In 1987 it seemed like it had taken forever until the first “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” CD was released, only four years after the Compact Disc was introduced in America, and 20 years after the original album came out. The remixed stereo CD of Pepper is now out, and it definitely sounds remixed, not just remastered as with the 2009 sets, which also included the original mono mixes. I like most of the changes in the new Pepper, but some will take a little getting used to.
Here’s a quick glimpse of what was going on exactly 30 years ago, with a bit of Johnny Carson’s opening monologue from May 21, when the Alzheimer’s Disease affecting Ronald Reagan was already starting to show.