Revolver and drugs
The writing and recording of Tomorrow Never Knows was a clear indication of The Beatles' ongoing interest in drugs. While the group had been experimenting with them since their Hamburg days, and had made allusions in earlier songs such as She's A Woman and Day Tripper, Tomorrow Never Knows found them explicitly revealing – albeit to those in the know – their discovery of LSD.
It wasn't the only Revolver song to be inspired by drugs. She Said She Said was influenced by a conversation John Lennon had with actor Peter Fonda in America, while both were on acid. Doctor Robert was about a New York doctor with a reputation for administering amphetamines to patients, and Got To Get You Into My Life was described by Paul McCartney as "an ode to pot".
It's not to a person, it's actually about pot. It's saying, I'm going to do this. This is not a bad idea.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
The two best-known songs on Revolver, Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine, also betrayed The Beatles' interest in drugs. The former contained the surreal image of the protagonist "wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door", and Yellow Submarine's childlike wonderment was widely interpreted as a nod to the daisy age's nostalgic sensibilities. They were both, however, written before McCartney had taken LSD for the first time.
While John Lennon's songwriting arguably hit a peak on Rubber Soul, Revolver saw Paul McCartney emerging as the dominant writer in The Beatles. Three of his songs in particular – Eleanor Rigby, For No One and Here, There And Everywhere – were among his all-time best, establishing him as a peerless writer of ballads.
Eleanor Rigby was scored by producer George Martin for a string octet. It was inspired by François Truffaut's film scores, and the strings were recorded without reverberation, using a close-microphone technique that gave a distinctive stark quality.
Revolver contained, for the first time, three songs written by George Harrison. Taxman opened the album, and contained perhaps The Beatles' first piece of socio-political commentary. His biggest musical departure, meanwhile, was Love You To, the first of three Beatles songs by Harrison in the style of Indian music.
Chart success
Revolver was an instant hit with the record-buying public. It topped the UK charts for seven weeks from 13 August 1966, and spent a total of 34 on the charts.
In the US the album was the group's 11th release for Capitol Records, and spent six weeks at number one. It was also the last time the label would alter the tracklisting of a Beatles album for the American market. Three songs – I'm Only Sleeping, And Your Bird Can Sing and Doctor Robert – had been included on the Yesterday... And Today compilation, which meant Revolver was issued in the US with just 11 songs.
Just one single was released from Revolver. The double a-side Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine was issued in both the United Kingdom and United States on the same day as Revolver.
Cover artwork
Revolver was the second Beatles album, after Rubber Soul, to not feature the group's name on the front cover. The black-and-white artwork was by Klaus Voormann, a musician and artist whom The Beatles befriended in Hamburg. It was made up partly of pen drawings, with collage sections including photographs by Robert Whitaker and Robert Freeman. Whitaker also took the photograph on the rear of the LP.
Klaus had been a great friend since Hamburg days – he'd been one of the 'exis', the existentialists whom we'd got to know then. We knew he drew and he'd been involved in graphic design; I must admit we didn't really know what he did, but he'd been to college. We knew he must be all right and so we said, 'Why don't you come up with something for the album cover?'He did, and we were all very pleased with it. We liked the way there were little things coming out of people's ears, and how he'd collaged things on a small scale while the drawings were on a big scale. He also knew us well enough to capture us rather beautifully in the drawings. We were flattered.
Anthology
John Lennon telephoned Klaus Voormann, inviting him to work on The Beatles' artwork. He visited the group in the studio, where they played him the Revolver recordings for inspiration.
The artist chose black and white in an act of rebellion against the fashion for psychedelic covers. He worked from his studio at 29 Parliament Hill, London, where for two weeks he developed his concepts using pen and ink.
Voormann wanted The Beatles' hair to be the focus, and drew likenesses of the group from memory. He then placed photos in and around the drawings.
John, Paul and I devoted an evening to sifting through an enormous pile of newspapers and magazines for pictures of The Beatles, after which we cut out the faces and glued them all together. Our handiwork was later superimposed onto a line drawing by Klaus Voormann, their old friend in Hamburg.
Friend to The Beatles
The Beatles loved Voormann's "scrapbook collage" artwork, and the group's manager Brian Epstein was so overcome that he cried tears of joy. Voormann's payment for the album cover was just £40. He did, however, win Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts in 1967.
In Russia the album was issued with a different collage overlaid onto Voorman's drawings.
Probably their most consistently great album (every song is great.) I actually prefer The White Album & Sgt. Pepper but I can understand why a lot of people think Revolver is their best.
The album is, for the most part, consistently great. However, Yellow Submarine kinda soils its perfection. Revolver is not their most consistently great. I’d give that title to Abbey Road.
Revolver has “Yellow Submarine”, Abbey Road has “Octopus’s Garden”, both are undersea songs sung by Ringo. YS is a fine song with a catchy chorus. It’s actually the best sing-along track on Revolver, a song people can sing together. But it also helped pave the way for the sound effects of Sgt. Pepper. It just adds to the album’s diversity and gives Ringo a chance to contribute vocally. It’s to the Beatles’ great credit that they gave Ringo at least one song on all their albums (except A Hard Day’s Night and Let It Be).
Let me also add that “Yellow Submarine” was the only Revolver song I was familiar with as a boy growing up in India in the 60s. I didn’t know about the album at all. The song was popular in India, at least in Bombay where I lived. Another song considered a throwaway, “Obladi-Oblada”, was also very popular – probably no one knew any other White Album track. The fact is that both “Yellow Sub” and “Obladi” are fun songs. Nothing wrong with that.
