Another adventure with the fab four!
What do I love about this album? The opening coughs and the countout "one, two, three, four, one, two" - a dirty way to start a Beatles album - aren't they supposed to be those clean-cut lads from Liverpool? It's the first clue that this is going to be a different journey than we expected. The witty George Harrison, tongue-in-cheek, with a song that vocalizes a universal suspicion that our money is being unfairly commandeered by the government, a sentiment that resonates more strongly as I've gotten older.
What else do I love? the lovely vocal harmony and the strings on Eleanor Rigby. The striking images painted by Paul. So original - name any song that even comes close to sounding like it. Love the way it ends - like in "Amadeus" the song ends when it's supposed to, no big bang necessary for the ending.
What else? John's nasal tenor, sweet and dreamy, coming through on "I'm only sleeping", the perfectly match for a lazy afternoon, or a lazy day.
What else? "Here, There, and Everywhere" - their best love song ever IMHO, even better than George's "Something". Again, my humble opinion. It's sweeter and not so overproduced.
Even Ringo makes a classic appearance here - a children's song that, as poorly sung as it is (admit it, Ringo aint a singer), still holds a charm that will keep it beloved forever. (my favorite Ringo is "I wanna be your man")
What's just okay? She Said She said, Doctor Robert, and And your Bird can sing(just never caught on with me), Good Day Sunshine - (reverting back a little to their old bubble gum ways, still a lovely song).
Intriguing songs - Tomorrow never knows - very intellectually stimulating music. For no one - seems a bit incomplete at the end.
Got to get you into my life - Actually, Earth Wind & Fire did a cover on that terrible movie, "Sgt pepper's lonely hearts club band". EWF was one of the best parts of the movie, and I think I like the cover a little better than the original.
All in all (no pun intended, for those who get that-kudos), this album is fantastic. Even the just okay stuff is great if you're in the right mood for it. Every time I hear it (and I do tend to listen to it in its entirety), I smile.

And the winner is
I've got lots of spare time so I went through all Beatles albums on amazon and compared their medium grade point average. This is the winner!
The whole list goes like this (only UK versions):

1. Revolver 4.69
2. Abbey road 4.67
3. Rubber soul 4.6
4. A hard day's night 4.53
5. Help 4.5
6. Magical mystery tour 4.41
7. White album 4.4
8. Sgt Pepper 4.39
9. With the Beatles 4.34
10. Please please me 4.27
11. Let it be 4.2
12. For sale 4.1
13. Yellow submarine 3.6

CONGRATULATIONS REVOLVER!

I wonder what I'll do tomorrow.

The Beatles '66
There's a reason why Revolver is a personal favorite for many Beatles fans: Sgt. Pepper may have been more innovative, and Abbey Road may be more pleasantly scatterbrained, but Revolver has better songs. It has "Taxman," which is one of the group's coolest numbers, what with that neat chord progression and those smug lyrics and the guitar solo that just screams "1966." It has "Here, There And Everywhere," one of the finest pop songs of all time (it was, after all, Paul's famous attempt to top Brian Wilson). It has the delirious rock classic that is "She Said She Said," and the languid beauty of "I'm Only Sleeping." "And Your Bird Can Sing" laid the groundwork for power pop with its sky-scraping melody and jangling guitars. "Tomorrow Never Knows" will rip your brain in half.

Even the throwaways are fun: "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Good Day Sunshine" are catchy and silly and soulful, and "Doctor Robert" is a fantastic poker-faced drug anthem. "I Want To Tell You" is worthwhile for its swooping fade-in, if nothing else.

Plus, Revolver is just plain cooler than most of the Beatles other albums. While Sgt. Pepper's often (let's be honest here) got a bit too silly for its own good, Revolver always sounded like futurist pop art with a genuinely rockin' backbone. It was playful, but it was also smart and hip. It knew how to hold experimental tendencies in check when necessary. As such, Revolver has aged much better than most of the other "cutting edge" recordings of the 60s. It still sounds fresh and hip and exciting. Don't believe me? Buy it and see for yourself. You won't be sorry.

need a 6th star for this one. Must-have!
With "Rubber Soul", the Beatles started maturing as artists and moving away from "mere" teen pop, but it was with "Revolver" that they hit their peak. Certainly the albums that came later were perhaps even more ambitious and got more press and, yes, hype. Nevertheless if I have to choose a favorite Beatles album, it would be "Revolver". I've had this album for a long time (in LP format), and it's been one of my favorites. Almost by coincidence I was recently exposed to this album again after many years. I'm happy to say that this one absolutely stands the test of time. It's now on heavy rotation in my stereo.

Originally on LP the US and UK releases of the Beatles allbums up to and including this one were different. I the case of "Revolver" the difference was that the U.S. version was missing 3 songs. The CD release is the UK version, so it includes all 14 tracks. There really isn't a weak track on the album, although perhaps the least "essential" track is "Dr. Robert". It's certainly a decent enough song, but it's not fantastic and doesn't really add anything crucial to the song mix. One reviewer suggested that "Paperback Writer", which has a similar style, would have been a better inclusion, and I would agree. Actually when I listen to the album, I typically skip two songs, "Yellow Submarine" and "Love You To". Both are certainly very creative groundbreaking songs that add to the variety of the mix, but frankly I don't need to hear them too often (all 3 of George's "raga rock" tunes have not dated well, IMHO). Everything else on the album is absolutely great.

