Post by jrmugz on May 11, 2016 20:37:57 GMT
My understanding of this album, is it wasn't really put together as an album, it was they took some singles released already, then added some other songs to make it a movie soundtrack.
Likewise, for a few years as a novice Beatles fan, I used to say "Hey Jude" is the best album the Beatles ever made, until I realized it also was a compilation of singles, etc.
Jim
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Post by jrmugz on May 11, 2016 20:38:33 GMT
Great pick for a CD, Helmut; looking forward to playing it and sending my thoughts.
Jim
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Post by jrmugz on May 11, 2016 21:14:27 GMT
... but to come up with all of them at the same time is hugely impressive. Thanks for sharing @helmut 83 Guess in the same time period though not all in the exact time period. I believe "Walrus", "Strawberry Fields", and "Penny Lane" were all released as singles before Sgt. Pepper's came out. And "Sgt. Pepper" preceded MMT. Jim
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Post by Helmut83 on May 12, 2016 5:40:55 GMT
Thank you for your review, Uno! Penny Lane - I really can't believe how many familiar classics are on this album, here comes another one... [...] Most of the songs are so familiar it's easy to take them for granted, but to come up with all of them at the same time is hugely impressive. Exactly, that's what I say! When people discuss which is the best Beatles' album many names come out (Abbey Road, White Album, Sgt. Pepper...) but this one is never mentioned and it includes such a big amount of good songs (and hits)! And it doesn't matter if some of them had been released previously as singles, this is not a compilation album and these songs are not included in any other Beatles' album. 9 out of 10 for this, it's not perfect but it's pretty close and I might even consider acquiring it to improve my street cred round here. I'm not saying you should buy this particular Beatles' album, but such a musically knowledgeable forumhead not even owning a single Beatles' album, that's a situation of which you might want to come out. I laughed at George looking "tasty" and I agreed about Liam Gallagher always wanting to be a copy of the Beatles around this era and the result being annoying.
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Post by Chippa on May 13, 2016 20:50:56 GMT
Magical Mystery Tour – Love Ringo’s drumming on this great track. And McCartney’s vocals on the chorus and bridge really stand out as some of his best work.
Fool On The Hill – I’m never a big fan of flutes, but on this song they work well. Great lyrics, too. Still very relevant.
Flying – Always love George’s super-reverbed guitar.
Blue Jay Way – The backing vocals, which were run through an old Leslie speaker in order to achieve that wobbly sound, are brilliant. There’s so much going on in this song, that it’s hard to pick just one great moment.
Your Mother Should Know – Charming and hard not to like. Macca loved these type of old fashioned sounding songs, obviously.
I Am The Walrus- According to Roy Wood, ELO picks up where this song left off. While that may be a bold statement, it’s probably accurate. Again, there’s so much coming at you on this song that it’s tough to pick it’s best moment. Of course, this is the song that helped to fuel all the “Paul Is Dead” nonsense.
Hello, Goodbye – More fantastic drumming from Ringo. Instantly catchy melody.
Strawberry Fields Forever – A masterclass in studio technique. It’s incredible to note that they were still only using an eight-track machine to record, during this period.
Penny Lane – Probably my favorite song on the album. I’m guessing Jeff borrowed this concept-that is, reminiscing about a place from one’s childhood- when he wrote “Hello, My Old Friend”.
Baby You’re A Rich Man – My least favorite song on the album. Great lyrics, though!
All You Need Is Love- A long-forgotten concept, sadly. Fantastic stuff, and really the quintessential Beatles song.
Overall, this gets a 9.5/10. The Beatles were true innovators, and the world will never see the likes of them, again.
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Post by jrmugz on May 13, 2016 21:24:30 GMT
01. "Magical Mystery Tour" - Clear reference to pot, "roll up" for the mystery tour. That said, the song is so good, and thoroughly engaging, that it almost makes me want to try some. ba-doom-kshhhh!!!! 02. "Fool on the Hill" - Really like the mystery of this one, makes me think of how the bums might have more wisdom/insight than we realize. (Although since I refuse to give any of them the time of day, I'll never know. ba-doom-kshhh!!!!) 03. "Flying" - Garbage throwaway that merely fills up space. 04. "Blue Jay Way" - I want to be negative about this song, but for some reason, it's just hooky and mysterious enough to reel me in. 05. "Your Mother Should Know" - Weak song saved by Sir Paul's amazing hooks. 06. "I Am The Walrus" - Liked it when I was a kid, but just doesn't stand the test of time. Very annoyting lyrics, big missed opportunity, IMHO. 07. "Hello, Goodbye" - Pure fun, great melody, etc. Love how Sir Paul's "Back in the US" live CD/DVD kicks off with this one. 08. "Strawberry Fields" - Stunning masterpiece. The song George Martin is most proud of. Perhaps the quintessential second-half-of-the-60s Beatles song. I can see where Brian Wilson said he had to pull over to the side of the road for this one when he first heard it; guess he was really ticked off because The Beatles beat him to
the punch of the style that he wanted to come out with first. 09. "Penny Lane" - I like the overall feel of it, but McCartny kind of ruined it for me by admitting all the innuendo they put into it, in his chronicle of every Beatles song in the book "Many Years From Now". 10. "Baby You're a Rich Man" - I really like how this song, like the song after it, shows that riches are mainly something on the inside. And how it's very unique and unlike any other song. 11. "All You Need is Love" - Ok, what's there to knock about this one? Nothing. Great song.
