The Beatles: Revolver Special Edition (5CD Super Deluxe)

What's in the Box

Revolver Special Edition was released by Apple on October 28, 2022, and its centrepiece is a new stereo mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, made possible by de-mixing technology developed by Peter Jackson's WingNut Films during work on The Beatles: Get Back. It was the first Beatles album before Sgt. Pepper to receive the full special-edition treatment, following Pepper (2017), the White Album (2018), Abbey Road (2019) and Let It Be (2021).

The super deluxe edition came as five CDs or as four LPs plus a 7-inch EP. It holds the new stereo mix, two discs (four LP sides) of session recordings and demos, the original mono mix, and an EP with new stereo mixes of 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain', both recorded during the Revolver sessions, alongside remastered original mono mixes. The 2CD deluxe edition pairs the new mix with session highlights and the two single tracks, with a 40-page abridged book, and there are single CD and LP versions too. Mastering was handled by Miles Showell, Alex Wharton, Sean Magee and Thomas Hall.

The new mixes of the album and of 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain' are also available on streaming services in Dolby Atmos. Unlike the Sgt. Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be boxes, there is no Blu-ray disc in the Revolver set, so Atmos listeners need to stream.

Sound and Mixing: Why De-Mixing Changed Everything

Revolver was recorded on four-track tape between April and June 1966, and many instruments were bounced together onto the same track. That limited how far any previous remix could go. Giles Martin had said publicly that he was waiting for the technology to improve before tackling Revolver. WingNut's machine-learning tools, first built to clean up the dialogue and music on the Get Back tapes, let him pull the drums, bass and guitars apart even where they shared a track.

The result is a stereo mix that finally holds its own against the mono. The original 1966 stereo often put the rhythm section hard to one side, which sounds lopsided on headphones; the new mix centres the vocals and gives Ringo's drums on 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and 'She Said She Said' real weight, while Paul's bass on 'Taxman' is clearer and easier to follow. Critics agreed. Annie Zaleski gave it five stars in The Guardian, noting how newly audible details bring out deeper meanings in the songs, and the set scored a perfect 100 on Metacritic from nine reviews. It also charted: number 2 in the UK and number 4 on the Billboard 200, remarkable for a 56-year-old album.

Some purists still prefer the original mono, and the box includes it, so no one has to choose. The mono is the version the Beatles and George Martin worked hardest on in 1966, with the band often present at the mono mixing sessions and largely absent from the stereo ones. A good way to compare is to pick three contrasting tracks, say 'Eleanor Rigby', 'I'm Only Sleeping' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows', and play each in mono and then in the new stereo. The differences go beyond placement: 'I'm Only Sleeping' in particular has long had audible variations in the backwards guitar between the mixes.

The Sessions Discs: Highlights for Paul Fans

The two sessions discs are the heart of the box for longtime fans. They trace songs from early takes to finished versions, including take one of 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a songwriting work tape of 'Yellow Submarine' that shows the song began life as a slow, melancholy John Lennon idea before Paul reshaped it, and early versions of 'Got to Get You into My Life' recorded before the brass arrangement arrived.

For McCartney fans in particular, the sessions show Paul's growing confidence as a writer and arranger in 1966. 'Here, There and Everywhere', 'For No One', 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Got to Get You into My Life' all date from these weeks. 'Eleanor Rigby' features no Beatle playing an instrument at all, only a double string quartet scored by George Martin, and 'For No One' pairs Paul's clavichord with Alan Civil's French horn solo, which Civil played at the top of the instrument's range.

The sessions discs are not a complete archive of every take, and some fans wished for more. But they are well chosen and well sequenced, with the most revealing material from the tapes presented in excellent sound.

Listening to the sessions in order also tells the story of a band changing its working methods. Revolver was the album where the Beatles leaned hardest into the studio as an instrument: backwards guitars, tape loops, varispeed and artificial double tracking all appear across these weeks. ADT was devised by EMI engineer Ken Townsend during these sessions, and Geoff Emerick, newly promoted to balance engineer at the age of 20, was helping the band find new sounds, such as recording Ringo's drums with the microphones close in and the bass drum muffled with a sweater.

Packaging and Extras: The 100-Page Book

The 100-page hardbound book in the super deluxe editions is one of the best in the series. It has a foreword by Paul McCartney, an introduction by Giles Martin, an essay by Questlove and detailed track notes by Kevin Howlett. It is illustrated with handwritten lyrics, tape boxes, recording sheets and 1966 print ads, along with extracts from Klaus Voormann's graphic novel Revolver 50: Birth of an Icon.

Voormann's original album artwork, which won the Grammy for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts in 1967, has been restored, and the sleeve holding the session outtakes uses Robert Freeman's proposed alternative cover, with the Beatles' heads arranged in a psychedelic circle. It is a thoughtful touch for collectors, and a reminder that the famous line drawing was not the only design under consideration in 1966.

The 12 by 12 inch format matches the earlier special editions, so the set sits neatly on a shelf next to Pepper, the White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be. The upcoming Rubber Soul Special Edition, out October 2, 2026, follows the same format.

Which Format Should You Buy?

The 5CD super deluxe is the best value: every track, the full book, and discs you can rip. It launched at around $140 in the US and has often been discounted since. The 4LP plus 7-inch box costs considerably more and is aimed at vinyl collectors who want the album and sessions on LP with the larger artwork.

The 2CD deluxe edition is a sensible middle ground, with the new mix, session highlights, both single tracks and the 40-page book. The single LP and CD are for listeners who only want the new stereo mix. And if you have an Atmos system, remember that the Atmos mix is streaming only.

For a comparison with the other Beatles and McCartney boxes on the market, see our roundup of the best Beatles box sets. Our Abbey Road Anniversary Edition review covers the 2019 set in the same series.

Who It's For

Revolver Special Edition is for every Beatles fan who found the original 1966 stereo mix awkward, and for McCartney fans who want to hear the period when Paul's songwriting took a major leap forward, from 'Eleanor Rigby' to 'For No One'.

If you already own the 2009 mono and stereo remasters, the box still adds the new mix, the sessions, the EP and the book. For most fans, that is more than enough, and it is one of the few reissues we recommend without reservation.

It is also a good first purchase for anyone new to the Beatles' special edition series. Revolver runs about 35 minutes, and the gap between the old stereo and the new mix is easy to hear on ordinary speakers. Its songs also bridge two eras: the album was recorded weeks before the band's final tour, and it includes songs such as 'Tomorrow Never Knows' that they never attempted to play live. With the Rubber Soul set due on October 2, 2026, the two albums that link the early and late Beatles will both be available in expanded editions for the first time.