Russell Reising, 'Every Sound There Is'. The Beatles' Revolver and the Transformation of Rock and Roll

Russell Reising declares in the introduction to his excellent collection commemorating Revolver that “Revolver has always been the right answer” (1) to any question concerning the “best” Beatles album of all time. Reising suggests that this album, instead of the more popular and critically acclaimed Sgt. Pepper, is rapidly tightening “its grip on our collective imagination”(1) for it introduces the Beatles as true pioneers of musical experimentation. As a “grandly complex and ambitious statement about the possibilities of popular music” (1, italics original), Revolver has become, at least for Reising and the collaborators in this collection, the original album of “firsts and onlies” (11), whose appeal has not waned, even recently surpassing Sgt. Pepper in terms of innovation, acclaim, and magic. This collection succeeds in capturing the magic of Revolver, both through its deeply personal and highly technical explorations.
One feature of the collection that is particularly appreciated is the section titled “ ‘When I’m in the middle of a dream’: the contributors remember Revolver.” The contributors (comprised of noted music and Beatles scholars like Sheila Whitely, Ian Inglis, Walter Everett, and Napthali Wagner, to name a few), offer touching, personal, and interesting anecdotes about the staying power of the album. From this brief section, we get a sense of how powerful the album has remained since its 1966 debut, and are reminded that seemingly minor events like hearing an album can shape an entire career…