Star Rating: 4.6 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Baby You're a Rich Man", "All You Need is Love" Bottom Line: An album with 8 stunning classic Beatles songs, and three throwaways ("Flying", "Blue Jay Way", "Your Mother Should Know").
Thanks for putting this one, Helmut; thoroughly enjoyed it.
Have you marked down for the next open slot.
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Post by Helmut83 on May 17, 2016 4:27:21 GMT
Thanks Chippa and jrmugz for your detailed reviews. Jim, I agee about "Flying" and "Blue Jay Way" being throwaways and the worst part of the album. I don't agree about "Your mother should know" though, I like that one. "I am the Walrus" used to scare the shit out of me when I was a young kid and I always skipped it. All of it has a bizarre atmosphere, with those sounds going on on the background, but the part which scared me the most is after "don't you think the joker laughs at you" when those sinister laughs sound. Your Mother Should Know – (...). Macca loved these type of old fashioned sounding songs, obviously. Yeah, he did several others of that style in the Beatles: "When I'm sixty four", "Honey pie", "Maxwell's silver hammer"... The Beatles were true innovators, and the world will never see the likes of them, again. Amen to that. It's sad to think about it, I always have the hope that I will witness the emergence of some band as innovative and revolutionary as them or even more but unfortunately that won't happen.
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Post by queenofthehours on May 18, 2016 15:32:21 GMT
Magical Mystery Tour – I don’t think I’ve ever heard this in full, only in clips during other Beatles-associated things. Despite it’s iconic status it isn’t really a proper song like ‘Yesterday’. To me it’s one of the “lesser” tracks such as ‘Helter Skelter’ written only to create a certain “vibe”. What would they call a Beatles tour if not naming it after this??
Fool On The Hill – I’ve always loved this melody and always forget about it too! As a consequence it’s always a surprise when I hear it. For this stage in the Beatles career it’s a very simple song.
Flying – This is one I’m not very familiar with. Seeing as MMT is a soundtrack album it’s perfectly suitable. It shows the Beatles can do things other than jaunty pop songs, they can make music for every occasion
Blue Jay Way – There's something magical, slightly gothic about this tale of losing friends in the fog. The way George has made something so small and simple sound so deep and mysterious is typical of him.
Your Mother Should Know – One of my secret favourite Beatles tracks. Sometimes I sing-along to this in my head for no reason. I like to not listen to this along with a few other Beatles songs in order to create for myself “new” Beatles songs whenever I feel the need to have new material from the great band. I’d hate to be so used to all the music that it stops sounding fresh as a lot of the big singles and early hits do.
I Am The Walrus - This has never been my favourite track and now it reminds me too much of Oasis! Lennon was inspired to write this after hearing 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' it made him realise you could do what you wanted with language in music. Even though I was never keen on this it fits the slightly odd/psychedelic theme of the collection.
Hello, Goodbye – Possibly my most favourite Beatles track ever and even I don’t know why, I'm just fascinated by it, I think its because its so happy and the video is great too. The Sgt Pepper costumes even get a look in. Funny how it was only ever George who wore his after the band split - in 'When We Was Fab' and 'Ding Dong' - perhaps t was a symbol of the past he left behind? It’s the sing-along-ness of the final chorus that I love most.
Strawberry Fields Forever – I have to say I’ve never been keen on this maybe it's because I've heard it too many times. I prefer 'Penny Lane' but after hearing the version of this on youtube that is 800% slower I appreciate the track much more as that really brings out the elements.
Penny Lane – This seems very simplistic compared to psychedelic of Strawberry Fields. I love the brass and the real life scenes from Liverpool. The simplicity mirrors 'Foot on the Hill' and creates a nice contrast with the heavy psychedelic songs. In fact there are a lot of themes on this collection - the real life elements in 'Blue Jay Way', 'Penny Lane', 'Strawberry Fields', the weirdness in 'I am the Walrus ' and the music accompanying 'SFF' and 'BJW'; the whole record fits together nicely.
Baby You’re A Rich Man – I always forget this too. You don't hear this enough. Very throwaway yet still full of gems in the music dept.
All You Need Is Love – Classic. I swing between loving this to feeling not bothered by it. When I'm listening to it I love it, when I'm not I can take it or leave it. I'm more familiar with hearing this on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. It's very John.
I love the Beatles and I'm familiar with all these tracks but not in this order or with the MMT soundtrack. I much prefer listening to proper collections of songs like this and Rubber Soul etc than listening to compilations or the 1 album as you get to hear all the lesser played and know tracks that are always better than the huge hits.
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