U.S. Revolver?

I was never a huge Revolver fan (even as I acknowledged it had some classic songs) until I got the UK version -- which I only did when the remasters were released a few years ago. It's a whole different, and much better, album -- vastly more balanced and coherent. Oddly, though, I still have a fondness for the US version of "Rubber Soul."

 

Although I live in the U.S., I started with the U.K. configuration because my first copy of Revolver was the MFSL half-speed cassette. As a result, to me the U.S. version sounds too short and the relative lack of Lennon songs throws the album off-balance.

The three U.S. album configurations that work for me are Meet the Beatles, Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour.

Reading some of the latest posts, I see that the conflict over what truly belonged on "1" has resurfaced. I have an iTunes playlist that expands "1" to 36 tracks, by adding #1 hits from Canada and Australia (using the mono mixes up through Get Back), hoping in this small way to build a model of inclusion and tolerance.

Speaking of #1 compilations, I have the U.S. and U.K. editions of "20 Greatest Hits" and the Australian "Number Ones" with the bonus EP. Are there any other versions out there? Wikipedia used to describe a European edition, but I'm very skeptical - it's no longer listed, and when it was, the track listing included "The Fool on the Hill."

 

There was a band that I played percussion for over here, called A.S.O.L. (Americans who Speak Other Languages)

 

I guess if George is your favorite Beatle you would love the George heavy track listing on the US release. It was his best song writing at the time so it has it merits.

I love Yesterday and Today so if US Revolver gave us that then I am ok with it. Doesn't come close to the UK version however.

 

I listen to it far more than it's UK counterpart. Reason is, I'm used to the three tracks on Y&T.

If it works, don't fix it.

 

Good answer

 

Amen!!!!

 

I still think johns songs are some of his weakest, do you all really think his lyrics to Dr Robert and I'm only sleeping are any good?

 

The German Electrola buries the US MMT...any day, imho. Like two different planets.

 

Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album and Beatles 65 rock the house. Side 1 of Meet the Beatles is one of the great album sides in rock history.

The US Revolver is an abomination unless you were a Capitol shareholder.

 

I agree. I heard the US version first, and it hangs together better for me. But it's hard to argue that those extra songs on the British version, which are mostly excellent, actually make it worse.

 

I auditioned a German MMT recently that was too crackly to buy, but what sound!

 

I'm a fan of the Capitol Beatles albums, which I love despite the superiority of the UKs. The Beatles catalog isn't getting any larger, and it's great to be able to listen to what are two parallel presentations of the same music through Revolver + Hey Jude. I think "Dexterization" is something of an unfair pejorative: the early US Capitols were well suited to AM radio and to the record players used by most American Beatles fans at the time, and I'm happy with the sound of my purple label reissues of the early LPs and original US Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and TWA. Sure original Parlophones and the mono reissues are superior for track listings and sound, but I'm glad I don't have to choose. I'm blasting side one of Beatles VI as I type this, woohoo!

 

Exactly! For the first time in my life, Penny Lane sounded proper and well rounded. The bass was also THERE. I solely keep my MMT Capitol on the shelf for nostalgic purposes only.

 

US Revolver is better than no Revolver at all.
Can't say US Revolver is better than UK Revolver. UK Revolver is the one I have had, and what The Beatles intended.

 

Any Dave Dexter-ized Beatles is an abomination, imho. But I get it. It was the 1960s, and the US had the Fabs on a tight leash, till they realized they wouldn't corrupt our teenagers.

 

I'll keep looking, in the meantime the mono vinyl reissue, 2009 stereo and mono CDs and purple label "Wally" pressing will tide me over.

 

I don't know what that last sentence means.

But, as for Dexter's versions, while not "faithful", they have their fans. As a little kid, I loved all those oldies on The Beatles Second Album, with the huge drums and loud cymbals and handclaps. I also loved Beatles 65. "She's a Woman", with that massive guitar sound lathered in echo, was practically heavy metal. I remember being puzzled when I finally heard the original. And the reverb on the Carl Perkins numbers sounds like rockabilly style Slapback echo.

The U.K. Versions are more accurate and do indeed sound "better", but they seem tame by comparison.

 

Yes.

 

I love both tracks. However, as songs they are weak. As records they are great.

Lennon kind of peaked on Rubber Soul songwise. (Traditional songs that is). I love all he did in 66-67 but it was all kind of "out there" (which I don't mind, just stating).

 

What do you mean?

 

American audiences would have felt like they were getting real bang for their buck with a 14-song album. During the resequencing days, only 3 Capitol Beatles albums had 12 cuts: Meet the Beatles, Help! (5 of the 12 being non-Beatles instrumentals), and Rubber Soul (which I personally prefer over the UK version). All of the others only had 11, adding up to pretty skimpy playing time.

 

The fact that those songs were not "traditional", moving away from popular music's preferred verse-chorus musical structures and boy-girl lyrical themes, is generally why they are regarded as significant. The Revolver tracks, "Lucy", "A Day in the Life", "I am the Walrus" and "Strawberry Fields" expanded the pop music palette.

I might prefer (personally) the straightforward rock and roll of Introducing the Beatles (or Lennon/POB), but I don't question the importance of the songs from that period.

 

Although 3 of the songs appeared first on Yesterday and Today, they were originally slated for Revolver, so when the UK Revolver was released, the songs were simply restored to their proper place as the Beatles intended.

 

I don't think they're weak songs at all. "I'm Only Sleeping" has one of Lennon's best melodies, and the lyrics reveal Dylan's influence in that romantic love is not the only thing worth writing about. "Dr. Robert" is a satirical character sketch which would be considered brilliantly droll if Ray Davies had written it.