REVIEW: The Beatles – Revolver 2022 mix

The Beatles Revolver. Opening with George Harrison’s Batman theme groove Taxman; middle section dives deep into the jolly psychedelic Jugnauth world of Yellow Submarine; earth shattering supersonic drum pattern finale Tomorrow Never Knows completes the long player that sounded like nothing that preceded its creation when released 5 August 1966.

Fast forward to October 28 2022 Apple Music rerelease the experimental musical masterpiece. Freshly remixed by George Martin’s son Giles, there are various new formats including deluxe packages, vinyl, cd and digital. This Giles Martin remix approach has respectfully worked wonders on Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, Abbey Road and other Beatles releases, ears of listeners have been delighted to hear every strum of a guitar string strum, bass guitar pick, bass drum kick, orchestral note and sky high harmonies in crystal clear audio like never before.

The aforementioned songs, plus 11 further selections, devised by four charming lads from Liverpool; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, have entranced their followers and fans the world over since its birth, influencing thousands of musicians including The Beach Boys, The Jam and Oasis. Some have said ‘leave the classics be’, whilst many embrace the new variations in sound, approaching with a fresh perspective which welcomes reevaluation of these groundbreaking pieces of art.

Revolver followed the groundbreaking Rubber Soul album, whilst retaining their Rickenbacker sound, the tracks that feature on Revolver showcase a maturity beyond the bands youthful years of the time of recording; John Lennon and Ringo Starr both 26; Paul McCartney 24, and George Harrison 23. Whilst other bands were making music that didn’t quite reach a universal appeal, The Beatles Revolver has the stamp of having something that appealed to everyone.

If you liked blues there’s Taxman; if your thing is the band going back to their poptastic jovial bouncy beat there’s Good Day Sunshine, And Your Bird Can Sing or Got To Get You Into My life; if you want orchestrated beauty For No One and Eleanor Rigby are your go to tunes; you want psych? You got it in the guise of Tomorrow Never Knows; heavenly harmonies feature on I’m Only Sleeping; it’s little wonder this timeless album has been a firm go to album for many for the last 50 odd years.

The various packages being issued have various outtakes, all showcase little glimpses into the revolving cogs in the minds of the fab four. Take the initial brittle demos, John Lennon’s Yellow Submarine where he utters ‘no one cared’ which was then transformed into the jolly workout of it’s final exam piece which passed with flying colours. Similar tracks of interest that show tracks evolving into beautiful butterflies include; Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1); I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal fragment); Rain (Take 5 – Actual speed) and Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version); whilst these are my pick from the vast amounts of new archive, the actual true joy comes from listening throughout the full 5 CD deluxe set, but recommended is listening to the outtakes first and then the finished album in full.

What with a new foreword with Paul McCartney, archive photos, the ageless Grammy winning front cover artwork by Klaus Voorman, introduction notes by Giles Martin, detailed liner notes by Beatles historian Kevin Howlett, images of handwritten lyrics, tape boxes and recording sheets, this set is literally a breathless flashback to this golden period of music.

Revolver can be purchased via the following link