Published on May 23, 1998
A few weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to be featured in an
online column by Jeff Ambramowitz, a writer for
The Jerusalem Post. And while he generally had some nice
things to say about us, he raised a very good question: How could
we have only reviewed three Beatles albums so far? (Memo to Jeff:
Hate to break this to you, but we’ll eventually get around to
reviewing the Spice Girls – that is, once I get up the gumption to
actually listen to my wife’s copy.)
So, into the infamous Pierce Memorial Archives (Go Chicago
Wolves… the only true pro hockey team in the Windy City), and out
with
Magical Mystery Tour, a combination soundtrack/new release
that still has critics scratching their heads.
The first half of the album is a soundtrack to the television
special that aired the day after Christmas in 1967. Two problems,
though: Not many people in Great Britain had color TVs, meaning a
lot of the psychedelia was lost in the black-and-white haze.
Second, the script was supposedly so far out that you literally
needed both the Cliff’s Notes and a translator to figure out just
what the hell was going on.
Musically, this portion of the album contains both strengths and
weaknesses. The title track, “Fool On The Hill” and “I Am The
Walrus” never fail to put a smile on my face, even if the lyrics to
“I Am The Walrus” are best comprehended with the aid of other
substances. (This coming, of course, from someone who has never
experimented with drugs in his life.) Some of the other cuts fail
to impress, like “Flying” and “Blue Jay Way,” while “Your Mother
Should Know” is both quirky and cute at the same time.
It is the second half of
Magical Mystery Tour, however, that will best be remembered.
The half which featured new material from The Beatles, it reads
like a playlist from any classic rock station: “Hello Goodbye,”
“Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Penny Lane” and “All You Need Is
Love”. (The other song on the side, “Baby, You’re A Rich Man,” is
okay, but not up to par with the other songs.) And despite the
passage of 30 years, these songs have not worn out their welcome
one iota, remaining pleasant to the ear and the mind.
The biggest obstacle that John, Paul, George and Ringo had to
face was their own success – their last album was the
groundbreaking
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a record that gave
the industry a solid kick in the ass. Let’s be honest: no matter
what they followed this record up with, it would be viewed as a
disappointment, albeit a minor one.
And the fact is,
Magical Mystery Tour is only a minor disappointment. Only
four tracks fail to hit the bullseye, and two of those tracks at
least are on the target. I have yet to see the actual special
(gimme a break, it took me six months to get around to watching
The Beatles Anthology on tape, and I still have to buy the
CDs), so I’ll save any snide comments about it.
Magical Mystery Tour is, admittedly, a more challenging
listen – even though I’ve owned it for years, I still listened to
the record three times before finally grasping the big picture.
It’s a short enough album to allow you to give it the attention of
multiple listens – but you will have to invest a little time on
this disc.