REVOLVER

In 1966 you had Frank Zappa Varese-influenced music juxtaposed with a fifties rock and roll parody. You had Pet Sounds still seeped in Phil Spector Wall Of Sound. Bands like the Velvet Underground, and the Doors had yet to release their music.

The Beatles on the other hand though having influences like Stockhausen, Ravi Shankar, Motown, The Beach Boys and the Who were creating sounds that no one ever heard in rock and pop music.

What do the Beatles do they release songs with no rock instruments with strings and vocals in counterpoint "Eleanor Rigby". "I'm Only Sleeping" slows down the vocals, bass and cymbals slightly and have the guitar reversed on playback in out of the song and on the fade-out also creating a surrealistic or trippy effect. "Love You To" sees George Harrison going all Indian classical with spurts of distored guitar effects fading in and out. "She Said She Said" has hazy guitars, changing meter, psychedelic sounding bridge and Ringo relentless drum shot rolls in random all creating a unique psychedelic sound. At this point psychedelic rock was not exactly a house hold name yet. 'For No One" despite it's sparse instrumentation including clavichord and french horn solo sounds almost classical.

The guitars on the album are also bright and gritty at the same time. "Taxman" starts with a spliced countdown opening. The track uses a mock Indian melody, distorted slashing R&B chords with a funky bass line. The guitar solo is a highly fuzzed raga guitar style solo and after the solo the Beatles guitars are in unison creating a powerful sound unlike anything the Rolling Stones or the Who had been doing at the time. The Beatles weren't knows as virtosue guitar players but on "And Your Bird Can Sing" they create twin lead guitar sound harmonized carrying the song a type of guitar sound you would hear in bands like Thin Lizzy.

The final track though on "Tomorrow Never Knows" is really where they distance themselves from the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and basically everyone else in pop music. Tomorrow Never Knows" is where the production and ideas shine through. You have boosted bass and drums right up front, loops, and change of speeds, processed vocals, and automatic double tracking on "Tomorrow Never Knows". All in one chord or two chords. Though not really progressive rock as it has influenced everyone from Krautrock, techno music and all sorts of musicians.

Not really progressive rock but this was 1966 and songs like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" were about as progressive you could be in the three minute pop song format. But the album wide ranging musical styles and recording production influenced basically every type of music that followed including progressive rock. I have to give it a five even it's not a progressive rock album it's experimentation makes it a five on prog web site