Why is “Sgt. Pepper” so overhyped?
The Beatles’ magnum opus came out 40 years ago this week. Salon’s David Marchese huddled with Gina Arnold to examine it anew. Jun. 02, 2007 | June 1 marked 40 years since the release of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” In the time since the album’s debut, “Sgt. Pepper” has become one of rock’s most sacred objects, winning almost universal plaudits as a generation-defining and influential work of brilliance. But does it deserve it the hype? Having not listened to the album in years, I thought I’d give it a spin and see if “Sgt. Pepper” holds up as an indisputable masterpiece or, just maybe, is benefiting from some nostalgic groupthink. To help with my reexamination, I enlisted the witty, insightful Gina Arnold, whose books, “Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana” and “Kiss This: Punk in the Present Tense,” traced the history of the alternative-rock movement of the ’80s and early ’90s. I asked Arnold if she’d also listen to the album and then confab with me about our res
