Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll

wie o.g.

All is nice:writing,structure,details..With à clever view upon contemporary bands focusing on music between 65 and 67.Better than some books losting themselves,hum,in boring long stories about 67 or 68 ....Nice reading .

Comprehensive and detailed, this book puts the pinnacle album of the Beatles catalog in perspective. Lots of studio specifics as well as the author's own critical assessments to bounce your own off against, makes for an absolute must for anyone who thinks about '60s rock and pop music. A genuine treasure.

If you've read either or both of Rodriguez's Fab Four FAQ books, you already know you're in for a treat with this one. Rodriguez never sounds overly academic or scholarly; he's able to present reams of information in smooth, fun-to-read fashion. Much of the material in this book is already well-known to Beatle fanatics, but his discussions of the culture of the times, the other bands that formed the Beatles' competition, and the details of what went into the recording of Revolver's songs give an overall context that makes for some compelling and enjoyable reading.A few minor quibbles earn this book four stars instead of five. While I enjoyed reading about the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, et al., much of that particular chapter in the book seemed to have little relevance to the making of Revolver. The Beach Boys...OK, they and the Beatles kept responding to each other's work by raising the bar higher with each new effort (until Sgt Pepper blew Brian Wilson out of the water). But the connection between Revolver and the songwriting of Jagger-Richards or the folk-rock of the Byrds seems tenuous at best. Very enjoyable reading but a little off-topic in places.I'm also intrigued (bothered?) by a claim Rodriguez makes regarding "Got To Get You Into My Life" where he says that U.S. vinyl reissues of Revolver in the early '70s on the Apple label used a new mix/remix of the song that has Ringo's drums leaping out of the speakers. (It's a claim he also made in the first Fab Four FAQ book.) As a Beatles song-variation fanatic, I was really drawn to the author's comments here. If indeed true, I'd have loved to know his source(s). As far as I know, no other major Beatle historian (Lewisohn, Spizer, Sulpy, Winn, etc.) has supported this claim. Perhaps the author is referring to the version of the song that appeared on the U.S. "Rock And Roll" LP, but that version merely switched the left and right channels, so it wasn't a new mix or remix. Not even Joseph Brennan's "Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations" makes mention of a new mix or remix being used on U.S. Apple-label vinyl reissues. So...true or not true?These points aside, this book is an enjoyable read and deserves a spot on your Beatles library shelf.(After a second reading, I've upped my original 4-star rating to 5 stars -- and would give higher if I could. Robert has given great attention to my question about U.S. 70s Apple-label reissues of Capitol vinyl -- even sending me an mp3 to prove his contention. Also, a more leisurely review of all the book's material prior to the "meat" gives the Revolver story a much more well-rounded perspective than I had at first ascribed to it. THe 5th star is well-deserved! READ THIS BOOK!!!)

I have to hand it to Mr. Rodriguez, his volume on Revolver is very compelling. Before I read this book, Revolver was one of my least favourite of the Beatles' albums, but I now listen to it in a new light. What an astonishing leap they took from Rubber Soul (which, in its own way, was astonishing too). Mr. Rodriguez gives us a great history behind the songs, influences on the Beatles and a detailed discussion on their recording techniques. However, his detailed approach to the creation of the "sound" overshadows any discussion of the actual "music" itself. For example, he overlooks the fact that the harmony in "Here, There and Everywhere" is one of the most sophisticated creations of Paul McCartney, ever. It's a real tour de force from the aspect of composition. Contrary to what Mr. Rodriguez postulates, I think whatever great progress they made in their music revolution with Revolver, it was actually solidified with Sgt.Pepper. Re: the adulation placed on "Pet Sounds" as being the great 20th century rock recording, it doesn't, in my opinion, touch either Revolver or Sgt. Pepper.