Letters to the Editor
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the Stones won?
Gina Arnold says:
And if you think of the Beatles/Rolling Stones debate, the Stones won that in every possible way -- in terms of long life and record sales and influence
The reason being, Gina, that to do Beatles-style arrangements properly (Polyphonic Spree does not) takes a tremendous amount of work and talent, not to mention phenomenal songwriting at the foundation of the music. Much easier to rehash the Stones/Velvet Underground/Ramones ...
Sgt. Pepper's was one the Beatles' weaker albums, but, as others have mentioned, it must be viewed in the context of the times. Three-and-a-half years after the assassination of JFK ... turmoil at home in the US and war in Vietnam, Sgt. Pepper's heralded the ascendancy of our generation and our hope for the future and the promise of our democracy. A silly dream? Yes. It only took a few more assassinations (RFK & MLK in particular), the ongoing war, drugs, and a multi-decade process in which the media was consolidated and turned into the multi-nationals' house organ to derail the dream.
Even John Lennon dismissed Sgt. Peppers with the remark,"What do you remember? A Day In The Life ..." something to that effect.
The Stones lost the multi-dimensional aspect (they shared with the Beatles) to be hard and funny simultaneously - they had when Brian Jones was still in the band. Still fantastic, but not the same.
I listened to I Am The Walrus yesterday ... absolutely unbelievable to this day.