OTR: The Beatles - Revolver

[illusionofjoy]

With Revolver, it sounds as if The Beatles grew up a bit. Maybe it was the drugs? Maybe they were just annoyed by all those screaming fans (actually, if you watch the Anthology series, you'll see that this was true - they stated as much in an interview, questioning how anyone could hear any of the music). It starts off cynical with "Taxman" and then turns solemn and sad with "Eleanor Rigby," which is perhaps the most perfect string-driven song ever recorded this side of Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting."

Of course, the thought that they grew up dissipates with "Yellow Submarine," which admittedly was a childhood favourite. It's a silly song, and drug use was probably involved in its creation.

For me, the most impressive thing about this album is how much more experimental it is in regards to production and instrumentation. Rubber Soul is pleasant, but sounds common in comparison to Revolver, which, while still obviously rooted in the 1960's, sounds a hell of a lot more exotic. Even more impressive is that less than a year separated the release of each album.

Of course, one criticism I've always maintained about The Beatles was the fact that they could not sequence an album to save their lives. Growing up on a steady diet of Pink Floyd in high school left me with the impression that an album should flow a certain way (preferably with the end of one song being indistinguishable from the beginning of another). As such, with all their varied styles and penchant for throwing tracks one after the other with complete disregard for matching up the moods, a Beatles album can be a jarring experience. They were masters at the pop single, but Pink Floyd would perfect the album format (and, by extension, the concept album, which The Beatles are often credited with inventing).