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

I would have liked it better as a 3-lp set. Add in Not Guilty and Mary Jane, add Beatles versions of Sour Milk Sea, Junk and Child of Nature (or others that were written at the time), and cut the lp sides down to 20 minutes or less so they could cut the vinyl grooves deeper and reduce some of the hiss/noise. As it is side 2 seems to get bogged down a little bit after Rocky Raccoon, maybe swap in a good Lennon tune for Why don't we do it in the road, maybe Cry Baby Cry. And some songs could have used middle eights, like Me and My Monkey which really needs something where the third verse comes in. But it's still one of the greatest albums of all time.
-Steve

 

I'm surprised really at all the #9 bashing. I never realized it was so hated. I've never skipped it and had some completely hilarious times quoting it and listening to it with my friends. It adds so much to the personality of The White Album that taking that one track off would do more to change the complexion than any other "one" track.

I was thirteen years old when I first bought and heard the album. It was 1975 and it was the only Beatles album I didn't have yet (because I had no idea what was on it).
First listen was on headphones and I've never had another experience close to that- with ANY album.

It was the most fun, most dark, most bizarre, most diverse, most "who the heck knows what's coming next"- type of Beatles I'd ever heard. I kept thinking that Revolution #9 was going to start jamming any moment, but it never did. Instead I was treated to the weirdest stereo sound collage (Beatle voices included) that I'd ever heard. It's as if it put the final stamp on The Fabs' genius. I knew then that nobody could or would ever touch them.

I strongly feel that the worst thing you could do to the White Album is to take Revolution #9 off. All my opinion of course.

Peace Love and they are standing still (ooooofffmmm ooooffffmmm) RIIIIIGGHHHHHHTTT!
Marky

 

Ed knows how to use his ***** as an analogy, for sure!! Gotta love it!~~~

 

\\

 

My ***** and Steve's...legends in their own time!

 

If you cut out Revolution #9 it all fits on one CD.

 

You have to cut out more than that to fit it on one 80 minute CD. The album is 94 minutes long.

 

The White Album is my favorite Beatles Albium, and Revolution 9 is one of my favorite tracks on it! Just thought I'd chime in.

 

Yet another ***** analogy!!!

This one includes Steve's!!!

AWESOME!!!

Ed, your killing me! ROTFLMAO!!!

 

Longer!!

i wish it were a triple album. you can never have enough of genius. and simply put, "god isnt a concept; its the beatles!!"

how do u rest in peace at night?

 

I skip "Revolution 9".

 

believe it or not, "revolution 9" is the song that turned me on to the beatles.

 

Don't mess with perfection!

 

No one mentioned 3 sides: A single album and side 2 of Yellow Submarine.

I think George Martin would have done this if he had the option.

Tim

 

That's the most bizarre version yet.

Peace Love and March of the Piggies or Glass Onion Laid Waste
Marky

 

Leave it ALONE. It's imperfect, messy, annoying even at times, and that's what makes it such a great album.

BTW one thing I absolutely love about THE BEATLES is the way it starts off relatively conventionally over the course of sides 1-2, starts to get a bit odd toward the middle of side 3 and then gets really unusual on side 4. In that sense "Revolution 9" - which seems to be the most frequently mentioned candidate for deletion - is absolutely essential - coming at the end of a sequence where one feels they are gradually sliding off the deep end, then WHAMMO you're falling in space completely, and then all of a suddent you're being nicely rocked back to sleep in the cozy safety of "Good Night," feeling so contented and relieved you almost don't notice how firmly tongues are planted in cheek.

That's also clearly why they went with "Revolution #1" leading off side 4 instead of the 45 counterpart "Revolution." That just wouldn't work...you need to open side 4 with sense that reality has been refracted, skewed, and the brilliant idea of using a sort of "on valium" acousticized (and with brass touches no less) rendition of a previously hugely familiar and successful single overdriven guitar rocker does that ever so nicely. Through the looking glass indeed.

And "Hey Jude" on THE BEATLES? Nah...fantastic tune, but if ever there was a truly self-contained, free-standing entity it's that tune.

