Revisiting Revolver: How The Beatles Evolved

30/11/2022

Gregor Brindle delves into the artistic evolution of The Beatles with the remaster of their iconic album, Revolver

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Image by Eric Koch

By Gregor Brindle

In 1966, The Beatles released Revolver, an album which would fundamentally transform the musical landscape and assist the creation of a new counterculture. This album polarised The Beatles from other bands at the time, with an immense following that firmly cemented them as one of Britain’s best bands - a true musical force. Before then, there was little to ensure their legacy as the timeless band which they became, since they were still playing a distinctively ‘60’s’ style of rock and roll. 24 songs off of their last six LPs had been covers, and their work to truly innovate this period was small, sticking largely to tried-and-tested blues, skiffle and ‘rock and roll’ formats. All of these had been pioneered in the 50s, particularly by Little Richard and Chuck Berry. The ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle took its toll, and in late 1966 the group were burned out from constant touring. They made the decision to stop touring and focus on making music as studio experimentation, as opposed to writing music for a live audience. This enabled them to curate their own sounds without mainstream media intervention and the demands of fans.

With the new focus purely on the listening experience, a remix of Revolver has been long overdue to bring the sound up to date with modern production standards. Son of the legendary Beatles Producer, Giles Martin followed his father’s footsteps (George Martin) to utilise new AI technology and create a stereo mix of the classic mono album. This was released on 28 October 2022, in light of such technology that analyses the sound of the original song and creates individual tracks for each instrument. Later this can be remixed and remastered individually to create a fuller sound. The introduction of AI technology into music will also raise the exciting possibility of remixes for other classic mono albums, as well as providing an unprecedented opportunity for DJs and MCs to sample new tracks.

Upon initial listening, one might be mistaken for wondering what all the fuss is about- especially with the eye-watering price of £170 for the Super Deluxe vinyl! When compared to the 1966 mono tracks, however, the difference in sound quality is noticeable and proves a game-changer. In the age of streaming, potential fans may struggle to get into the band due to poor sound quality on early albums, and so this remix aims to address this issue and modernise their sound. The remix is truly the definitive version of Revolver, one that holds its own with modern production techniques to create a richly textured sound and an immersive experience for listeners to “turn off your mind, relax and float downstream”.

The shift to focussing on the studio sound also enabled the group to be more experimental with their music. The influence of George Harrison on this album cannot be understated, as well as the band’s new drug habits (especially their use of psychedelics). This crossover between Harrison’s fascination with Indian musical techniques (the Raga and the Sitar) and psychedelics helped create the trance-like style of ‘Love You To’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. These songs helped to raise the status of psychedelic rock and establish it well and truly in the mainstream, providing a soundtrack to the ‘peace and love’ youth countercultures of the 1960s.

This was probably the peak of Harrison’s contribution to The Beatles as well, writing three songs and playing a central role for the majority of the album; almost all of which is guitar-centred, as opposed to their later piano/keyboard-focused work. Harrison, who never traditionally got the attention or praise that Lennon or McCartney did, is now starting to get the recognition he deserves. He is now a popular choice for people’s favourite Beatle, one whose creative potential was recognised too late. Revolver has led Harrison fans to dream about what the Beatles could have been had Harrison not been side-lined as a songwriter by his ever more competitive bandmates.

Harrison had some success as a songwriter, especially with his debut solo album, All Things Must Pass. However, it was clear that, as with the other Beatles, they were greater than the sum of their parts. A fact vividly highlighted by Paul McCartney in his recent Glastonbury performance, speaking in front of an audience of over 100,000 eager revellers and to countless more on video, was “When we do a Beatles song, all your phones light up and it’s like a galaxy of stars. When we do a new song, it’s like a black hole!” And so, it was with Harrison. Fellow Harrison-enthusiasts have grudgingly acknowledged that Harrison needed The Beatles as much as The Beatles needed Harrison. Revolver provides the closest we have to a truly collaborative album between the Fab Four and, quite frankly, is all the better for it.