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