Agreed!
BluJayRay, ‘Abbey Road’ is NOT consistently great. The second side is undeniably awesome from start-to-finish, probably the best side of an album any group ever made, but the first side falls apart after the opening back-to-back brilliant songs (“Come Together” and “Something”). “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is the worst song Paul ever wrote during his Beatle years, “Oh! Darling” is average at best, “Octopuss’ Garden” is another abysmal kiddie sing-along for Ringo, and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is monotonous with virtually no lyrics at all. If you think “Yellow Submarine” soils the perfection of ‘Revolver’, the four lousy songs on ‘Abbey Road’ positively dump on its perfection.
In your opinion, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is Paul’s worst song. But others do not think so. In typical Paul fashion, the impression it gives up being upbeat and sing-a-long belies the fact it’s a song about a serial killer, and about how fate can crush things when all seems well. Nice one Paul, clever! I like it.
Wow! So, it’s a FACT that those four songs on “Abbey Road” are “lousy”? No…That is simply YOUR opinion, which YOU are clearly trying to state as a fact like some typical wannabe “expert” on the subject of the Beatles. That said, it is the opinion of myself and many OTHERS that those four songs actually LEND to the perfection of the “Abbey Road” album. But PLEASE….Feel free to tell me that I’m wrong and that I should “get my ears checked” for debating you.
‘Revolver’ is the Beatles’ second best album, in my opinion. The songwriting depth on ‘Rubber Soul’ makes me prefer it slightly. Actually, if you could take John Lennon’s compositions from ‘Rubber Soul’ and combine them with Paul McCartney’s compositions from ‘Revolver’, you would indeed have the Beatles’ masterpiece. Lennon hit his peak on ‘Rubber Soul’ before his intake of LSD began to shorten his songwriting output to Paul’s. McCartney, on the other hand, had his best Beatles moments on this album. “Eleanor Rigby” is a novel within a song, “Here There and Everywhere” and “For No One” are probably the two best ballads he’s ever written (along with “Yesterday”), and “Got to Get You Into My Life” is as funky and Stax-sounding as the Beatles ever got — a Memphis-style, R&B thumper if there ever was one.
I just give a slight edge to ‘Rubber Soul’ for its depth of feeling, the fact that it doesn’t have kiddie sing-along songs on it and it also doesn’t have any droning, sitar-and-Hindu mantras on it like “Love You To” and “Within You Without You”. When George stayed away from the Hare Krishna stuff he was great, but when his songs were consumed by it, I just patiently wait for the next song to kick in.
Revolver is the best, but not far behind in my opinion is Abbey Road, Rubber Soul and the White Album. Sgt. Pepper is great just because of the impact that it had, but Revolver was an absolute great album. If you want to go to school, listen to Revolver.
My favorite album. Revolver shot me gently when i am hearing it…
Is the perfect album for play it in a sunny day, song by song.. Whit a couple of beers and maybe some weed.
I love it… Thanks Beatles!
Who was George Martin talking to in his first quote on the second page? John, George, or someone else?
I should have made that clearer. That was George M talking about John. I’ll clarify the section now.
One of my favorites simply for the Harrison song “Taxman”. All the songs are amazing but that one takes the gold medal in my opinion! I’ve read that Harrison had written “The Art of Dying” from his first solo record during this year of their career. He was obviously coming into his own as a composer at this time. The only fault of The Beatles in my opinion was not including more of Harrison’s songs on each album.
For this particular album, the Beatles didn’t have any more time for more recording even if there were more songs that were ready. They were back on the road again.
They began their tour of Germany and the Far East almost immediately after Revolver was finished.
Phil Collins called Revolver the album that everyone else is still trying to make.
The same Phil Collins who ruined “Tomorrow Never Knows”?
Yeah, the very same who obviously tried to pay them respect.
It’s not his fault nobody else ever was and is capable of pulling off something as insanely cool as TKK.
Tomorrow Never Knows was the standout track on the LP. Several copies were made, including the Phil Collins one, but in my opinion, the only version that came anywhere near was by 801, a band that was almost Roxy Music without Bryan Ferry
… boggling that someone is citing Phil Collins in an homage to The Beatles. Or do we next get to find out what Cliff Richard has to say on the subject ;o)
I think the point is that it’s a remarkably apt quote, no matter who said it. I’m going to go out on a limb and say robert is not necessarily a raving Phil Collins fan. (Who isn’t, though, really?)
No, I’m not a raving Phil Collins fan – nontheless you can’t deny his success musically – so I think he has standing to make the statement, regardless of whether one likes his music or not.
Plus Phil did have a role in A Hard Days Night – anybody here know that?
If you want to talk about Phil Collins, please head to the forum. Let’s keep this page for discussions about Revolver.
His role in A Hard Day’s Night was a 14 year old audiance member nothing more.
Yup! Phil was one of the teens in the audience of the concert at the end!
yes – he needs to try harder!
Personally I wasn’t convinced by that cover either.
But – he DID cover TNK and NOT, say “Lucy in the sky” or “Here, there and everywhere” or “Help” or something as obvious. He tried and covered their most progressive song ever.
