: Rubber Soul was a significant move forward for the Beatles, but it was eclipsed by its startlingly complex followup, Revolver. All the rules fell by the wayside with Revolver, as the Beatles began exploring new sonic territory, lyrical subjects and styles of composition. It wasn't just Lennon and McCartney, either &mdash Harrison, who was allowed to contribute a precedent-shattering three songs, was staking out his own dark, dissonant territory. He was given the honor of opening the album with "Taxman," and a tightly-wound, cynical rocker that proved his two fine contributions to Rubber Soul were no flukes. Echoes of "Taxman" can be heard in the jaunty yet dissonant pop-rocker "I Want to Tell You," and where "Norwegian Wood" brought in the sitar as tonal coloring, George plunges into Indian music with "Love You To," his first and best foray into the field.
Such worldbeat explorations were undeniably a bold move for the band, but it was eclipsed by Lennon's trippy kaleidoscopes of sound. His most straightforward number was "Doctor Robert," an ode to his dealer, and things just got stranger from there. "And Your Bird Can Sing" was a typically angry statement of individuality, but it was embellished by a maze of multi-tracked guitars. "Yellow Submarine," this album's Ringo centerpiece, was a charmingly hallucinogenic slice of childhood whimsy which was overshadowed by a triptych of bad trips. Built around spiraling guitars and a winding melody, "She Said She Said" was a amiably crazed journey with dark undertones. "I'm Only Sleeping" was slightly less ominous, since there was something appealing about its crawling, druggy folk-rock murk. Then there "Tomorrow Never Knows," a pure nightmare. Singing portions of the Tibetan Book of the Dead into a suspended microphone over Ringo's thundering, menacing drumbeats and layers of overdubbed, phased guitars and tape loops, John sounds positively possessed &mdash if psychedelia was about creating a new mental state, "Tomorrow Never Knows" was the definitive psychedelic song.
McCartney didn't try to compete with the drug-fueled Lennon. His experiments were formal, as he tried on every pop style from chamber-pop to soul. Within those, he used the Beatles' groundbreaking studio techniques as subtle sonic texturing &mdash witness the multi-tracking on "Good Day Sunshine" or the processed guitars on the punchy, horn-driven "Got to Get You Into My Life." When placed alongside Lennon and Harrison's outright experimentations, McCartney's songcraft becomes all the more impressive &mdash the stately, mournful "For No One" carries additional emotional weight, the sawing strings and sad tale of "Eleanor Rigby" are all the more eerie, the sweetness of "Here, There and Everywhere" sounds genuine, not cloying.
The biggest miracle of Revolver may be that the Beatles covered so much new stylistic ground and executed it perfectly on one record, or it may be that all of it holds together perfectly. Either way, its daring sonic adventures and consistently stunning songcraft set the standard for what pop-rock could achieve. Even after Sgt. Pepper, Revolver stands as the ultimate modern pop album and it's as emulated today as it was upon its original release.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
There are only three stories worth knowing from the last 2,000 years of history: the life ... more
of Mohammed, the life of Jesus and the career of The Beatles. They invented all music ever. John was the best one; but Paul is--despite the knighthood and everyth...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
There are only three stories worth knowing from the last 2,000 years of history: the life ... more
of Mohammed, the life of Jesus and the career of The Beatles. They invented all music ever. John was the best one; but Paul is--despite the knighthood and everyth...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
very helpful by (83%):
helpful by (17%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
