Currently, the segmentation of the musical field into a broad series of musical genres makes it increasingly difficult to perceive idols capable of representing a large portion of the listening public. However, a few decades ago, it seemed easier to discuss and point out the emergence of classics that would mark an entire generation. In the 1960s, among all the material recorded at the time, the album “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ” by Beatles seems to occupy a special place.
In this period, Western culture was experiencing a series of changes largely revered by a portion of young people dissatisfied with the status quo . Sexual freedom, the intelligent provocations of the writers of the “beat generation ”, the hippie movement , the pop art and pacifism against the Vietnam War they became fertile elements in the minds and hearts of many individuals at that time. Not by chance, the Beatles' renowned album tries to dialogue with all these trends.
From the musical aspect, this album intended to break barriers when it had the audacity to extrapolate the already established instrumentation that defined rock'n'roll . Instead of sticking to the same formula that popularized the band's sound, the Beatles approached the elements of classical music and flirted with the newcomer electronic music . Entering this new path of possibilities put “Sgt. Peppers” in tune with the experimentalism of drugs and from psychedelia of the time.
In addition, the lyrics brought a different possibility of linear narratives that could easily reach any listener. In this album, the messages have a great power of communication, however, they require a little more elaborate reflection exercise. The very name of the record, which refers to the name of a band, sought to create a fictional situation in which the famous boys from Liverpool would be something different from what everyone was used to seeing and hearing.
Another point that demonstrated the breaking of paradigms, proposed by the band, was the creation of a cover in which the set appears mixed with a series of elements and famous characters in that period. The least important pretension was to publicize the group's image. Inspired by the concepts of pop art and the hippie movement, the cover is full of flowers and features a montage featuring the image of movie actors, spiritual guides from the East, psychologists, political leaders, writers and musicians.
Without a doubt, this album does not have the will to summarize the full range of songs and musical experiences and groups of that era. However, his capacity for synthesis and experimentation brought a spark of renewal contrary to a world marked by the horrors of the Vietnam war and other formalisms that no longer found strength among the new generation of that time. “Sgt. Peppers” did not come to change the world, but to demonstrate how the world seemed to be changing.
Since then, a lot has changed and the issues that concern the world and its youth have also changed. It is difficult to say whether art, especially music, will still offer us a work of similar impact. However, all the creative energy responsible for one of the most recognized records of the 20th century is still revered as an example to many who seek to embrace new realities through music.
* Image credits:Spatuletail and Shutterstock