Got To Get You Into My Life?
A review of the new super deluxe edition of The Beatles' Revolver
“In the town where I was born, no one cared, no one cared,” John Lennon solemnly sighs, plucking away melancholically on a grainy, scratchy demo tape version of ‘Yellow Submarine.’
This somber, yet intriguing original is more reminiscent of the dejected narrator in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner than the eventual cheerier vocals provided by Ringo Starr. However, as other demos of ‘Yellow Submarine’ demonstrate — recently released on a super deluxe edition of The Beatles’ seventh studio album Revolver — the band morphed a somber folk tune into the crowd pleasing, fun, psychedelic pop song young and old have merrily sung along to since 1966.
The song’s evolution is the prime example of what differentiates this collection of Revolver than previous releases, as well as differentiates the Beatles from other groups. Like Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary about the ‘Let It Be’ sessions that revealed new insights into the band’s creative process, Revolver (2022) similarly allows Fab Four fanatics to audibly trace the genesis of beloved songs into their final forms.
The Beatles were craftsmen, and they were good at molding unforgettable ear worms. This super deluxe collection solidifies that fact, while igniting a new appreciation for the band and these particular songs — they were not formed out of thin air, but worked on, tweaked. This was a period of experimentation for the band, and the demos reflect this fully.
But what’s a Beatles album without their personalities shining forth? There are numerous instances, my personal favorite being Paul and John giggling through their vocals on a take of ‘And Your Bird Can Sing.’ It reinforces that these two musical titans were simply boys, of humble beginnings, from Liverpool.
The super deluxe does tout newly mixed editions for the 14 original tracks — however, personally, the changes were not as distinguishable to this listener. (Side note: apparently Giles Martin, son of Beatles’ producer George Martin, utilized audio tools Jackson’s team revolutionized for ‘Get Back’).
If you are a Beatles fan, you probably know what I mean because you have, more than likely, already listened to it. Even though the new mixes are not the main reason to dive into Revolver, this 2022 edition is not redundant, but an intriguing, welcome listen for the glimpse it provides into the band’s experimentation.
Meanwhile, what I find to be the most fascinating aspect of The Beatles is that, even after more than 50 years since they parted ways, there appears to be no shortage of new material, new demos, new insights into the songs that have shaped the entire music industry.
*Now here comes the part where I rank my favorite tracks, in order. I await the angry mail.
Eleanor Rigby
Here, There And Everywhere
And Your Bird Can Sing
Yellow Submarine
She Said She Said
Got to Get You Into My Life
I’m Only Sleeping
Good Day Sunshine
For No One
Taxman
Love You To
I Want To Tell You
Tomorrow Never Knows
Doctor Robert
Bonus: A Beatles’ demo I actually like more than the final version on any album is Ob La Di Ob La Da, which you can find here.