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The Beatles: the White Album
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ASIN:
B000026B01
Avg Rating
[4.5 Stars]
71 Reviews
Pub. 24-Aug-1987;
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£19.99
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Authors/Performers
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The Beatles;
Product Description
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The White Album was meant to be the record that brought the Beatles back to earth after three years of studio experimentation. Instead, it took them all over the place, continuing to burst the envelope of pop music. Lennon and McCartney were still at the height of their songwriting powers, with Lennon in particular growing into one of music's towering figures. But even McCartney could still rock, and the amazement on "Helter Skelter" was that he had vocal cords at the end. From Beach Boys knock-offs to reggae and to the unknown ("Revolution #9"), this has it all. Some records have "legend" written all over them; this is one. --Chris Nickson
Track 1. Back In The U.S.S.R.;
Track 2. Dear Prudence;
Track 3. Glass Onion;
Track 4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da;
Track 5. Wild Honey Pie;
Track 6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill;
Track 7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps;
Track 8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun;
Track 9. Martha My Dear;
Track 10. Im So Tired;
Track 11. Blackbird;
Track 12. Piggies;
Track 13. Rocky Raccoon;
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You can almost hear the wheels falling off at times. "Revolution no.9" is great as a period piece, dreadful as a sonic experience. "Ob la di ob la da" is almost self parody. There are needless excesses on the otherwise brilliant "Happiness is a warm gun", and Ringo's songwriting input is, well...everything you'd expect from Ringo's songwriting input. Even Harrison misses the mark more often than not.
But....
When it's good it's very good
Most of the first record is excellent, right from the mighty rock and roll of McCartney's "Back in the USSR", to the hauntingly beautiful folk of "Julia" from Lennon, this is a record which has everything.The playing is uneven throughout, but this merely adds to the interest for the listener.
The second record appears, bizarrely, to predict Monty Python. It is the Beatles at their most playful, but be prepared for oddities galore. The best moment is the first "Revolution" by Lennon; a genuine masterpiece.
This is no Sgt Pepper or Revolver. Those albums showcased the developing talents of Lennon, McCartney and (to a lesser extemt ) Harrison, whilst retaining the overall corporate unity of the foursome. Those albums are perfect perhaps, indeed, too perfect. Listen and admire.
The White Album is flawed, but unlike Revolver or Pepper, it has soul, and when it is good it is their best output on record. Simply be prepared to skip the poor bits, and forgive. After hearing this there was only one way the Beatles would move on, and that was as individual artists; the gap between "Glass Onion" and "Blackbird" too wide for one group to encompass stylistically.;
[Rating: 4 Stars]
Review I
This is personally one of my fav 60s albums. It is a sprawling hour and a half work that encompasses all sorts of music. It is very interesting what they did with it.
That's not the attention grabber though.
The first time I've ever heard of this album is from the book "Helter Skelter" which is about Charles Manson the serial killer. Someday look up Beatles in the index of that book. Manson took and contorted the album to say they were talking to him. It is fasinating. It created an aura about the White Album ... and when I finally bought it, it did not disappoint. I can't listen to it and not think of Manson when all his references come up (and there are plenty of those). I think Manson was screwy and he was a madman. And yet he made a theory and then the Beatles came out with this to go along iwth it (though not by the Beatles.) Poor deceived fools. The tie between Manson and this record alone makes it worth buying.
Originally issued July 30, 1998, on Amazon.com
Review II
Great double record. This has some of the most controversial Beatles tracks in their catalogue (especially "Revolution #9").
Most people that criticize this record go with the fact that there are quite a few knockabout tracks on this record. Most often cited on this filler list is "Wild Honey Pie," "...Bungalow Bill", "Rocky Racoon", "Why Don't We ...?" "...Me & My Monkey", and the (seemingly universal) most slammed track of them all, "Rev. #9".
But quite frankly, if we loose those tracks, then we lose to an extent the vision of this album. Listen to this, and listen to Sgt Pepper. Quite a contrast huh? While Sgt Pepper has more or less similar tracks (something of a concept album, though don't know if I'd go that far), this record goes all over the place. It's the Beatles trying new and different things, which is the most typical thing about The Beatles. Also, it's the aura about this record that makes this my personal favorite of The Beatles. There is just an atmosphere about this record that the others don't have. They have their own. Its amazing that the record they released before this was MMT (who spawned a tribute band entitled "Maxwell's Magical Mustard Band". They are so incredibly different its hilarious. Before I had heard this recording, I had read about it in the Manson book "Helter Skelter", written by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the Manson trial. It helped create this aura about it. Although Manson was very sick and demented, if you have a knowledge of how these tracks were supposed to be"messages" to him, it makes the listening experience all that more exceptional.
The three Beatles masterpieces, IMO, is Sgt Pepper, this, and Abbey Road. (All their other records, save for Beatles For Sale, are all excellent). But these are my desert island disks. The most historically important and the one I respect the most is Sgt Pepper. Very very innovative. Abbey Road is just a badd a-- record. Although I do think Pepper is the God record of all records, in terms of pure atmosphere and vibes and all that good jibes, this is my favorite sixties album. Yes, I do believe Sgt Pepper is the best thing to come out of the sixties, and yes, I do believe it's the best album in the Beatles' catalogue. But this has a thing that sets it apart from all others, even Sgt Pepper. If this was the only album in a band's discography, then it would be great. But the aura is emphasized even more emphatically by the brilliance of the previous years (especially '67, which is the most historically important movement and musical year of modern history. It's the watershed year to end all watershed years).
Now we get to the most controversial track The Beatles released in their fabulous seven year reign (almost impossible to believe they did so much in a mere seven years). "Revolution #9" is a sound collage, mostly "performed" (if you can say that) by John and his fellow adulterer Yoko Ono. Personally, I like this track. I seem to be one of the few. To me, its one of the few sound collages that actually works (italicize "works" in yr mind since I can't on the review ; )). Compare this to that insipid track on the end of Pearl Jam's Vitalogy. No comparison. It helps with the diversity of this track also. Or album I mean.
There are a few tracks of The Beatles that have never seen commercial release. Among them is "Carnival of Lights", which is a 15 minute (yes, you heard right, 15 minutes of unheard Beatles) companion piece to Rev #9 in the avant-garde genre. This piece was engineered most by Paul. Unfortunately, they did not release it on the Anthology series. D--- the luck. It would be interesting to see what the perceptions of "Rev #9" would be had "Carnival" been released back in the 60s.
Among other things, I would like to finally hear the famous 27 minute take of "Helter Skelter". They should finally release that sometime.
Some other little known Beatles tracks that are no longer in print is the Beatles fan album. This album contained Christmas singles that have never been released in other forms.
Those are just some of the tracks The Beatles still have locked up in their vaults. But I am glad to see the "What's the New, Mary Jane?" and "Not Guilty", both tracks intended for the White Album, released on Anthology III. That would have helped this masterpiece. (The comma doesn't go there, but I've always read it like that).
So, if you want a great double-record set, this is the one to buy. Of all the great double albums, this and Fink Ployd ; ) "The Wall" are the best. "Electric Ladyland" is overated, "Exile On Main Street" haven't heard it, "Physical Graffiti" is pretty good. The only record that compares to this is "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", the latest addition to the grand double LP sets. This is still better though.
So, in the end, buy it. You won't regret it! (The same can be said of almost any Beatles record)
Don't pass this baby by!
Originally released on January 30, 2000 on Amazon.com
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[Rating: 5 Stars]
Not so long ago, I remember seeing the White album priced at a preposterous £27 in a local record store. At around ½ that on Amazon nowadays, |