The Beatles' Revolver - A Revolution in 1966

The ContextMcCartney's voice. With it's poetic lyrics and
It was August of 1966. Only 2 and a half yearsunique arrangement, it still stands as a classic in
since The Beatles first broke onto the scene inpopular music today.
the United States with "I Want To Hold Your"Yellow Submarine" is a childlike song written by
Hand" and the accompanying hysteriaPaul McCartney and sung by Ringo Starr that
("Beatlemania.") Since then The Beatles music hadwent on to inspire the cartoon feature of the
quickly been evolving from their earlier pop rocksame name released in 1968. It's really quite a
into a more sophisticated art rock.weird song, isn't it? This was a great example of
The Beatles just completely ignoring any rules for
Their most recent album was Rubber Soul whichwhat kind of songs should be on a popular music
had been released in December of '65. Whilealbum.
these days just 8 months between album"I'm Only Sleeping" features George Harrison's
releases is a short time, in those days it wasbackwards guitar. I'm not sure if this is the first
considered a reasonably long time to wait for thepop song to include backwards guitar, but it is
biggest band in the world to release their nextprobably one of the first. Harrison learned to play
album. Rubber Soul was itself a major stepthe desired melody backwards so that when
forward from the album before that (Help!) Itreversed it would fit in properly with the song.
included the first use of the Indian instrument theJust another example of The Beatles pushing the
sitar on a pop record ("Norwegian Wood') and itenvelope in the studio with their arrangements.
also featured more introspective lyrics (such as"Tomorrow Never Knows"
on "Nowhere Man" & "In My Life") than wereWhile there are many amazing breakthroughs on
generally heard on their earlier albums.this album, it's been said that every song on the
Revolveralbum inspired a new sub genre of rock music, it's
While Rubber Soul was a big step forward,"Tomorrow Never Knows" that really stands out
Revolver was a leap forward sonically. The mostas a ground breaking song. Amazingly enough this
forward looking track was of course the albumwas the first song recorded for the album (in April
closer, "Tomorrow Never Knows" which stillof 1966, John Lennon wrote it in January of '66.)
sounds like the future 42 years later. I'll look atEverything about this song from it's lyrics to it's
that track more in depth at the end of this article.song writing to it's arrangement to it's production
While Rubber Soul had "Norwegian Wood" whichwas very experimental. The vocals were put
had some sitar on it, Revolver's "Love You To"through a Leslie speaker to obtain a vibrato
was something else entirely. This George Harrisoneffect. This was the first time such an effect
song based entirely on Indian instruments thatwas used. The lyrics were based on The
sounded totally unlike anything pop music listenersPsychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary (and
of the time had ever heard before. In fact I betthat book was based on the Tibetan Book of the
it sounds totally unlike anything most pop musicDead.) The song featured very inventive use of
listeners of today have ever heard too (unless oftape loops, reverse drums, reverse guitar, and
course they've listened to Revolver or Sgtmany more sonic explorations. Another unusual
Pepper.) "Love You To" definitely expanded thefact about the song is that the song is almost
horizons for what a pop record could sound like.entirely played on just one chord. This was
But it was far from alone in that regard on thisprobably greatly influenced by Indian music which
album.is often played in such a way.
"Eleanor Rigby" featured a string quartet and Paul