McCartney Times

The release and success of the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was only one of the reasons why The Beatles found themselves on the cover of TIME this week. More importantly, the story was a recognition of the fact that the band had rather smoothly moved on from the teenybopper sound that had made them famous to “a higher artistic plateau.”Without losing the sense of fun that had so captivated audiences, The Beatles had stretched their musical limits and, in doing so, managed to speak to both eternal struggles of love and life and the very of-the-moment revolution that was the 1960s. Though they had shed a few of their fans (like younger listeners who flocked to groups like The Monkees for their dose of pop harmony) they had sustained the interest of their maturing original listeners while capturing new fans, too. It was a feat that was almost impossible not to notice, the story observed: Rich and secure enough to go on repeating themselves —or to do nothing at all—they have exercised a compulsion for growth, change and experimentation. Messengers from beyond rock ‘n’ roll, they are creating the most original, expressive and musically interesting sounds being heard in pop music. They are leading an evolution in which the best of current post-rock sounds are becoming something that pop music has never been before: an art form. “Serious musicians” are listening to them and marking their work as a historic departure in the progress of music—any music.For some of those “serious” fans, TIME’s writers believed, the new thinking about The Beatles had crossed the line into “over-interpretation.” But for most, it was simply refreshing to be able to hear their take on what one fan called “the world, love, drugs, the way things are.”And, moreover, “when The Beatles talk—about drugs, the war in Viet Nam, religion—millions listen, and this is a new situation in the pop music world.” In hindsight, though the observations about the band’s impact would certainly stand the test of time, there’s a certain sadness that clings to the lighthearted take on the interpersonal dynamics that created that revolutionary sound. “The Beatles keep in touch constantly, bounding in and out of each other’s homes like members of a single large family—which, in a sense, they are. Their friendship is an extraordinarily intimate and empathetic bond,” the story noted. Their background, experiences, talents and careers had joined them in a way that could not be replicated and, as they eagerly planned for their upcoming trip to study with the Maharishi in India, there seemed to be no limit to where the group could go.The Beatles would announce their break-up about three years later.

Source: The Beatles Sgt Pepper Album: How the Band Changed the World | Time.com