The Beatles revolver special edition reissue

The Beatles, Revolver: Special Edition: REVIEW

“The only reason the 2022 mix of Revolver isn’t getting a perfect 10 is because no amount of goodwill can ever forgive ‘Yellow Submarine.'”

The Beatles, Revolver: Special Edition (Apple)

How much better can a good thing really get? In 1966, the Beatles’ seventh studio album signaled both the arrival of the psychedelic music scene and the imminence of sea change for the rock ‘n’ roll movement as it entered late adolescence. Over a half century later, the predictive accuracy its title predicted remains unimpeachable. And in taking the absolutely unnecessary risk of experimenting with sound tech developed by Get Back director Peter Jackson, Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George) has succeeded in unearthing further purpose from 35 minutes of music that, lest we forget, were simply the result of a creative surge from a talented foursome of newly minted megastars. Basslines are rendered more assertive. Snares, toms and cymbals are given room to swing at the forefront. Vocal mixes are better defined. Strings, keys and guitars are repurposed in trippy contrast to it all. Shit, you can practically hear the dirt being wiped from Father McKenzie’s hands as he walks from the grave. Martin listened to the colour of the Beatles dreams and added clarity to their integrity. Depending how deeply you wish to surrender to the void, the five-disc version has some moments of background insight and brilliance. But no one will be faulted for skipping straight to new mixes of non-album single “Paperback Writer” and its b-side, “Rain.” The only reason the 2022 mix of Revolver isn’t getting a perfect 10 is because no amount of goodwill can ever forgive “Yellow Submarine.” 8.5/10 Trial Track: “She Said She Said”

“She Said She Said” by the Beatles from Revolver: Special Edition

For more on the Revolver Special Edition, please visit the official Beatles website.

This review was originally published in the November 2022 issue of Cult MTL.


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