Respect, Phil, for that!
maybe he should have done Yesterday
Maybe Phil should have just left the Beatles alone, or cover a Ringo track since he was after all a drummer. I can hear him now singing, ‘I’m sorry that I doubted you, I was so unfair. You were in a car crash, and you lost your hair.’
The original U.S. version of this does not have enough Lennon songs. The “Butchers” did him wrong.
Yes, Don’t pass me by by Phil Collins would have been more appropriate for a man who has been divorced 3 times
It´s a great album, very very good, Eleanor Rigby, For No One, here there and everywhere, i´m only sleeping, she said she said, tomorrow never knows, and your bird can sing, good day sunshine, got to get you into my life, all excelent songs, and similar songs, songs that fit with each other, amazing album
Great album. Includes some of the best pure pop ever recorded (Good day Sunshine etc…) to the psychedelic brilliance of Tomorrow Never Knows.
Macca was right- “they will never be able to copy this”
I think that it was important that they were still touring when this was made; part of secret is that they are a band and not a few song writers treating the other band members like session players.
Great album and their best up to that point but I’ve always found this album a bit overrated amoung Beatles fans who rate it the best Beatles album ever. To me there seems to be a fair amount of “filler” on it. I don’t particularly think George’s songs are the best. Even Taxman gets a bit monotonous after awhile. The albums that came after Revolver are better in my opinion. Still a great album though.
I prefer Revolver to Sgt. Pepper’s. George is my favorite Beatle, and he is extensively involved on Revolver (especially when compared to his seemingly disinterested and limited role on Pepper). However, I have never been a fan of Harrison’s Love You To. I wish they had recorded and included Isn’t It A Pity (which George later noted was available but rejected by John) as George’s third track for Revolver. Love You To could have been held over for Yellow Submarine or some later B-side. George’s guitar work on Revolver is fantastic. He also had prominent backing vocals on much of the LP (Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Sub, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing). Great stuff.
I am going insane because I can’t decide if this is better than Sgt Pepper or the other way around. I keep changing my mind, like every hour.
Don’t try to decide. It’s like picking your favourite Beatles song. Impossible. Or comparing apples to oranges…
Just say both! Why do you have to have a clear favourite? It doesn’t matter, you know. 😉
Best Beatles album is right here. Why is it the best? Not a dull moment. Every song is awesome. Some people say Love You To is boring and Good Day Sunshine is meaningless. But Love You To is quickly paced with some of The Beatles best lyrics and Good Day Sunshine provides relief between She Said She Said and And Your Bird Can Sing. Pepper has When I’m Sixty Four, terrible song. Abbey Road gets boring during Sun King (though the rest of the medley is brilliant). White Album has Revolution 9 and the Honey Pies, and Rubber Soul has What Goes On, almost as bad as 64.
I really wish all these people who despise “When I’m 64” and call it a “terrible song” could see the happy faces of all the people who join in singing and start swinging to this song…
I’m surprised you didn’t call “Yellow submarine” the worst moment of “Revolver”. Some people just have problems with feel-good songs…
I have to agree – overrated. For me, side 2 drags after the brilliance of side 1. For No One/Doctor Robert/I Want To Tell You are among the most uninspired tracks they ever laid done. Redeemed by Tomorrow Never Knows at the end (although more for the effects than the tune, which is not the strongest… probably better rendered by the Pink Fairies, really).
Side 2 drags? I have to strongly disagree! I think side 2 of Revolver is the best side 2 of any Beatles album, with the possible exception of Abbey Road.
Hi five Mr. Kite!
Abc, “For No One” is the best lyrical description of a guy’s broken heart after he’s been dumped by the girl he loves that I’ve ever heard. It is a beautiful, touching, moving song, one of Paul’s all-time best ballads. The melody and intro are wonderful. Hardly uninspired — in fact, it is one of the MOST inspired tracks in the entire Beatles’ catalog. If one is a guy and he’s experienced this kind of heartbreak – and nearly all of us guys have – it is a simply brilliant encapsulation of the feelings involved.
Well, for me (and not only for me) this is the strongest song collection of ALL Beatles albums.
They never had many fillers at all, in contrast to ALL other Rock groups, but Revolver is strong from start to finish.
The only song that I personally find weak is “I want to tell you”, but it still fits in nicely.
All these fantastic guitar sounds – there’s no britpop album that doesn’t quote the Revolver guitars or John’s vocals from She said, she said.
No, there’s not a single letdown on this album. Pure brilliance.
Sgt. Peppers had more impact and even more creative and versatile and innovative in the studio and production-wise, but Revolver has the highest and most consistent song quality of all Beatles albums.
I Want To Tell You is SOOOOOO FANTASTIC!!!! The most underrated Beatles song hands down.
I Want To Tell You is one of my top 30 favourite Beatles songs. Definitely not close to worst on Revolver.
The Beatles best album. Period. Many people (critics, publications, etc.) are coming around to this. Pepper, while great, hasn’t dated nearly as well as this gem.
I fully understand those who say Revolver is their best album and those who say Pepper is their finest. These are definitely the pride and glory of Beatles years, for two completely different reasons. I can’t pick a favourite. Any of you who say Pepper hasn’t dated well, or that it’s overrated, next time you listen to it, don’t think of it as “influential”. Just try and listen to it as an excellent piece of music by itself.
