Review Summary: Better than I expected. Got me into The Beatles.
This is the first Beatles album I’ve ever heard. What I expected was some boring old rock stuff that was written by some guys when they were high. What I got was incredibly different than what I expected, in regards to that first part. This album was not boring, with one or two exceptions. I like album reviews that go song by song, so that is how I will do this one.
1. The Magical Mystery Tour
This song was the perfect way to start of an album. Its fun, catchy, and pretty much says what this album is about (“The Magical Mystery Tour is dying to take you away”). At first I thought it should be a bit longer, but decided it was the right length, as there is not that much to it, really, and it could get repetitive if too long. 5/5
2. Fool on the Hill
In contrasting with the upbeat fun of the previous song, this is a down tempo song, with slightly ominous instrumentation in the chorus. It is short, but I sometimes find myself asking when it will end. But after the flute solo, it picks up a bit, and is much more enjoyable. 4/5
3. Flying
I do not like this song much. I think it is one of the worst songs on the album. From the first guitar intro (which is looped through most of the song) that sounds like it was played wrong when recorded, this song meanders around, never rising from mediocrity. The closest it gets is the effects-heavy outro. 2/5
4. Blue Jay Way
This song is very similar to Fool on the Hill, however it is a bit more upbeat, and does not have a dragging first half. The effects on this song are perfect, from the flanger to the phaser to the back masking, they are genius. 5/5
5. Your Mother Should Know
This is the closest the album comes to sounding like “some boring old rock stuff.” And it is very boring. Consisting almost entirely of a repetition of the title, or a little pre-chorus, this song never amounts to anything. 1/5
6. I am the Walrus
Incoherent lyrics. Nothing backing those lyrics but a drum beat, some strings, a piano, and some occasionally some weird sampling of chanting/talking with weird effects on them. This could describe a lot of rap songs I know. But this time, it’s the Beatles. And it’s a whole lot better. This is one of the most famous songs from this album, and it deserves the honor. Based on “The Lumber Jack and the Walrus” by Lewis Carol, and two or three acid trips, this song is so weird and nonsensical it is brilliant. In my opinion, this is one of the best songs on the album. 5/5
7. Hello, Goodbye
A standard rock n roll song, but its nice and catchy and fun. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, consisting of “I say (word)/you say (opposite of word),” but that just makes it more memorable, though it could have used more verses and less repetition of the chorus. Though a lot of people didn’t know it, this song (a cover of it, anyway) was used in commercials for Target. As far as rock n roll songs go on this album, this is the best one. 4/5
8. Strawberry Fields Forever
Possibly the most famous song from the album, and I would say the most loved. But I think it is too similar to “Blue Jay Way” and “Fool on the Hill.” I really like the outro, which is really crazy and random. But the similarities to the two previous songs make it a little too familiar. If it had switched places with one of the other two (preferably “Fool on the Hill,” which is boring in itself, and wouldn’t suffer much coming later) it would have a higher rating. 3/5
9. Penny Lane
Well, I don’t like this one that much. When I listen to this album, I tend to skip this song. It is just, for lack of a better word, meh. It has more verses like I wish some of the other songs did, and has a nice baroque rock sound, but I just find it meh. 1/5
10. Baby, You’re a Rich Man
I think this is my personal favorite song on the album. It is just awesome. I sing along with the chorus, and the verses are just as good (I just don’t know the words to them… yet). Instrumentally, it is very simple, but with the great vocal parts, it does not need an amazing backing. In fact, putting too much into the backing would have killed it. The vocal line was all that was necessary; it could have been a cappella for all I care. 5/5
11. All You Need Is Love
A French intro, into a song about bringing people together through love, which ends with a medley of classical music played by various and sundry instruments: it sounds great, but honestly I think they should have gone out with more of a bang. Something on the lines of the intro, a little something more upbeat crazy fun. Oh well, its still a good song. It has a good message and such. It dies get a little redundant with its “All you need is love” repetitions. But it makes sure you don’t forget it, which is what I will guess was the point, making the repeats acceptable. 3.5/5
Album Overall
This, like I said before, is the first Beatles record I have heard. My uncle had it on vinyl, and I used a converter to make it into mp3s. I guess the reason I never liked the Beatles before was I never had actually heard them. But enough about that. This album is incredibly good. The music tends to be catchy, and it only has three songs on it that I’m not fond of. I did some research on it, and found out a lot about the how the songs were made, what the name of the album means and stuff like that. The name of the album references a tour of southern England, which is commonly referred to as a Mystery Tour. They were going to call it simply Mystery Tour, until they decided it would be more fun to call it a “Magical” Mystery Tour. One of the songs that had a funny way of coming into existence was “Baby, You’re a Rich Man.” John Lennon was writing a song called “The Beautiful People,” and had written several verses for it, but no chorus. Paul McCartney was working on “Baby, You’re a Rich Man,” but had only gotten a chorus. They decided to combine Lennon’s verses with McCartney’s chorus to make a whole song. Not that those facts have anything to do with the review of the album. I just wanted to include them for fun. Well, I think this was an exceptional album. Album Rating: 4/5
