By just the fifth album credited to Paul Revere and the
Raiders, the band had gone from a savage Boise-based garage band to the studio
project of singer Mark Lindsay and producer Terry Melcher. This kind of situation
may seem inauthentic, but as any Pet Sounds
fan will tell you, it doesn’t necessarily result in inferior music. I
personally rate Revolution! as the
best Raiders record even if it doesn’t contain a track as definitive as “Kicks”
from Midnight Ride and isn’t as
bloated with hits as Spirit of ’67.
Unlike those two largely excellent records, Revolution!
doesn’t contain a single bum track. Tough rockers like the hit “Him or
Me—What’s It Gonna Be?”, “Make It with Me”, “Mo’reen”, and “Ain’t Nobody who
Can Do It Like Leslie Can” (a blues parody with a Revere vocal that is the
album’s only contribution from a Raider other than Lindsay) slam with all the
power of the band’s early singles. Psychedelic excursions like “I Had a Dream”,
“Tighter”, and the magical “I Hear a Voice” make the most of Lindsay and
Melcher’s studio arrangement without abandoning the instantly accessible pop
craftsmanship essential to the best Raiders cuts.
Like Brian Wilson and The Beatles, Lindsay and Melcher were
getting a bit more experimental but still favored the soon-to-be obsolete mono
format. The guys had such disregard for the new format that they never even
bothered to mix “Wanting You”, “Gone—Movin’ On”, “Make It with Me”, and “Leslie”
in stereo, which is the only way Revolution!
has been available on CD until now.
For the first time Now Sounds is bringing the mono mix to CD. Long time listeners will
discern some distinct changes here and there, most notably the heavier psych
effects on “Tighter”. They can compare and contrast without ever having to pop
the disc out of the player since all distinct stereo mixes are included as
bonus tracks, as are the essential singles “Ups and Downs” and “Legend of Paul
Revere” (featured in its extended stereo mix previously on the Sundazed release
of Revolution!) and the solid outtake
“Try Some of Mine” (ditto).
In terms of packaging, this is an excellent release with all
essential period tracks included and superb liner notes with lots of commentary
on the songs and recording straight from Mark Lindsay. The sound is a bit of a
let down though. Although Alan Brownstein mastered Revolution! from the original master tapes, he made it overly
bright and tinny, so even the mono tracks don’t have the weight of the stereo
ones on Raven Records’ budget Evolution
to Revolution: 5 Classic Albums from 2013. Revolution! Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition is still a historic
release: the chance to hear an excellent album in the mix its creators always
considered to be the definitive one.
