August 5th, 1966, The Beatles released their magnum opus Revolver. If Rubber Soul turned heads, this album broke barriers. By 1966, it's been historically said that the band were reaching their limits touring. Now having full artistic control and endless studio time, the band was able to experiment. The finished product? Like I said, it's their magnum opus. Lyrically, it's beautiful. Long gone are the junveline lyrics of falling in and out of love. Replaced are lyrics that are poetry driven with mature topics that include ego, aging, and the complicated side of relationships. 'Eleanor Rigby" sees the title character and father Mackinense as everyday ordinary people who go unseen. "She Said, She Said" was born out of an acid trip John Lennon and George Harrison had with counter culture icon Peter Fonda, son of legendary actor Henry Fonda. "I know what it's like to be dead" came from Fonda. John and the band took care of the rest.
Paul's "Got To Get You Into My Life" is quite possibly the greatest misinterpreted love song. Lyrically, you hear a man that is grateful for the love that he has found for himself, all the while it is Paul's love letter to Marijuana. The band started smoking pot after a hangout with Bob Dylan. Musically ahead of its time thanks to the orchestral horns. And if you really listen, you can hear a guitar progression very similar to the bands "Paperback writer" which was released as a single.
My favorite track on the album is "And your Bird can Sing". Musically, the dueling guitar work interwoven by Paul McCartney and George Harrison is just beautiful. If you're a guitar player, learning the song is rewarding but lacks that timeless harmony. The song is a critique of materialism and how wealth, greed, and lust can all contribute to loneliness. Case in point, the lyric "When your prize possessions start to weigh you down, look in my direction, I'll be round, I'll be round." A true Lennon masterclass of lyrical wordplay.
If you collect vinyl and are familiar with Beatles pressings, there are two camps. One is Parlyphone which is the U.K. label/pressing. American pressings were distributed by Capitol records which also had the roster of The Beach Boys and many bands coming out of California/Laurel Canyon for some. "Doctor Robert" appears on Parlyphone if you're able to snag a copy. Or stream it?
"Doctor Robert" is largely inspired by an actual doctor named Robert Freymann, who owned a medical practice on 78th Street in New York. It's a tongue-in-cheek reflection of the counter culture drug movement to a man who ironically sold legal highs to the public.
The thing about Revolver is that it's so timeless that when you hear it you hear things you haven't before. It's a landmark album through and through. A perfect pressing that is sealed with an iconic cover thanks to illustrator Klaus Voorman for making such a warm and welcoming cover that invites us each time for endless listens.
