Magical Mystery Tour: An underrated album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Sgt. Abbey Road, Apr 25, 2022.

  1. Sgt. Abbey Road

    Sgt. Abbey Road Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Graz, Austria
    I’m starting this thread because I think that this record is highly underrated! It never achieved the standing of a classic album although it contains songs like „I Am The Walrus“, „Strawberry Fields Forever“, „Penny Lane“ or „All You Need Is Love“. Now I want to know your opinion:agree:
     
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  2. BrentB

    BrentB Urban Angler

    Location:
    Midwestern US
    It didn't ??? Actually it is among the only 3 of theirs I need to own. Pepper's and WA being the other 2.
     
  3. obi

    obi Forum Resident

    The obvious reason for this is that it is, at the very least, a contentious matter whether “Magical Mystery Tour” can be viewed as an album.
    The original UK release was a 6 song double EP.
     
  4. RobNeil

    RobNeil Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midlands, UK
    I find it hard not to view it as a 'canon' uk album now. Its pretty much perfect whatever your take on it.
     
  5. Sgt. Abbey Road

    Sgt. Abbey Road Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Graz, Austria
    That seems to be plausible:righton:
     
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  6. Evethingandnothing

    Evethingandnothing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon
    One of my faves. Always preferred it to Pepper.
     
  7. Lemon Curry

    Lemon Curry (A) Face In The Crowd

    Location:
    Mahwah, NJ
    The only US album to become canon! That's greatness for ya!

    There's a lot of good tracks here, plus some great singles on side 2.

    I have the 2014 mono of this one, a really good pressing. That's my go-to copy now. The title track really rocks in mono, and I Am The Walrus is very coherent, missing that irksome transition from stereo.

    It's not Sgt Pepper, but it's fun and enjoyable.
     
  8. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    This was the first CD I ever bought in the late 80's and also the first album on vinyl I ever bought in the early 90's. I was a cassette first kid in the 80's. That is what you buy when you have a walkman as your only music media playing device.
    This album is one of my favorite albums of all time. It has so many solid tracks and I am a huge fan of Blue Jay Way. This is a masterpiece collection of songs.
    ***I don't think it is underrated. I do think it is an underrated Beatles album.***
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2022
  9. Roland Stoves

    Roland Stoves 3.9% Neanderthal

    Location:
    Niagara
    I have loved the album, ever since its North American release.

    "Baby You're A Rich Man" and "Fool On The Hill" are my favourite tracks.
     
  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    It's hard to logically think anything the Beatles did was underrated.

    Love the guys, have all the albums, but the hype and hysteria that seems to constantly stream on the forum would suggest a lot of it is rather overrated really.
     
  11. Hall Cat

    Hall Cat Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
  12. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    One of my least fav Beatles albums.
    Also always preferred it to Pepper.
     
  13. Exitmusic

    Exitmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leicester U.K
    I'm not sure that an album that sold eight million copies worldwide and is generally considered part of the canon be underrated but ymmv.
     
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  14. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    Amen. Next thing you know, we'll get a thread suggesting Paul McCartney is under-rated. Any excuse....

    ...and just for the record, if MMT is considered an album I think it's a very good one, mainly for the singles side, which are some of the best songs they ever did. It doesn't have any coherence of course, but that's to be expected for an album that is really an EP paired with a bunch of singles.
     
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  15. Wildest cat from montana

    Wildest cat from montana Humble Reader

    Location:
    ontario canada
  16. chickendinna

    chickendinna Homegrown’s All Right With Me

    Any album, let alone a Beatle album, that has Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane just to name two songs, is classic and certainly not underrated in my book. It’s still gets plenty of airplay in my house when I want Beatle Psych that isn’t Peppers.
     
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  17. Slim Pickins

    Slim Pickins Forum Resident

    This was my first, from my aunt who worked at kdisc. No idea what happened to it.
     
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  18. Slim Pickins

    Slim Pickins Forum Resident

    The whole thing is beautiful. Flying may be the only music one needs.
     
  19. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    It's rated high and rightfully so.
     
  20. Slim Pickins

    Slim Pickins Forum Resident

    Yes, it is rated highly. Which is why it was canonized. Read up.
     
  21. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I think of it more as a compilation of their 1967 non-album material than a proper studio album. The fact that the US LP didn’t become the “canon” version until CD era probably has something to do with why Magical Mystery Tour gets mentioned less than Sgt Pepper, The White Album, and Abbey Road. That being said, I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about MMT, and the material on it seems to be pretty much universally loved. If it was a “real” Beatles album, it might just be my favorite.
     
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  22. Mickey2

    Mickey2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bronx, NY, USA
    I'm sure I'm in the minority when I say it is OVERRATED if anything. Sure it has some big hits on it. But it also has some subpar filler or experimental misses, although it is hard to get unwavering Beatles fans to admit that.
     
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  23. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I consider it canon from 1976 when it was released in the UK.
     
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  24. BZync

    BZync Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    MMT is one of two odd albums in the Beatles catalogue, the other being Yellow Submarine (for obvious reasons).

    As an album, it works well, even if side two was never meant to be part of the original EP. With MMT & Pepper, you have almost all of the Beatles 1967 output in one place, so it makes for an interesting pairing if you are in the mood for psychedelia.

    But, the quality of the songwriting on side one took a dip from Pepper, which took a dip from Revolver. The title track, while an exciting recording, is unoriginal, it's just a different take on the Pepper intro. I know that many consider Fool On The Hill to be one of Paul's great compositions, he still plays it live so I guess he does too. But I find it less interesting than She's Leaving Home and a big step down from For No One. Flying is a great track. I love the stereo version. I find Blue Jay Way a bit plodding. The second of Paul's vaudeville type throw back songs, Your Mother Should Know, is not nearly as clever as When Im 64 or Honey Pie. It's easy to point to Walrus as a reason for MMT to exist as it is one of the Beatles best, but the rest of the side leaves it to do the heavy lifting. Are the above good songs? For the most part, yes. But compared to what went before and what will come after, the MMT EP is not as strong.

    As an album, side two more than makes up for some of the lesser tracks on side one.

    So I don't know that MMT is underrated, rather held in lower esteem than many Beatle albums. Probably rightfully so.
     
  25. astro70

    astro70 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Illinois
    I don’t think it’s underrated. I think most people who consider it an album and not just an EP would rate it pretty highly. It has some of the greatest psychedelic Beatles tracks, but also has its own unique feel. To me there’s a distinct difference from Sgt Pepper to The White album, and MMT is its own mini era all on its own in between those two giants. I remember being somewhat shocked to learn that the UK didn’t even have the album til the mid 70s, and it wasn’t considered canon until then or after. It’s always been one of my favorites.
     
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