The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Ah, the truly off the wall album from The Beatles. After the experimental 'Rubber Soul' and the trippy 'Revolver', the Beatles have cast off the shackles of their name and become their alter ego, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a kind of rockin' Edwardian military band.

Taking this persona meant that The Beatles were able to shed the expectations of them and get really weird with it, and, in the process, craft an album that I would consider the closest to perfect that I've ever heard.

We're introduced to the band in the catchy intro and led into the first song, sung by none other than Billy Shears himself (played excellently by Ringo.) After this is an array of wonderful and beautiful songs, each one with an incredibly catchy sound. I can't think of a single song from this album that isn't a hit for me. The absolute standout of the album is, of course, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, a wonderful song with bizarre lyrics and surreal imagery.

I listened to a bunch of versions of this album and I think the best ways to experience this is to listen to either the 2017 stereo remix version or the original mono mix. There was a stereo mix from '67 but it's very different to what you come to expect of stereo sound. It also wasn't overseen by the Beatles, as the primary focus was mono, so it might be considered less authentic. Nonetheless, the 2017 remix by Giles Martin, son of Beatles' Producer George Martin, is equally excellent. Brought fantastically into the modern age with the benefit of modern equipment and techniques. Listening to the vinyl version is my favourite but I understand that not everyone has a turntable, you can't go wrong with any format really.

Sgt. Pepper really has everything, it has the catchy pop songs, the psychedelic songs, the experimental songs, and of some of Paul's "granny music". It's everything you expect from a post-Rubber Soul Beatles album and it's incredible. It may be, in my opinion, the greatest album ever made.

And though they've been going in and out of style, they're guaranteed to raise a smile.