Reprise » My Only and One: Revolver

With this month’s release of The Beatles U.S. albums by Capitol Records and my ongoing re-appreciation of the group’s library of songs, I’ve decided to reprise a series arc from the archives. Each a short post of the British albums on The Lads official list.

From these, in the order as they are in 2009’s remastered stereo set, I’ll list their songs from the spotlighted album and pick two:

• the only – if I could only listen to one track, the best song that exemplifies the album, it would be this number
• the one – if I could pick a single tune that doesn’t get either the play or the credit it deserves, it’s this one

Revolver

Taxman
Eleanor Rigby
I’m Only Sleeping
Love You To
Here, There And Everywhere
Yellow Submarine
She Said She Said
Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing
For No One
Doctor Robert
I Want To Tell You
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows

The Beatles Revolver album, their seventh, was released in early August 1966. It followed closely on the heels of Rubber Soul, yet the group had embarked on something altogether different. Their final UK concert tour led into a lengthy break. The Lads returned to the Abbey Road studio for the next three months to record what many claim was their groundbreaking album.

My Only: Eleanor Rigby. As difficult as picking the exemplary song for Rubber Soul was, this one was harder as I consider this album seminal in the group’s development. So many of its tracks have reached high popularity among fans — for good reason. Got To Get You Into My Life, I’m Only Sleeping, Here, There and Everywhere, She Said She Said and Love You To. But if I selected John Lennon’s track from the last album, I couldn’t leave off Paul McCartney’s lament for the more than worthy Miss Rigby. Even if you don’t take that into account, I think this song and album could well be used as reference points for the other.

My One: Tomorrow Never Knows. At one time I selected Got To Get You Into My Life for the one, but I’ve changed (in more ways than one). The most unique of John Lennon tracks up to that point in the group’s history. Even now, I can play it over and over again as I did on a neighbor’s record player as a kid and can still find something intriguing in the hypnotic track. The final number on Revolver, yet the song was the first to be recorded in Revolver’s studio sessions. George Harrison’s wondrous guitar riff another fine contribution. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney work, it’s John’s. No question.

What would be your Only and One for this album?

The entire series can be found here.