With Revolver, the Beatles made the Great Leap Forward, reaching a previously unheard-of level of sophistication and fearless experimentation. Sgt. Pepper, in many ways, refines that breakthrough, as the Beatles consciously synthesized such disparate influences as psychedelia, art-song, classical music, rock & roll, and music hall, often in the course of one song. Not once does the diversity seem forced -- the genius of the record is how the vaudevillian "When I'm 64" seems like a logical extension of "Within You Without You" and how it provides a gateway to the chiming guitars of "Lovely Rita." There's no discounting the individual contributions of each member or their producer, George Martin, but the preponderance of whimsy and self-conscious art gives the impression that Paul McCartney is the leader of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. He dominates the album in terms of compositions, setting the tone for the album with his unabashed melodicism and deviously clever arrangements. In comparison, Lennon's contributions seem fewer, and a couple of them are a little slight but his major statements are stunning. "With a Little Help From My Friends" is the ideal Ringo tune, a rolling, friendly pop song that hides genuine Lennon anguish, à la "Help!"; "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" remains one of the touchstones of British psychedelia; and he's the mastermind behind the bulk of "A Day in the Life," a haunting number that skillfully blends Lennon's verse and chorus with McCartney's bridge. It's possible to argue that there are better Beatles albums, yet no album is as historically important as this. After Sgt. Pepper, there were no rules to follow -- rock and pop bands could try anything, for better or worse. Ironically, few tried to achieve the sweeping, all-encompassing embrace of music as the Beatles did here.
CD1 - New Stereo Mix
01 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remix)
02 - With A Little Help From My Friends (Remix)
03 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Remix)
04 - Getting Better (Remix)
05 - Fixing A Hole (Remix)
06 - She's Leaving Home (Remix)
07 - Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Remix)
08 - Within You Without You (Remix)
09 - When I'm Sixty-Four (Remix)
10 - Lovely Rita (Remix)
11 - Good Morning Good Morning (Remix)
12 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Remix)
13 - A Day In The Life (Remix)
CD2 - Sgt. Pepper Sessions One
01 - Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1)
02 - Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 4)
03 - Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7)
04 - Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 26)
05 - Strawberry Fields Forever (Stereo Mix 2015)
06 - When I'm Sixty-Four (Take 2)
07 - Penny Lane (Take 6 Instrumental)
08 - Penny Lane (Vocal Overdubs And Speech)
09 - Penny Lane (Stereo Mix 2017)
10 - A Day In The Life (Take 1)
11 - A Day In The Life (Take 2)
12 - A Day In The Life (Orchestra Overdub)
13 - A Day In The Life (Hummed Last Chord Takes 8, 9, 10 And 11)
14 - A Day In The Life (The Last Chord)
15 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Take 1 Instrumental)
16 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Take 9 And Speech)
17 - Good Morning Good Morning (Take 1 Instrumental Breakdown)
18 - Good Morning Good Morning (Take
CD3 - Sgt. Pepper Sessions Two
01 - Fixing A Hole (Take 1)
02 - Fixing A Hole (Speech And Take 3)
03 - Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Speech From Before Take 1 Take 4 And Speech At End)
04 - Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Take 7)
05 - Lovely Rita (Speech And Take 9)
06 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Take 1 And Speech At The End)
07 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Speech, False Start And Take 5)
08 - Getting Better (Take 1 Instrumental And Speech At The End)
09 - Getting Better (Take 12)
10 - Within You Without You (Take 1 Indian Instruments)
11 - Within You Without You (George Coaching The Musicians)
12 - She's Leaving Home (Take 1 Instrumental)
13 - She's Leaving Home (Take 6 Instrumental)
14 - With A Little Help From My Friends (Take 1 False Start And Take 2 Instrumental)
15 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Speech And Take
CD4 - Mono Album (1967 Mix) And Bonus Tracks
01 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
02 - With A Little Help From My Friends
03 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
04 - Getting Better
05 - Fixing A Hole
06 - She's Leaving Home
07 - Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!
08 - Within You Without You
09 - When I'm Sixty Four
10 - Lovely Rita
11 - Good Morning Good Morning
12 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13 - A Day In The Life
14 - Strawberry Fields Forever
15 - Penny Lane
16 - A Day In The Life (First Mono Mix)
17 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Original Mono Mix - No. 11)
18 - She's Leaving Home (First Mono Mix)
19 - Penny Lane (Capitol Records Mono US Promo Mix)
