The Beatles - Revolver [2009 Stereo Remaster]

The Beatles - Revolver [2009 Stereo Remaster] (EMI/Capitol)

The following is a conversation between two guys who've been yammering about music together for over 20 years. We no longer live a bike-ride away from each other, but fortunately technology allows us to still have virtual record parties. The second in a series. Previously: Pepper.

Taxman

[12:24] Phil: one two three four
[12:25] Jake: loving the extra percussion
[12:25] Jake: sounds like change rattling
[12:26] Phil: yeah
[12:26] Jake: like pennies in a jar
[12:26] Phil: digging Ringo's fills, per usual

Eleanor Rigby

[12:27] Jake: i mean, this just sounds good
[12:27] Phil: that weird pan has always bothered me
[12:27] Jake: yeah
[12:27] Phil: right when Paul's lead vox starts
[12:27] Jake: the double-tracked vocal coming in and out
[12:27] Phil: it's center and then quickly jumps to the right
[12:27] Jake: too abrupt
[12:27] Phil: weird
[12:28] Jake: probably sounds better in mono
[12:28] Phil: I'll be very interested to hear it in mono
[12:28] Phil: maybe it makes sense
[12:28] Phil: not in stereo though
[12:28] Phil: and then the chorus
[12:28] Phil: sounds lovely
[12:28] Jake: are all the bg vocals paul too?
[12:28] Jake: is he the only beatle on this song?
[12:29] Phil: I think John's in the chorus
[12:29] Phil: maybe not though

I'm Only Sleeping

[12:29] Phil: Acoustic sounds great again
[12:29] Phil: I dig that
[12:29] Jake: oh yeah
[12:29] Phil: awesome backing vox
[12:30] Phil: "going by my window" I love that harmony

Love You To

[12:33] Phil: George...he loves that shit
[12:34] Jake: this is poppier than his other indian stuff
[12:34] Jake: which i appreciate
[12:34] Phil: this probably blew some minds in 1966 though
[12:34] Jake: cool guitar distortion, volume pedal
[12:34] Phil: "WTF is that!?!?!"
[12:34] Phil: know what i mean?
[12:34] Jake: again, just wait until the closer
[12:34] Phil: hey-o!
[12:34] Jake: right?
[12:34] Phil: Oh yeah, John's a closer
[12:35] Jake: they totally repeated this formula on pepper
[12:35] Phil: yep
[12:35] Phil: this is Pepper 1.0

Here, There and Everywhere

[12:35] Phil: or Pepper is Revolver 2.0
[12:35] Phil: they added a layer of "persona" over Revolver and called it Pepper
[12:36] Jake: while john rested
[12:36] Phil: "Can someone wake John? We're done."
[12:36] Jake: crazy we don't see john until side two
[12:36] Jake: i never realized that
[12:36] Phil: "'ello boys, here's your closer"
[12:37] Phil: "where's my check?"
[12:37] Jake: she said she said (track 7) is the first john song on revolver
[12:37] Phil: Only sleeping
[12:37] Jake: doh
[12:37] Jake: never mind
[12:37] Phil: forgiven

Yellow Submarine

[12:37] Jake: let's see if i still hate it
[12:37] Jake: i like the acoustic
[12:37] Phil: poor dopey Ringo. Why did they do this to him over and over again?
[12:38] Phil: Paul and John are mean
[12:38] Phil: "Here's your song, Ringo" giggle giggle
[12:38] Jake: "come on, fellas. again?"
[12:38] Phil: George: "Better than Act Naturally"
[12:39] Jake: gotta admit i'm liking this more than i have since puberty
[12:39] Phil: because we have kids
[12:39] Phil: I like Ringo's voice crack
[12:40] Phil: and the big marching band bass drum
[12:40] Phil: I like that
[12:40] Jake: yes

She Said She Said

[12:40] Phil: John finds out drugs are fun
[12:40] Jake: perfect song
[12:41] Jake: the drums are amazing
[12:41] Jake: and sound so clear
[12:41] Phil: I think this might be better mono too though
[12:41] Jake: i like it
[12:41] Jake: all separated
[12:41] Phil: pretty straight mix
[12:41] Jake: i like having ringo in my left ear
[12:41] Jake: bashing away
[12:42] Phil: can focus on it when you like
[12:42] Phil: "oh , what's going on over there?"
[12:42] Jake: oh that's just ringo, bashing away

Good Day Sunshine

[12:43] Phil: your big test: Good Day Sunshine
[12:43] Jake: so broadway.
[12:43] Phil: Imagine being 16 and walking to the Rock and Roll McDonalds
[12:43] Jake: ha. yes.
[12:43] Phil: that's what this song is to me
[12:43] Jake: totally
[12:43] Jake: can't separate from being 16. that's why i hate it
[12:44] Phil: being in love with high school girls who you can barely be away from for two days
[12:44] Jake: it still too dopey for me
[12:44] Phil: it's cute, like paul
[12:44] Jake: it's dorky, like me in high school
[12:44] Phil: which is perfect when you're a good kid growing up in the midwest
[12:45] Phil: again, this one's for Macca's dad
[12:45] Jake: i guess. it's a trifle.
[12:45] Phil: he had a daddy complex I am only just now realizing

