18 - The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour - 1967

Side One
Magical Mystery Tour
The Fool On The Hill
Flying
Blue Jay Way
Your Mother Should Know
I Am The Walrus

Side Two
Hello, Goodbye
Strawberry Fields Forever
Penny Lane
Baby, You're A Rich Man
All You Need Is Love


DISCOVERY; Arriving first as usual to my 8th grade English class hoping to chat to Mr. Smith for a few minutes before the rabble showed up. One day he had a box of record albums on his desk which he kept at the back of the class so students would sit with their backs to him. He wasn't like the other teachers and we got on really well. I saw the box of albums straight away, Magical Mystery Tour on top, moth to the flame of course. He said I could borrow it, take the whole box, return it to his house when I start guitar lessons which we arranged at the same time for a couple weeks hence.

That was an interesting bus ride home. The school bus could be a bit crowded. I remember sitting with the box of record albums on my lap having a little look at the covers to see what all was in there. Treating them all like gold. Several Beatles, Lennon, Harrison, McCartney but there was also a lot of stuff I was sure I wouldn't like. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Little Richard, The Mothers of Invention. I didn't normally bring homework home, I wasn't a motivated student but this felt like homework I could do. I'd have to listen to these non-Beatle records and provide some kind of feedback. It wouldn't be easy.


WHERE & WHEN; Ma had a new cassette player for her work. Similar to the one pictured. Sort of became mine when she didn't demonstrate an actual need for it and I clearly had use for the thing. She had some blank tapes I filled up immediately and promptly got more. Setting the cassette player up as close to the stereo as possible and being very very quiet while I archived the stash. So while I didn't retain the actual albums, the music became part of the collection albeit on tape. Not the greatest quality but that didn't stop me. Lo-fi love.

Magical Mystery Tour was the first of these. The songs stayed with me on cassette until I got the LP some 4 or 5 years later.

I kept the box of records several weeks over the agreed time, getting everything on tape I thought warranted the effort. Guitar lessons started. "You must sing" he said. "It builds the pathways in your brain faster between your instrument and your fingers if you sing." So I started singing. Guitar lessons also included food. The first vegetarian meal, miles of conversation, philosophy, books. His house contained a small library. I didn't read but it made me think it was probably a good idea. It was the one on one time with a generous intellectually stimulating man which I valued. I might try reading I thought...

HIGHLIGHTS; Magical Mystery Tour - Flying - I Am The Walrus - Hello, Goodbye - Strawberry Fields Forever - Baby, You're A Rich Man

STATUS; This was the only Beatles CD I had in the 90s so it got over-played. I'd like to see a complete re-mix as they've done with Sgt. Pepper. Waiting for that... still waiting...