The Beatles started recording Revolver in April 1966 and recorded contintually for three months. Paperback Writer and Rain were released as their 12 single in June, a gap of six months from their last release which was their longest gap between releases since the band started. But anyone who knows this album and the quality of music coming from the Beatles at this time knows it was worth the weight. Paperback Writer & Rain never made the album; which contains14 tracks.
Recording started with the song Tomorrow Never Knows, which started the revoluntion in recording techniques as the song introduce many of the new studio technique the band together with George Martin and Geoff Emerick put together. The techniques included the incorporation of tape loops and backwards recordings of guitars, the use of a classical oct, indian-music backing, varispedding, reversed tapes and close music miking. The album is also credited with the invention of automatic double tracking (ADT), a technique invented by the engineers in Abbey Road and was adopted throughout the record industy. It's not surprising that the album took over 300 hours to record and produced.
The album opens up with Taxman written and performed by George Harrison. Hearlded as the Beatles' first topical issue song and uses the Indian guitar played by Paul McCartney.It is an upbeat tempo that has lyrics normal people can relate to, and as we know from reading the news over the last year, there has been many a celebrity who have found a way to avoid the taxman character that Harrison sings about.
This is followed up by, prehaps, one of the saddest Beatles song written by Lennon and McCartney, Eleanor Rigby. Who was Eleanor Rigby? A name on a grave that the band didn't now, but the lyrics address the theme of loneliness, which is something every generation can relate to. All four Beatles play a part in the lyrics to the song, but George Martin made the decision to put strings behind the lyrics. One music journalist at the time said "the corruption of 'Taxman' and the utter finality of Eleanor's fate makes the world of Revolver more ominous than any other pair of opening songs could."
I'm only sleeping increases the tempo once more and uses the clever technique of Varispeeding and ADT on Lennon's voice. This track was one of three tracks that was cut from the US version of Revolver and has been described as half acid dream half latent Lennon laziness personified by Barry Miles. The songs were cut due to an earlier release of the tracks by Capitol, It is a perfect song to listen to if you are on holiday or even having a well derserved day off and know that whilst the world spins, you can enjoy life at a more gentle pace. This is followed on nicely by Harrison's first foray into Hindustani classical music with "Love you to". The Beatles had already started using Indian music in their songs as Lennon brought in an Indian sitar for Norwegian Wood. My interest in India and Indian culture has been sparked this week as I've discover that I have ancestors who were born in India.
As we nearly reach the middle of the album, here comes a song that was inspired by the Beach Boys' God Only Knows. McCartney's beauty ballard Here, there and everywhere is a beautiful lyrics journey of a heart in love. Love is very much a theme throughout this album (and every album they wrote) but perhaps these tracks show the maturing style of not just the song writing of the band but the emotional growth. Love and the meaning of love changes with the experience you have. If I was a Rock DJ on air, I would dedicate this track to my in-laws who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this week. I feel there is something more romantic about old love as the longer two people are together the more entwinded they become. I am a romantic at heart.
Often described as the coffee break from the drama of their song writing, Yellow Submarine was written with Ringo's voice in mind and again the work achieved on this track to create a nautical atmosphere to accompany the lyrics. It would be four years before the film of the same name would be released. Good pub quiz knowledge.
Before you get gidding from the sea, the tone of the album changes again with the song She said She Said. This song only features Harrison and Lennon as there was an argument in the studio and McCartney stormed out. The lyric "I know what it is like to be dead" comes from a conversation with Peter Fonda, who remember nearly dying during an operation as a child. The track recording went right up to the wire taking nine hours to produce, with just 24 hours before the album had to be finalised. If you were listening to the original recording of this, this is where the record would need to be turned over.
Side 2 for those who know what sides are starts as bright as any album with the track Good Day Sunshine. A song for anyone who can't help but smile about life. Followed up with And your bird can sing there are signs of Dylan's inspired composition and a nod to Frank Sinatra with this number. This was another track omitted from the US album version.
Talking about love, I wonder what it is like for Jane Asher who is said to be the inspiration for For No One, to hear this song now and whether she listens with fondness for the memories or regret. No one will probably ever know. Keeping the theme of being inspired by people the next song, Dr Robert celebrates a New York physician known for dispensing amphetamine injections to his patients. On the recoding, the hard-driving performance is interrupted by two bridge sections where, over harmonium and chiming guitars chords, the group vocals suggest a choir praising the doctor for his services. Dr Robert was the third track not to make the US album.
Harrison said he wrote I want to tell you about "the avalanche of thoughts" that he found hard to express in words. The song opens with a descending guitar riff as the recording fades in, similar to the start of the Beatles' 1964 track Eight days a week. This song is quickly followed up with Got to Get you into my life and was described by McCartney as a ode to pot.
Perhaps it is the last track which was their first track to start recording for the album which was the band's greatest achievement in studio recording at this time. This song is one of the earliest example of the emerging counterculture genre of psychedlic music. Some of the production on this track along is why this album often top of the best albums of all time.
I think and perhaps it is just me but one of the lovely things about this album is that you can see the development of the Beatles from the early days of Hamburg and Beatlemania to four very talented musicans who built on their roots. Their music evolves from what has gone before and the fact that they commissioned Klaus Voormann to design the (now) iconic album cover shows that they didn't forget their friends. For those who don't know Voormann becames friends with the Beatles when they first did gigs in Hamburg and was involved with the start of their careers
I could talk about this record for hours but perhaps it is better for you to listen it to understand why this album is only 50 years young and will be listen for another 500 years.
Written by Lennon, McCarney & Harrison
Album: Revolver
Released: 5 August 1966.
I think and perhaps it is just me but one of the lovely things about this album is that you can see the development of the Beatles from the early days of Hamburg and Beatlemania to four very talented musicans who built on their roots. Their music evolves from what has gone before and the fact that they commissioned Klaus Voormann to design the (now) iconic album cover shows that they didn't forget their friends. For those who don't know Voormann becames friends with the Beatles when they first did gigs in Hamburg and was involved with the start of their careers
I could talk about this record for hours but perhaps it is better for you to listen it to understand why this album is only 50 years young and will be listen for another 500 years.
Written by Lennon, McCarney & Harrison
Album: Revolver
Released: 5 August 1966.
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