Retro Reviews: Miles Davis: On the Corner

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. This is a lesser-known album.

Miles Davis – On the Corner (1972)

****

Producer: Teo Macero

Musicians: Miles Davis, Michael Henderson, Don Alias, Jack DeJohnett, Billy Hart, Al Foster, James Mtume, Carlos Garnett, Dave Liebman, Bennie Maupin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Harold Ivory Williams Jr, Lonnie Liston Smith, Cedric Lawson, Dave Creamer, John McLaughlin, Khalil Balakrishna, Colin Walcott, Paul Buckmaster, Badal Roy

Music: On The Corner / New York Girl / Thinkin’ of One Thing and Doin’ Another / Vote For Miles, Black Satin, One and One, Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Miles Davis has had a significant influence, not only with Jazz, but the field of music in general. Of this much me and Ralph J Gleeson can agree. You can hear it with the proliferation with Progressive Rock acts that have surfaced, and in the 60s with acts like The Doors or The Soft Machine, or even many of his peers that have formed fusion jazz or rock acts. After the bold Bitches Brew, Miles recorded the soundtrack to the Jack Johnson documentary, and the bold double album Live/Evil, a project that was a mix of studio and live performances. The new album doesn’t list the musicians, so I had to rely on press kits, or their prior involvement with the last two releases. Nevertheless, this new instrumental project does feature a roster of the top talent working today, it demonstrates just how eager musicians are to play with the legend and learn from him. These days, Miles has his eyes set on youth culture, and he wants to offer something they can mentally groove to.

    Most peers are already missing the point, both Jazz and rock critic peers. The emphasis of this is on rhythm, the musicians are expected to accent their melodies on the beat. The first section is broken into four titles, “On The Corner, New York Girl, Thinkin’ of one Thing and Doin’ Another” and “Vote For Miles”, all of them blur into one another with the rhythm of the drums and bass as the core anchor. This may just represent urban life, what people who live on the street and on the corner, see and experience. It attempts to tell a story musically. Side One closes with “Black Satin”, the first minute features exotic Indian and African percussion before it shifts into a complex drum and bass groove, but it all feels rather fragmented, the top instruments weave around a simple childlike melodic statement, you can’t really dance to this of course, but it’s build on a vibe, this feels more like Stockhausen than anything else, the Organ plays some outside tones. 

    Side Two’s opener, “One and One” features a prominent funk Wah bass groove, and a complex start and stop drumming pattern, the Saxophone and bass clarinet weave around each other like predators. The vibe takes priority on the piece. The snare seems to segway into the next piece. “Helen Butte” offers an altogether different grove, but still links back to “Black Satin”, the organ in a more freer form will remind some of Sly Stone. Miles uses a Wah to slide his musical scales like a guitar, the bass guitar sounds liberated on the early half of the number. The saxophone soloists stay true to the objectives and keep the groove faithful. McLaughlin steps in with some clean phrases. There are moments that will remind one of Crimson’s Robert Fripp. There are moments that sound like a slide flute. The keyboard work truly goes into some outside territory about the halfway point. There’s even a modulating synth to be found. The number seems to morph into “Freedom X”, which has some more introspective and gothic elements within, the African rhythms come back into focus, bringing this all back home. While there’s a darker element to some of the performances, it also feels very real to what is happening now. 

    This album isn’t interested in meeting the arbitrary expectations of others, you’ll have to accept it on its own terms. Hence, this is why critics so hostile to this one; but if anyone had been paying attention since 1968, the evolution of Miles’s work makes sense. This won’t be for everyone, but the gambles do seem to pay off overall. Miles’ vision keeps this interesting and I will be listening for more. 

Retro Reviews: Lennon / Ono: Two Virgins: Life with the Lions: Wedding Album

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. This is a group of lesser-known albums.

 Lennon / Ono – Unfinished Music Vol 1: Two Virgins (1968)

*3/4

Producers and Performers: John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Pieces: Two Virgins No. 1-5, Two Virgins No. 6-10

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    A new experimental piece has been offered by John Lennon and new partner Yoko Ono, in the midst of the release of The Beatles new album, that has offered quite a deal of controversy over it’s front and back nude cover art, but the issue should be accessing the content itself. This avant-garde work follows the idiom of musique concrete, but none of this is at the level of a Edgard Varese, or a Stockhausen, or Pierre Schaeffer. Both sides were created by John and Yoko, Ms. Ono is part of the Fluxus movement, and a detail that has to be taken into account. Side one “Two Virgins part 1-4” opens with source sounds and some toy flute, the tinkling of pitched, distorted piano. Strange vocalizing, percussion, some odd guitar whaling, There’s a drone towards the end and John and Yoko’s random voices. In great contrast to the other experimental track off of The Beatles album, “Revolution #9” manages to sound more musically concise and with a more thematically focused, this just doesn’t seem to say much of anything. At least it’s brief. 

