Revolver
I was happy this was the second album I was sent (thanks James!) because it's probably the one I was most interested in checking out. Like
Abbey Road, I don't think I've ever actually listened to the whole thing before, or if I have, I don't remember it. Unlike
Abbey Road, this album does not start on a promising note for me though. The first track, "Taxman", is a song I've always disliked, and listening to it again hasn't really changed my opinion, though I have come to the conclusion that the bass line is its one redeeming feature. Fortunately, "Eleanor Rigby", which I like a lot, is the second song on the album and so things quickly get on track. I think the contrast in styles between these two tracks actually says quite a bit about the kind of material I like and don't like by the Beatles. Their more straightforward rock songs are very hit or miss for me, while their multilayered and/or bittersweet tracks I'm more likely to enjoy (so score two points for "Eleanor Rigby" there).
From there on in
Revolver is pretty solid. The one downside to this is that roughly a third of the album is
merely solid. "She Said She Said", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Doctor Robert", "I Want To Tell You" and "Got To Get You Inyo My Life" all fall into this category. None of them are terrible songs, but none of them are particularly noteworthy either. That said, the rest of the album (excluding "Taxman" of course) is fantastic. The well-known tracks "Yellow Submarine" and "Good Day Sunshine" are both upbeat and fun, with the latter seeming almost like a precursor sister track to "Here Comes the Sun" in this context. "For No One" is
Revolver's contribution to my "great Beatles song I had forgotten about" pile, and is the kind of heartbreakingly beautiful track I mentioned earlier. "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Here, There and Everywhere" are both terrific, simple pop songs, and I love the jazzy bass and backward guitar in the former. This brings us to the album's two most unusual songs: "Love to You" and "Tomorrow Never Knows". "Love to You" is great, especially the robot voice like drone of the tambura, but "Tomorrow Never Knows" is even better. This track really is the Beatles at their best—quirky and experimental, yet still poppy—and is a terrific way to end the album.
Overall, I would say I enjoyed this album roughly as much as I enjoyed
Abbey Road. Both have their less than astonishing moments, but both are nevertheless very good albums overall. Together, these two have certainly won me over to actually wanting to listen to Beatles music (which, frankly is a huge accomplishment), though I can't say I've been won over to the Beatles as the greatest rock band of all time notion at this point. Thanks again James, I did enjoy this album very much and have already listened to it a good four or five times.
Up next:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band