Up until the release of Revolver, The Beatles were really nothing more than a marketing tool used by record labels to make money. Everything about them was presented in a very romantic manner and the girls of that era all had their favorite Beatle. A large majority of their music was very heavily influenced by the concept of love or of being in love. Though over time the band had come across some life experiences that truly opened the realm of their musical capabilities.
As the band had about three to four months off for the first time in years. The band found themselves experimenting with drugs. The concept of "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" can realistically be traced back to this point, because it was at this point that LSD became known for it's influence on music. The band got lucid and the music of Revolver opened up from anything that had ever been heard before.
It was with this album that the idea of the studio being an instrument in the recording process was introduced. The band experimented almost like scientists with sound, analog tape, and the world that produced sound itself. Through out the record guitar are heard in reverse with vocals running through Leslie cabinets and overly compressed percussion. All of these effects had never been heard before. For it's time it was awe inspiring, especially when you consider the technology they had available. Not only that but the musical range displayed on this record was also new and in a sense profound.
As an audiophile and consumer of media, I still find this album to keep up with today's standards of "good" music. For the most part I don't find it to be dated at all. As an engineer, I'm impressed when I consider all that I hear and the process behind it. It's simple to manipulate digital audio, and in that sense, I'm very privileged.
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