by Beatles, The Beatles List Price:$34.00 Our Price:$27.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Thursday, October 25, 1990
Label: Capitol
Average Customer Review: 4.5 Based on 877 reviews.
Sales Rank: 100
Tracks
1.
I'm So Tired
2.
Blackbird
3.
Piggies
4.
Rocky Raccoon
5.
Don't Pass Me By
6.
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
7.
I Will
8.
Julia
9.
Birthday
10.
Yer Blues
11.
Mother Nature's Son
12.
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
13.
Sexy Sadie
14.
Helter Skelter
15.
Long, Long, Long
16.
Revolution 1
17.
Honey Pie
18.
Savoy Truffle
19.
Cry Baby Cry
20.
Revolution 9
21.
Good Night
22.
Martha My Dear
23.
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
24.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
25.
Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
26.
Wild Honey Pie
27.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
28.
Glass Onion
29.
Dear Prudence
30.
Back in the U.S.S.R.
31.
Don't Pass Me By
32.
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
33.
I'm So Tired
34.
Mother Nature's Son
35.
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Editorial Review
Better known as the "White Album," this was meant to be the record that brought them 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 powers, with Lennon in particular growing into one of rock'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
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 The Epiphany
This is THE Classic Rock album. The Beatles are stunning in their song writing and song arrangments. Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr are brilliant. This album has everything that you want:All out rockers: "Helter Skelter", "Back in the USSR", "Birthday".Ballets: "Blackbird", "Dear Prudence".Comical: "Piggies", "Wild Honey Pie".Psychedelic: Revolution 9.If I were to pick only one Beatles LP, this would be it. From the opening notes of 'Back in the USSR', to the closing strings in 'Good Night', this album shines. 5 Stars!
Rating:
5 Thank you for the laughter
What I truly derive pleasure from is the pedantic harangues of self-professed music critics. I'm sure you're mildly familiar with what I'm talking about. You can identify these farragos of self-importent paraquats by the way they endlessly prattle in brackish tautologies, always the first to inform you of the music that you should be listening to. As it is, there is a burgeoning amount of people that have reviewed the White Album with such vituperative imbecility that your emotions scud past the phase of aggitation to arrive at sympathetic embrace. What I mean is that all of the denigrating things people have said of the Beatles is completely pointless, repetitive, mind numbing, and to a certain extent it just becomes hilarious. Not that I find vehement condemnation of a band that I love to be entirely humorous, it's just that all of the things they have said and continually stated are so vapid and self-absorbed that it only arouses my derision. When people insist on being so neurotic and protective of music, it makes you empathize with them and how pathetic their didacticism truly is. Here, you can glance at the errant thoughts of music aficionados who vilify the Beatles as a pusillanimous pop band. They say such inconceivably moronic things as "the Beatles were the NSYNC of the 60s." They also make comparisons wherein they reach the conclusion that the Beatles weren't a REAL rock band, as that extravagent appellation is denoted only for the likes of TRUE rock bands like Zeppelin and the Stones. To be concise, such comparison is duly unfair. This triumvirate of music greats play contrasting styles of rock. Whereas Zeppelin dominated the loud guitar leaden with blues riffs and folk roots, the Stones pursued a more sleazy approach to rock (though incorporating principle elements of the blues in their music). However, the Beatles were not interested in playing in such a manner (though they could, as is evident by the sonic outburst of Helter Skelter). They instead crafted well-written pop songs that served as a
Rating:
5 QUESTION:
Why is there such animosity between Zeppelin fans and Beatles fans? Just curious. Someone email me at JMcNamara09@aol.com and explain.By the way, great album. Glass Onion, Helter Skelter, Julia, I Will, Dear Prudence, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, While My Guitar, and I'm So Tired are worth the price alone.
