From the Magical Mystery Tour album, Penny Lane was originally released as a double A-side single with Strawberry Fields Forever, a release that George Martin considered the finest single released by The Beatles.
It's a fine, jaunty song but has prompted a rare apology. When I called The Twist twee, I really meant it, but I've realised that twee is relative. This song is more twee than .. something incredibly, unutterably, ridiculously twee. It's the Deathstar of twee. It is indescribably twee. This assessment is, of course, based on the fact that I consider most of The Beatles' output to be such. This song, however, takes the biscuit. There's none of the ironic detachment of Sgt Peppers or the youthful joie de vivre of I Want To Hold Your Hand, merely almost nauseating cuteness and daintiness. It should be enough to make you want to mug an old lady, or think impure thoughts about Kate Hudson's Almost Famous namesake groupie, just to feel better about the world, but the song is actually pretty good.
OK, it's great. And it doesn't get out of your head. Especially not the chorus, which I have spent a good portion of the morning cursing due to it's limpet-like attachment to my rather feeble mind. Plus it's got little sexual references like "keeps his fire engine clean" (apparently, whatever that means). And you can also imagine Kate Hudson all dressed up like she was in Almost Famous..
(gratuitous Kate Hudson photo)
Point is, it's a little McCartney for my liking, but it's still a fantastic song.
Verdict: Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson etc
Tomorrow: The Velvet Underground - Heroin
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