Is the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ the Best Rock Record Ever?

The Daily Beast ^ | August 4th, 2016 | Colin Fleming

[Mariner]

In the spring of 1966, riding high on the artistic success of ‘Rubber Soul,’ the Beatles went into the studio to begin crafting what would become their greatest record.

It is spring 1966, and the Beatles are ensconced in London’s EMI Studios, where they have embarked upon their latest manipulation of time. The Christmas season just passed had seen the release of the band’s sixth album, Rubber Soul, a game-changer of a disc that wedded American rhythm and blues to English folk music, as if the two genres were meant to go together all along. The Beatles, as the popsmiths-cum-pied pipers for teenyboppers, the lovable lads behind A Hard Day’s Night, were no more. Their middle-career era of high-toned, big boy art had commenced.

Rubber Soul continued to dominate the charts that spring. It featured organic sounds sourced from the streets of the city and countryside fields where one might have pictured John Clare wandering, but the Beatles, being the Beatles, were now moving entirely beyond Rubber Soul’s rustic-tinged soundscapes, as if such a masterwork were a mere digression in their journey towards something bigger, something better, something more “next,” if you will.

[Sirius Lee]

It's really a toss up.

[j.argese]

Just WOW!!!!

I kept the opening brass from "Alone Again Or" in my head for 30+ years trying to remember who it was that did it. An ear worm or monumental proportions. When I finally remembered who it was, I listened to it for hours.

Back to topic though, it's always been back and forth between "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver".

[Cincinatus]

Part of the problem with Revolver (at least for American fans) is that it was released here in a truncated version, missing three key Lennon tunes (Dr. Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing, and I'm Only Sleeping), which were culled from the UK version by Capitol to pad out the slapped together monstrosity, Yesterday.. And Today. So we never got to hear Revolver in all of its lyric glory until years later, when the Parlophone versions of Beatles LPs replaced all of the Capitol albums.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Is the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ the Best Rock Record Ever?

Well...no, not in my humble opinion. There are records by other artists I prefer (e.g. Elvis Costello 'This Year's Model', Allman Bros. 'Live At Fillmore East'). 'Revolver' is somewhere in my top 5, however, and I think it's definitely the Best Beatles Record Ever.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

In my best Bill Clinton voice...I feel your pain!

But truthfully LZ-4 is better for the effort of John Bonham (specifically BLACK DOG). But, I’m a “boomer”.

In the end?
Heck-fire-child, I’d rather listen to Chris DeBurgh, or a Kevin Gilbert “Giraffe” and/or “Toy Matinee”. The musicality is tremendous. Studio is better than live but...damn..it is R&R.

Santana’s ^Europa^ is surreal and “Uncle” Ted’s ^Stranglehold^ is HallOfFame stuff.
Rock-and-Roll moves on...as it should.

[Red Badger]

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Got your back, bro!

[Red Badger]

Tommy was much better than QUADRO...................

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Part of the problem with Revolver (at least for American fans) is that it was released here in a truncated version, missing three key Lennon tunes (Dr. Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing, and I'm Only Sleeping), which were culled from the UK version by Capitol to pad out the slapped together monstrosity, Yesterday.. And Today.

I was lucky - I grew up in the late '70s with my uncle's hand-me-down Parlophone version. 'I'm Only Sleeping' is still one of my favorite Lennon tunes. What did the US version have in place of those three songs? It's my understanding that US versions of Beatles albums are worth something these days since Capitol released the UK versions here.

[Red Badger]

I WORE THAT 8 TRACK OUT.............................

[BunnySlippers]

50!!!!

[mc5cents]

This one is pretty good too

[FamiliarFace]

Totally agree.

[rawcatslyentist]

I like Animals. It often gets overlooked because of the previous two albums sales.

[af_vet_1981]

No

[atc23]

I musta done somebody wrong. . .

Live at Fillmore East is the best record of all time

[Mr. K]

It’s one of many that are ‘the best’ albums of all time- the others being EVERY OTHER BEATLES ALBUM!

I am amazed there is not an ‘all Beatles’ channel on Sirrius XM (satellite radio- you should get it if you don’t have it)

[Cincinatus]

What did the US version have in place of those three songs?

Nothing -- the American version of Revolver had only 11 songs. That was common in the 1960's, as Capitol re-packaged all the Beatles songs to extract the maximum amount of money from American fans.

That practice didn't end until Sgt. Pepper, after which UK and USA albums were identical (except for the special case of Magical Mystery Tour, which was a double-EP in the UK but an album in the USA, filled out with the group's 1967 singles on side B).

[EQAndyBuzz]

Tarkus? ELP? I thought Brain Salad Surgery was a great album.

[freedomjusticeruleoflaw]

Pales? You can’t even pick the best LZ album.