The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

8.5 - England - 1967

Their weirdest record. The songs from this strange little TV special are some of their loosest recordings. The title track is an underwritten gem, and “Flying” is in its non-descript mellotron-led twelve bar blues psychedelia is delightfully baffling. The droning “Blue Jay Way” is not without its charms, but let’s face it – if it weren’t a song by the Greatest Band of All Time, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was some unfinished home recording by a deserved unknown. “Your Mother Should Know” is an egregious testament to Paul’s cloyingness, and “I Am The Walrus” is as awesome as it is held to be. The second side of the LP (the first side was released as double EP in the UK) consists of non-album singles from the same period, which feature the same loony psych-ness of the film songs, albeit with more disciplined production. “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” is an underrated gem – there’s something about the bassline on the second line of the chorus that seals it for me. A musicologist could better explain it, but it’s like a slightly wrong note that is oh so very right.