Rating:
5 There's something here for everyone
The White Album is the Beatles' Magnum Opus, a legendary work that tackles every music style and emotion in existence at the time of conception. After closer scrutiny it becomes evident that the band was starting to fall apart. The album sounds like it was pieced together form solo efforts. Of course, solo Beatles would never sound this good, it was obvious that especially Lennon and McCartney needed each other to make that divine music. A wide variety of genres is present here, from the Beach Boys rock'n'roll on the opening track, to the reggae of Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da, to the Baroque sounding Piggies, to the country/western of Rocky Raccoon and Don't Pass My By, to blues on Yer Blues, to hard rock on Helter Skelter, '20s Vaudeville on Honey Pie, finally to some sort of Disney-inspired track lullaby, Good Night. Lennon and McCartney decided to write songs in each other's styles for this album. John produced the beautiful and haunting Julia, an ode to his mother who abandoned him and was later killed in a car crash when he was 14, just when he was beginning to get to know her. Paul wrote Helter Skelter, which even now would be consider a very hard-rockin' song, and it's a wonder he can still sing after screaming like that! Ringo makes his first songwriting effort on Don't Pass Me By, and it's quite cute. He reappears as lead vocalist on Why Don't We Do It In the Road and Good Night. George also has a few songs, namely Piggies, Long Long Long, Savoy Truffle, and most notably, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, guest starring Eric Clapton. Then there are countless other gems, like the dreamy Dear Prudence, which has some lovely chord progressions, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Blackbird, I Will, Sexy Sadie, and lots more. There are a few disappointments on the album, like Revolution 9, which just consists of some random noise from radios and tape loops, and Long Long Long and Wild Honey Pie. These faults don't measure up to the good points, and that's why it gets 5 stars. There, I hope you're well informed now.
Rating:
5 Best Double LP Ever
The White Album--the Beatles had had enough with the experimentation of Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and Revolver. Abandoning the pop feel of their previous albums, the Beatles did what they did best--they wrote and played what they liked. The White Album represents The Beatles as well as any other album they produced. All four wrote their own songs in their own genres. From paradies on the Beach Boys (Back in the USSR) to social commentary (Piggies, Everybody's Got Something to Hide...) to old western (Rocky Racoon) to hard rock (Helter Skelter); from ballads (I Will) to fun rock (Birthday) to experimentation (Revolution 9--terrible in my opinion) to blues (Yer Blues) to heartfelt songs (While My Guitar Gently Weeps), this album has everything, even a lulluby (Goodnight). There are countless other great songs, including Happiness is a Warm Gun (a great song), Cry Baby Cry, Blackbird (a classic), The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (another parody, this time on Buffalo Bill from the American West), and Why Don't We Do It in the Road (banned from radio as the entire song is about having sex in the road). This multi-genre album marked the beginning of the end for the Beatles. Conflicts about the vast array of music added to the rift that was growing between the Beattles (around this time John and George got in a fistfight during recording). The White Album certainly shows each Beatles' individual preferences (Paul despised John's Revolution 9 while John hated Paul's Ob-La-Di Ob-Da-Da). The While Album represents the Beatles at their best, even while they were beginning to split up. I truly feel that this is the world finest double LP ever produced.
