Pitchfork

If the Beatles' 1967 chamber-pop masterwork Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band isn't the finest album ever recorded, it's not far from it. For evidence, peep every critic's poll ever, or simply take out your copy (you do own Sgt. Pepper, right?).

On June 1, Sgt. Pepper turns 40. BBC Radio 2, in bizarre, ill-advised tribute to that otherwise momentous occasion, has commissioned thirteen bands to cover the venerable album's songs, with the results being aired June 2. The bands will use the Beatles' original recording equipment and Beatle engineer Geoff Emerick will oversee the project.

Roughly half of the bands have been announced so far: Oasis (no shit!), the Killers (erm, okay), Kaiser Chiefs, Travis (...getting colder), James Morrison, the Fratellis and Razorlight. Durr!

Look, I'm sure these things seem like a good idea in boardrooms or over a few pints; there's money to be made, the source material won't suffer for these fools, and there's a fairly good chance Oasis will pull something worth hearing out of their inevitable take on the title track. But unless they peg Radiohead for "Within You Without You" or Olivia Tremor Control for "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" or Jesus H. Christ for "Lovely Rita," there's no way the finished product will be anything but a bold experiment in screwing up an otherwise perfect thing. I can't be the only one who remembers the I Am Sam soundtrack.