Revolver is the Beatles' most revolutionary album*

Exactly. Some people have heard various albums proclaimed as Greatness so many times that they reflexively rebel against it.

 

And that's the most sensible thing anyone has yet said in this thread.

 

As a 44 year fan, I always preferred Revolver to Sgt. Pepper as an album, but the 50th anniversary box spun a whole new light on Pepper for me. The remix made it more.... invigorating to my ears, and reading a lot of the books and magazines which coincided with the anniversary release gave me a better understanding of what it was like to live the experience I never got to live being born after the band broke up.

Revolver is a great album, but Sgt Pepper as a whole was an event.

 

I see you've been listening to the wrong version of the album.

 

"You Won't See Me" is a mono masterpiece!

 

Revolver had to have been more of a mind blowing experience at the time, right? To this day I think it's amazing how Tomorrow Never Knows has served as the blueprint for so many modern electronic songs. Listen to Setting Sun by the Chemical Brothers. I do know that Sgt. Peppers was tracked on a friggen 4-track...so considering what they were able to accomplish sonically with that album, you could consider it revolutionary in that sense I think. Of course it's a fantastic record as well with some of Pauls best basslines.

 

Why?
It's not as consistent.
I find I lift up the tone arm more with ReVoLVer.

 

They're both truly remarkable records. What I would've given to have heard them at the time of release. Right now, as an ageing Britpopper, I give the nod to Sgt. Pepper as the better album for the following reasons: 1) For me, despite Tomorrow Never Knows, side 2 of Revolver is comparatively weak (I only know the UK versions btw) 2) I think Within Without You and A Day In The Life are titanic 3) Yellow Submarine - I get it, I just don't enjoy it.

I think the trend away from Pepper largely comes from the pedestal it has been put upon. I mean, I was even taught about in school. Yuk! How uncool. It may not have been the first concept album - which is what we were taught - but it certainly popularised the form. And, even now, it just sounds so lush - dripping with clarity and inventiveness - and is perfectly formed and structured.

Obviously that doesn't answer the OP, I'm just drunkenly rambling. I'd say the answer is largely down to Tomorrow Never Knows and She Said She Said...

 

I think this post ends this discussion. I wanted to add an argument or two, but I think we can wrap it up for now.

 

Sgt Pepper is a good album, but I came to love Revolver more after some listens.

Don't get me wrong, Sgt.Pepper isn't overrated to me (probably because some overplayed it or just don't connect with it). Its just that Revolver flows more better and it catches my attention more than Pep.

 

Not completely wrong. Before final steps the proto-tracklist of Side 1 was indeed ending with 'She's Leaving Home'.^^

 

Interesting that you say Revolver flows better, and Pepper’s is labelled a concept album.

 

Although I love some tracks on Revolver, it's one of my least favourite Beatles albums.
Definitely in the minority with that opinion, I know.

 

To me, yes it does. I like Pepper a lot but it feels disjointed to me, imo.

 

Both "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper's" were revolutionary. Revolver started the era and Pepper finished it with a vengeance.

 

I love both albums equally. It's just kind of weird now to see Revolver being more praised on music magazines than Sgt. Pepper.
And I start to believe Rubber Soul will be the next to be loved more (again) in the press.^^

 

Revolver is more hard rock, Pepper is more 'chamber music' oriented.

 

Except I count like 10 rock-solid classics on Revolver compared to maybe 7-8 on Rubber Soul. Also 'Paperback Writer/Rain' is more revolutionary than 'We Will Work it Out/Day Tripper'.

 

Revolver--A dark and Murky collection of innovative tunes.

SPLHCB--A colorful collection of innovative tunes.


Just another way of looking at these two albums.

 

It's more revolutionary because it took the step of moving on from the unlikely subject matter of Rubber Soul's more interesting songs.
It then added studio manipulation and strange atmospheres within other songs dealing with psychological states of mind that were not only weird to hear as lyrics, but which were made more unsettling for the listener because of the sound worlds. It is amazing to realise that all involved were on the same page - a producer having to deal with people who were now on different sorts of drugs and helping them to translate things into recorded sound. For me, I am kept at a distance from the album due to the partly 'closed-off' sound.
It's dry and direct and the vocal double tracking makes things burn into your mind, though I'm not a druggy kind of guy. I can't imagine how those under the influence heard the record.

 

I love both albums frankly. Both have revolutionary moments.
I dont prefer revolver because it's cool to. I prefer revolver because of the songs on it and the fact that they are still rock songs.
Pepper is wonderful, but it only has one song with a dominant guitar (twice). Like i said earlier, although awesome songs, mainly novelty type songs.

 

Revolver was like marijuana.
SPLHCB was like LSD.

 

That explains it then.
Marijuana always worked for me
Lsd never did LOL

 

Hahahahahaha!!

 

beatles revolver sessions 1966