Rating:
4 exhilirating yet very uneven listening experience!-4.5 stars
Let me start out by saying that this album contains some of the greatest songs that I have ever heard. There are a lot great things that I can say about "The White Album". Conceptually, it could very well be the best and most intruiging album ever recorded. Most of the songs are full of sarcasm, cynicism, irony, satire, and/or sly wit, and I love listening to songs and trying to figure out what the Beatles were really trying to say. "Back in the U.S.S.R" gets things off to an extremely sarcastic start. It sounds like a happy sunny southern californian Beach Boys song but it is obvious that this was done to show irony. They are singing about being glad to be back in the Soviet Union after traveling to the west. On the one hand, it sounds as if they are making a point about the tragedy of the reality for those who lived in the Soviet Union and on the other hand, it sounds like they are making a point about the way that those in the west, particularly in the United States, arrogantly brag and boast to those in the east about how severely their countries suck. Either way, the concept is quite clever! This song is followed by a host of absolutely amazing and quite interesting songs. I love "Dear Prudence", "Glass Onion", Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da",and "Wild Honey Pie". "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" seems to be another satirical jab at the wild west/world expansion mentality of many Anglo-saxon American men at the time. "Happiness is a warm gun" is another great song. The songwriter seems to be making a point about someone hiding their insecurities behind the false sense of power that comes from having a gun. This run of great songs continues until you get to "Piggies". This song sounds absolutely horrible. Conceptually, it is yet another great song on the album. It seems to be speaking primarily about class structure in society, but the song just sounds terrible. The next three songs sound like a joke. "I will" and "Julia" are o.k. songs, I especially like "I will", so they should have skipped the previous three an
Rating:
5 The Best Piece of Music Created by Man
The Beatles, commonly known as the "White Album", was the Beatles first double LP released after Magical Mystery Tour in 1969. The sound is much more raw, and lacks the overdubs that were found everywhere in Sgt. Pepper and Magical Myster Tour. This is due to the fact that the album was written while the Beatles were in India, armed with nothing but their accoustic guitars. The result was a collection of thirty songs(not all made it to the album)that contain some of John and Paul's best work ever. John offers some of his lyrically best songs. "Happiness is a warm gun", "Sexie Sadie", and "Glass Onion" contain John's usual biting lyrics, while "Julia" is an emotional tribute to his mother. Paul's melodic songs have no equal. "Blackbird" and "Mother Nature's Son" are masterpieces. George also makes a strong showing on the album with classics such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This album also acts as the debut for Ringo's first song "Don't Pass Me By". Every song on this album is a masterpiece. The construction of each song is flawless will stay in your head for a long while. The album contains such a wide variety of styles from blues to rock. John's song "Goodnight", which was written to his son, is a pure lullaby. It is unfortunate that you can see the band drifting apart in this album. Regardless, the album is a must have for any music fan. The album shines in every aspect and is truly a masterpiece that is just as good now as it was 33 years ago.
Rating:
5 The Greatest Album In Rock And Roll History
In the history of Rock and Roll music, no other band or individual has ever released a collection of songs with as much diversity as the Beatles did with the White Album in the Fall of 1968. With 30 tracks and a running time of about 94 minutes, the Beatles White Album is a brilliant reminder that no rock and roll act has ever been as good, past or present. By 1968, the Beatles could write music in literally any musical genre that they wanted to and pull it off with often amazing results. From folk leanings on this record there is Blackbird, Mother Natures Son, Rocky Raccoon, and Julia. When the Beatles attempted hard rock the results were, Helter Skelter, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey. With Pop music the White Album offers Obladi-Obladi, Martha My Dear, and Sexy Sadie. With classic rock, this records offers Birthday, Dear Prudence, I'm So Tired, Back in the USSR and Happiness is a Warm Gun. With country music the Beatles try and succeed with Don't Pass Me Bye. When its ballads, the Beatles treat the listener to the lush Good Night and when the Beatles take a turn at writing an old school show tune the result is the entertaining Honey Pie. Also, let's not forget the blues with the slow version of Revolution contained here and the classic Yer Blues. Good luck in trying to find another musical act that can deliver this kind of diversity that is around today. This album is why we record music and sell it to people folks, to preserve greatness. Buy this album!
Rating:
4 something for everybody
there's enough on this massive album to appeal to everybody. different people will like and dislike different songs, but at over 90 minutes long there is so much material so you will find
Rating:
5 five stars forever
please dont pay any attention to the one star reviews for this great beatles cd.buy it and enjoy like i did.
