The Act You've Known For All These Years: The Life, and Afterlife, of Sgt. Pepper by Clinton Heylin

On June 1, 2007, it will be forty years to the day since the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, an LP that changed the face of popular culture, from its Peter Blake-designed gatefold cover to the extravagant music contained within its grooves--"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "A Day in the Life" et al. Arguably the apex of the Beatles' achievements in the recording studio, the album continues to top public and critical polls as one of the greatest albums ever made.

The Act You've Known for All These Years reconstructs the life and times of Sgt. Pepper, the cultural backstory of the band and rock's turbulent early adulthood. Weaving the activities of the Beatles in with those of their contemporaries and rivals--notably Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, and Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd--Clinton Heylin reveals the inspirations and explodes the myths behind this talismanic, iconic album--and the summer of love itself. In addition, the book surveys what happened next, telling the history of the LP's afterlife from 1967 to the present day. Featuring interviews with both those who were there at the time and those who followed in the Beatles' wake, The Act You've Known for All These Years is the definitive book on the most influential LP of the pop era.

Page count: 335