    Side two opens with a source organ and manages to have more of Yoko’s vocalizing as it continues on with the piano manipulation, as it jumps between source sounds. While I get the humor, as musique concrete works go, this isn’t very good, and fails with its aim. Again, it’s fairly brief. Ideas are not enough in and of themselves, ideas are a start. This reminds me of Marcel Duchamp signing a toilet bowl and calling it ‘art’, it wasn’t. The problem with most Avant-grade work is that it requires a tremendous about of intellectual heft to justify and demonstrate its point, and often it fails. This feels intellectually lazy as presented as a released work. The fact that Ralph J. Gleason, the venerable music and jazz critic, gave this piece high marks, makes one wonder if there was some sort of cohesion involved, or - dare I say it - as there’s no proof - some kind of payola offered for the assessment. That may be a damning point. I think I am more shocked over Gleason endorsement than the album cover art. I am less angry over this than more baffled, in the end this feels hollow, there’s nothing much said, to paraphrase the bard ‘sound and fury signifying nothing’. Only for the curious.

 

Lennon / Ono - Unfinished Music Vol 2: Life with the Lions (1969)

*

Producers and Performers: John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Musicians: John Tchicai, John Stevens, Mal Evans

Pieces: Cambridge 1969, No Bed For Beatle John, Baby’s Heartbeat, Two Minutes Silence, Radio Play

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    At least the prior project, the aural happening that was Two Virgins, had musique concrete elements. This manages to feel even less focused, even under the guise of avant-garde, this feels hollow. John and Yoko seem committed to documenting their relationship, which is their right, but it doesn’t make for a very interesting listen. Once again this seems more dedicated to an aural moment, but the message seems more muddied than anything else. Are they arguing that every living relationship is a work of art? Quant idea, but it seems like it could be expressed better in song or the written word. Side one is a live performance “Cambridge 1969” that is comprised of Yoko’s odd vocalizing and John’s guitar feedback, a percussionist and saxophone player come in near the end, which I suppose give a free jazz element under a rock guise, I suppose, but the ideas over stay their welcome after a few minutes. A more concise edit would have left space for other things. Ideas are not enough, just a start. What is maddening is that I have heard an acetate of The Beatles “What’s The New Mary Jane”, an odd number with a disturbing second half that manages to be more concise than anything here. Furthermore, Yoko did record a proper song with “Remember Love”, so she can sing, thus, her whaling vocals is a tactical choice. Odd.

    Side two opens with some proper Japanese styled hymn like vocals from Ono, “No Bed For Beatle John”, as she sings about a press article regarding a hospital visit, John offer’s a counter vocal about the Divorce from Cynthia. I can’t tell if this is mocking a situation, or if it’s mocking the machinery of the written press, but it just doesn’t some across as far as the intent. “Baby’s Heartbeat” is self-explanatory as it’s a recording of a fetus, there may be some tape manipulation as far as the rhythm of the heart, but it’s an idea that wears it’s welcome quickly. Some of this documents Yoko’s miscarriage – and to that, they have my sympathies. “Two Minute Silence” is self-explanatory, yes, John, we get the joke. The idea might have been better if they laid in some vinyl pops or surface noise to add in some irony, hence, it’s just empty. The final piece, “Radio Play” is background chatter of the duo, laced with the audio of either, guitar noises, organ blips, clipped voices, or just radio static, I can’t tell, but I lean towards the later. This feels like they are putting people on; I can’t tell if it’s sincere, or just cynical towards those who follow avant-garde music. Only for the most curious, buyer beware. 

Lennon / Ono – Wedding Album (1969)

*1/2

Producers and Performers: John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Pieces: John and Yoko, Amsterdam

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    I will say this, there is more humor and humanity intact with this package, this is more in the field of an aural happening than anything musique concrete, but it tries the patience none the lass. John and Yoko’s third release of experimental documentation begins by overextending it’s welcome with side one’s “John and Yoko”, which seems more like an acting exercise than anything else, John and Yoko emote their names back and forth with different emotional reads, that’s about it, there’s at least some studio reverb to add a little polish. Some propulsive sound drives this, as extra breathing is added in for the last half. It builds into some ecstasy and come downs. The idea has a sea of potential that is undermined by the dross of misbegotten notions. Again, an idea is not the be all and end all, just a start. Craft matters too. 

    Side two opens with Yoko’s Japanese hymn like vocal calling for peace, then, what sounds like some found Buddhist monk chants, and the documentation of their peace tour, While John’s idea about Peace is a commendable one that focuses away from just Vietnam into broader, it seems like a limited slogan. How can one have Peace when people aren’t Peaceful in non-violent ways?  But when Hitler and World War Two is brought up, they tend to evade the atrocities of Japan in that War, aside from the persecution and murder of the Jews, it seems like a naïve oversight. But John’s point that we all have Hitler and Jesus within us is a valid point. “Amsterdam” offers another sound collage before we get some slice of life of John and Yoko, waking up, ordering hotel breakfast, but I can see other’s feeling their lives seem so disconnected from working class people. second document of their bed in interview, while they read letters. While they talk about their nuptials, John offers an acoustic blues to wish Amsterdam well. Yoko sings while John noddles over an acoustic that sounds like a variant from “Because” from the recent Abbey Road release. John offers up an acapella of “Good Night” before the closer. While the sentiment is sincere, the whole aural presentation feels monumentally inconsequential. One feels like again, John and Yoko are just putting people on, but then again, it may have all been for a laugh. Just for the strictly curious. 

Retro Reviews: The Mothers Of Invention: Freak Out!

      I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! (1966)

***1/4

Producer: Tom Wilson

Musicians: Frank Zappa, Jimmy Carl Black, Ray Collins, Roy Estrada, Elliot Ingber, with Gene Estes, Eugene Di Novi, Neil LeVang, John Rotella, Carol Kaye and other session orchestras

Songs and music: Hungry Freaks Daddy, I Ain’t Got No Heart, Who Are The Brain Police?, Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder, Motherly Love, How Could I Be Such A Fool, Wowie Zowie, You Didn’t Try To Call Me, Any Way The Wind Blows, I’m Not Satisfied, You’re Probably Wondering why I’m Here, Trouble Every Day, Help, I’m A Rock (i. Okay To Tap Dance, ii In Memoriam Edgar Varese, iii It Can’t Happen Here), The Return of the Son Of Monster Magnet (Unfinished Ballet in Two Tableaux – i. Ritual Dance of The Child-Killer, ii Nullis Pretii (No Commercial Potential) )

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    The Mother’s of invention is a new band that is headed by Frank Zappa, they represent the new self-described freak culture of Southern California. What is so audacious about this is that it is a double album, and outside orchestral session players were brought in to augment the core band. This is a hybrid of bizarre material and very pointed satire, so it won’t be for everyone. The fact that the band was signed by Verve, a label known for it’s jazz releases is revealing, it’s interesting producer Tom Wilson was brought in for quality control, as this will push the bounds of what is considered ‘pop’ or ‘rock’ The styles jump all over the place, from doo wop, psychedelic blues, free form jazz, and experimental orchestral work. I thought The Beatles were being experimental, but this takes things in a less formal direction. The fact that they were given the freedom to do this is impressive. Nevertheless, it may be polarizing for a certain subset of the culture.

    It’s opener “Hungry Freaks, Daddy” is a rhythm and blues flavored number with a psychedelic bent, but its lyrics are very pointed and the use of vibes hint at something very different. The fact that the singing is off key is beside the point, it an ugly feeling and it feels intentional in the context of the number. “I Ain’t Got No Heart” is a more musical number as far as the vocal and horn ensemble, it comments about a woman who may be too square for this man who narrates. “Who Are The Brain Police?” is a tuneful enough number with a barrage of fuzz guitar within its hint of a pop sheen. “Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder” is the first true satire of 50s Doo Wop teenage angst, but that character’s self-loathing and guilt shaming hints he isn’t really the hero to cheer for. “Motherly Love” almost feels like a satire of the burgeoning California psychedelic scene, if also hints at just how young the female groupie scene is and questions it. “How Could I Be Such A Fool” is another 50s satire with a horn section, yet it suggests the male character brought it on themselves.

    “Wowie Zowie” which opens side two is another psychedelic blues pop with a good dose of xylophone. “You Didn’t Try To Call Me” leans into a pop number with orchestra that leans into a movie score. Another satire where the main character has a desperate undercurrent. “Any Way The Wind Blows” is a guilt-based manipulation with some good electric 12 string work, much of this isn’t to be taken very seriously. Black and Collins seem to be the best vocalists. “I’m Not Satisfied” has another disaffected you, but the horns and flutes edge towards a western movie score. “You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here” is another teen, sardonic number with the flavor of Kazoo to lean into the humor. 

    Side three’s “Trouble Every Day” is a very pointed number about the media’s perception on youth culture - “You know people, I’m not black, but there’s a whole lot of times, I wish I could say I’m Not White.”, yes, boys, I can’t say I blame you for feeling that way. But the album takes a very strange turn with “Help, I’m A Rock” featuring “Okay To Tap Dance”, part two “In Memoriam, Edgar Varese” and “It Can’t Happen Here.” opening with an odd guitar figure, the groove settles into a random chant, morphing into the “Varese” section. This is probably some of the most avantgarde material for a pop. The chant “It Can’t Happen Here” seems to mock the paranoia about the freak culture in middle America, before shifting into some free form jazz, it all feels like a challenging taunt. 

    Side four’s “The Return of the son of Monster Magnet” has the taunt of Suzy Creamcheese, before a swing pop groove, with a strange pulse of plucked piano, and strange electronic sounds, the next chant shifts gears into other strange territory, it all starts to sound like a parody of some B movie. It even seems to morph into loops, backwards tracks, and speeded up audio, “America’s wonderful!” it declares and any aware person can sense the irony. 

    I can’t say the double album completely works, there’s a few songs that are thematically repetitive on the first two sides, and the audacity of side three and four won’t be for everyone. It is meant to provoke, to act as a slingshot for the consciousness, and some might not just want to be along for the ride. But this album feels a year or two ahead of everyone else and I have very little doubt that other musicians will be paying attention to what the Mothers have to offer. It’s a fascinating little ride as far as a sonic rollercoaster. Certainly, worth it if you are looking for something a little different.  

Retro Reviews: George Harrison - Wonderwall Music / Electronic Sound

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser known titles.

George Harrison: Wonderwall Music (1968)

***

Producer: George Harrison

Musicians: George Harrison, John Barham, Tony Ashton, Colin  Manley, Philip Rogers, Roy Dyke, Tommy Reilly, Eric Clapton (alleged), Ringo Starr, Big Jim Sullivan, Aashish Khan, Mahapurush Misra, Sharad Kumar, Hanuman Jadev, Shambhu Das, Indrani Bhattacharya, Shankar Ghosh, Chandrashekhar Naringrekar, Shivkumar Sharma, S.R. Kenkare, Vinayak Vora, Rijram Desad

Music: Microbes, Red Lady Too,  Tabla and Pakavaj, In The Park, Drilling A Hole, Guru Veranda, Greasy Legs, Ski-ing, Gat Kirwani, Dream Scene, Party Seacombe, Love Scene, Crying, Cowboy Music, Fantasy Sequins, On The Bed, Glass Box, Wonderwall To Be Here, Singing Om

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Technically, George’s first side project from the Beatles could be considered a solo project, but it is really more the soundtrack to Joe Massot’s film of the same name. The album focuses on artists from India, and George’s newfound interests with Indian culture and Hare Krishna, it also blends in Western pop and rock sources in the cues to a enough of a degree so that the casual listener will have something to latch onto. But ultimately, this might act as a primer to the rock listener who is not familiar with Indian music. This is a difficult album to assess some if it’s merits unless you are already schooled in classical Indian music tradition. Even with the most western material, there’s a heavy use of experimentation. Earlier in the year, The Beatles “The Inner Light”, a lovely piece, showcased some of the players Harrison has gotten to know. This looks to be a next step.

    The opener “Microbes” basically sets up the tone with its somber Indian instruments, you aren’t going to get just the typical rock or pop sensibilities here, if you are open to what it offered, then it’s an interesting journey.  “Red Lady Too” is a complicated, baroque piano piece with several keyboard colorings. “Tabla and Pavavaj” is layered with several percussion instruments. “In The Park” again features a number of traditional Indian instruments and it makes for an interesting listen. “Drilling A Home” is an easier to grasp piece, a music hall, ragtime number where the speed of the tape has been manipulated. “Guru Veranda” is another traditional piece. “Greasy Legs” has an ominous opening before it shifts to a meditative piano and layers of keyboard. A driving percussion and Sitar drone beds “Ski-ing” with some blues guitar that sounds like Clapton to my ears. This evolves into some dueling guitars where I can’t tell if it’s one player, or Harrison in the mix. “Get Kirwani” has some impressive sitar instrumentation.

    The “Dream Scene” is a fascinating kaleidoscope of different sections, the first has a bed of sitar, what sounds like rolling harps, a male and female Indian vocalist, backwards effects, before it shifts to a treated piano whose melody is accentuated by a guitar or Indian instrument, I can’t tell. This becomes richer until it shifts again to a moody horn, pensive, that builds into a montage of sounds. “Party Seacombe” features a treated acoustic and piano with a strange processed vocal that seems to merge with a Wah pedal guitar, the drums become more emphasized along with a hint of Organ. “Love Scene” has some more traditional Indian arrangement’s that progresses. “Crying” is self-explanatory as it features Indian strings wailing.

    “Cowboy Music” is also self-explanatory with guitars, harmonica, galloping percussion, harmonium and dobro, a musical humorous pastiche. “Fantasy Sequins” is somber. “On The Bed” features some spry Piano and Organ as the bed, and some introspective horn soloing, and what could only be described as insect slide guitar. “Glass Box” is another traditional Indian snippet. “Wonderwall To Be Here” has a dramatic piano and string mellotron arrangement. The album closer, “Singing Om” is another traditional Indian piece with harmonium and prayer like vocals.

    The album seems to have a few purposes, one is to feature Indian musicians that may not be known to western ears, and the other is to allow Harrison to experiment with western instruments, and in interesting ways. For international music, this is a good primer.  While there were things to latch onto here. It will probably mostly appeal to the most intellectually curious. But the intent to blend the West with the West is a bold and fresh idea.

George Harrison: Electronic Sound (1969)

**1/2

Producer and Musician: George Harrison

Music: Under The Mersey Wall, No Time In Space

    George Harrison’s next project will probably be a litmus test for a number of the listeners. George recently acquired a Moog 3 series synthesizer and collaborated with Bernie Krause. With “Under The Mersey Wall” there are moments of musicality along with ominous tones and random textures. Irregular percussion, sounds, voices intermix with the strange synth textures. “No Time In Space” even takes this all further with what sounds like drum beats and firework cracks, then it transitions into wind sounds and noise. This whole effort is taking the extremes of the technology and it differs from Walter Carlos’s “Switched On Bach” album. Tonally, It will probably remind some of the electronic theme from Dr. Who, or the electronic score from 1956’s Forbidden Planet by Bebe and Louis Barron. Yet it lacks some of the finesse of those works. It feels like a noodling by George and hopefully will yield some interesting results in the future, but this is mostly for the curious of exotic sounds. I have no doubt that enthusiast for the odd will find this compelling, yet rock fans should be forewarned about this.

The Beatles: "Revolver" (1966)

Evolver: Two Revolutions Per One

Essay and Review By Matthew Anthony Allair

 

Personal Connection

The Beatles have always been a part of my consciousness in one form or another since I was very young. I remember my first exposure to them being at that house in San Rafael, when my mom had the vinyl Capitol prints of the “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help” soundtracks. My Dad held a certain leeriness about their earlier bubblegum pop years, and he really only connected with them during their mid to late sixties period, as their writing evolved into something more sophisticated and varied. Years later, while we were living in Rohnert Park, near Santa Rosa, my middle brother stayed with us for a spell and he had Japanese import copies of the early 60s Capitol era. I remember owning the Red and Blue compilations while living in Rohnert Park, during Jr. High. It wasn’t until I was a High School freshmen that I really started to connect with their material, starting with Rubber Soul.

Yet Revolver was the album that really stood out for me, and I remember listening to the Capitol vinyl edition on a regular basis. When CD players affordably went on the market in the late 80s, the Beatles catalog was the first sets I invested in, and I was even more blown away by the UK edition of the album. While countless artists shaped the sound of rock ‘n roll in the fifties, the Beatles expanded the vocabulary of Rock and pop in ways that were profound. Yet what were the circumstances that made them so profound? Did the band even understand fully their impact? I doubt it, as they were probably just doing their thing and being in the moment. When you consider the statistical odds of a band forming, much less connecting at the level they did so, between John, Paul, George, and Ringo, it seems almost miraculous that these four individuals converged in post war Liverpool and the same time and place, yet they did so.

The History

In essence, it becomes the chicken or the egg argument, was their greatness already there, was it preordained (an argument I’m suspicious of)? Or did they simply rise to the occasion with each success? I could well imagine that Revolver must have been a shock when it was released, August 5th, 1966. But there were ample clues that the band had evolved enough to be able to release such a title. There writing had become more sophisticated, the subject or romance had already become ambivalent, as early as late ’64 they had started to veer away from the bubblegum pop format, and the writing became more varied, as evidenced with several tracks off of Beatles For Sale – “Baby’s in Black, I’m A Loser, I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”, and this sophistication was further evidenced with Help – The flute ensemble of “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, and the string quartet of “Yesterday” or the heavy rock of “Ticket To Ride”.

While Rubber Soul might have been a revelation as far as an album filled with quality material, the conventions of the album, their standard rock instrumentation of guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, excluding the exception of George’s Sitar on “Norwegian Wood”, had remained intact in principle, even if the writing had grown by leaps and bounds. Rubber Soul was also a more organic sounding album, with its emphasis on acoustic guitars, whereas Revolver, in a sense, was an electronic album, and the first true studio only release.

One also should bear in mind, two events sandwiched between the pre and post release of Revolver. One being the infamous Robert Whitaker, ‘butcher babies’ photo sessions that seemed intended to smash their clean cut image, and during the final tours in 66, the frightening Philippines / Manila incident where Imelda Marcos claimed The Beatles snubbed her, when they had previously declined to attend a breakfast, although Marcos wasn’t informed of the decline. The diminishing returns of their bubblegum image, and the growing security risks of touring due to Beatle mania, probably shaped their confidence they could continue as a recording only band.

The Album

While Norman Smith had managed some great technical feats for The Beatles in 65, Geoff Emerick role as an engineer was probably the most significant development to evolve for the Beatle’s 1966. Paul’s Bass sound alone was a vast improvement, with more presence and fullness, it allowed Paul to treat the bass as a lead instrument. Geoff Emerick from his book: “Here, There and Everywhere” in 2006 made the following comments about how he arrived at the Bass sound:

“But before he got down to the brass tacks of teaching the others their parts (for “Paperback Writer”), Paul turned to me. “Geoff,” he began, “I need you to put your thinking cap on. This song is really calling out for that deep Motown bass sound we’ve been talking about, so I want you to pull out all the stops this time, all right, then?” I nodded an affirmative…It occurred to me that since microphones are in fact simply loudspeakers wired in reverse (in technical terms, both are transducers that convert sound waves to electrical signals, and vice versa), why not try using a loudspeaker as a microphone?...I broached my plan, gingerly, to Phil McDonald…Over the next few hours, while the boys rehearsed with George Martin, Ken (Townsend) and I conducted a few experiments. To my delight, the idea of using a speaker as a microphone seemed to work pretty well.”

Ringo’s drum’s also benefited from Emerick’s techniques including close miking the bass drum. The guitars themselves took on a more heavier sound, while The Who and The Kinks had already broken new ground with a heavier rock sound, The Beatle’s refined those innovations and laid the groundwork for the power pop single, and this could be demonstrated with such tracks as “Taxman, She Said, She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing,” and “Doctor Robert”.

This was further demonstrated in their single recorded during this period, “Paperback Writer / Rain”, overdriven brisk guitars, very present bass and drums, complex vocals, and in the case of “Rain”, a backing track that is slowed down and their first use of backwards vocal. “Paperback Writer” should have been seen as the first signal of the new identity, the fab four, bubblegum pop sensibility had ended. Paul McCartney has observed in 1997:

“One day I led the dance, like “Paperback Writer”, and another day John would lead the dance like “I’m Only Sleeping”. It was nice, we weren’t really competitive as to who started the song, but the good thing was if he wrote a great “Strawberry Fields”, I’d try and write a “Penny Lane”. So, we kept each other on our toes”

This change was also very evident in the Klaus Voormann cover, Voormann had been a long time friend from their Hamburg days, and he would go on, in the space of a few years to play bass on John and George’s solo albums. The cover also managed to hint at their sense of humor, and their interest in pop surrealism, sans the band name, which one could say was a reflection of their already iconic status, and the fact that their individual persona’s had become more pronounced. It is also worth noting that the title could have a double meaning – it could be referring to Long Play 33 1/3 Rotations Per Minute, the speed that a vinyl record has to properly play, or it could be a word play on ‘Evolve’. John observed in 1969 and 1975:

“The sixties saw a revolution among youth – not just concentrating in small pockets or classes, but a revolution in a whole way of thinking. The youth got it first and the next generation second. The Beatles were part of the revolution, which is really an evolution, and is continuing…We were a part of it and contributed what we contributed; I can’t designate what we did and didn’t do. It depends on how each individual was impressed by The Beatles, or how shock waves went to different people. We were going through the changes, and all we were saying was, ‘It’s raining up here’ or, ‘There’s land!’ or, ‘There’s sun!’ or, ‘We can see a seagull!’ We were just reporting what was happening to us.”

After a brief introduction – an audio loop, a cough, the chirp of a guitar, and the count-off, “Taxman” kicks things off, it’s a testament to George’s development as a songwriter that his track would lead off the album. Yet, ironically, it is Paul that plays that blistering lead guitar. “Eleanor Rigby” is significant on several fronts, one being the composition, the narrative description, the classical motif, and the willingness for the band to step out of themselves, to step out of their positive outlook, and acknowledge that there were a lot of working class people, that were leading lives of quiet desperation – those lonely (and lovely) people. That track alone – “Eleanor Rigby” would set up a template that other writers would follow, including Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, all of the way through to Aimee Mann. Geoff Emerick also made observations about the sonic innovations with “Eleanor Rigby’ after Paul had specifically instructed that he didn’t want the strings to sound like Mancini:

“String quartets were traditionally recorded with just one or two microphones, placed high, several feet up in the air so that sound of the bows scraping couldn’t be heard. But with Paul’s directive in mind, I decided to close-mic the instruments, which was a new concept. The musicians were horrified! One of them gave me a look of distain, rolled his eyes to the ceiling, and said under his breath, “You can’t do that, you know.’”

One has to bear in mind that in the late fifties as Rock N’ Roller’s like Elvis or Buddy Holly started to go pop and use string sections, the strings often sounded banal, and generic. Something that McCartney was probably instinctively fighting to avoid, but McCartney and Emerick’s instincts were correct, and revolutionary.

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John’s “I’m Only Sleeping” is a whimsical acoustic pop number with George’s crisp, distorted guitar fills and the introduction to backwards guitar. When the Anthology CD’s were released, this is one of the tracks presented a different arrangement including vibes, this being indicative of this period, where the Beatles by ’66, had the luxury of not settling for one arrangement and then moving on, but could find the ideal voice of a song. George’s cavalcade of guitar at the end of the track, segway’s nicely into his own track.

George’s “Love You To” was his first proper attempt at an Indian composition, although it isn’t pure replication being that an acoustic guitar, and some heavily distorted guitars drive the rhythm, Tabla player Anil Bhagwat adds to the track, and Jimmy Page would eventually do the same on his “Black Mountain Side” on the first Zeppelin album – but the track was an important template, the blending of rock, pop and world music would become commonplace. Peter Gabriel would build his entire career on the merging of such sensibilities, as well as Paul Simon.

In many respects Paul is one of the most natural melodic songwriters, putting forth a melody seems to second nature to him, and this strength was never more evident in “Here, There and Everywhere”; one of his most liked, and highly regarded tunes, and one that John would eventually site as a favorite.

“Yellow Submarine” is in essence a children’s tune, written by Paul and John for Ringo, the inclusion of topical sound effects set another precedent, and Pink Floyd, the band that fittingly Norman Smith was assigned to produce by the end of 1966, would take these techniques to new heights. It should be noted that Syd’s final Pink Floyd track, “Jugband Blues” (1968) shares a similar structure with a marching brass band interlude, but the sentiment was darker, surreal, and disturbing. John’s “She Said She Said” is one of those few mid tempo acid rock numbers, inspired by an LSD experience, John’s overdriven guitar, and George’s heavy fuzz lead weaves together nicely. Paul observed in 1997 about “She Said She Said”:

“Very much John. It’s a nice one. I like the title “She Said She Said”, which I think was made up on the session. John brought it in pretty much finished, I think. I’m not sure but I think it was one of the only Beatle records I never played on. I think we’d had a barney or something and I said, “Oh, fuck you!” and they said, “Well, we’ll do it.” I think George played bass.”

Geoff Emerick has also revealed that “She Said She Said” was the last thing recorded for the album, when they were a track short from the standard fourteen track long-player.

Often Rubber Soul is dubbed the pot album, and Revolver is dubbed the LSD album, but I feel that overstates and simplifies matters. While the drugs may have inspired the band to take more risks and become more fearless, McCartney and Lennon have admitted they were never able to function properly in the studio, nor be productive while under the influence, yet there remains this romanticism about playing while stoned.

It needs to be noted that we have only discussed the first seven tracks, and already the album has shown a staggering range, the second half is no less full of surprises. Paul’s “Good Day Sunshine” was written in the spirit of The Lovin’ Spoonful, Triad Jazz as Paul has described it, what is interesting about the piano work is one can’t tell if it was all Paul, several of the more bluesy riffs sound like John’s playing style, which would later be evidenced in his Plastic Ono Band and “Imagine” album. John’s “And Your Bird Can Sing” is the most brisk rocker from the album, and attempts a harmonized lead. Again it should be noted that the version heard on the Anthology CD, was altogether different – the 12 string jangle arrangement.

