Revolver [VINYL]

Product Information

Last week, I told you about strawberry fields, where — sorry, wrong Beatles reference. One, two, three, four (cough) — last week, I told you how it will be on October 28, when Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe will be releasing The Beatles seminal August 1966 album Revolver in a 180g 4LP/1EP Special Edition Super Deluxe box set. (You can go here to read all the details regarding what comprises that release.) But, you ask, is it perfect? Well, Revolver as an album is already perfect unto itself [Agreed!—MM], and that designation of perfection will always be bestowed upon the original mono mix as constructed by The Beatles with original producer George Martin in 1966. However, the box set’s new stereo mix is a close second, for those of you who enjoy two-channel listening (Beatles or otherwise). It is a strong improvement over the earlier stereo mixes, revealing many new sonic details which were previously not possible. Martin: Absolutely. And that’s all of it. They’re the only people who have to sign off. That’s it. There’s no record label sign off and there are no A&R teams, or anything like that.

Mettler: Was there ever any thought of going with 140-gram vinyl for Revolver, as opposed to 180-gram? Did that ever come up? Martin: (laughs) Listen — I don’t know. I really haven’t thought about it. I generally have not thought about that yet. I kind of always need a break from The Beatles, so I’m doing no Beatles for the next six months or so, maybe longer. I will be doing some films over that time, and maybe some work for some other people. MM adds: If you want to read more about the minutiae behind the mixing and de-mixing process for the Revolver box set vinyl directly from Giles Martin, go here to read Mike Mettler’s in-depth wax-centric interview.]What a pity that they are not able to give us (audiophile) consumers that experience. The finished product does not sound like it. A bonus disc on the new expanded, remixed and remastered box set of 1966’s Revolver offers an even more transformative experience: a jaw-dropping sequence of Yellow Submarine work tapes traces the song’s evolution from a fragile, sad wisp sung by John Lennon to its later iteration as a Ringo Starr-directed psych-pop goof. That the band steered Yellow Submarine from morose folk trifle to boisterous stoner singalong seems improbable, but the tapes don’t lie: through a combination of focused acoustic woodshedding and whimsical studio risks, the band arrived at the more familiar, upbeat Yellow Submarine. Mettler: Is there one best “cake moment” for Revolver where you were like, “This is what de-mixing was meant to help me do”? And he’ll talk about the dynamics. Generally, he’s really happy. When we come across the guitar solo in “Taxman,” which I think I have on the right-hand side, he’ll go, “Let's turn it up in the middle to make it loud,” or say the same with the guitars in “And Your Bird Can Sing.” And then we talk about the song. That’s the way we’ll work through it. Giles Martin: The mono is a straight, pure transfer of the mono master. The stereo is a stereo mix that has been remixed, and the other one [the mono] hasn’t. There’s no point in me doing a new mono mix. Someone asked me about it today — like, “Why don’t you?” There isn’t any point, really.

Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for AudiophileReview.com, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn. A literal lifelong Beatles fan, Mark confirms one of his three earliest life memories from his childhood is of watching The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show with his family in 1964.)If you are considering buying the new 180g 4LP/1EP Super Deluxe Edition vinyl box set celebrating The Beatles’ landmark August 1966 album Revolver that’s set for release on October 28, then you’ve come to the right place. This set features a striking new stereo remix helmed by producer Giles Martin and is a fantastic addition to The Beatles catalog, providing a tremendous insight into the music as well as into its making. My only wish to make this fine box set even finer would have been for the Apple corps to have given us even more! Most hardcore Beatles fans like us would have loved another album or two of outtakes and rehearsals, of course. But, hey, the music itself herein is great, and, clearly, a lot of love and care went into its creation — and it all sounds pretty terrific too on vinyl. I’m happy about this new Super Deluxe Revolver 4LP/1EP box set, hands down — and I think you will be too! Mettler: Okay. For the additional bonus material — the 31 songs and demos — how did you decide the sequencing for them? Was that just by feel, or did you unfold them chronologically for how you wanted people to hear them?