The Beatles’ Revolver Album
Few bands from the 1960s have held the attention of fans over the decades. One band in particular has been held in high regard by music lovers, and that band is none other than The Beatles. The Beatles are legends of their time known for bringing a new sound to the airwaves. Under the influence of psychedelics and the direction of of their producer, George Martin, The Beatles recorded what is considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time, Revolver. So let’s take a closer look at the work of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as we discuss some of the things that made this band and album so unique, memorable, and respected.
The Beatles originated from Liverpool, England in the early 1960s. They were made up of John Lennon and George Harrison on guitar, Ringo Starr on Drums, and Paul McCartney on Bass. Shortly after John and Paul decided to form a band, George and Ringo joined and the Beatles were born. Once the Beatles began to work with producer George Martin, great success followed shortly after, sparking what became known as “Beatlemania”, a term used to describe the excitement and popularity of the band throughout the UK and America.
Prior to Revolver, the Beatles released their album “Rubber Soul” in 1965. Rubber Soul was considered a collection of pop classics about romantic love. As was common during the time, the band worked under the pressure of deadlines to record and release Rubber Soul. In his book, The Complete Story of The Beatles’ Revolver, Abracrabdabra, author Ray Newman described the album as “the last gasp of the ‘love momptops'” while Revolver was considered a more complex work. “Revolver”, he wrote, “is the birth of the Beatles as full-fledged rock stars.”
Riding on the wave of the success of their Rubber Soul album, the Beatles had time off to take a break from touring. It was during this time that they began to consume substances that were less than legal, namely LSD. This is significant because it had a huge effect on their music and creativity. No longer under the pressure of a deadline, they had time to work on their music in a much more creative way, taking the time to experiment with a new sound. A sound that reflected not only their influences from drugs and art but also George Harrison’s influences from Indian culture, Indian Classical Music, Indian Instruments, and Indian Religion. Some very interesting new recording techniques were used for this album. One example is the way John Lennon’s vocal was fed through a Leslie rotating speaker to achieve the effect heard in “Tomorrow Never Knows”. Another thing that was considered unique was George Harrison’s use of Indian instruments on the album. The Sitar gave the record a very Indian feel in some places.
As an industry professional, I find the Beatles’ Revolver album to be a treasure trove of ear candy, innovation, and an unmatched skillful use of the recording studio. Geoff Emerick, the band’s recording engineer, was very innovative in his uses of different prices of gear and electronics to achieve the band’s sound. He discusses how in “Paperback Writer”, the bass was recorded using the diaphragm of a speaker instead of microphone. The larger diaphragm of the bass cabinet created a more interesting sound. When recording drums, Emerick often ran through a Fairchild Limiter to add more punch. The kick drum was stuffed with an old sweater to dampen it’s sound and then finally the whole thing was slowed down to achieve just the right sound. If you’re interested in learning a few secrets of the trade, I’d highly recommend reading up on Emerick’s workflow. You’ll find some great info!
So are you a Beatles fan? What are some of your favorite records of theirs? Leave a comment below! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Resources
Ingles, P. (Producer). (2006, May 15). Everything Was Right: The Beatles’ Revolver [Audio podcast0. Retrieved from https://beta.prx.org/stories/15368.
Newman, R. (2006). Abracadabra: The making of The Beatles’ Revolver album. London: Popkult Books.
