Glenn Cunningham

When David Essex sang these lyrics: “Where do we go from here? Which is the way that’s clear?” I find that this easily describes where the Beatles were in 1966-67. The Beatles were at a critical crossroads in their development as musicians, as people. This album opened up a new way forward for them, for everyone. They found a gap through the mountains that had been holding musical growth strictly to pop music and crowd-pleasing alone. More... They wanted more, they needed to breathe and find freedom in their music. In Sgt Peppers, they incorporated all aspects of life, from childhood (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) to death (A Day in A Life), using a collection of sounds and instruments not thought previously, to be used together. By doing so, they found a new land for those that followed. Whether Sgt Peppers is loved or despised, admired or cast aside, in its wake, music would never be the same again. We would never be the same again. And we’re not. In a mostly ungrateful world, I am thankful to have experienced this.