And Your Bird Can Sing

[12:45] Jake: i love that guitar line
[12:45] Jake: people say this is filler, but that's baloney
[12:45] Jake: this is great
[12:45] Phil: now this reminds me of seeing 1964 as The Beatles with Bill at Calvin College
[12:45] Jake: i wish the bass was louder like on the white album remaster
[12:46] Phil: watching "George" play made it clear to me that The Beatles were MUSICIANS
[12:46] Phil: I was not George
[12:46] Jake: ha ha
[12:46] Phil: a light went off
[12:46] Jake: "george"
[12:46] Phil: yes
[12:46] Phil: even fake George was a musician whereas I was a dope who knew 5 chords Bill taught me
[12:46] Phil: it wasn't so easy after all

For No One

[12:47] Jake: my all time favorite paul ballad
[12:47] Phil: Sure, so sad, so perfectly crafted
[12:47] Phil: Paul as a great songwriter
[12:47] Phil: it's a story, it's melodic
[12:47] Jake: god that horn sounds awesome
[12:48] Phil: indeed
[12:48] Jake: and it's SO fucking sad
[12:48] Phil: "dude, it's over"
[12:48] Jake: i love this part, where the horn plays over paul's vocals
[12:48] Phil: yes
[12:48] Phil: I was just thinking that
[12:48] Phil: goose bumpy
[12:48] Jake: 1:59
[12:49] Jake: over in less than 2 minutes
[12:49] Phil: it's a novella
[12:49] Jake: a songella

Doctor Robert

[12:49] Phil: Oh John and his drug music
[12:49] Jake: so great
[12:49] Phil: he was a bad influence!
[12:49] Jake: 1966: best year ever
[12:49] Phil: abso
[12:49] Jake: lsd was legal
[12:49] Jake: can you imagine?
[12:49] Phil: good heavens
[12:49] Phil: no thank you
[12:49] Jake: ha
[12:51] Jake: love how all these songs are ~2 minutes long
[12:51] Phil: yes, craftsmen

I Want to Tell You

[12:52] Jake: george plays with dissonance.
[12:52] Jake: that piano part has always bugged me
[12:52] Phil: arty fucks
[12:52] Jake: funny: remastered revolver isn't quite as "revealing" for me
[12:53] Jake: not too many "wow, i never heard that before" moments
[12:53] Phil: no
[12:53] Phil: also not as "deep"
[12:53] Jake: drums sound better though
[12:53] Phil: bass on this song sounds great
[12:53] Jake: i don't feel like i'm hearing their hands on their instruments
[12:53] Phil: no
[12:54] Phil: I have a feeling that's because they miced, mixed, and mastered thinking mono

Got to Get You Into My Life

[12:54] Jake: another one of my least fave paul songs
[12:54] Phil: I know you blame this song for Chicago or something
[12:54] Phil: Blood Sweat and Tears?
[12:54] Phil: one of them
[12:54] Jake: totally. that whole scene
[12:54] Jake: blue eyed crap.
[12:54] Phil: it's the Smells Like Teen Spirit of that genre
[12:55] Jake: i like southern soul as much as anybody, but come on.
[12:55] Jake: this does not have soul
[12:55] Phil: But c'mon, listen to paul's voice on the chorus
[12:55] Jake: "ooh"
[12:55] Jake: come on
[12:55] Phil: spoil sport
[12:55] Jake: sounds good in the chrous
[12:55] Jake: little richard
[12:55] Jake: and the lead guitar is badass at the end
[12:55] Jake: that should be going on through the whole song
[12:55] Phil: this is one that suffers from the absolute panning
[12:55] Phil: I am sure this sounds better mono
[12:56] Phil: more powerful

Tomorrow Never Knows

\[12:56] Phil: oh shit, here we go
[12:57] Phil: associated memory: Scott Stevens in Club K in 1991
[12:57] Jake: ha. the sinatras!
[12:57] Phil: seriously, I think of it every time
[12:57] Phil: that mop of hair as he's bashing away
[12:58] Jake: oh yeah
[12:58] Phil: karl leaning into that mic to distort his vocals
[12:58] Phil: such an awesome band
[12:58] Jake: they should play a show where they cover this whole album
[12:58] Phil: you'd have to endure the Macca songs
[12:59] Phil: get the leppotone family horn section out
[12:59] Jake: i could endure karl singing them
[12:59] Phil: <end>
[12:59] Jake: well that is a great album
[12:59] Jake: even if there are two songs i do not like
[12:59] Phil: two is a good record
[12:59] Jake: and it sounds amazing

Video: The Beatles - Making of "Revolver"

The Beatles: Amazon, Insound, wiki