I was confused that on the Taxman and Tomorrow Never Knows page you seem to strongly suggest that the guitar in the tape loop of TKK is not the from the exact solo used in Taxman…but on this page for the album you seem to imply or say that it is. Did you mean to edit this or did you post this article first before realizing that you do not believe it is from Taxman?
Yep, the latter. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ve corrected the article now.
I think this album is quite overrated. Yeah many songs are great but I think all John songs except and your bird can sing are absolutly terrible
GeorgeT – you’re just wrong
You can’t be serious.
She said, she said and I’m only sleeping are the basic formula practically every brit-pop band tried to follow.
Tomorrow never knows is their most progressive song ever and easily my favourite Beatles song.
Dr. Robert is also great, especially for the guitar sound and the backing vocals, especially in the middle eight.
This album can’t be overrated, it’s every Beatle at the top of their game.
Strongest song collection on any Beatles album, or ANY album!?
For No One… this is the biggest chill inducer of anything recorded in 50 years. I can sit and listen to this track and wonder how there could be any material left in them, yet the LP just continually pours forth amazement. Revolver is the very definition of inspiration.
Madness
I wouldn’t say they were terrible but “I’m Only Sleeping”, “She Said She Said”, and “Dr. Robert” do kind of scream “filler” to me. Albeit pleasant sounding filler. George’s “Love You Too” and “I Want To Tell You” on the other hand are unpleasant sounding filler, IMHO.
You’ve got to be kidding GeorgeT! This is probably the best set of John songs on any Beatles album! How can you say wonderful tracks like “She Said She Said”, “I’m Only Sleeping”, “Dr. Robert” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” are terrible? “She Said” in particular is simply brilliant. It’s also the best set of Paul songs on any Beatles album. I still prefer “Sgt Pepper” as an integrated start-to-finish listening experience, but I’d say essentially the two albums are tied for best Beatles LP, though “Abbey Road” could make it a three-way tie!
Interesting comment about the Beatles being without a contract when ‘Revolver’ was recorded.
EMI milked the Beatles but Brian Epstein was the main culprit…He cost them MILLIONS with bad deals in merchandising and song publishing probably thru ignorance…However, the group maintained a loyalty.
Apparently, Epstein was a repeated blackmail victim because of his sexuality and this led to heavy drug use, gambling and constantly putting himself into compromised positions.
I think “Rain” should have been on this album.
I agree Mike. Rain sounds exactly like it belongs on Revolver
great album. paul was versatile in his songs from here, there and everywhere, eleanor rigby and got to get you into my life. john was into psychedelic like tomorrow never knows and she said she said. george indian music was far superior.
In your description of Eleanor Rigby’s recording technique you say that the strings were recorded without reverberation. That perhaps is true, but the notable distinction here is that the musicians were instructed to refrain form playing with vibrato, which is a playing technique the produces a slight rhythmic variation in the pitch of the note by rocking the finger against the string on the fingerboard. Paul had wanted the sound to be as flat as possible to add to the somber tone of the song. I can’t quote my source exactly, but it may have come from Wikipedia. And to the comment on the quality of string players in the US in 1966 being inadequate to play for ER, that’s laughable. It’s not that complex a score and a highly skilled high school (yes, from the US) octet could easily cover it.
Yes, there is no reverb, but there is vibrato and plenty of it in Eleanor Rigby. I cannot believe Sir Paul said that about string players in the US. Of course back then he wasn’t Sir Paul. I bet he regrets that comment. Hell, I was in high school then and could have handled the string writing, easily. Plus I was available!
Actually, you should save your laughter, because it is you who doesn’t understand. Paul was talking about “making records”, and the fact is that in the sixties the American players had a very schmaltzy, over the top style, and the English musicians did not. And that includes an exaggerated vibrato. It’s always been that way. For instance, the Philadelphia Orchestra with its “glorious” sound is an American conception, not at all European. European musicians play with more restraint. Paul heard the American string players on the Beach Boys and Phil Spector records and he didn’t like what he heard. He didn’t like it again either when he heard that style plastered over the Let It Be album. Paul knew what he wanted and what he was doing. Furthermore, your contention that high school players could play ER is completely ridiculous due to the incredibly important reason that their intonation would be entirely unacceptable. What an insult to those fine players on ER. It is a significant part of the Beatles’ sound that they used ENGLISH players like themselves with their sensibilities, and that includes George Martin. Real producers who make real records using studio musicians know that they are at the mercy of the musicians they hire. Give Paul a little credit.
Well sure, I’ll give Paul lots of credit. But when one sees a barely referenced generalized quote which says “because the string players in America aren’t so good,” you cannot expect a string player to take that sitting down without throwing out a few tongue-in-cheek replies in return!
Your points are well taken, and educational I might add. But where is your information about Paul in this regard coming from? I’d like to see (outside of, say, a 1970 Let It Be quote about Spector) a little more hard evidence of Paul’s attitude toward the American string sound. For example, he did say this in an interview with David Leaf about the Beach Boys and Pet Sounds: “Say, I love the orchestra, the arrangements. I love the instrumentation.” Nothing bad about strings there. If there are any more quotes out there pertaining to
this subject I would love to see them.
