We told you a couple weeks ago that former Danger Danger guitarist Andy Timmons was taking on a Beatles classic. Today we have more details:One of the most beloved cultural milestones of the '60s generation and every generation since, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles gets creatively interpreted and re-imagined in this all-instrumental rendition by a guitarist whose lifelong love of this material has resulted in an album that transcends all musical boundaries and genres. Two years in the making, guitar fans, Beatle fans and everyone in-between will come together when Favored Nations Entertainment releases Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper on October 24.
"I must hip you to new music I just heard that floored me! It is, without a doubt, one of the coolest things I have ever heard…originality, as well as virtuosity, will make this the best guitar instrumental record in decades, if not ever."—Guitarist Steve Lukather
Every song on Sgt. Pepper, including "Strawberry Fields Forever," a tune that was originally intended to be on that album, comes stunningly and vibrantly alive. One Guitar. Bass. Drums. That's it. Lead guitarist Andy Timmons arranged it all from memory, never once referencing the original album. This allowed him to take artistic license to travel down some of the complex paths set forth by these masterworks' original creators. It all culminates in an extraordinary lovefest of psychedelic proportions filled with improvisation and surprise. (The new coda at the end of "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" is absolutely jaw-dropping.) Hint: It's so heavy.
"Wow, what a beautiful record! Andy is such a great player! It's done very respectfully. I think his fans and many Beatles fans will love it."—Guitarist Steve Vai
"This is an extension of what I started on my Resolution album in 2006," explains Timmons. "I had been playing some of these songs live and they were always received very well. The concept of trying to do it with only my guitar plus bass/drums was scary but with the help of two world-class musicians in bassist Mike Daane and drummer Mitch Marine, I was able to reconstruct this music. I'm so proud of it and can't wait for people to hear it. I feel like I've come full-circle. It was natural to put this out – it was fun and it feels right."
"I love it! Brother Andy, you've really raised the Barre, man! It's so great in every detail. The tones are awesome, the arrangements true, the playing is stellar… truly unique. I think it will knock people's heads off."—Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel
Andy Timmons has recorded nine solo CDs of intricate guitar work; has served as Olivia Newton-John's Musical Director for several U.S. tours and has been an in-demand studio six-stringer for the likes of Paula Abdul and Paul Stanley of KISS. He's shared stages with Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, Ace Frehley, Ted Nugent, The Beach Boys, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, and Leslie Gore. In the early '90s, he sold over a million records as lead guitarist with Danger Danger. Truly, Andy Timmons is a renaissance man whose guitar work can fit any genre.