A lot happened between Turn! Turn! Turn! and Fifth Dimension. The primary songwriter left, Bob Dylan betrayed folk music, and the Beatles released Rain, which some argue was the first proper psychedelic song. The Byrds must have heard that single (and famously, John Coltrane’s India) and perked up, because on their third album (which was released before Revolver), the group adapts their California folk rock to accommodate seemingly unnatural source material (Mr. Spaceman, Eight Miles High), untraditional chord changes (What’s Happening?!?!), and what would later be referred to by music critics with the term “guitar freakouts” (I See You).
Psychedelic
Record #33: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour (1968)
I will say it right now: Magical Mystery Tour is my favorite Beatles record.
I will also say that “my favorite” and “the best” are different (the best is yet to come).
Continue reading