What Goes Online: Revolver Edition

As you may have heard Revolver is 50 years old this year. I know. Awesome. And kind of depressing too.

Revolver remains my favourite Beatles album largely for the breathtaking scope. Here's some interesting articles.

Ultimate Rock answers Five Big ‘Revolver’ Questions

I was surprised the see the consensus on which song they'd cut (it wasn't Yellow Submarine) and the best cover (Earth Wind & Fire’s Got to Get You Into My Life) and I think this is spot on

Exactly what is it that makes Revolver so great? 

Along with Rubber Soul, this is the time in their career where Paul and John are equals. For the first few years, it was Lennon’s group, and, beginning with Sgt. Pepper, McCartney started to take over. But for a couple of albums, they were on the same level.

Guitar World breaks down the tech side

Ray Davies reviews Revolver in 1966 (and doesn't rate it)

Vanilla blogs on the downside of Revolver

My review of Revolver. How The Beatles Reimagined Rock 'N' Roll

And the LA Times proposes it might just be something in the water. Pet Sounds, Blonde On Blonde, Freak Out - 1966 was a great year for music.



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Book Review: Revolver. How The Beatles Reimagined Rock 'N' Roll

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Ray Davies Reviews Revolver

Paul McCartney was one of the most competitive people I've ever met. Lennon wasn't. He just thought everyone else was sh*t 

Ray Davies (The Kinks) in Revolver: How the Beatles Reimagined Rock 'n' Roll by Robert Rodriguez

As well as that gem, here's another I found via Rodriguez's book - Ray's review of Revolver for Disc and Music Echo Magazine in Aug '66

'Really, it's a load of RUBBISH'

Taxman - It sounds like a cross between the Who and Batman. It's a bit limited, but the Beatles get over this by the sexy double-tracking. It's surprising how sexy double-tracking makes a voice sound.

Eleanor Rigby - I bought a Haydn LP the other day and this sounds just like it. It's all sort of quartet stuff and it sounds like they're out to please music teachers in primary schools. I can imagine John saying: 'I'm going to write this for my old schoolmistress'.

I'm Only Sleeping - It's a most beautiful song, much prettier than 'Eleanor Rigby'. A jolly old thing, really, and definitely the best track on the album.

Love You Too - This sort of song I was doing two years ago--now I'm doing what the Beatles were doing two years ago. It's not a bad song--it's well performed which is always true of a Beatles track.

Yellow Submarine - This is a load of rubbish, really. I take the mickey out of myself on the piano and play stuff like this.

Good Day Sunshine - This'll be a giant. It doesn't force itself on you, but it stands out like I'm Only Sleeping. This is back to the real old Beatles. I just don't think the fans like the newer electronic stuff. The Beatles are supposed to be like the boy next door only better.

Got To Get You Into My Life - It just goes to prove that Britain's jazz musicians can't swing.

Tomorrow Never Knows - Listen to all those crazy sounds! It'll be popular in discotheques. I can imagine they had George Martin tied to a totem pole when they did this!

So, after listening to each track three or four times, the Ray Davies verdict: This is the first Beatles LP I've really listened to in it's entirety but I must say there are better songs on 'Rubber Soul'.

Go to KindaKinks.Net to read the whole review

Team Work Keeps You Sane

If there's an abject lesson here, it's this: Brian Wilson's fragile psychological state and utter lack of support from his bandmates hamstrung him, preventing him from reaching the creative heights he might have otherwise achieved. Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations depict an artist creating music that no one had ever before imagined. In contrast the Beatles' esprit de corps was never higher than it was in 1966. The creative roll they were on throughout the following year would not have been possible had they been suffering through a similar level of dysfunction.

Robert Rodriguez in Revolver: How the Beatles Reimagined Rock 'n' Roll (p.77).

For more on this check out my post Why Wasn't Brian Wilson As Successful As Lennon and McCartney? 

Under The Influence: David Bazan

I feel a little slow on the draw on the things I’m particularly interested in doing. I feel like they’re slightly out of my skill set, but that generates this very powerful hunger to overcome that and I think I’m turned on by seeing the hunger—that’s what makes other people’s art compelling to me. The ease with which Paul McCartney did everything that he did is fantastic and I’m inspired by it to a certain degree, but I’m much more compelled by John Lennon, who was just darker and hungrier. Things were less easy for him and you can feel that pulling, that tension in his music. So, I’m frustrated creatively, but I think that’s how it works.


The Beatles were certainly an influence. I listen to Revolver and The White Album often.

David Bazan interviewed on The Great Discontent