Finally, a little aside. I played with the Beach Boys on tour back in the day and I can assure you that our string sound was not overwrought with schmaltz and exaggerated vibrato! Cheers
People from today should not be allowed to comment on or in any way rate the Beatles,.. There is a cut off in time where certain people are banned from even thinking about the Beatles. You ‘have’ to be born in or before the 1960’s to know about the Beatles ,…or the early 70’s at the absolute Latest my friend ! Otherwise you would know that ‘Beatles For Sale” is one of their BEST ! ‘Baby’s in Black’, “I’m a Loser”, “Every little thing” , I don’t want to spoil the party, etc,.. it’s almost as good as Rubber Soul ,.. ‘Real” knowledgeable Beatle Fans know this ,.. and we also know from 1977 when we were 12 that Revolver is WACK ! Atleast compared to their better shit !
The Good :
Eleanor Rigby
Taxman
Yellow Submarine
I want to tell you
She Said She Said
And Your bird can sing
Tomorrow never knows
the bad;
Doctor Robert
GTGYIML
I’m Only sleeping
Love you to
the horrible;
Here, there, and everywhere
For no one
Good Day sunshine
What a pretentious, closed minded thing for someone to say. I was born in 1993, and I ADORE the Beatles. I think everyone should love them, regardless of their age.
Revolver is a fantastic, innovative, ground breaking album and should be treated as such. It’s not my favorite by any means, but it is certainly more mature than Beatles for sale. In nearly every way.
If people born in the 1970s or later weren’t allowed to comment on The Beatles, this site would not exist. Anyway, if you were born in 1965 (“1977 when we were 12”) I’m not sure why you’re even commenting on Beatles For Sale. It’s before your time.
Then again, if you think For No One and Here, There And Everywhere are horrible, there’s probably no hope for you.
Joe you are awesome.
We all want the passing of time to have weight and meaning, but it’s not a zero sum game. Other people enjoying and discussing The Beatles in no way diminishes your experience. I am sorry if you feel otherwise.
Also, if you were born in the 60’s or before perhaps you shouldn’t be allowed to say “wack”.
G.e. you don’t seem to know much
Someone who calls “Here, There, and Everywhere” a horrible song can’t be trusted, to say the least. Are you an agent trying to destroy the joy of humans around the world? You’re a mixer, a real villain.
However, if we simply edit out “horrible” and replace it with “awesome”…
I couldn’t disagree more, I was born in 1950 and each Beatles record was ahead of it’s time when it came out, I can still remember exactly where I was when I first heard Love Me Do on the radio, I had heard nothing like that before. My personal favourite is Revolver and if Tomorrow Never Knows has been issued today, it would still be 50 years ahead of its time.
One of the more idiotic postings I’ve seen. “Only people who are my approximate age and arbitrarily rank their albums similarly to myself are ‘real’ Beatle fans!” Maybe people born before the early 70s shouldn’t be allowed to use the internet?
I think that we should probably communicate by carrier pigeon.
Two remarks:
1. Substitute “yellow Submarine” with “RAIN” and you have the best album EVER. The drumming in Rain is simply amazing.
2. G.e’s remarks are incomprehensible. I can understand that some people don’t like a song or a voice or part of the lyrics, but saying that “For No One” is horrible and “Got to Get you Into my Life” is bad, is really to ridiculous for words.
People are gonna hate me for this, but I don’t see what’s so great about GTGYIML. I absolutely love the rest of Revolver though
Changed my mind. It’s awesome.
…said Frank after a bong hit.
Everyone’s super hyped about how epic the drumming on Rain is…and I agree. But the Ringo’s drumming job on She Said She Said is just as brilliant. It’s just a little quieter and not as noticed. Give it a listen.
G.e’s four ‘bad’ songs are actually some of my favorites on revolver
The fantasy for me has been to cull Rubber Soul, Revolver & Sgt Pepper of the two least impressive tracks and replace them respectively with the double A-side singles released around the same time (or four months before in the case of Pepper with ‘Strawberry Fields’ / ‘Penny Lane’ – which to George Martin’s everlasting regret he took out of the Pepper line up to assuage Epstein’s need for a single at the time – to keep them in the public’s mind).
With regards to Revolver, I have always rationalised that ‘Rain’ would come in for ”Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ would replace ‘I Want to Tell You’ (though not necesarily in the same positions on the record). By doing so, I think you would have the most perfect collection of pop music distilled into a single album (just hair’s breath in front of Sgt Pepper with ‘Strawberry Fields’ replacing ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and ‘Penny Lane’ replacing ‘When I’m 64’).
That aside, Revolver is the best sunny afternoon of your life converted into music (that is the brilliance of it for me, just put it on and it takes you there everytime).
It also contains my two favourite Beatles songs of all time ‘She Said, She Said’ & ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ (John was on an incredible roll at the time no doubt due to wanting to keep one step ahead of both Paul and Dylan – Brian Wilson didn’t figure in John’s universe from what I understand).
Then to complete things, Klaus Voormann picks up the vibe and illustrates it via the cover and the back contains the coolest photographic representation of the fab four ever. Perfection and to think it is 46 years old!
You must be joking regarding Pepper? Surely? ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and ‘When I’m 64’ dropped? And ‘Good Morning, Good Morning’ survives? Don’t be daft.
Good Morning x2 is one of my favourite Beatle songs. Very underrated. Most of it is in 5/4 time. I’ve got nothing to say but it’s ok.
When I’m 64 used to be a great song for singing in the bath. Unfortunately, I am past that age and I don’t have a bath, I have a shower, which isn’t the same in any case
Why don’t you just add on the songs without taking anything else out?
