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Every Little Thing- Beatles Discussion => The Beatles- Albums => Topic started by: Mervap on March 21, 2013, 09:16:50 am

Title: Revolver
Post by: Mervap on March 21, 2013, 09:16:50 am
Released August 5, 1966
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: Mervap on March 21, 2013, 09:17:54 am
If forced at crumbpoint and beaten with a pasta truncheon, I would take this album above all others to the desert island...

That is still the case...this record, along with the excellent "Rubber Soul", signifies a tipping point in the Lads' musical odyssey. Everything before is the 'moptop Beatles' and everything after is either 'psychedelic Beatles' or 'breaking-up beatles'...these two albums are a synthesis of all the tricks they had learned to that point mated to a unity that began to crumble soon after. Even the almost universally acclaimed "Sgt. Pepper" is now known to be the time when Macca's role in the Beatles was increasing.....a situation that would eventually be one of the sticking points for the other three.

There is no more frustrating thing in a band than to feel as if everybody is not pulling in the same direction. "Revolver" sounds to me as if it was the last time all four Beatles were doing that, and the results were spectacular.
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: kylenz on June 20, 2013, 06:12:58 am
Yes this would probably be my desert island Beatle album too. Like you say, it is a synthesis of almost everything they embodied, both from their past and their future. It's a shame we don't see such perfection in the albums put out today.
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: 2 of 3 on June 20, 2013, 07:51:05 am
I wish I could separate sounds like you guys. I hear any Beatle album and every time it's just right in MY head. Maybe it's because they were so prolific, and I was at "that age" at the time when they came out, that I can't see or feel the differences.

Or maybe not.  ;D
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: Keri on January 29, 2014, 11:41:40 pm
I've stated my favourite is Sgt Pepper, it's funny that Merv says and it has some truth that Paul was starting to take over with Pepper, but the irony for me is that I find John's songs much better on Pepper than on Revolver. John's Revolver songs don't do it for me.

Whereas Paul's Revolver songs are fantastic:

Good Day Sunshine - it is up in such a good way
Got to get you into My Life - Beatles could make Motown work for them
Eleanor Rigby - Classic Paul story song
For No One - Brilliant melody, pacing, lyrics and delivery
Here there and Everywhere - kind of schmaltzy but just gorgeous
Yellow Submarine - A great fun cut for Ringo and so delightfully recorded

What a crop.

Tomorrow Never Knows is the only amazing John song on the album for me, groundbreaking

I'm also not really a fan of George's Taxman, Love you too & I want to tell you are OK. 

I find Rubber Soul to be much more consistent.

Keri
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: kylenz on February 19, 2014, 03:25:41 am
I've stated my favourite is Sgt Pepper, it's funny that Merv says and it has some truth that Paul was starting to take over with Pepper, but the irony for me is that I find John's songs much better on Pepper than on Revolver. John's Revolver songs don't do it for me.

Whereas Paul's Revolver songs are fantastic:

Good Day Sunshine - it is up in such a good way
Got to get you into My Life - Beatles could make Motown work for them
Eleanor Rigby - Classic Paul story song
For No One - Brilliant melody, pacing, lyrics and delivery
Here there and Everywhere - kind of schmaltzy but just gorgeous
Yellow Submarine - A great fun cut for Ringo and so delightfully recorded

What a crop.

Tomorrow Never Knows is the only amazing John song on the album for me, groundbreaking

I'm also not really a fan of George's Taxman, Love you too & I want to tell you are OK. 

I find Rubber Soul to be much more consistent.

Keri

Wow, i find all songs on all those albums flawless. I really cannot say one is weaker than another, or John had better songs opn here, or worse on this, or whether George's contribitions were 'just ok'. Every track is a 10/10 for me, because they are all uniquely amazing in their own way, and this is something no other artist can achieve - including the Stones, Who, Kinks, Moodies, anyone. From Help on to Let It Be they had a such a high level of consistency - mind you I'm the kind of guy that really digs maxwells silver hammer! And many Beatle fans (especially the ones that bring Paul down) love to rip on that one. But then again, I love Revolution 9, The Inner Light, Hey Bulldog, all the ones that get passed over for whatever reason.

But generally yeah, Revolver is so flawless, I cannot find a songwriting fault on any of these tracks anywhere!
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: 2 of 3 on February 19, 2014, 08:19:59 am
Song combination makes a big difference..to me anyway. Sure each song is great on it's own..but when you play them mixed together, it just adds colour to everything. Same thing with the White Album...just so many ideas. It's beautiful.  :)
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: Keri on February 20, 2014, 03:33:27 am

Wow, i find all songs on all those albums flawless. I really cannot say one is weaker than another, or John had better songs opn here, or worse on this, or whether George's contribitions were 'just ok'. Every track is a 10/10 for me, because they are all uniquely amazing in their own way, and this is something no other artist can achieve - including the Stones, Who, Kinks, Moodies, anyone. From Help on to Let It Be they had a such a high level of consistency - mind you I'm the kind of guy that really digs maxwells silver hammer! And many Beatle fans (especially the ones that bring Paul down) love to rip on that one. But then again, I love Revolution 9, The Inner Light, Hey Bulldog, all the ones that get passed over for whatever reason.

But generally yeah, Revolver is so flawless, I cannot find a songwriting fault on any of these tracks anywhere!

The Beatles were an incredibly inspired band, no doubt, I think from there first album to their last + singles, there is magic all the way, what a fascinating musical journey they took us on, but for me there are high and low points. You too prefer one album to another. And while I agree Revolver is a very inspired album there are tracks I want to play by themselves, ones that I wait for and others that I'm not so keen on as I outlined above.

I might have overstated indifference to Love you too & I want to tell you, I do always enjoy those songs.

Also interesting I said i wasn't so keen on John's songs apart from Tomorrow Never Knows which is just amazing, but John also recorded Rain in the middle of the Revolver sessions and that is one of the all time great Beatles songs, if that was on it instead of Dr Robert I would think John was amazing on that album.

I'd rate Revolver as my third favourite, to me the Beatles shone most brightly from Rubber Soul to Sgt Pepper. But yeah, White album is such an amazing mixed bag, sequenced with true genius. For me the early singles She Loves You & I want to Hold your Hand have this incredible magnetism to them that i just can't define, but it doesn't strike me as at all strange that this music set England on fire. Isn't it amazing that this band that broke up over 40 years ago still has such power over us?


Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: Mervap on June 11, 2016, 09:16:18 am
I recently got a newer car, and with that came a MUCH better car stereo. Having said that, I have been listening to some Beatles things with keener ears. This morning, I walked smack into "Tomorrow Never Knows" from the Mono set. The song is amazing, for a start, but the remastering really makes it all shine....especially Ringo's hypnotic drums. "Tomorrow Never Knows", when played at a satisfying volume, is a positively hair raising, goose-bump inducing thrill ride.
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: 2 of 3 on June 11, 2016, 02:40:05 pm
Some say his goose bumps are actual geese. And that in high school he contracted Stereo instead of Mono... All we know is... he's called....The Merv  8)
Title: Re: Revolver
Post by: Mervap on June 11, 2016, 05:47:07 pm
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D