Rating:
4 (more like 4.5 stars) Interesting mixed bag
The Beatles' 1968 record is self-titled, (also known as "The White Album") and that's quite an irony considering that it is the band's least group-like effort as the friction grew worse among the band members. And it shows on this album--somewhat rambling, erratic, disorganized, disparate, a mind-your-own business kind of thing.The musical differences are mainly focused, on this album at least, between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, which is quite an interesting study. John's material describes his eccentric, obscure wit and moody attitude, a perfect foil to Paul's well-constructed and earnest melodies which John once dismissed as "nursery rhymes". And well, each of their songs has its moments indeed. John wrote stuff, among many others, the jolly "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey"; the turgid "Yer Blues"; the acerbic "Glass Onion"; the optimistic "Dear Prudence"; the insinuating "Sexy Sadie"; and the simple, plaintive "Julia". He also recorded the weird "Revolution 9" as his attempt to make an avant-garde art through sound (needless to say, I don't like it).On Paul's side, he made many heartfelt and tuneful compositions such as the silly "Ob-la-di Ob-lad-da", "Martha My Dear" for his pet sheepdog, the Western-influenced ditty "Rocky Raccoon", the short and lovely "I Will", the leisurely acoustic tracks "Mother Nature's Son" and "Blackbird" where you'll get floored by the intricate guitarwork, and the cloying '20's pastiche of "Honey Pie". But Paul wrote some fantastic rock numbers like the raucuous "Back In The USSR", "Birthday" and the head-banging (yeah, it really is!) "Helter Skelter', perhaps to prove that he wasn't just all ballads and "nursery rhymes".The growing tension between the band's two chief songwriters at least paved the way for George Harrison to shine as a singer-songwriter,and it shows on the four songs he wrote--the dark-humored satire of "Piggies", the dreamy "Long Long Long", the witty comestible lyrics of "Savoy Truffle", and probably his finest moment
Rating:
5 A brilliant musical hodge-podge
The Beatles left very deep footprints, and, love them or hate them, they are a cultural force to be reckoned with. The White Album represents both the peak of their art and the nadir of their personal relationships within the group (only to be surpassed by the gruesome Let It Be sessions...). Less of a group effort, each of Fabs here showcase their individual songwriting and singing talents, using the others as session players. They decisively destroy the image of the four happy pop clones of 1964. It was a liberating move for the musicians, but it can also be a jarring experience for the listener. It is a massive, sprawling masterwork that occasionally verges on complete collapse. The Beatles were never afraid to push the envelope to breaking point and beyond: The White Album is a case-in-point. As a historical document, The White Album can be heard as the "come down" from the Summer of Love, a testament to the idealism and disillusion (and dissipation) of 1968 (the year that saw the murder of both Martin Luther King and the death of the dream of peace, both within the US and internationally with the escalation of the Vietnam War). The minimalist cover artwork can be seen as the inevitable antidote to the colorful and florid excesses of Flower Power fashion. The White Album is a historical moment preserved in song. Matching the anguish and uncertainty of the era is the anguish and schizophrenia of the Beatles music on this record.Many (including producer George Martin) have complained that the album is too long and includes tracks of inferior quality, that it could have been boiled down to a single album of solid gold. Honestly, there is something here to offend everybody. While most people (including Paul McCartney) find Revolution #9 unlistenable, it was a major achievement of experimental electronica at the time, and it bears repeated listening (but not when you're in an Obla-di Obla-da mood!). You may find yourself consistently skipping over several tracks, like Why Don't We Do It in the Road?, Wild Honey Pie, Good Night, Don't Pass Me By because they're all put-ons. I find myself skipping over some tracks, like Yer Blues, not because it's a poorly written tune, but because it's just too emotionally painful, which is actually an acknowledgement of Lennon's success as an artist. He was in pain, and he conveyed it all too clearly. Helter Skelter, on the other hand, is completely empty of meaning, yet is absolutely hair-raising, perhaps the most terrifying pop song ever (after I Am the Walrus). The frantic clanging of Everybody's Got Something to Hide matches perfectly with Lennon's manic mood and mystical mind at the time. He describes the most profound LSD and/or meditation experience - "Your outside is in/when your inside is out" - but the way he sings it, it sounds like he's being torn apart by the experience, making the song both inspiring and frightening. I'm So Tired is such an effective evocation of apathy, insomnia, and frustration that it also makes my hair stand on end, esp. when he screams "I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind!" That song has fit into the soundtrack of my life alarmingly well. In short, some people might be put off by The White Album because it is too emotionally charged and artistically adventurous. It wasn't designed as musical wallpaper and refuses to be reduced to that. You have to be prepared to listen to The White Album. When you are, it's an exhilirating experience. If not, it might make you want to puke.The contrast in mood between the tracks is most jarring. Lennon snarls at his fans in Glass Onion, layers sarcasm on gun lovers in Happiness is a Warm Gun, pointedly berates the Left in Revolution #1, savagely attacks the Maharishi in Sexy Sadie, wails of suicide in Yer Blues. In contrast, McCarney offers some of his mildest, sweetest songs - I Will, Blackbird, and Mother Nature's Son, as well as the syrupy, music hall kitsch of Honey Pie, Martha My Dear, and Rocky Raccoon. None of McCartney's tracks here are "deep," but if you're in the mood for some tasty musical candies, these fit the bill quite nicely. Obladi Oblada is perhaps the best of the fluffy treats here. If this is your first exposure to the Beatles, you might well wonder how the group could contain such dramatic differences in temperament. (In fact, it couldn't, and would soon collapse because of those very differences in personality).The classic tunes of this collection certainly more than justify the purchase of the two-disc set. John offers the stunning ode to his lost mother (and to Yoko) entitled Julia. George Harrison scores perhaps his greatest triumph with While My Guitar Gently Weeps (featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar). Lennon's Dear Prudence is another touching masterpiece, written to order to induce Prudence Farrow to quit hiding out in her bungalow at Rishikesh. Ultimately, The White Album has something to delight everyone. If you prefer to avoid some tracks, you are among the majority of listeners. That's par for The White Album course. Once again, the inconsistency of the album accurately portrays the mind of each of the Beatles at the time as well as the larger cultural environment of 1968. It is required listening for anyone interested in 20th c. pop music. But be forewarned, it's not a smooth ride.
Rating:
5 Absolutely Incredible
Of the 15-20 albums I'd take to the proverbial desert island, there are at least five Beatles albums, and this is probably my favorite. What an incredible grab-bag of approaches, arrangements and great songs...this recording caught the band at the height of their experimentation in the studio and just as their ability to coexist was beginning to unravel.There's driving rock and roll on "Birthday," "Back in the USSR," and "Helter Skelter," and enormous tenderness on Lennon's "Julia" and McCartney's "I Will." Harrison turns in a gem with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which features the memorable Eric Clapton guitar solo. Harrison also contributes the stinging "Piggies," and there's McCartney's great narrative "Rocky Raccoon." And that's only the beginning.Lennon's persona was expanding...his dark side was revealed with the spooky "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and the non-song "Revolution 9." Of course, his classic protest "Revolution 1" is an all-time favorite, but he really bares his soul on "Yer Blues." There are lighter moments, many of which are supplied by McCartney's classic pop..."Martha, My Dear" and "Ob-la-di, ob-la-da" are lighthearted fun, but "Sexy Sadie" is darkly nostalgic and a moving song. And even Ringo's mindless contribution "Don't Pass Me By" works in this setting, as does his lullaby and album-closer "Good Night."There were no hit singles from this album ("Hey Jude" and its hit b-side "Revolution" were released on a double-sided single), but it still receives the absolute highest marks I can give it. Arguably a perfect pop album, and also an incredible time capsule as well. Many people got their first real exposure to the Beatles with the "One" collection, and I can't think of a better next step.
