The Beatles—Revolver
Considered one of, if not, the greatest album of all time, Revolver speaks for itself.
Released in 1966 after a 3 month break (the longest in their career as of yet), Revolver would is the first album the band would record with no intention of performing it live. Experimentation being the primary element to producing the band’s seminal album. Not only within the recording studio, but also within the mind. Lennon, Harrison, and Starr began using LSD in the summer of 1965 to expand their minds. While this sentiment would creep its way into the Rubber Soul album, Revolver is where the band’s psychedelia is on full display for the first time. The experimentation in the studio created new standards which changed the face of modern recording. The first close-mic drum setups and backwards recording are among two of the techniques the band pioneered. The title, like the band’s own name, is a play on words both describing a gun but also the revolution of a record. Revolver as of 2022, is the band’s 5th highest selling album.
As ubiquitous as The Beatles are, their discography was not always as easy to access as it is today. My first Beatles album was 1, released in 2000, a compilation of all the band’s number one singles. There were discrepancies between what Capitol Records, Parlophone, and Apple records released where and when, with Revolver not having an official track listing until 1987. This is all to say, I didn’t discover Revolver until 2009 when The Beatles entire discography became remastered on CD. “Taxman” starts the album with Harrison’s snarky takedown of the current parliament’s tax code. While a great anthem for the everyman and a fantastic song, it is difficult to feel too sorry for a millionaire complaining about not having more millions. The album then transitions into the first song in the band’s discography to not feature any instrumentation by the four main members, “Eleanor Rigby.” McCartney penned Eleanor Rigby after spending time helping an elderly woman who lived alone. This song endures as a classic amongst The Beatles’ catalog for its striking poetic bleakness, use of layered vocal tracks, and the use of an octet string arrangement composed by George Martin. The only Ringo sung song on the album, “Yellow Submarine” is written by Lennon/McCartney. This song is notable for the band’s use of an echo chamber, taped party noises, and its childlike simplicity. Side A closes with Lennon’s “She Said She Said,” the Indian instrumentation and lyrics explore an LSD trip with Peter Fonda. Side B jumps to a peppy start with McCartney’s “Good Day Sunshine,” a song I find a bit grinding, but is simple and harmless. Side B continues with its pep until Mccartney’s dreary “For No One” about his breakup with an actress. This song is again notable for McCartney not enlisting the help of his band mates, a habit soon to create a rift in the band’s dynamic. The classic ragtime rock of Harrison’s “I Want To Tell You” expresses his discomfort as “the quiet Beatle.” I find the lyrics on this song poignant and self aware in all the best ways. McCartney’s penultimate track “Got To Get You Into My Life” harkens to earlier Beatles’ recordings with peppy tones and love laden lyrics. The album closer is “Tomorrow Never Knows,” Lennon’s acid rock ballad of self realization. This song uses every trick Revolver has in its book: reversed notes, sped up vocal tracks, and disorienting sound effects. A fitting closer for the album as the band would say goodbye to their boy band tendencies and enter the swinging new age of mind expansion.
Must Listen To: And Your Bird Can Sing
Although Lennon later discredited his own song as pedestrian, I find the most enduring mid-career Beatles songs. Similar to Harrison’s “I Want To Tell You” this song expresses the vast loneliness Lennon experienced throughout his life. How he could find a girl with everything, but she couldn’t see him for what he really was (for good or bad). The tambourine, Harrison’s plucky guitar work, and Lennon’s varying range all mesh together to create an unforgettable pop song. And while yes, this is a pop song reminiscent of the band’s earlier work, there is an edge present which becomes more apparent in their later work. Lennon’s cynicism can be heard in their next album when singing “Can’t get no worse” over McCartney’s “Getting Better.” This song is Lennon beginning to come into his own in the sardonic way he would come to be known for in his short career.
