....."Within You Without You" was dropped from the LP and Side 2 began with either "Penny Lane" or "Strawberry Fields"? If so, which of these would best kick off the second side?
No. Within You and Without You is a great song and is perfect where it is. Eastern mysticism in an album full of western psychedelia. Exotic followed immediately by cheeky traditional British music hall.
avsjerry is right...the album exists as it is. The only thing that I think would make it a better album is if it was a better album. Whenever I hear awe and reverence regarding this album, I have to think of a British songwriting duo that I consider superior; Glen Tillbrook and Cris Difford of Squeeze. I'll put Sweets Fom a Stranger or East Side Story against Sgt . Peppers any day. No, music isn't a contest. I'm just referring to talent, musicianship and just plain old entertaining excellence. I think that way too much has been made of Sgt. Peppers.
Amen roxy, about both the imo somewhat over-rated SP, and Squeeze. Squeeze are becoming almost forgotten, but they were one of the very best of their time (late 70’s into the 80’s), if your taste includes "Pop" (a dirty word to some, especially Grateful Dead-loving hippies). Great albums, good live too.
Another great Pop group is The Rubinoos, whose guitarist Tommy Dunbar is absolutely fantastic.
There is an avid following of Beatles fans on the Hoffman board who are constantly raising similar questions about track arrangements and perfect sequencing for the songs within the various albums. I've never been a huge fan of Sgt. Pepper's, and the hype surrounding it from day one only pushed me further away. There are a few tracks on it that I like and I rely on the recent Mono Box. I'm not a Beatles hater- far from it-- the early videotape of their performance at the Washington Coliseum in 1964 continues to astound me- playing without stage monitors on a dinky stage in a crowded basketball arena- these guys were close to note perfect in their harmonies. They were, at that time, playing old style rock and roll and doing it as well as anybody. Yes, some of the Lennon/McCartney song writing that followed is brilliant, but if I had to pick a late album, it would probably be side two of Abbey Road, for both content and sequence. Love that Squeeze track- Tempted by the Fruit of Another.
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