Revolver by The Beatles

OK, it’s no secret that I’m going to give this five stars. This was the album where the Beatles and producer George Martin began to realise exactly what they could do with the recording studio, crafting what initially seems like a disparate selection of songs, with each member of the Fab Four bringing their ideas to life with help from the rest (mostly). 

In retrospect, McCartney is probably the one with the clearest vision of what he wants to do (and the stubbornness to do it on his own, if pushed), compared with Lennon’s cynicism, George’s mysticism and Ringo’s sense of the absurd, but this album shows that they were doing things together that they simply couldn’t have done on their own.

• Taxman. George Harrison moaning about the 95% tax rate on unearned income is an odd choice for an opener (and probably sounded churlish to the average fan saving up to buy records), but it’s a great song nonetheless with a lot of attitude. 
• Eleanor Rigby. A heartbreaking mini-opera with a string accompaniment dealing with poverty, death and loneliness, and the emptiness of religion. We’re a very long way from wanting to hold a girl’s hand now. One of McCartney’s best. 
• I’m Only Sleeping. Another tonal shift with a Lennon song about getting stoned (allegedly) and lazily sleeping the day away. 
• Love You To. After experimenting with the sitar, this was George’s first full on foray with Indian classical music, but lyrically it’s very much sex and drugs. Far out man! 
• Here, There and Everywhere. From Eastern mysticism it’s back to a 50’s style romantic ballad from Paul with immaculate production lifting it up. 
• Yellow Submarine. When I was small, my first experience of the Beatles was listening to this song on Junior Choice on the radio. It’s the only Ringo composition on the album, but the jolly, stomping tune is deceptive and hides a lot of complexity with sound effects and bits of dialogue thrown in that anticipated sampling by at least 20 years. The haters can get it in the bin - I love this track, completely and unironically. 
• She Said, She Said. Not many songs open with the line “I know what it’s like to be dead”. Another song about and inspired by LSD which is something of a theme for this album. 
• Good Day Sunshine. A great McCartney number about the sheer joy of a sunny, summer day. 
• And Your Bird Can Sing. Another deceptively simple song with some very pointed Lennon lyrics about wealthy people complaining about being weighed down with possessions 
• For No One. A very sweet Paul song written about his then girlfriend Jane Asher. This just has Paul playing everything, except for Ringo on drums and was maybe one of the first signs of creative tension in the group. 
• Doctor Robert. Back to the drugs with a very positive message about the power of pharmaceuticals
• I Want to Tell You. The drugs are more concealed on this one, but the oddly discordant melody sets the tone. 
• Got to Get You Into My Life. A great Motown inspired number with a full horn section 
• Tomorrow Never Knows. The whole album has been building to this one, with every studio trick and mystical influence thrown into the mix. Probably the closest thing to the experience of a full on acid trip ever committed to vinyl.

Arguably one of the Beatles’ best, but then again they’re all good albums, Brent.