I agree with many of the comments from folks here about

the hassels,jerky fans,ripoffs and the lameness of most current

touted talent as performers and the Golden Age Being over

ect.(I'm 51 yrs old). Here's my .02

Richard Thompson: He never ceases to amaze me. He just

seems to get better and his new album is his best

in years. Great Great Great.

Elvis Costello: Say what you want but I've never seen

EC and His band put on a less than excellent show.

Commitment, energy and a respect for the back catalog

while never pandering. 2hr + shows from guys who

ain't youngsters.

The San Francisco Jazz Collective: If you think

Jazz is dead these guys will tell you you're wrong.

A great repertory group featuring the talents

of Josh Redman, Bobby Hutcherson and Dave Douglas.

Breathing new life into the music of John Coltrane

,Ornette Coleman and their own as well.

Randy Newman: One man One piano and 40 yrs of great songs.

Plus laughs most standup comics wish they could get.

Rosanne Cash: Deep heartfelt songs, committed but not mawkish.

and very unshowbiz for a Gal from a showbiz family.

At this point discussing the significance of Sgt Pepper

is like arguing about the importance of oh.. air. But here are my

thoughts about it generated by the many posts. I admit

upfront that I'm a "Beatle Baby" ie. a 51 yr old boomer

so the Beatles are sort of like "Air" to me (note to Gen Xers

I'm not refering the the boring French psuedo disco electronic

duo). Also although I love the Beatles "Pepper" not my favorite Beatle album.

1. Yes it's great, Yes its of it's time but that doesn't make

less great or less of an achievement.Are many of the songs

individually as good as songs from other Beatle records?

Probably not for me. It's more of a piece which makes it

hard for me to think of most of the songs individually out

side the context of the record itself to a large degree.

Maybe that's a great thing in it's favor.

2. Historical point. It's really the last record where

the Beatles as a unit worked pretty much collectively.

The last time they really enjoyed working together with

a sense of unity that the albums that followed didn't have.

(even though the White Album, Abbey Road and Let it Be/Get Back

are great in their own ways). This well documented in numerous

places as from 67 on they were basically in the process

of a protracted implosion and breakup. I think for all

it's complexity you can still sense this joy of

collaboration in the music on Sgt Pepper.

3.The Beatles really are better than Rap,Beck,Feist,Bright Eyes

Wilco the Decemberists and all the current chronic touted

in this column in Salon. Sorry kids let the hate mail begin.

I wish there was something like the Beatles now..I really do.

I wish I could here something like Sgt Pepper with the ears

of a 11 yr old again.

Tiddey