Greater Than or Equal To: Is "Magical Mystery Tour" Greater Than "Sgt. Pepper's"?

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a landmark record that celebrated its 50th Anniversary this summer, one of many great musical moments that took place during the Summer Of Love, 1967. It saw the Beatles donning the masks of an alter-ego band, free to create whatever kinds of music they wanted while retreating from the rigors of the road. It has been called the first concept album and the greatest record of all time (No citation necessary; you've heard people say this, right?).

Released in late 1967, "Magical Mystery Tour" is the album that accompanied a widely-derided BBC made-for-TV-movie. "The Express called it 'tasteless nonsense' and 'blatant rubbish.' In the States, NBC cancelled an agreement to show the film. (The Guardian)"

So which record is better? The good one?

Skip to the bottom for the short answer or slug it out for a few grafs of TL;DR.

Paul McCartney described the Lonely Hearts Club Band as "a bit of a brass band in a way, but also a bit of a rock band because they've got the San Francisco thing." (Rolling Stone) You definitely hear this mixture at the end of the first verse of the ferocious title track, when the frenetic electric band fades out for a few bars of hopelessly out-of-style brass harmonies. At the end of that track, of course, they introduce Billy Shears, who, played by Ringo, sings "With A Little Help From My Friends."

This "band" concept is completed by the "Sgt. Pepper's... (Reprise)" and the supposed encore, "A Day In The Life." In between, there's nothing to hold the concept together. The closest nod is John going further down the rabbit hole with the bizarre oompah of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," which name-checks another troupe of performers, a circus line-up inspired by a vintage poster, with Mr. Kite "topping the bill." Most of the time spent in the middle of Sgt. Pepper is just a lot of stuffing -- not dangerous, delicious, cooked-in-the-turkey-cavity stuffing, but boring, store-bought, cooked-to-cardboard on a sheet pan stuffing. The low-point might be "Good Morning Good Morning," where Lennon has the nerve to suggest "I've got nothing to say, but it's okay." No, it's not. Step away from the mic and revise.

(TL;DR parenthetical: George Harrison tried this same technique elsewhere during the Pepper sessions. On "Only A Northern Song," he sarcastically ventures, "It doesn't really matter what chords I play / What words I say or time of day it is." The Beatles shelved that ditty and let it marinade until they needed filler for the "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack. In spite of its nihilistic glee, it's an amazing song.)

"Magical Mystery Tour" has no concept holding it together. The original British release was a "double-EP" with the six songs from the original movie (among them, the eruption of "I Am the Walrus" and the soft instrumental psych-blues of "Flying"). But here's where this comparison tips in favor of "Magical Mystery Tour." The American release of the album was a full LP, with a fat second side stocked with all their recent singles.

The early 1967 double-A side single "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" was a wallop. These were among the first songs recorded for the "Sgt. Pepper" sessions, with Lennon and McCartney digging deep into some Freudian unconscious for their feel-weird suburban recollections. The songs deserved to be included on Pepper, but they were released ahead of the album due to contract obligation. "The only reason that 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane' didn't go onto the new album," said George Martin in the Anthology, "was a feeling that if we issued a single, it shouldn't go onto an album. That was a crazy idea and I'm afraid I was partly responsible." (beatlesbible.com)

Side two gets a further boost from "All You Need Is Love," which got a live, worldwide television broadcast on June 25th, just days after the Summer Of Love's solstice. That song saw Lennon mining a mountain of obvious-but-catchy observations with glib maxims like "Nothing you can make that can't be made." Not to be outdone in the ranks of catchy-but-obvious, McCartney came roaring back with "Hello Goodbye" (sample lyric: I say high, you say low / You say why and I say I don't know). That single was released on November 24th 1967, and topped charts around the world.

SONG-BY-SONG

Here's a song-by-song matchup, with track-listing reference to Pepper. We've made relevant comparisons wherever possible, like George's tunes, the lead-off tunes, and the massive codas. Highly subjective, but here they go:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band + Reprise > Magical Mystery Tour

"Mystery Tour" is a solid rocker, but even the small-and-mighty Pepper "Reprise" could destroy it.

With a Little Help from My Friends = The Fool on the Hill

"Friends" is more cheesy; "Fool" is more treacly. Draw.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds < Strawberry Fields Forever

Lennon v Lennon. Both amazing, but the "Strawberry Fields" production is unbeatable.

Fixing a Hole = Flying

An introspective Paul vs. the band taking a stab at film scoring. Both great.

She's Leaving Home < Your Mother Should Know

"Home" is good, but the weepiness is no match Mystery Tour's bizarre showtune.

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite < I am the Walrus

Lennon at his best on Pepper is no match for Lennon at his best on Mystery Tour.

Within You Without You < Blue Jay Way

George at his best on Pepper is no match for George at his best on Mystery Tour.

When I'm 64 / Getting Better < Hello Goodbye

Pepper is two tracks deeper than Mystery Tour, so we lumped this limp tag-team together as a sacrifice for Paul's mighty single (aided by some loose boom-bap from Ringo, we might add).

Lovely Rita Meter Maid < Baby You're a Rich Man

Similar feel on both songs. We like that the 1% sleaziness of "Rich Man" provided a much-needed b-side counterweight to the utopian a-side "All You Need Is Love."

Good Morning Good Morning < Penny Lane

Lennon walks down the street and gets bored. Paul walks down the street and turns into the musical Bob Ross. Just so happy!

A Day in the Life > All You Need Is Love

"All You Need Is Love" is an enduring catchphrase, but on "A Day in the Life" Lennon and McCartney team up for a devastating suite about waking up to life's simple pleasures before you get snuffed out. Edge: A Day in the Life.

TL;DR SUMMARY

Who's keeping score? These are both essential records. Mystery Tour is the sum of its incredible parts and Pepper transcends itself due to its novel concept. If Pepper was three songs longer ("Strawberry Fields," "Penny Lane," and "Northern Song" (keep "All You Need Is Love") there would be zero discussion as to which was the heavyweight champ.