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Rating: Magical Mystery Tour, 1967 album, is one of the Beatles' most peculiar, strange, underrated, and beautiful works. Analyzing track by track, you can fully understand just how good this album is.
1. "Magical Mystery Tour" / Excellent opening of the album, having many points in common with the title track of Sgt. Pepper: the main author (McCartney), the placement they have in their respective albums, the FUNCTION they have in their respective albums (the Magical album initially released in England as a double EP of 6 songs, soundtrack of the film of the same name), the meaning of the lyrics (both invite you to take part in an event).
2. "The Fool On The Hill" / Dreamy atmospheres, spiced with original lyrics (always by McCartney) and the flutes in the background. On LOVE (2006), there's an alternative version with a spacey intro of about 30 seconds, beautiful.
3. "Flying" / Mostly instrumental track, originally 9 minutes long but reduced to a mere 2 minutes. It is particularly relevant because it is the first track (but also one of the last) in the Beatles discography to be written, composed, and credited to all 4 band members. "Flying" was praised by drummer and singer Robert Wyatt, who described it as the "most magical song" on the album.
4. "Blue Jay Way" / Written by Harrison, it is an underrated song and often penalized by many, but for me, the dark atmospheres of the track, Harrison's transformed voice, and the particular instruments are truly beautiful and add an extra touch to the album.
5. "Your Mother Should Know" / A song written by McCartney, typical of his cheerful style and inspired by the 40s-50s. This too is pleasant, simple but effective, with its catchiness.
6. "I Am The Walrus" / The peak of the ironic nonsense typical of Lennon's lyrics. According to Lennon, the lyrics were written that way to confuse people and to "drive with joy" all those who have been analyzing the Beatles' lyrics for years, hoping to find some hidden meanings.
7. "Hello, Goodbye" / Catchy. Amusing. Beautiful. What can I say... Simple lyrics, not inspired by anything in particular. But it doesn't matter.
8. "Strawberry Fields Forever" / Did you know that Strawberry Fields (the location) was mentioned, along with Penny Lane, in the first version of the lyrics of "In My Life"? What can I say... here psychedelia and classicism merge perfectly. Philosophical lyrics in the verses. One of their greatest masterpieces.
9. "Penny Lane": Simply, my favorite Beatles song. Perfect, just as it is. Legendary trumpet solo, played by classical musician David Mason (who also collaborated on other Beatles songs).
10. "Baby, You're A Rich Man" / Musically, the song is based on the "clavioline," which in English refers to an electronic instrument used to try to reproduce the timbre of various instruments. Strange track.
11. "All You Need Is Love" / Written by Lennon for the television program "Our World," the first international television broadcast in history (in which Italy also participated, with 2 connections). Seriously, who doesn't know this track?
Despite the few tracks (only 11), it is still a beautiful album, the ultimate example of what the Beatles were in the second half of the 60s, balanced between psychedelia and pop.
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By London
The sacrifice of quite a few neurons was worth it, as we can now enjoy beautiful and timeless works.
The film was panned by critics but became a cult in film universities, where two students named Steven Spielberg and George Lucas found it ingenious and a huge source of inspiration.