Not to be nitpicky, but Paperback Writer/Rain was not a double a side. It should have been, though, as Rain is far better than Paperback. Or Good Day Sunshine should have been the b side to Paperback and Rain out on Revolver.
To Rod: I (sort of) agree, ‘Rain’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ on Revolver would have been fantastic, but replacing ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘I Want To Tell You’? Never. ‘Love You To’ could go, and maybe ‘Dr Robert’ at a push. As for Pepper, ‘Strawberry Fields’ and ‘Penny Lane’ would certainly have made this pop perfection regarding the collection of songs, but not by replacing ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and ‘When I’m 64’ – both superb tracks (you’ve obviously got a Macca problem). No, ‘Good Morning, Good Morning’ would have to go, I’m afraid. Not crap, but not good either. The Move or The Kinks could have done better on that particular track, methinks.
Take out “Yellow Submarine”, sustitute “Rain” for it and one of the greatest albums ever recorded is finished (in my humble opinion of course).
BB – I agree 100%.
Great website and discussion forum. Interesting responses all around.
One of my favorite aspects of Revolver is how each song’s atmosphere and tone flows smoothly into the next.
Not so much in the sense of Sgt. Pepper’s/Abbey Road’s flowing-together songs, as much as simply shifting, revolving moods that change enough to highlight each individual song even once it has already passed, or has yet to pass.
The balance between Lennon’s rockers (She Said…, And Your Bird…, Tomorrow…) and McCartney’s ballads (Eleanor…, Here, There…, For No One)
is ABSOLULTELY, astoundingly perfect. Talk about counter point.
I love the balance between the more serious, politically and spirtually oriented songs (Taxman, Love You To, I Want to Tell You, Tomorrow Never Knows) and the more playful, cheery sing-a-longs (I’m Only Sleeping, Yellow Submarine, Good Day Sunshine, Doctor Robert).
When you take something like that and add what are arguably Paul’s best ballads (Eleanor Rigby, Here, There and Everywhere, For No One) you have basically covered the entire modern human condition in the form of a pop record.
Got to Get You into My Life is a pure McCartney rocker at it’s best is, and hilariously about pot and not some hot girl that won’t do everything the singer wants (which is probably what the majority of pop songs/rock songs are really about, when you think about it).
I find it interesting that any serious Beatles fans would have Beatles songs that they did not like. It’s almost like saying that you have not listened to it enough.
I guess if you splitting hairs it makes for a livlier discussion. We can all team up and have favorites, so it’s fun.
Each Beatles song is very much deeper than Seven Levels. I love them all. Everyone knows that a “weak” Beatles songs is over 10,000 times better (literally) than most other hit songs then and today. The Beatles captured MAGIC, not what we know more commonly as “that plain old music for listening”.
Anyhow, I find everyone’s opinions on this forum very interesting (even if I do not agree with some of them).
I like the idea about including Paperback Writer/Rain on Revolver, but I could never really take Revolver seriously with any of the original 14 songs missing.
Capitol’s butcheries have their charm, I suppose (mostly with the US version of Rubber Soul), but a band should decide where the songs go.
Filling a Long Player record mostly full or full is giving people their money’s worth.
Of course, even 20-30 minutes with The Beatles seems to last forever, as one is lost in total sonic and creative bliss, therefore, effectively loosing track of the concept of time, evoking only the joyous moment of the now. Right on Beatles.
I love how the Beatles were so unbelievably talented and prolific that they COULD release what basically amount to double A-Sides and still fill an LP with 13 or 14 fantastic tracks other than the awe-inspiring singles.
George Martin should not regret not having added Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields to Pepper, largely because it proves that bands should work very hard and release good songs aside from, and in addition to their “good enough for the latest LP cut” songs.
Fans basically cracked The Beatles with whips for more. You can’t not want more.
The Beatles are our teachers. They have always showed us the way.
I don’t like it as much when bands release a single that is the same exact version on the LP (all economic factors aside).
It’s not as romantic. Singles are for tiding hungry fans over before the LP release, exploring new ground, and giving B-sides a fighting chance.
Buying a single because you can’t find those songs on any other record is fantastic and makes it “worth” buying everything.
There is no filler on Revolver. Filler would be perhaps “Mr. Moonlight”, or even “Run for Your Life” (both of which I love).
Revolver is perfect in almost every conceivable way (for a fan of pop music/rock and roll).
I think Lennon said one time that he didn’t like “Good Day Sunshine” very much, however, I would tell him (may God rest his genius soul) that it contrasts perfectly sandwiched as such by She Said… and, And Your bird… (assuming it doesn’t take you too long to flip the record over, or you have a damn CD).
Harrison’s song writing during this period is some of his most introspective, biting and inspiring. The natural evolution of Think for Yourself.
He’s downright mean and nasty on this record (in the nicest way possible).
His backing vocals on this ablum are the glue that holds the Lennon/McCartney house together. It wasn’t broke, and yet he fixed it.
I find it interesting that despite being what is probably the “weakest” (it’s not weak at all) overall track, “Yellow Submarine” is one of the most singable, experimental and charming.
If you have read this far, you have most likely realised that one could never discuss The Beatles too much.
I cannot reiterate enough how perfect the balance between songs is on this record.
Thank you to the folks at Beatles Bible.
Revolver is probably not my very, very favorite Beatles LP (I think I like the White Album better over all, and Rubber Soul has more of the “early” charm, and more Beatley vocal harmonies), however, these records are each totally different rock beasts with different styled suits and boots, and not really comparable other than concerning whatever mood the listener is in might be the reason the record is played. Don’t your favorties change?
