Sgt. Pepper and the diverging aesthetics of Lennon and McCartney
Aldershot: Ashgate, (2008)Abstract
Sgt. Pepper’s lonely hearts club band is frequently described as the Beatles’ creative peak in terms of the members’ collaboration with one another. But the nature of this collaboration was different than ever before, Lennon and McCartney having derived dissimilar lessons from the success of their previous album, Revolver. McCartney fully embraced the idea that experimentation with the possibilities of a sophisticated, multi-layered narrative approach should continue as he approached the Beatles’ new album, whereas Lennon chose instead to focus on the refinement of his own, increasing personal psychedelic style.