Revolver
Summer means "Revolver". Sure, "Pepper" ushered in the Summer of Love, but "Revolver" was the transition album, and the boys still looked like the Beatles, while the sound was becoming psychedelic. It must have been a hot summer in Portland that year, because I always associate the lp with a hot day. It was also the summer I saw the Beatles live in Seattle ("Revolver" had just come out, but they played their usual set of older songs. They did do "Rain", which I recall being the only new song that day). Recently it was voted the best album of all time by some poll, and although I don't agree, it is one of my fav Beatle albums.
The American version (which I had for years before I discovered the British imports) is interesting in that the songs they dropped for filler on "Yesterday...and Today" were all John songs. Which left him with only two tunes on the US version (Tomorrow Never Knows and She Said She Said). George has three songs on Revolver, all left on the Capitol lp. I don't recall it being a big deal at the time. The Beatles were still a group, and it wasn't until later (probably the White Album) that it became apparent that we were hearing a John song, or a Paul song, etc.
It's too bad George lost his momentum with "Pepper", getting only one tune. "It's All Too Much" was recorded for "Pepper", but didn't make it on vinyl until the throw-away Yellow Submarine album. In the "Anthology" book, I think George talks about "Pepper" as not being a great experience for him.
Speaking of Yellow Submarine, it's probably the main reason I don't consider "Revolver" as good as White Album, Abbey Road, or Hard Day's Night. I never liked the song and consider it one of the worst Beatle tunes ever.
I haven't researched it, but Yellow Submarine has got to be on more Beatle albums than any other song: Revolver, A Collection of Beatle Oldies, 1962-1966, Yellow Submarine, Real Love CD Single, 1, Yellow Submarine Songtrack...not to mention that one of their movies is based on it.
For such a lame song, it's everywhere!
The American version (which I had for years before I discovered the British imports) is interesting in that the songs they dropped for filler on "Yesterday...and Today" were all John songs. Which left him with only two tunes on the US version (Tomorrow Never Knows and She Said She Said). George has three songs on Revolver, all left on the Capitol lp. I don't recall it being a big deal at the time. The Beatles were still a group, and it wasn't until later (probably the White Album) that it became apparent that we were hearing a John song, or a Paul song, etc.
It's too bad George lost his momentum with "Pepper", getting only one tune. "It's All Too Much" was recorded for "Pepper", but didn't make it on vinyl until the throw-away Yellow Submarine album. In the "Anthology" book, I think George talks about "Pepper" as not being a great experience for him.
Speaking of Yellow Submarine, it's probably the main reason I don't consider "Revolver" as good as White Album, Abbey Road, or Hard Day's Night. I never liked the song and consider it one of the worst Beatle tunes ever.
I haven't researched it, but Yellow Submarine has got to be on more Beatle albums than any other song: Revolver, A Collection of Beatle Oldies, 1962-1966, Yellow Submarine, Real Love CD Single, 1, Yellow Submarine Songtrack...not to mention that one of their movies is based on it.
For such a lame song, it's everywhere!
posted by John Goins at 8:17 PM
1 Comments:
Think about this: During Revolver, the Beatles weren't fighting yet and specifically during the recording session for Yellow Submarine, they were having fun in the studio, not pressured to get the song just right. It was a Ringo song, after all, so why not just have fun? I mean, a conga line snaking through Abbey Road with Mal on the bass drum? How much more free-spirited can it get than that? Maybe it was the thought of that fun that kept them always revisiting the song for another album. It's something to think about, anyway.
I just found your blog, so sorry about the late post.
Kenny
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