Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 12/20/1991
The U.S. version of the
soundtrack for
the Beatles' ill-fated British television special embellished the six songs that were found on the British
Magical Mystery Tour double EP with five other cuts from their 1967 singles. (The CD version of the record has now been standardized worldwide as the 11 tracks found on the American version.) The
psychedelic sound is very much in the vein of
Sgt. Pepper, and even spacier in parts (especially the sound collages of
"I Am the Walrus"). Unlike
Sgt. Pepper, there's no vague overall conceptual/thematic unity to the material, which has made
Magical Mystery Tour suffer slightly in comparison. Still, the music is mostly great, and
"Penny Lane," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "All You Need Is Love," and
"Hello Goodbye" were all huge, glorious, and innovative singles. The
ballad "The Fool on the Hill," though only a part of the
Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack, is also one of the most popular
Beatle tunes from the era.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide