Remixing Revolver: Our enduring fascination with The Beatles

56 years after its initial release, The Beatles’ Revolver is just as vibrant and endearing to a modern audience. With unheard demos and enhanced vocals, the 2022 Super Deluxe edition highlights the reasons why The Beatles continue to captivate listeners today.

The edition has been met with critical acclaim, securing a score of 100 on Metacritic, and reaching number 2 on the UK Album Chart. Over the last few years, the band’s catalogue has been remixed and repackaged using contemporary technology under the supervision of Giles Martin, son of the original Beatles producer George Martin. Following the success of Peter Jackson’s charming documentary, The Beatles: Get Back last year, there has been a renewed interest in the creative processes and dynamics of the band. The collection itself includes a five-CD set which is comprised of stereo, mono, demo, and session recordings from the album. There is also a 100-page book, with a foreword from Paul McCartney which compliments the music with handwritten lyrics, recording sheets and track insights. The main interest surrounds the new 2022 mixes, which use de-mixing technology to isolate the intricate features of the songs. This has allowed the classic vocals, harmonies, and instrumentation to be illuminated with greater clarity and distinction.

Revolver was a turning point in The Beatles’ music and direction as a band. George Harrison’s independence in his songwriting began to emerge with the humorous opener ‘Taxman’ while McCartney’s ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ highlight a greater maturity in his song writing. Furthermore, the Indian instrumentation in ‘Love You To’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ shows the band moving towards a more experimental sound.

Image Credits: Flickr

The real highlights are the songwriting work tapes which show the progression of ‘Yellow Submarine.’ Initially, the song starts as a haunting demo of ‘Yellow Submarine’ sung by John Lennon, which is categorized by Lennon’s eerie vocals and deprecating lyricism ‘In the place where I was born / no one care, no one care.’ It is interesting to witness the song’s metamorphosis from this isolated lament to the children’s classic sung by Ringo Starr through the band’s collaborative efforts. For many years, insight into the band’s writing processes was inaccessible to the public, therefore hearing the studio conversations and stripped-back early versions of the songs is incredibly nostalgic and powerful for any Beatles fan.

While this collection enhances the already celebrated album tracks, early takes of the non-album singles ‘Rain’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ are also included. By uncovering the processes of the more underrated singles it provides a new listening experience and perspective. The slowed-down and sped-up versions of ‘Rain’ allows the listener to consider the song in a fresh way and appreciate the complexity of the bassline. Even the artwork by Klaus Voormann has been restored and an alternative cover design by Robert Freeman has been included. The genius of The Beatles has extended beyond just the songs, but also to their redefinition of the album form and its artistic presentation. The iconography of their album covers really begins with the release of Revolver and it proved to just be a taste of the creative exploration which was to come.

Much of The Beatles’ mythology is rooted in their chemistry and cohesion which was flourishing by the mid-1960s. This collection is a journey and celebration of The Beatles innovation during this period and will be a complementary experience for fans new and old.

You can listen to the 2022 Super Deluxe edition of Revolver below: