The much-anticipated new mix and mastering of the classic album Revolver by the Beatles has finally been released and it’s everything every Beatle fan had wished and hoped for, and then some. Of course, as anyone would expect, Rolling Stone magazine showered it with praise, as you can see here. Officially called Revolver Super Deluxe Edition, the set includes the original album, newly mixed and mastered, plus an abundance of outtakes, alternate versions, and some snippets of casual studio chatter between the Fab Four that could make any Beatle fan giddy with excitement.
Hefty extras aside, the highlight of the package is the original album itself. Meticulously and painstakingly remixed and remastered by Giles Martin, son of late Beatles producer George Martin, the new Revolver sounds more urgent, more dynamic, more alive. It’s presumably the closest we’ve gotten to hearing it like how we would’ve while it’s being recorded.
You will hear a lot of details like you’ve never heard them before, like the snappiness of Ringo’s snare drums on Taxman, John’s crisp acoustic guitar strumming on I’m Only Sleeping, and the heavenly harmonies on Here, There, and Everywhere, to name just a few.
Most critics consider Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as the Beatles’ best album but Revolver has always been my personal favorite. I find the songs more natural, more emotional, and more charming. The band didn’t have the mindset of making a landmark album like they did when they were making Sgt. Pepper, and I believe that’s the biggest reason why the songs flowed more organically and artistically. They weren’t bound by a concept or any kind of thematic restraint.
By now, we already have updated versions of Let It Be, Abbey Road, the White Album, Sgt. Pepper and Revolver. If we go by the pattern, it looks like the next updated album we’re going to get is Rubber Soul, another classic that’s bound to give us its own delightful revelations.