The White Album

[mpolak21]

My dad had his favorite 45 minutes of the White Album on one side of a cassette tape and then put a some selections from the Red and Blue Albums on the other side it was my introduction to the band when I was 12, and I used to play it religiously. The White Album is wonderful, the high points are the among the best songs in their catalog, and even some of the throwaway tracks are pretty fun when you're listening to the entire thing.

 

--Mike

[LouieB]

and even some of the throwaway tracks are pretty fun when you're listening to the entire thing.

Why don't we do it in the road??? No one will be watching us, why don't we do it in the road....

You gotta love that....

 

Rocky Raccoon is brilliant as well.

 

LouieB

[mountain bed]

Why don't we do it in the road??? No one will be watching us, why don't we do it in the road....

You gotta love that....

 

LouieB

Hell yeah - that song is a not just a song, it's a philosophy.

 

One of the cool things about the record is how there's almost no silence between many of the songs - it's like a suite or something the way they all blend tgether.

[junkiesmile]

Back in the U.S.S.R. is my personal favorite off of this album but I think the whole thing is pretty great. I don't get the whole "throw away track" thing. The album wouldn't be as good without every single track. There's nothing IMO that should have been thrown away.

[stooka]

Hell yeah - that song is a not just a song, it's a philosophy.

 

Hell yes!!

 

 

Paul had been my favorite up until I heard The White Album.

 

Songs like Glass Onion, Yer Blues, Sexy Sadie, Happiness..., and I'm So Tired changed all that.

[mpolak21]

Back in the U.S.S.R. is my personal favorite off of this album but I think the whole thing is pretty great. I don't get the whole "throw away track" thing. The album wouldn't be as good without every single track. There's nothing IMO that should have been thrown away.

 

I think I could manage without Wild Honey Pie, but different strokes for different folks.

 

--Mike

[John Smith]

this was released 40 years ago today!

 

by far it is my very favorite Beatles album. I love every song on it, with the exception of may be Ob-la-dee-ob-la-da. I used to have the poster that came in the album that my parents had, but left it in a dorm room when we had to clear out during Spring Break.

 

anyone else have any thoughts, memories, what have yous...

 

Loved this album, still do. Still have the poster and the 8X10 glossy's that came with it.

 

 

The White Album mostly reminds me of this:

 

 

 

it was played often on this contraption.

 

 

actually, I think ours looked more like this:

 

 

We had one of those. Then when 8-tracks came out we got what I refer to as an advanced close & play it was one of those all in one things with the plastic lid that popped uo revealing the turn table. Had lots of listening time on those things.

 

 

Well, as long as you protect your hearing you should still be able to hear when you are old.....

 

Helter Skelter is a great song.

 

LouieB

 

I still love Husker Du's version of Helter Skelter. I imagine it as being more in line with what Chucky Manson heard in his head. Great album top to bottom though, even obladi...

[anthony]

The White Album is far and away my favorite Beatles LP (can't even listen to Pre-Rubber Soul Era). I have the serial numbered vinyl in the collection.

 

Priceless songs:

 

Mother Nature's Son (one of only a handful of good Paul tunes)

Everybody's Got Somthing to Hide

Sexy Sadie

Bungalow Bill

While My Guitar (EC's solo is devastating)

Happiness is a Warm Gun (best Beatle tune ever?)

Revolution 1

I'm So Tired

Piggies (although I prefer the Anthology version)

Yer Blues

Long, Long, Long

[bobbob1313]

(can't even listen to Pre-Rubber Soul Era).

 

Mother Nature's Son (one of only a handful of good Paul tunes)

 

:blink :blink

[mountain bed]

:blink :blink

As soon as I read that sentence my very first thought was "Oh man, is b2 gonna shit when he reads this!"

 

Pretty LARGE handful, I must say.

[Sparky speaks]

Link to BBC anniversary special......Show starts after the weather report......

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fnmcj

[cryptique]

Mother Nature's Son (one of only a handful of good Paul tunes)

If by this you mean that there were only a handful of good Paul tunes on this particular album, I'd agree with you. I think they're some of his weakest contributions to the Beatles canon.

 

If you mean more generally ... well ... um ... *cough*

[bobbob1313]

"Martha My Dear"

"Honey Pie"

"I Will"

"Obladi-Oblada"

"Back In The USSR"

"Rocky Racoon"

"Why Don't We Do It In the Road"

"Blackbird"

"Mother Nature's Son"

"Helter Skelter"

 

 

What is wrong with any of those songs?

[OOO]

I love Honey Pie lots.

 

"Will the wind that blew her boat across the sea, kindly send you sailing back to me?"

[junkiesmile]

Honey pie is a great song.

[Gobias Industries]

"Martha My Dear"

"Honey Pie"

"I Will"

"Obladi-Oblada"

"Back In The USSR"

"Rocky Racoon"

"Why Don't We Do It In the Road"

"Blackbird"

"Mother Nature's Son"

"Helter Skelter"

 

 

What is wrong with any of those songs?

 

"'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da' is a song about communists, weed, and generally very bad things."

 

[mpolak21]

Some random thoughts...

 

Across The Universe was originally recorded in early 1968 as a potential single, the nod eventually went to Lady Madonna/The Inner Light. It's pretty amazing that they left a song wonderful in the can, and I've always felt the pre-Spector version really fits alongside nicely with the songs on the second side of the first album.

 

George Harrison also really came into his own on this record. Long Long Long is one of my favorite cuts, and While My Guitar Gently Weeps is among the best songs of the band's catalog. Sour Milk Sea and Not Guilty are strong outtakes.

 

I think the White Album features the strongest collection of John Lennon material of the both Beatles and subsequently his solo catalogs. He was absolutely in another zone here, much like McCartney was on Sgt. Pepper.

 

Paul McCartney wrote way more than just a few good songs, several of them are on this album. Regardless of any of his post-Beatle sins, many of which are exaggerated anyway, he was unbelievably good in this period.

 

I don't want to leave out Ringo, his drumming owns here, and Don't Pass Me By is pretty enjoyable.

 

Everyone with harddrive space should google blog search "Purple Chick White Album", download the entire set, and enjoy.

 

--Mike

[cryptique]

"Martha My Dear"

"Honey Pie"

"I Will"

"Obladi-Oblada"

"Back In The USSR"

"Rocky Racoon"

"Why Don't We Do It In the Road"

"Blackbird"

"Mother Nature's Son"

"Helter Skelter"

 

 

What is wrong with any of those songs?

I think a lot of them are weak (see above).

 

That doesn't mean I don't like them ... I just think they're weak sauce compared to McCartney's other contributions throughout the years.

 

And yes, I'm the one Beatles fan on the planet who thinks "Back in the U.S.S.R." isn't such a great song.

 

I far prefer Lennon's work on the White Album.

[Analogman]

Once again, I will recommend this book - The Complete Beatles Chronicle. You can find out all about the White Album recording sessions, and even the tracks that were left off - Not Guilty, and What's the New Mary Jane.

[LouieB]

I think a lot of them are weak (see above).

 

That doesn't mean I don't like them ... I just think they're weak sauce compared to McCartney's other contributions throughout the years.

 

And yes, I'm the one Beatles fan on the planet who thinks "Back in the U.S.S.R." isn't such a great song.

There is an undeniable feeling that many of the songs are "throwaways" to be sure. But then again that is sort of the fun of it. USSR is a joke and a pastiche of the Beach Boys. It was far funnier when the USSR was a going concern. Now people are likely to wonder what the USSR was.

 

LouieB

[cryptique]

There is an undeniable feeling that many of the songs are "throwaways" to be sure. But then again that is sort of the fun of it.

I like John's throwaways better than Paul's.

 

Much of my problem with "U.S.S.R." is that I've always been disappointed with it as the album opener. A good song, but not the way I want that album to begin. I find it weird that my impression of a song could be affected by its place in the track list, but I think this is one case where it's true.

[Sir Stewart]

I like John's throwaways better than Paul's.

 

Much of my problem with "U.S.S.R." is that I've always been disappointed with it as the album opener. A good song, but not the way I want that album to begin. I find it weird that my impression of a song could be affected by its place in the track list, but I think this is one case where it's true.

Kind of like Rainy Day Women?

[mountain bed]

Once again, I will recommend this book - The Complete Beatles Chronicle. You can find out all about the White Album recording sessions, and even the tracks that were left off - Not Guilty, and What's the New Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane" is a very curious little piece of music. The first half is almost like a children's sing-a-long, and then...that last half is amazing stuff - very Syd Barrett-influenced. It's really a shame this didn't make the record somehow.

[Sir Stewart]

"Mary Jane" is a very curious little piece of music. The first half is almost like a children's sing-a-long, and then...that last half is amazing stuff - very Syd Barrett-influenced. It's really a shame this didn't make the record somehow.

What a shame, what a shame.

[bjorn_skurj]

I caught the very end of the Breakfast With The Beatles show on XM coming in, and they had the most curious thing - a cover of Revolution 9 by some outfit called The Shazam. Interesting - they took the sonic elements, reworked them a bit, threw in some new stuff, including a Twin Peaks-ish melody.