Paul’s “For No One” – like “Here”, is the other highly regarded track, also cited by John as a favorite, and features the first classical solo featured on a Beatles track, played by Alan Civil, it wouldn’t be the last. John’s “Doctor Robert” was inspired by a real event, and seems a sly dig at the Hollywood prescription drug chic that was prevalent in the day.

Something needs to be said about George’s songwriting output during this period, it has been noted that if George were in any other band, he would have been regarded as a very good writer, but had to compete with the giant talents of McCartney / Lennon. George’s third offering, “I Want To Tell You” manages to tuck in an unusual chord, and perhaps the track influenced the sustained / augmented chord choices one could find with contemporary alternative or the art rock scene. George observed in his 1980 book:

“I Want To Tell You is about the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down or say or transmit…the mind is the thing that hops about telling us to do this and do that – when what we need is to lose (forget) the mind. A passing thought.”

Paul’s “Got To Get You Into My Life”, a clever ode to pot nonetheless, might be responsible for shaping the careers of bands like Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and Earth, Wind & Fire, with its jazzy, biting, horn quartet. Geoff Emerick observed in 2006 after commenting on Eleanor Rigby:

“No one had heard strings like that before, and neither had they heard brass the way I recorded it on “Got To Get You Into My Life”. Again, I close-miked the instruments – actually put the mics right down into the bells instead of the standard technique of placing them four feet away – and then applied severe limiting to the sound. There were only five players on the session, and when it came time to mix the song, Paul kept saying, “I wish we could make the brass sound bigger.”…That’s where I came up with the idea of dubbing the horn track onto a fresh piece of two-track tape, then playing it back alongside the multitrack, but just slightly out of sync, which had the effect of doubling the horns. I loved Paul’s singing on that song, too – he really let loose.”

Yet is was John’s “Tomorrow Never Knows” that broke the most ground - built around a processed drum and bass track, with a hint of organ, the swirl of tape loops was a sonic revelation, with a little dose of George’s backwards guitar, and a little jangle piano for good measure, the track laid the groundwork for an entire new genre, although it would be decades before that would be realized.

Not only has Revolver remained my personal favorite, and many music writers have arrived at the same sentiment, I would have to argue, it had the most profound impact. For decades, Sgt. Pepper was hailed as the most important rock album, and most profound by many critics, but upon closer scrutiny the second half of the album doesn’t hold up as well. While Sgt. Pepper enjoys the highest ratio of ‘firsts’, the first – loosely – concept album, the first to include lyrics, the cover and gatefold, George Martin’s orchestral arrangements and production. The second half of the album is guilty of filler with “Good Morning, Good Morning, Lovely Rita” and there’s a good argument for the “Sgt. Pepper” reprise, and is only held together by John’s profound “A Day In The Life”, but Revolver is filled with great songs, it remains interesting and varied, and leaves you wanting more.

The Impact

This brings us the thrust of the point; that Revolver set up the template for countless bands, pointing musicians to new directions with where they could go. The power pop of Cheep Trick, Sweet, Def Leppard could be found with “Taxman, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert”. The singer / songwriter, balladeer of Billy Joel, Carol King, Adell could be found with “Eleanor Rigby, Here, There & Everywhere, Good Day Sunshine” and “For No One”, or rock and progressive rock’s dalliances with classical with “Eleanor Rigby”. The aforementioned “Love You To” and it’s influence on world music, and the tape loops of “Tomorrow Never Knows”, which would lead to trance, ambient, techno, or the experimentation of Miles Davis with his 1972 album, On The Corner.

The tree that is Revolver branches off with its influences on countless bands, in so many directions, that such a list would be profound and encompassing. While I consider the entire Beatles catalogue essential listening, Revolver deserves the credit it enjoys, and should be reassessed by every generation of music fan.

Producer: George Martin
Arrangers: The Beatles, George Martin
Composers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Cover: Klaus Voormann

Tracks: Side one (UK version):  
Taxman  
Eleanor Rigby  
I’m Only Sleeping  
Love You To
Here, There and Everywhere  
Yellow Submarine  
She Said She Said

Side Two (UK version)  
Good Day Sunshine  
And Your Bird Can Sing  
For No One  
Doctor Robert
I Want To Tell You  
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows

You can download the album from iTunes
Or you can order it on-line from Barnes & Nobel
Next up: Led Zeppelin III