The birth of not
just the concept album, but, arguably, the album itself as something more than
just a collection of singles and filler, "Sgt. Pepper" has spent the past 20
years as more of a repository of ‘60s nostalgia
... more than what it is, which is a
major leap forward from the greatest band that ever lived. John Lennon was
always quick to dismiss the album's conceptual elements, and it's true that
aside from the title track and "With a Little Help From My Friends," which it
introduces, and a reprise, the songs could all stand alone. But the greater
point is that they stand together. They feel related, because the band says they
are. Even George Harrison's "Within You, Without You" makes perfect sense here.
The glory of "Sgt. Pepper" is not that it defines the ‘60s; one album can't do
that. It's that it expanded the possibilities of 12 inches of black vinyl (see
also: five inches of mirrored plastic) to make them seem infinite. Which they
still do.
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