Paul McCartney called it his or the Beatles' "Freak Out" but it was nothing like Frank Zappa's Freak Out. Freak Out was less contrived or pop like. Even though the tunes were catchy they were much more far out than the almost show tune like "with a Little Help From My Friends".
There's a limited amount of poetry and social commentary save for a Day in the Life. Even that was disjointed by McCartney's falling out of bed routine that just seemed like filler.
Freak Out is arguably not even the best of the psychedelic albums. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band's Safe as Milk was as trippy and far out as anything released in 1967. It was poetic and sonically pleasing. It was far out but not so far as it lost you. It took way more chances than the Beatles did with Sgt. Pepper which is basically a a non daring pop album.
Safe As Milk was not playing it safe it was all about a new kind of trip the Beatles would never be ready for because while Pink Floyd were pushing the boundaries the Beatles were inventing new ways to say I love you which is a pop formula used to suck in the ideals of youth. That temporary optimism that marketers seek to exploit.
Safe as Milk goes to places the likes of the Doors, Byrds, etc wouldn't dare go. The Beatles tried to pick up on the Californian psychedelic sound but they listened to the Mama's and the Papa's and thought that was it or decided that's as far as they would go. Scott McKenzie put flowers in peoples hair and the Beatles did nothing to mess up the 'do. In pop music land or "Pepperland" the wind never blows. They live in a pill capsule. Everyone and everything is safe and warm. The flowers never wilt people never die. That's the Beatles. They're no different than Justin Beiber now. They're Lady Gaga because they're sold off as being "daring".
They want err Paul the leader of the Beatles wants Carnival of Light to be released but why? He wants to continue the illusion they were psychedelic innovators but the truth is they were not. They were factory workers in a pop warehouse.