I don’t agree with George Harrison’s comment about “Volume 1” and “Volume 2” because Rubber Sould and Revolver are astonishingly different.
George probably didn’t listen to his own music enough (because he was so busy being great). God rest his gear-fab soul.
As far as The Beatles being tight and creative as a band of four musicians, and spewing out absolute gem after groundbreaking gem, Revolver is the best.
Let’s face it: I am obsessed with Revolver, but it’s a healthy obsession if any there ever were, methinks.
All this talk has finally forced me to listen to Revolver again. I think that I will take Paul’s advice from Got to Get You…
I want to write a book about how wonderful and godlike this record is, but I will be too busy listening to the story that it tells for itself.
Here comes Paperback Writer/Rain… and then of course all of Revolver.
Get in my ears.
Thank you Beatles.
-Best wishes for all
I enjoyed that.
Nice job Real Nowhere Man, you should be an author…or a paperback writer.
**speechless, please wait**
–What you said. That.
You are a REAL NOWHERE MAN. 😀
I love the fact that The Beatles would release singles independently from contemporaneous albums. The fact that two outstanding tracks such as “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” were, at least for a long time, only available as a stand-alone single is a testament to their collective songwriting genius.
As for the album itself, it’s been my all-time favorite since I rediscovered it in high school. “Eleanor Rigby”, “For No One”, “Got To Get You Into My Life”, “Good Day Sunshine”…pop music doesn’t get much better than this.
Despite many of the comments made on this page, I find “Yellow Submarine” to be a great track that illustrates one of the most under celebrated aspects of the band: their command of absurdist comedy. Ringo’s deadpan vocals are perfect for the song, too, though John steals it with his various asides.
Joe,
Just wondering which book or website you got the 1966 quotes.
I’m always interested in new sources.
Thanks, Don
Right now I’m not sure – I wrote this article several years ago, and add bits to it now and then. The 1966 quotes might well be from Robert Rodriguez’s excellent Revolver book, but I’d have to check.
Paul’s line “When we finished Revolver, we realised that we had found a new British sound almost by accident.” is rather interesting. I was about 11 when Revolver came out (in the States) and I remember thinking how incredibly English (or British) it sounded. The Beatles never sounded very English to those of us in the US but this album really did. I never even noticed that McCartney quote before.
I think it was a great album as far as Beatles albums go, but have to agree with George Harrison when he said: I don’t see too much different between Rubber Soul and Revolver. To me, they could be Volume One and Volume Two.
I’ve always felt different about Rubber Soul and Revolver, can’t really explain it. Rubber Soul seems a bit more joyous. But I still prefer Revolver’s edge and mystery.
“Revolver is the best sunny afternoon of your life converted into music.”
Thank you, Rod. It is.
Revolver is one of the greatest albums of all time and many think the Beatles greatest. I love Rubber Souls cover and Klaus Voormans effort on Revolver compliments the genius of this albums music. I got this album in August 1980 while on holiday with my parents. George Harrison continues where he left off on Rubber Soul with Taxman, I Want To Tell You and Love You Too.Paul McCartneys efforts are some of collectively his greatest. Here There and Everywhere, For No One,Got To Get You Into My Life, Good Day Sunshine and the brilliant Eleanor Rigby- what wonderful songs. As always John Lennon comes up with plenty of surprises, Im Only Sleeping, Dr Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing are great. But of Lennons batch She Said She Said and Tomorrow Never Knows are favorites of mine.Tomorrow Never Knows is ground breaking and a wonderful way to end a great album.Ringos drumming on this is something else. I dont care what anyone says I love Yellow Submarine!!
Revolver is the Beatles finest hour for quality of material and innovation. One of the greatest pop albums of the twentieth century,
McCartney’s material here is some of the most beautiful and haunting songs he’s ever written.
Hello.
Revolver is one of two perfect albums ever made. (The other being The Dark Side of the Moon, but that is for another day.) First, let’s start with the band. It’s The Beatles. Famous around the world. Commonly recognized as the greatest band of all time. Famous for Yesterday, Hey Jude, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Let It Be. Famous for Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road. Sgt. Pepper has been recognized as the greatest album for the longest time. Only in the past decade or so has the crown been slowly passed on to what we have right in front of us, Revolver.
These for men always had that glimmer inside of them, the fiery passion for music. Starting at the days of I Saw Her Standing There and A Hard Day’s Night, when John was the leader. He was the unofficial team captain and Paul was kind of #2.
Then Paul wrote Can’t Buy Me Love, almost all by himself, then came Yesterday, and the Lennon-McCartney tandem started to even out. They each had there own style of writing.
Rubber Soul shocked the world, and they realized that these guys were for real. The centrepieces, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man and In My Life all belonged to John, however.
Revolver comes along and blows Rubber Soul out of the water. Most albums with varied genres are border line disasters, but obviously not so here, every song complements the one before and after it perfectly. We’ve got mostly rock. Track 1, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13. Orchestration 2 and 4. Pop: 8, Ballads: 2, 5, 10. And of course, psychedelia: 3, 6, 7, 14.
Everything thing flows smoothly, like And Your Bird… and For No One, end on an “off” chord. After hearing Good Day Sunshine, She Said She Said seems better, and we crave rock. So And Your Bird is dropped.