Rating:
5 White Gold
I'm particularly more fond of the Beatles' later works (1965-1970) when they did a lot of the so called "experimentation of sound." And Experiment they did and they came out indeed successful at it. And one of those experiments is through this album. Although each had different ideas of musical expression the album still came out roaring like a lion. My favorite track is most probably Dear Prudence. What addicting guitar plucks and I was amazed hearing this kind of sound way back in the late 60's. Highly recommended. If only Apple/Capitol/EMI can make a compilation focusing on their experimental years it would be great!!! It can be a 2nd Beatle One. The title could be: "PSYCHEDELIC 1." And the songs are as follows:1. Taxman2. Magical mystery tour3. Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey4. Nowhere man5. With a little help from my friends6. Getting better7. Lovely Rita8. She said she said9. Rain10. Tomorrow never knows11. Helter skelter12. Glass onion13. Strawberry fields forever14. I am the walrus15. The continuing story of Bungalow Bill16. I'm only sleeping17. Because18. She's leaving home19. Norwegian wood (this bird has flown)20. Lucy in the sky with diamonds21. I want you (she's so heavy)22. Dear Prudence23. You never give me your money24. A day in the life The time span of this compilation is 79'54" which is a well-worth cd time duration. It's possible that many might oppose to this line up of songs or that some of the songs doesn't deserve to be on this "imaginative" compilation. I understand. I'm only trying to suggest this to EMI. And I'm just pointing out to EMI and the Beatle fans there are Beatle songs out there that are worth more listening and that they aren't just getting much attention and I believe these songs sure do deserve such!!! I'm not sure if it's going to be a megahit but I know it will sell much because the songs are worth pure gold. May the Lord Bless you all.
Rating:
5 Five Stars and more!
This is a classic album. It is what legends are made. Lets analyze it step by stepBack in the USSR is classic Beatles rock 'n' roll. A humourus and upbeat to start the album. Dear Prudence is one of John Lennon's best with the Beatles. It is a beautiful and heartwarming ballad. Glass Onion is the complete opposite. Totally pshychadelic and skeptical. Great song!Ob-la-Di Ob-La-Da is another change of beats. Unlike its predecessor this is a charming and happy reggae song.Wild Honey Pie is a joke song by Paul. While it is weak, it is fits in nicely with the chemistry of the album.Bungalow Bill is another joke song, and is the perfect comic book plot. However the voice of Yoko Ono hurts the quality of it.While my Guitar Gently Weeps is haunting and depressing. George Harrison's singing is just as much as is Eric Clapton's play. The Beatles and Eric Clapton is a truly unstoppable combinationHappiness is a Warm Gun is an unusual songs. Though not top quality, it is still interesting pure rock to listen to.Martha My Dear is a wonderfully writen Paul McCartney Ballad.I'm so Tired will keep you humming and singing for days. Excellent John Lennon songBlackbird is another McCartney beauty and there are many on this double album.Piggies is a George Harrison song, though others must see something in it I don't. It has a catchy tune but the lyrics are ridiculous.Rocky Raccoon is a great Country Western piece, and the perfect song for a western movie. Don't Pass Me Buy is also a nice song for someone who likes country-western music. Ringo's singing is not so bad on this one.Why don't We Do It in the Road? is another joke song by Paul. It probably is weak but it is certainly humourous rock song.I Will and Julia are excellent ballads. I Will is another beautiful ballad by Paul though the standout is Julia. Julia is no doubt one of John Lennon's best Beatle songs, second perhaps to Across the Universe.Birthday is the perfect rocker for your next party.Yer Blues is a classic electric blues piece that proves the Beatles can play the blues.Paul writes yet another beautiful ballad in Mother Nature's Son. It is his best song on the album.Me and My Monkey is a great rocker though like Warm Gun has unusual lyrics.Sexy Sadie is a slightly jazzy song by Lennon. Great to listen to.For the punk rock fan Helter Skelter is your favorite. No doubt this will get up and pumped.Long Long Long puts a bucket of water on the fire of Helter Skelter. This is the most beautiful ballad to listen to on the album.Revolution 1 is a classic. Sure its slow but who cares. It is much more catchy than the fast version.Honey Pie is a ridicously corny piece for those who like to listen to twenties and fourties music.Savoy Truffle is a great one by George Harrison. A classic fast paced rocker.Cry Baby Cry is a nice lightweight piece to listen to and has a catchy tune though the lyrics are hardly top notch.Revolution 9 is a haunting montage of sounds. It is a very intrestring piece despite its criticism.Good Night closes out the album. It is a beautiful lullabye for your young one. Although the strings make it heavy to listen to.Conclusion: This a very diverse album with a song for all your moods. It is a classic, and a must for any rock 'n' roll fan. It deserves ten stars...END
Rating:
