The Beatles - Revolver Review - by Damon

"I am alive and well and unconcerned about the rumors of my death. But if I were dead, I would be the last to know."
- Paul McCartney, 1969

taken from : http://www.stevesbeatles.com/quotes/

Wanted

to start with the whole lot of Beatles' album review long time ago but couldn't really start due to academic pressures. Hope i can share my wealth of Beatles knowledge (derived from my Beatles class this semester) with you guys reading this.

Ok. Why Revolver first? No apparant reason. But this is my lecturers' favourite album. He claimed that this is the best Beatles album that can endure hundreds of times of listening.

First off. The album cover. Its a award winning album cover that doesn't really contain any photographs of any Beatles member. And if u notice there wasn't a "Beatles" on the cover, which was something unconventional cos most bands that day would want everybody to know they're buying an album from their band - except the Beatles.

Track listings as follows:

Taxman / Eleanor Rigby / I'm Only Sleeping / Love You To / Here There And Everywhere / Yellow Submarine / She Said She Said / Good Day Sunshine / And Your Bird Can Sing / For No One / Dr Robert / I Want To Tell You / Got To Get You Into My Life /Tomorrow Never Knows



The opening track, a Harrison song, Taxman, sings about the frustration of the Beatles getting sucked dry by the tax they pay. Interestingly, the chorus sounded so much like the Batman theme song. It was not an accident. In my own opinion, the usage of this song as the opening track kinda puzzled me because it has always been George Martin's and Beatles philosophy to put the best tracks on the first and last of each side.

Then the famous Eleanor Rigby. Solely Paul McCartney's effort with strings. The second song with this kind of arrangement after the (again famous) Yesterday. Franz Ferdinand had this song in their 2nd album "Eleanor put your boots on". Inspired by this Beatles song. This poignant song about loneliness was like none other back in the 60s.

Then I'm only sleeping, Lennon's. At this period of time, he was having acid trips daily and watching television. And everytime Paul would visit him to get the songs done and he would still be asleep. Paul would then sit by the pool to work while Lennon slowly wakes up. So aha. Lennon wrote about a song bout sleeping, or waking up from sleep. This song features backwards guitar somewhere in the middle and at the end of the track. Something not heard ever before in the 60s. Not many people use this effect in songs now huh? I personally thot it sounded pretty cool. Prior to attending the Beatles class, I always thought that noise was done electronically. But well. in the 60s, there weren't Garageband or software like that huh.

Love You To. Harrison's. Heavily Indian influenced. I actually know quite some about this song. Something about having an Indian Raga or something. I could go flip my notes and tell you but heck, not really my favourite Beatles song. Skip to the next.

Here There and Everywhere. Omg. Paul wrote this song for his girlfriend and i'm quite sure she must be so touched with this song. I almost cry everytime i listen to this song (not really actually but almost there..). My teacher don't really like Pauls songs cos they sounded cheesy at times and too lovey-dovey but i dun really share his dislikings. I haven't heard any love song from the past 10 years that I think is as good/nice as this. Interesting thing? hmm. none actually but the title of the songs actually only came at the end of the song. Words from the title appear one by one in the verses.

Yellow Submarine. Ringos song! haha. Some random sounds in and out. Lennon making funny sounds. along with this song and many others around this mid-Beatles period, inspired the film Yellow Submarine.

She said She said. At first I thought there easn't anything much special but this song had many hidden nice touches. The song actually goes from 4/4 from the verses into 3/4 right after each. But the way Beatles did it, it sounded so natural, like totally blended into this smooth sound.

Followed by Good Day Sunshine, And your Bird can Sing, nice and in my opinion better than many songs today but I have limited things about these songs to say. Skip.

For No One. Also nothing much to say. But I quite like this song. Had this French Horn solo but was supposedly very hard to play and the person playing it done it superbly. Very soothing song.

ok all the way, to the 2nd last song, Got to get you into my Life. Paul's song i think. And this fast tempo song was kinda catchy and with the nice 'oohs' at before the "say we'll be together everyday" at the bridge and i thought its another nice catchy love song but HELL, i'm so wrong, They were singing bout Pot. Drugs. "did i tell you i need you? every single day of my life"? at first i thought it was for a girl. but well. Suddenly the song sounded different right after i knew what was in their mind when they were writing this song. Hell.

Then closing, my teacher's favourite Beatles song, Tomorrow Never Knows. At first i thought its another Harrison weird songs but it wasn't really. The lyrics were based on the Tibetan Book of Death and its about existentialism[super SP?]. omg. who actually sings about existentialism?!?! And what the hell is existentialism?? from dictionary : A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. omg. And the song had so many layers, all done with 4-track systems. Not like today where we can easily splice many many layers of sounds together easily. Go enjoy.