More of a soundtrack E.P. to the TV special (with a few bonus singles added), this compilation came just after the cultural milestone and ultimate behemoth that was Sgt. Pepper - back in the year 1967, when the Beatles stalked the earth as one united and invincible juggernaut.
As it turned out, the TV special proved the Beatles were human after all: it was widely panned and has subsequently gone down in history as the "Beatles' biggest folly" - best enjoyed in hindsight under various degrees of chemical intoxication.
Nevertheless the music contained on this album is some of the finest the group ever put down. Lesser known gems like "The Fool On The Hill" and "Your Mother Should Know" sit comfortably next to brilliantly innovative classics such as "I Am The Walrus" and "Strawberry Fields Forever", demonstrating again, after Pepper, why this band was so far ahead of their peers in terms of song-writing and studio experimentation.
Check out the clarity of sound on the 2009 remastered edition: it is simply stunning. The bass runs, the layers of guitar and keys and the multiple phasing effects are all incredibly clear and head-shakingly unreal. It's hard to believe this thing is nearly 45 years old....
My advice to those who have never had the pleasure: pop on your headset and immerse yourself in this classic. The only issue you may have is trying to erase the image of Ringo in a furry animal suit out of your mind..
Goo-goo-ga-Joob!
