John Lennon won the Rubber Soul battle and is now up 6-0 in my continuing series on who contributed more to each Beatles album, John Lennon or Paul McCartney. But it should be noted that at least half of those battles were very, very close so this hasn’t really been as much of a landslide as it seems like it has been.

Now I’m up to 1966’s Revolver which to many Beatles fans is the greatest album of all time.

01. “Taxman”

Paul gets some big assists on this George Harrison song for the great propulsive bass line and the Jimi Hendrix/Indian music inspired guitar solo. But John helped out too, he apparently helped George with a few of the lyrics.

02. “Eleanor Rigby” - Paul

One of Paul’s true masterpieces. He did get a little bit of help with some of the lyrics (although he had the main idea down on his own) from John, Ringo, and a friend named Pete Shotton.

03. “I’m Only Sleeping” - John

Another great bass line by Paul. George Harrison’s backwards guitar solos are also a big part of what makes this song memorable.

04. “Love You To”

The first Indian song by The Beatles and as far as I know the first song by any western popular music group to play a song in a non western style. This was George’s song. The only Beatle besides George to heard on the recording is Ringo who played the tambourine.

05. “Here, There, and Everywhere” - Paul

Brilliant song. In a 1972 interview, Lennon said it was one of his favorite Beatles tracks. McCartney and Beatles producer George Martin have made similar statements.

06. “Yellow Submarine” - Paul

Paul wrote it, Ringo sang it.

07. “She Said She Said” - John

George played the bass on this one (Paul’s not on it, apparently due to a fight.) Great lyrics inspired by an encounter John had with Peter Fonda while on LSD.

08. “Good Day Sunshine” - Paul

Definitely Paul’s song. A great opener for side 2 of the LP.

09. “And Your Bird Can Sing” - John

Lennon later dismissed this song (during the time when he was being very dismissive a lot of what The Beatles did) but I think it’s brilliant. The dual guitar riff which really makes the song sparkle was played by George & Paul.

10. “For No One” - Paul

Criminally underrated. It’s perfect.

11. “Doctor Robert” - John

If there’s a “filler” song on Revolver, it’s probably “Doctor Robert” which is more a statement of how great Revolver is than something negative about this song because I think rocks (great guitar riffs) and I love the lyrics (which include many drug references.)

12. “I Want to Tell You”

George’s 3rd song on the album. I’ve always enjoyed the sort of “off kilter” sound of this tune. The bass really pushes this song forward, so another assist for Paul.

13. “Got to Get You into My Life” - Paul

Paul’s love song to marijuana. Brilliant just like all of Paul’s songs on this album (McCartney also wrote & recorded “Penny Lane” and “Paperback Writer” in 1966. He was clearly on a roll.)

14. “Tomorrow Never Knows” - John

One of the (if not the) most groundbreaking song The Beatles ever did. It was John’s idea and the lyrics were his (taken primarily from Timothy Leary’s book The Psychedelic Experience which was itself based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead.) But the other Beatles deserve a lot of credit for this as well. George brought the Indian instruments which helped give the song it’s unique sound, and it was also his Indian music influence that had John trying to write a song on one chord in the first place. It was Paul who brought in the tape loops (which are an essential part of the song’s surreal sound.) And Ringo’s drumming speaks for itself.

VERDICT: Paul

Paul wrote 6 songs on Revolver to John’s 5 (George wrote 3.) Paul was also more instrumental (with his bass lines and ideas like the tape loops on “Tomorrow Never Knows”) to the songs of John & George than John was to the songs of Paul & George.

Buy Revolver on Amazon

The Beatles Box Sets

Revolver is included in both the Mono Box Set and the Stereo Box Set. These box sets along with the new Beatles Rock Band game can be bought at the Beatles Store on Amazon.com

John Lennon, 1966, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Most Valuable Beatle

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