The Beatles' - Revolver (Podcast) Week 2

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Hi, my name is Matt Morrison. I am a young professional seeking education in the field of audio post production at Full Sail University. This is my week 2 podcast for Music History 2. I’m going to be discussing the Beatles’ album, Revolver, which is considered by many to be one of the most influential albums of all time. Before I begin, I’d like for you to hear a song off of this album so you can get a feel for what Revolver sounds like. This song is called “She Said She Said.”

 If there was one album that could be attributed solely to the spawning of psychedelic rock, it would be Revolver. Not only did this album incorporate themes and techniques that were uncommon or unheard at the time, but Revolver would go on to inspire for years to come. Of the countless lives that this album impacted, Brian Wilson was one. The sole songwriter/producer of The Beachboys (another successful pop band at the time) took a listen to Revolver and wanted to create something “just like it,” he described. You may see the similarities between Revolver and the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds, specifically the track “Here Today.”

On Revolver, there were a few unusual recording procedures that are now common practices in music production today. One of the most important was artificial double tracking. This was a procedure invented during the recording of this album when John Lennon asked if there was an easier way to obtain vocal doubles. One of the engineers discovered a method that utilized a slight tape delay between an original vocal take and its copy to produce an artificial double, called flanging. Prior to this, a vocal double called for the singer to get two actual takes. Today, flanging and artificial doubling is a technique used in a large number of musically produced albums to date.

Another rather uncommon process was using compression as an artistic instrument rather than a sonic leveling tool. This is most obvious on the kick drum, where the compression shapes it into more of a booming thud than a kick. There are also hints of over compression on the guitars, which Lennon had been using at an attempt to mimic an organ sound. In today’s studio, it wouldn’t be uncommon to hear of a producer and engineer debate which compressors coloring and characteristics they could use to their advantage within a track.

The lyrical content throughout Revolver grew out of inspiration from a large number of things. Of the most dominant was social awareness and questioning authority, which we are greeted with on “Tax Man.” This attitude had never been seen before in pop music, and little did The Beatles know that this attitude also would give birth to an entirely new outlook for an entirely new generation.

Aside from its innovative approach to recording, Revolver also made use of tape loops and sound effects. The Beatles  began to actually use the studio as an instrument. Not only do we hear the sound of hustling activity in a room right from the start of the album, but there are many sounds that they otherwise couldn’t reproduce live. This is apparent on the track, “Yellow Submarine,” where The Beatles’ actually listened through some of Abbey Roads sound effect libraries and overdubbed them to enhance the story telling of the track. “Tomorrow Never Knows” also makes use of tape loops and sound effects, where we hear various effects and reversed guitar solos.

So that sums up my podcast about The Beatles’ Revolver. I hope you’re able to make use of some of the things I’ve shared with you today.

-Matthew Morrison