Does anyone actually like 'Revolution 9'? If so...why?

When you're about 14 or 15 years old, in the middle of the night, in the darkness of your room, higher than a kite...well, its about perfect. I mean, so I've heard anyway.

 

Like it too, but prefer it at the tail end of Revolution No. 1, Take 20

 

Although there are times when R9 seems a bit tedious, I never skip it. It's an integral part of side 4.
Also, haven't dropped in a very long time . But back in the day I don't recall listening to it while trippin.

 

Exactly!

 

The song intrigues me. There is always something new to hear or focus on. It's a very scary track. I used to play this in the basement with all of the lights off along with What's The new Maryjane and Peace of Mind (I know it may not be the Beatles). Scared the heck out of me which was cool.

 

I do like it... It's just a very interesting piece!

 

I don't mind it. I don't skip over it like No Reply or Mr Moonlight.

 

The mere fact so many get their kicks quoting the speech bits in it, indicates how much fun this arty piece of Fabness is. Even Lennon at his most pretentious can't help slipping in some Scouse goofyness!

 

I don't really know about the quality of sound collages to give a complete opinion. It's not a format I intentionally seek out.

I will say this. The modern or Beatles-centric listener may not have a clear idea of the context in which the track was released. The White Album came out in November 1968. Vanilla Fudge came out with the album The Beat Goes On in February 1968. That's an album with prominent collage elements and basically no properly structured songs. The movie Head by The Monkees, while it's a movie, also contained a number of collage elements. Head was released a couple of weeks before The White Album.

Others I have mentioned the track was influenced by Stockhausen or Zappa. I don't really know the works it may have been based on.

So it appears that the track was "trendy" but the Beatles were far from the first to go there. So many people are Beatle besotted, and attribute too much meaning and influence to their every word. Lennon in particular was aware of this and exploited it at the time.

 

You're 100% right about Can You Take Me Back, and Good Night is perfect to bring you back from the chaos. Wouldn't it be something if the entire track list was ordered just to feature this song.

 

It has been covered a few times; this list includes some (hopefully most) of the covers, alongside the covers of 'Revolution', both single and album versions:

http://beatlescovers.bizerks.com/Revolution.htm

 

And...we, we become naked...

 

Do you know the version with 6 soloists? Adds a whole other dimension.

 

Any other mono WA tracks folded down??

 

I think its self indulgent crap. I love John Lennon and when the White Album first came out I wondered why I didn't get it. If John Lennon did it, it must be cool.
Nah, I don't think its cool. Lennon was trying something different and, for me, it never took.

 

I have always thought that it is the aural description of the reality of a violent revolution; after all, it originally evolved out of John's anti-violence song 'Revolution'. I feel that it captures the creepy sounds of the violence extremely well, and it really adds to the dark atmosphere of the album.

As others have pointed out, it is also surprisingly memorable, almost melodic in parts, and I often hum along when listening to it. It always manages to capture my attention and hold it until the song ends.

 

I've liked it since 1968. It makes the White Album THE White Album IMHO. Back in 2014 I attended two shows of the White Album Christmas Show in Portland OR. and heard Rev 9 performed live along with the entire album. Fantastic. If you live in the great NW and are a Fab fan, don't miss this show. Playing again this year. In fact starts its run Thursday.
https://www.albertarosetheatre.com/calendar.html

 

I think that 'Tomorrow Never Knows', 'Within You Without You', 'Strawberry Fields', 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'I Am The Walrus' would all have something to say about that.

 

Yes.

it is a crucial part of the album.

it is the appendix.

 

I am a fan

 

because I am interested in music outside of the umbrella terms that are Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, and I can't believe I'm talking about the damn Beatles when I say that.
on its own it's a fine piece of Sound Collage, and as an exaggeration (and within the context of the album) it's the butter to the album's bread - but I may not be exaggerating, I don't believe the album would be the same without it.

 

I like The Beatles inspired venture in pop sound collage. I've read that the Beatles' avant garde influences were Cage, Stockhausen and Varese, and were interested in musique concrete. John wanted to paint a picture of a revolution with sound.

It's as if they said, OK, we've done pop, rock, r'n'b, folk, psychedelic rock, ballads, country rock, instrumental, heavy rock, let's see...what's this experimental sound called... hmmm?

To The Beatles immense credit, I've NEVER heard this piece hung over their head as an albatross, as in, "if ONLY they'd never released that rubbish, their music would be perfect!!!". In actuality, more disappointed wrath is aimed towards the Magical Mystery Tour TV special...

But for the most popular rock band of the 60's, to have the astonishing audacity and unparalleled confidence to unleash a Revolution 9 on the world, is truly amazing.

 

Block that kick!!
Block that kick!!
...

 

i like it a lot. i'm really interested in experimental music, sound art, music concrete, etc. i'm not always in the mood to stretch my ears there, but when i am, i love hearing work that is unexpected and interesting. Revolution 9 really fits in with what was being made by experimental and modern composers (especially in Japan in the late 50s and 60s, notably by Ono's first husband), and that context helps me appreciate it. it's cool the beatles added it to the album. they were all about experimenting, usually in a more commercial way, but why not?

 

I like it - there are probably three or four tracks on the White Album that I like less. It's an important documentation of where John was at artistically at the time. It resembles a song in some ways with repetitious elements that reappear, but at unexpected places and at unexpected intervals. So, it's a re-interpretation of the more traditional verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus concept. Considering what John had been experimenting with chemically - things that juggle the senses; Revolution 9 juggles the craft that is songwriting.