5 EPIC AND ENTICING.
Spanning 30 songs and overflowing with creativity, "The Beatles" is like listening to the history of pop music up to 1968. While signs of fragmentation were beginning to show through, the fab four were still capable of making incredible music. Contrary to what the other reviewers have written, nothing here should have been left out. George's "Piggies" is one of my favorite tunes with it's great baroque string arrangement and inspired singing, while "Savoy Truffle" features some great, stinging guitar work and cool percussive sounds. "Cry Baby Cry" is John at his most lyrically oblique, and the arrangement is quite clever (notice the rise and fall of the guitars on each verse along with the gradually increasing volume of the drums and Paul's sliding, funky bassline. Special Musical Note: Don't you just love Paul's little mini-song that follows at the end of this track? ('can you take me back where I came from, can you take me baaaacckk?'), could this be the birth of the album "interlude"? While there are far too many songs here to write a completely detailed review within 1,000 words, listing favorites is a game my friends love to play. My theory is, don't try to limit this sprawling collection to any handful of tracks, everything here is classic, this is afterall, The Beatles! Just sit back and soak it all up. The eclecticism displayed here is simply stunning. Was there nothing these guys couldn't do? This is such a generous outpouring of Beatles compostions that the final mixing sessions at Abbey Road Studios took an unprecedented 24 hours to complete. "The White Album" is THE standard by which all double albums should be judged.
Rating:
5 If I was stranded on a desert island.......
I own most of the Beatles albums,and if I was stranded on a desert island and only allowed one album, this would be it. There is so much high quality material to choose from, most of which is not on their Blue album. Lennon's wordplay has never been better, and more inspired than on tracks such as 'I'm so tired' 'Happiness is a warm gun', Sexy Sadie, Cry baby cry, Revolution, Julia, Dear Prudence, Glass onion. McCartney has awesome songs on this album ranging from the humorous western style song Rocky Raccoon, my personal favorite 'I will',Obladi Oblada, Back in the USSR, the ambiguous 'Martha my dear',the ultimate hippie anthem 'Why don't we do it in the road', the surprising 'Honey Pie', the hard rocking Helter Skelter, the wistful 'Mother nature's son, and the amazing guitar picking on 'Blackbird'all from just one person. Harrison finally comes of age on the sublime 'While my guitar gently weeps.' There are a few songs that could have been left off such as Savoy Truffle and Wild Honey Pie, but two out of thirty ain't bad. There is so much strength in depth here! I don't think you find too many musicians who would risk their credibility by daring to criticise the overall quality of this album.
Rating:
4 A two part review- Disc 1.
After listening to Sgt.Pepper and the slighty ok Magicial Mystery Tour, I knew that this would be a better album than both of them. I was right. The 1st disc has no fillers, the 2nd disc has some. Oh well, with 30 songs, you can't please everyone. This first disc I will review the album song by song1.Back In The USSR-This is a great opener with a wonderful Beach Boys sounding bridge.2.Dear Prudence-A nice ballad with some flowing arpeggio lines from John. A keeper.3.Glass Onion-Intresting chord changes with all the 7ths floating around. Nice reminincent lyrics.4.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da-Infectious chorus! The only time they play something reggae like. 5.Wild Honey Pie-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! Strange riff. Strange tune. I like it!6.The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill-You think that with the intro, it would be a disastrous Beatles-does-flamenco tune, but it's actually a singalong kinda tune. Very funny. Cool.7.While My Guitar Gently Weeps-The best Harrison tune probably ever. great solo by eric Clapton. Nice touch with the organ.8.Happiness Is A Warm Gun-Great tune. Sounds like prog rock, in a way each part sounds diffrent from the last. Cool.9.Marta My Dear-Yet another cute song from Paul. Nothing much here.10.I'm So Tired-In the vein of "Im Only Sleeping," this song is very trippy. Pretty cool.11.Blackbird-That famed classic with just Paul and a metronome. Very very cool. Nice touch with the bird.12.Piggies-Uh, ok. The weird Harrison tune. Has a classicial sound to it.13.Rocky Racoon-ALL HAIL THIS SONG! Just kidding, but man, it is good! Country folk at its best.14.Dont Pass Me By-Sort of like country, but with a Beatles touch. Nice fiddle work.15.Why Dont We Do It In The Road?-Why don't we? Very bluesy. My band loves playing this song and turning it into a jam session that goes on FOREVER.16.I Will-YET ANOTHER HAPPY SONG FROM PAUL! Eh, it's nice. Nothing big.17.Julia-The highlight of the album. Just John playing and singing. It's a perfect closer.Stay tuned for Part 2-The Good & Bad!
