REVOLVER

REVOLVER and SGT PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND both get the highest rating of the Beatles albums in my book. They both demonstrate abundantly why the Beatles were without a dout progressive. REVOLVER, in particular, shows the Beatles incorporating a large variety of influences in one album.

Discussing individual tracks, I'll get my least favorite out of the way. "And Your Bird Can Sing" just doesn't float my boat; I think it's a little ridiclous. "Got to Get You Into My Life" is fun; it has to be one of the loudest songs the Beatles ever recorded. "Tomorrow Never Knows" is George Harrison in a Middlle Eastern mood. Others have said it, but I think it's an important point worth repeating; one of the most "progressive" things about the Beatles is their experiments with the recording technology available to them. "I'm Only Sleeping" is another favorite; I love the atmosphere of the song.

Then there's "Eleanor Rigby". It shows the level of ambition at which Paul and the others were working. "Eleanor Rigby" is practically an Art Song in the classical sense; its my favorite song, ever. As I was finishing this review I was looking at the lengths of the songs and the running time of the album. Has anyone else done as much in 14 songs lasting a little over a half an hour? I intend to use 5 star ratings very sparingly, but this is without a doubt one of the most progressive records in history.