White Album: As Is? Or Should It Have Been Shorter?

I'm curious to see if any forum members agree with George Martin's assertion (once upon a time) that the White Album should have been a single disc release. I know it's tough to say, "I would prefer less Beatles", but I'm hoping that you discriminating SH Forumites can set aside that emotional attachment and be more critical and objective.

For those of you who do vote for a shorter version, which tracks would you eliminate?



(Poll to follow; wait for it!)

 

Other than Revolution 9, which gives me the creeps, I don't have a big problem with any of the other songs on the album.

 

Just one "song" shorter.

 

It's sprawling, messy and chaotic. And one of the very best albums ever, partially because of that. Great tunes, too. Even the throwaways work.

 

Me too. Can't play it.
Leave it as is. Nice big mess of an album, but great...IMHO

 

"The Beatles" is a great example of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Not that its parts aren't already great - but the whole 4-side collection just has a character to it that I love.

 

Was listening to it last night, all the way through. This is like 932 times I've heard the album at least.

"Revolution 9" seems to come as a "wtf" moment. It's like John saying, "Hey, I'm gonna do something wacky and screwed up". Most all (??) of those effects and noises are from parts that exist from what I remember, some of them from sound effects records (Elektra) and BBC tapes. A 5.1 mix of this would be kinda cool, wouldn't it? Wonder if the tapes Lennon "took away" are still intact.... possibly still are....

 

AS IS

It's up to the artist.

 

I love the album as is - can't imagine it any other way. I've tried creating a single disc lineup, using a 14 song format (7 per side) but I just can't find anything that works. The double album is just burned in to my brain I guess...

 

No other way.

It is exactly the right amount of everything. I think I have listened to it now about 3284 times. If I ever heard it any other way, it might be just the thing that would push me back over the edge into "sane".

Tom

 

I voted "fine as is." The only thing I would cut is revolution #9 and Wild Honey Pie.

 

It could have been longer, like Sandinista

 

I actually like Revolution 9, but I would have left it out for a single disc version, along with: Goodnight, Rocky Racoon, Bungalow Bill, Savoy Truffle, Dont Pass me by, Cry baby cry, Wild Honey Pie.

If that doesnt cut, I'd also delete Honey Pie, Long long, Me and my monkey.

 

Same length, but with a few revisions....Delete Revolution #9 and Goodnight. Add, Not Guilty, the full-length version of Can You Take me Back, What's The New Maryjane (yes a stupid song, but we'd have to satisfy John, now wouldn't we ) and use a group version of Goodnight with spoken prelude, acoustic guitar and piano...those strings are brutal.....Ron

 

Yes indeed. Quirky little warts n' all.

_______________________________________________
Mmm. Rhubarb pie.

 

If there had been a 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' b/w 'Back in the USSR' 45, that would have done just nicely. This is probably the most over-rated album in rock history, IMO. (I know this is not a widely shared view. Save your keystrokes, I've been flogged for this heresy many times before.)

 

I voted 'as is' as it is just perfect to me. Not a single unworthy second anywhere. And as for the impossible, if worthy material could have been had that was of the same frame of mind and fitted thematically, yes a third disc.
How can there be too much Beatles?
("butt kiss, this is not" Yoda Mike ).

 

It's certainly not perfect, but that's why it's so good!! If you start to edit it, you end up with Abbey Road...anti-septic Beatles! I will probably get flogged for this, but the most spectacularly overrated album of the 60s isn't The Beatles, it's Abbey Road. Song by song it might be a stronger album in many ways, but there's something about the whole "let's put on a brave face and pretend we're still best chums and working together on this" vibe of the album puts me off. The Beatles is much more direct, unpolished and, dare I say, honest. I know that may seem strange since it contains a fair bit of music that perhaps sounds forced, faked or even pretentious (Rocky Raccoon and Revolution 9 leap to mind), but that's what I love about it. The Beatles were imploding, and they don't try to cover it up.

Just over a year ago I finally "got" this album after having a strange, strong disliking for it for 15 years.I posted here about it, and strangely enough, I found that the key to the whole thing was indeed Revolution 9. Take it for what it's worth...

Great album! Leave it as is, or at the best cut 4 or 5 songs - it would still clock in at 2x40 mins.

 

I'm of two minds about this question. Aside from #9 I love every song. I do agree, however, with George Martin that it would have made a KILLER single disc. But then I'd lose a dozen songs I really love. What to do?

I guess my answer is: if I were the producer I would have argued for a single disc. As a fan, I'm glad George Martin lost that particular argument.

-BZync

 

I'd only revoultion #9 I don't think I've ever gotten all the way through it
I would add the acoustic version of While My guitar Gently weeps.

 

The White Album is my favourite of theirs.
Maybe it's because I can always listen to it while the others I have to be in a certain mood. I hardly ever listen to it straight through so the mix of songs and styles must have something to do with it-something for everyone. Sometimes I even listen to Revolution 9, so I can't imagine it without that or any others as a choice.

 

of all the times I've played the White Album since I first bought it back in 1977, I'm fairly certain that I've NEVER skipped over R9. it's just too integral a part of the proceedings. it's still my favorite Beatles album.

just about the ONLY change I might consider is that maybe it should have been issued as two seperate single LPs instead of a double?

of ocurse, I also think that the two JL/POB, YO/POB LPs should have been issued as a double, so maybe if that had happened, I'd be arguing the opposite.

honestly, of all the double LPs issued in this world, the White Album has to be the one with the most acceptable killer-to-filler ratio. leaving it exactly as it is causes me no pain whatsoever.

 

Ringo expresses the same sentiment in "Anthology" - he refers to the two LPs as "The White, and The Whiter" albums .

 

I think we've done this one before...more than once, in fact.

It's like asking if you want a shorter or longer *****....I prefer to be thankful for what I was given, since it seems(so far)to be enough, and feel that way about any great album: it's as short or as long as it was meant to be, amen. If it works for most of us, no extra help is needed. If it doesn't, nothing will help you.

 

Love it all. However, I don't know if my view is colored by the tensions within the Beatles during the sessions, or Charlie Manson's use of songs from the album as a motive for the murders he directed, but almost the whole album has an edgy tone to it, especially R9.