REVOLVER

The Beatles' finest hour. 14 songs of genius, each one a carefully crafted classic. The drugs are clearly in evidence here, but didn't distract from the musc. Most of these songs are well-known to everyone, so here's some interesting facts about the album.

1) Taxman - the guitar solo is by McCartney and it also features (backwards) in "Tomorrow Never Knows"

2) Eleanor Rigby - the name "Eleanor" may have come from Eleanor Bron who was in "Help", but there is a gravestone for a real "Eleanor Rigby" near where McCartney lived.

3) I'm only sleeping - early use of backwards guitar.

4) Love you to - one of the few Beatles song where the title is not in the lyric. Harrison's first Indian song.

5) Here, there and everywhere - supposedly Macca's favourite of his songs. Just listen to the backing vocals and don't forget they were recorded live, not overdubbed.

6) Yellow submarine - written as a children's song, great sound effects.

7) She said, she said - "I know what it's like to be dead" is a quote from Peter Fonda during a trip.Covered to great effect by Lone Star.

8) Good day sunshine - barrelhouse piano, innovative use of panning in the intro.

9) And your bird can sing - brilliant guitar riff, played in parallel thirds by Lennon and Harrison. Very oblique lyric.

10) For no one - a beautiful McCartney number. Features the famous Alan Civil horn solo.

11) Dr Robert - the dentist who introduced the Beatles to LSD.

12) I want to tell you - Harrison's third song (the first time he'd had that many on a single album).

13) Got to get you into my life - McCartney's Motown number. The "you" in the title supposedly refers to drugs.

14) Tomorrow never knows - another song whose title is not in the lyrics. Lennon didn't get the Tibetan monks choir he wanted, but he got numerous tape loops instead. This was mixed live in the studio by a number of people standing at tape machines dotted around Abbey Road with the tape loops wrapped round pencils! The tape loops include McCartney laughing, an orchestra and a Mellotron. Also features stunning drums from Starr. One of the Beatles greatest works of genius.

This is possibly the most "progressive" album of all time - don't forget it was made 40 years ago without the benefit of computers and samplers. Has to be a 5-star album.