Rating:
5 A Masterpiece In White
At or near the very top of all Beatles' product, the White Album is without question the most diverse album the group ever assembled. Without "Sgt Pepper's" gloss -- or its pretentions to being a "concept album" -- the White Album is as good an illustration as one could wish for that the Beatles could produce just about any kind of music. John Lennon, especially, is very strong on this album... the tortured insomnia and incredible vocal dynamics of "I'm So Tired"; the haunting, wistful "Julia"; the playful "Dear Prudence" and the downright weird "Happiness Is a Warm Gun". His vocal prowess is further showcased on "Yer Blues", supposedly a send-up of the blues boom currently sweeping England, but nonetheless a powerful piece of music. Paul McCartney occasionally lapses into inconsequential silliness ("Martha My Dear", "Honey Pie"), but when he rocks ("Back In the USSR" and "Helter Skelter"), WATCH OUT! And "Blackbird" is one of Paul's most underrated songs. Perhaps the strongest track is George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", showing the guitarist had emerged as a third major composer within the group. "Piggies" reinforces that statement. The perfect ending to this odd, magnificent collection is Ringo's dreamy rendition of John's "Good Night", following as it does, the nightmare-on-wax that is "Revolution 9". Along with "Abbey Road" and "Revolver", the "White Album" must rank among the very best rock albums of all time.
Rating:
4 "I got blisters on my fingers!"
Don't get me wrong, this is a great collection of tunes. Recorded in 1968, The Beatles aka "The White Album" has arguably generated more debate than any other Beatles LP. This album is also the beginning of a lot of inner turmoil within the group, which might explain some of the dysfunction. The Beatles had done the India thing, Ringo quit for a few days, and Yoko Ono was hanging out in the studio.The Beatles got away from the studio tricks of Sgt. Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour era songs, especially with the more organic, acoustic-guitar based tracks they wrote in India. "Dear Prudence," "Blackbird," and "Mother Nature's Son" are all very beautiful songs. There are straight ahead rock numbers like "Back in the USSR" with its mock Beach Boys chorus and twisted Russian lyrics. Paul plays drums on both Prudence and USSR. Other tunes like "Birthday" and "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey" proved the Beatles could still really rock, and "Helter Skelter" is raw metal.If George Martin had had his way, this would have been a classic single album, but we would have missed quirky tunes like "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" with Yoko's warbled "but when he looked so fierce" lyric. Or the multi-style, multi-time signature "Happiness is a Warm Gun" with some bizarre John Lennon lyrics and not so hidden theme.The best song of this set is George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with its haunting rhythm, world-weary lyrics and Eric Clapton guitar solo. There's a beautiful, intimate solo acoustic version on Anthology 3 that's not to be missed.Why do I give this only four stars?1. It's disjointed, like it was thrown together with no sense of dynamic. "While My Guitar" is sandwiched between "Bungalow Bill" and "Warm Gun." Really loud songs are right next to really quiet songs, with no cushion.2. Paul was pretty self-indulgent at this point, with "Wild Honey Pie," "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" and "Honey Pie." I think Honey Pie has a nice melody, but when Paul sings "I like this kind of music" it's a direct poke at Lennon's disdain for Paul's "granny songs."3. Revolution 9. Love it or hate it, this experimental avant garde montage should have been released on a John and Yoko solo work. Thankfully, they had Ringo sing "Goodnight" to close the record and bring us back to earth.
