Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Original Recording Remastered)

Here we have the most influential band of all time, at their most creative period, creating music for an album that was specifically intended to be as inventive as possible. That the results are entrancing should be of no surprise to anyone.

For many, this album evokes happy memories of the sixties, and of the summer of love in particular. A product of its time it may be, but Sgt Pepper's magic is still just as potent today. Listeners who weren't born yet when the Beatles were rising to fame, recording this album or breaking up (Like this reviewer, for one) can still be just as enchanted by its genius.

What is so great about Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band? It is a spectacular collection of great songs, which encapsulate the Beatles at their best.There's not a filler track in sight; each one is worth listening to. And the band innovated in any way they could. Singing into pipe organs to add effects to their voice; compression, decompression and all other manner of audio jiggery-pokery; playing six grand pianos at once... Becoming a studio-only band let the Beatles record their music however they wanted, and this unleashing of their imagination adds immeasurably to the album.

The central concept of the album (Innovative then, much-imitated now) is that the Beatles are the titular fictional band, playing a show. They introduce themselves in the opening song, which famously segues into the next. Playing them straight through shows the album's genius: alone, each song is worth listening to. Played in sequence, they form an incredible audio ride, a mindblowing trip through the Beatles' imagination.

As long as there are pairs of ears willing to listen to it like this, the greatest album of all time will continue to weave its spell.

I think all fans have been waiting with excitment for the new masters me included. I have to say i am very dissapointed. If you own this on CD already and are familar with the Stereo idea of vocals out of one speaker instruments out of another you will known what I mean. George Martin back in 1987 resolved this problem but his mixes of puting vocals back in the centre of the stereo picture were rejected! What confuses me is that the Beatles were only involved with the mono mixes and not the stereo mixes so we are told they were knocked off in an afternoonby a studio engineer just to satisfy the knew medium. I have to say I am very upset that Apple still insist in putting these versions out as the stereo masters in these days where we listen on I players and headphones, it is not a comfortable experience listning to vocals in one ear and instruments in the other. Sure this is one of the best albums ever made if not the best, so what a shame we all need to shell out £200 to buy the mono version. Why could they have not learnt from the Beach Boys Pet Sounds re done in Stereo.

'Revolver' was the stepping stone to the album that many still believe to be the greatest recording of the 20th century, 'sgt peppers lonely hearts club band'. This album began the process of multi tracking recording. It used rock instruments, classical instruments, indian instruments and electronic insturments to create the most amazing musical landscapes. Although the album was experimental and innovative, it was also packed full of popular songs such as 'lucy in the sky with diamonds', 'shes leaving home' and the epic 'a day in the life'. Everyone who loves music should own a copy of this piece of musical genius. With this one album the beatles created history.

I actually wrote a review on this album a little while ago, knowing little about The Beatles before the purchase. Now I own nearly every Beatles album and I believe that Sgt. Pepper's is their finest.

If you haven't bought a Beatles CD before I can gaurantee that after a few plays of this you will be checking how many more tenners you have spare in order to buy some more remastered treasures.

Sgt Pepper is an example of creativity at its peak (ok, there were reasons for that, but it was the 60's!!). Paul's 'She's leaving home' is my personal favourite, closely followed by 'Lucy in the Sky with diamonds' and 'Lovely Rita.' I simply love how each song tells a story, and by the time 'A day in the life' (maybe the best song ever written) is finished, you, like me will take a moment to breathe and think "where have the Beatles been all my life?"

Dont get me wrong, sgt Peppers is a brilliant album. My disappointment is with the remastering. Maybe its me, but i cant tell any difference between this and the vinyl and 1987 cd versions. I was expecting to have a mind blowing experience from reading some reviews in the press, but no, nothing. Im so glad now that i didnt pay out for the box set because it would have been £169 down the drain. The Beatles are still the greatest band, but the remastering is poor and not worth the hype