The U.S. version of the soundtrack for
the Beatles' ill-fated British television special embellished the six songs that were found on the British
Magical Mystery Tour double EP with five other cuts from their 1967 singles. The psychedelic sound is very much in the vein of
Sgt. Pepper's, and even spacier in parts (especially the sound collages of "I Am the Walrus"). Unlike
Sgt. Pepper's, there's no vague overall conceptual/thematic unity to the material, which has made
Magical Mystery Tour suffer slightly in comparison. Still, the music is mostly great, and "Penny Lane," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "All You Need Is Love," and "Hello Goodbye" were all huge, glorious, and innovative singles. The ballad "The Fool on the Hill," though only a part of the
Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack, is also one of the most popular
Beatles tunes from the era. ~ Richie Unterberger