At this point, Paul has got up to John as far as creativity, they each contribute 5.5 songs
John: I’m Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows, 1/2 Yellow Submarine
Paul: Eleanor Rigby, Here There And Everywhere, Good Day Sunshine, For No One, Got To Get You Into My Life, 1/2 Yellow Submarine
And George contributes 3 songs, including the all-important opener. the most of any Beatles album, except the Double White, which doesn’t really count, as it has 30 tracks total.
This is the creative peak of the band. All four members are equally passionate right now and excited toward making Beatles music and the work shows.
Side two tells a story. Many people haven’t picked it up, but I think this is why side two flows so well.
Good Day Sunshine. A couple is happy.
And Your Bird Can Sing: They have suspicious minds.
For No One: They break up.
Doctor Robert: He gets high.
I Want To Tell You: He meets a new girl.
Got to Get You Into My Life: He falls in love. (Don’t tell me it’s about pot, I know it’s about pot.
Tomorrow Never Knows: This isn’t part of the story. It’s just something else.
Why is it better than Pepper? John used to be the leader. Paul has surpassed him. Lennon only contributes 4 songs on Pepper. (Though A Day In The Life is the single greatest song ever, and Lucy and GMGM and two of the album’s top 4.) John isn’t interested in Pepper. He just wants to make music. Pepper doesn’t show all members working evenly. It is Paul taking control.
This is often recognized as The Beatles greatest albums, but a song from this album is rarely in any top 20 greatest Beatles songs lists. Only Eleankr Rigby and TNK ever sneak in. Here we have yet another testament to the consistency of the songs, and the teamwork.
So that’s my speech. I hope you enjoyed. Please reply. I want to know what you think. My real name is Tanner and I was born in 2002. I am 13. And I am a Beatlemaniac.
Wait!
Before I go, I must rank for you all the tracks on Revolver from my favourite to least favourite.
1. I’m Only Sleeping
2. For No One
3. She Said She Said
4. Tomorrow Never Knows
5. Taxman
6. Eleanor Rigby
7. And Your Bird Can Sing
8. I Want To Tell You
9. Here There And Everywhere
10. Got To Get You Into My Life
11. Yellow Submarine
12. Doctor Robert
13. Love You To
14. Good Day Sunshine
I was Sgt Pepperevolver who made the comment above that he could not decide which album was better. I changed my mind. Revolver is clearly better. I don’t know what I was thinking that day.
Let’s go Beatles!
Awesome site Joe.
Interesting that you should mention the Beatles being ‘out of contract’ around this time. Everybody has heard of Dick Rowe and how he turned down the opportunity to sign the Beatles in the early days but a less well known fact is that during the re negotiations in 1966 Brian Epstein sounded out the possibility of the Beatles signing up with some American companies . Astonishingly the companies he approached ( RCA was one of them , I can’t remember the other) turned him down on the basis they thought the Beatles bubble was about to burst. The fact they had stopped touring was also a major factor in their decision.Imagine that,turning down an unproven band in 1962 is one thing but turning down the Beatles in 1966 is quite another. Can you believe it !
Revolver is the beginning of the end for the beatles as a performing band. The album shows no unity, unlike its predecessor, Rubber soul. it could have been the epitaph of their carreer as beatles. Actually, like Abbey road, it seldom displays the 4 of them playing together as a band. Even “She said she said” is performed without paul. What saves Revolver for me is “Tomorow never knows”, plus “here there and everywhere and “And your bird can sing”, mostly the anthology version. Most of Paul’s songs here are MOR, from the tear jerkin “eleanor rigby” to the stax/motown pastiche “got to get you into my life”. Variety yes sir, but so much remote from the rest of the bunch! only the guitars are united on revolver! definitely not my favourite beatles album, i much prefer the white album ( their testament), rubber soul and please please me. Cheerio!
Interesting that you single out Revolver as an album which displays no unity and then state your preference for the White Album, the album most site as the least unified of their releases.
What is an oscillator ???
While the Beatles had plenty iconic album covers,this one is epic!
The Russian cover is not official release, it’s a bootleg – or in effect a pirate LP, made by the notorious Saint-Petersburg ‘label’ AnTrop, which stands for “Andrei Tropillo”.
Underneath the pic of Ringo in the striped shirt, it looks like some dudes having a gay orgy or something. Wtf is up with that!?
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I’ve often wondered if there was some hidden meaning to Voorman’s cover. Paul is facing away to the left, John is looking at him out of the corners of his eyes, Ringo is looking up at him, and George is obliviously (or uncaringly) looking straight ahead.
Not sure what, if anything, he was trying to get across, but it always intrigued me.
Plain and simple, Revolver is the Beatles at their finest! This is their real masterpiece, not Sgt. Pepper. From the classical ‘Eleanor Rigby’ to the powerful ‘She Said She Said’ to the wit of ‘Taxman,’ it’s all here. A must-have for any music lover.
Considering that despite the fact that they were still a touring band @ this period (or maybe because of it?)
Revolver is exceptional in all aspects..I never tire of it.
‘[Eleanor Rigby] contained the surreal image of the protagonist “wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door”,’
(Sorry, can’t find the quotation syntax.)
This isn’t really surreal as such. There’s a fairly common phrase used by womenfolk around these parts, namely, “I need to put my face on”, i.e. put on their make-up. I’m pretty sure that’s what Macca is alluding to here.