Would "Sgt. Pepper's" be a better album if.....

there's at least six beatles albums i'd take over sp, with only the title track, "fixing a hole" and the incredible "day in the life" really matching their lofty standard (tho i do admire "lucy in the sky" from a distance). the penny lane/strawberry field single, however, is among their very best work and would have markedly improved the album.

I love that there are others who feel as do I. Sgt. Pepper was a product of it’s time, and has not aged well, sounding dated. The best music is timeless, out-living the social conditions which influenced, even produced, it. I do listen to Sgt. Pepper in context, and much prefer other music being made in 1967, of which there is imo a lot "better" (which is nothing other than personal taste, of course). I have long considered both Rubber Soul and Revolver much better albums than SP. And if the "white" album had been a single rather than a double, it would have been much better. Too self-indulgent!

bdp24,
I agree. Listen to The Worst of Jefferson Airplane. Even though it was a product of it's time, the beauty of many of the songs sounds very fresh, to gimmicky.

Another vote for Within You Without You.
IMO: An excellent song.
The album wouldn't be the same without it.

bdp, as a lark i pulled out the white album for a re-listen--the long, pointless "revolution 9" is a wank, but most of the rest is really tight. personally, i would also excise "ob-la-di" and the ringo song, but you're still left with a great double album, with side 3 being just about perfect