George Harrison's other two songs, the opener "Taxman" and "I Want To Tell You" are among his best, and really show him hitting his peak as a songwriter. Eleanor Rigby's lyrics and music (including brilliant orchestration) are case study in isolation and despair. "For No One" is also rather sad, but brilliantly crafted ballad by McCartney. "Here There and Everywhere" is more optimistic and has to be considered one of Mcartney's best songs ever. "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Good Day Sunshine" are wonderful too, both bursting with a positive vibe.

John Lennon's other 3 compositions are all experimental in nature. "And Your Bird Can Sing" `s most distinct feature is a very unusual guitar riff. The sound of the guitar can be described as a sunnier version of the one on "Rain" (The single "Paperback Writer" / "Rain" is stylistically consistent with this album). This is contrasted with a refrain that sounds almost retro. The part when he sings "I'll be `round" could almost be from an early Beatles song. "I'm Only Sleeping" and "She Said, She Said" Have a druggy, lazy feel to them, with the latter having more overt psychedelic references. Of course the song that takes the experimentation to the furthest degree at that point in time is the closing song "Tomorrow Never Knows". This one must have truly been a mindblower in 1966! It incorporates all sorts of avant-guarde experimentation techniques - drones, tape effects, distortion, and a really strange song structure that basically has no chord changes to it. Not to mention the creepy "seagull" noises! The result is absolutely hypnotic and spooky. I really sounds like it's coming from another dimmension. Although this is definitely John's creation, evidently it was Paul that introduced the band to the tape manipulation techniques that were being used by such avant-guarde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen. This contradicts the conventional wisdom that John was the experimenter and Paul was the conventional pop guy. They all seemed to have a real talent for absorbing ideas and influences, which they then seamlessly vowe into their onw style.

In addition to strengths of the individual tracks, what makes this a fantastic album is how cohesive it is. There is incredible diversity, but it all fits together wonderfully. An essential album, I think!

need a 6th star for this one. Must-have!
With "Rubber Soul", the Beatles started maturing as artists and moving away from "mere" teen pop, but it was with "Revolver" that they hit their peak. Certainly the albums that came later were perhaps even more ambitious and got more press and, yes, hype. Nevertheless if I have to choose a favorite Beatles album, it would be "Revolver". I've had this album for a long time (in LP format). Almost by coincidence I was recently exposed to this album after a long time. I'm happy to say that this one absolutely stands the test of time. It's now on heavy rotation in my stereo.

Originally on LP the US and UK releases of the Beatles allbums up to and including this one were different. I the case of "Revolver" the difference was that the U.S. version was missing 3 songs. The CD release is the UK version, so it includes all 14 tracks. There really isn't a weak track on the album, although perhaps the least "essential" track is "Dr. Robert". It's certainly a decent enough song, but it's not fantastic and doesn't really add anything crucial to the song mix. One reviewer suggested that "Paperback Writer", which has a similar style, would have been a better inclusion, and I would agree. Actually when I listen to the album, I typically skip two songs, "Yellow Submarine" and "Love You To". Both are certainly very creative groundbreaking songs that add to the variety of the mix, but frankly I don't need to hear them too often.. Everything else on the album is absolutely great.

George Harrison's other two songs, the opener "Taxman" and "I Want To Tell You" are among his best, and really show him hitting his peak as a songwriter. Eleanor Rigby's lyrics and music (including brilliant orchestration) are case study in isolation and despair. "For No One" is also rather sad, but brilliantly crafted ballad by McCartney. "Here There and Everywhere" is more optimistic and has to be considered one of Mcartney's best songs ever. "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Good Day Sunshine" are wonderful too, both bursting with a positive vibe.

John Lennon's other 3 compositions are all experimental in nature. "And Your Bird Can Sing" `s most distinct feature is a very unusual guitar riff. The sound of the guitar can be described as a sunnier version of the one on "Rain" (The single "Paperback Writer" / "Rain" is stylistically consistent with this album). This is contrasted with a refrain that sounds almost retro. The part when he sings "I'll be `round" could almost be from an early Beatles song. "I'm Only Sleeping" and "She Said, She Said" Have a druggy, lazy feel to them, with the latter having more overt psychedelic references. Of course the song that takes the experimentation to the furthest degree at that point in time is the closing song "Tomorrow Never Knows". This one must have truly been a mindblower in 1966! It incorporates all sorts of avant-guarde experimentation techniques - drones, tape effects, distortion, and a really strange song structure that basically has no chord changes to it. Not to mention the creepy "seagull" noises! The result is absolutely hypnotic and spooky. I really sounds like it's coming from another dimmension. Although this is definitely John's creation, evidently it was Paul that introduced the band to the tape manipulation techniques that were being used by such avant-guarde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen. This contradicts the conventional wisdom that John was the experimenter and Paul was the conventional pop guy. They all seemed to have a real talent for absorbing ideas and influences, which they then seamlessly vowe into their onw style.

In addition to strengths of the individual tracks, what makes this a fantastic album is how cohesive it is. There is incredible diversity, but it all fits together wonderfully. An essential album, I think!