Incidentally, I'm also floored that ANYONE would mention "Cry Baby Cry" being deleted, as a couple have. In my book that is the most neglected wonderful John Lennon song ever. Lyrically almost McCartney-esque (and unlike some who might say that I don't mean it as an insult - just to say that it's atypical for Lennon), and a great whacked British late 60s psychedelia vibe...and somehow reminiscent of Ray Davies I've always thought. Love the arrangement.

A single LP might have been great in another way but it wouldn't be anything like THE BEATLES. In addition to great music, one of the most brilliantly programmed/sequenced rock albums of all time.

 

I'm probably in the minority here but I rarely listen to the white album. While I don't have any complaints about most of the songs as individual tunes, the album has always sounded to me like a 2-LP compilation of four solo artists using the other three as supporting musicians. To my ears, the white album is the most "ungroup-like" Beatles record. Just my 2-cents.

 

Great point of view Joe!

 

Hey Joe,

I agree with you as far as "four solo artists," and "most un-group-like..." But I still enjoy the record.

Do you remember that Lennon quote about the Beatles' breakup? He told listeners to make their own Beatles album by taking "one of me, one of Paul, one of George, one of Ringo, etc."

Someday I will do that...

Back to the White Album again...somebody else said something about "sprawling, messy, chaotic genius," and I'm right there with you...

Same reason I love Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"...


peace to all,

 

That's my white album, man. You win my vote.

Although I think I'd lose Martha, My Dear and Honey Pie too. Just make Helter Skelter longer if need be.

 

Leave it as it is, the twists and turns are what make it an interesting audio journey.

 

In some ways you are right - but as with all things "Beatles" it is never that simple. Ringo himself talks fondly of the white album. After he returned from the brief split he said there was "lots of group activity going down - I love the white album". George talks about there being "a lot of tracks where we just played live". Of course, there was non-group activity too but I really don't hear one artist with three "supporting musicians" on any tracks on the white album. I always hear a band playing together in the way only the Beatles can. Listen to the opening track - those bass guitars are chugging along in a groove you just don't get from "supporting musicians"!

I also hear a lot of great studio innovation on the white album - some really great sounds are created. I can't get over the sound of the guitar behind the opening line of "A ***** Is A Warm Gun" (or whatever it's called ) - a truly awesome aural soundscape. Both warm and cold at the same time - it sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it!

No, the white album is a fantastic achievement that was made by a band working together. Maybe because Lennon and McCartney have largely outgrown their collaborative writing approach by this time people tend to think they are no longer working together as musicians?

Anyway, I love it - I fell in love with it the first time I heard it on the US Capitol LP with the A---------- number on the jacket my sister bought for 2 pounds in the playground (it still sounds fantastic - I thought US pressings were not supposed to be that good?! Did Canadian pressings have the A--------- number on too? I've a feeling it could be a Canadian pressing thinking about it).

Another good point was raised earlier - Revolution 9 is an essential part of the album. Only after listening to it in its entirety can you fully appreciate the contrast offered by "Goodnight". It's like any great moment in an artistic presentation - light and dark. It reminds me of that moment in Dr Zhivago when all the soldiers are laughing and suddenly someone shoots the guy standing on the barrel - a moment of really intense expression made possible by the genius of David Lean. The white album is full of fantastic moments - a true masterpiece.

But, not everyone likes Dr Zhivago or could care less about the scene that stands out to me as the most deeply moving moment I've ever seen on the big screen. Likewise, not everyone likes the white album. And a good job too - without the diversity between the tastes of even the closest of friends we would never have had the white album to be arguing over in the first place!

 

Okay, this is how I would edit down the White Album to one LP if I had the chance:

Back In The USSR
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Blackbird
Birthday

Yer Blues

Sexy Sadie

Helter Skelter

Revolution 1
Revolution 9


This would be a strong, kick-ass Beatles album!

 

#9 goes on a little too long, but the rest rules!

 

Delay the album till Jan 1969
Dump - Honey Pie.
Add - Mary Jane (the short mix), Sour Milk Sea, Child Of Nature, Junk, Hey Jude, Let It Be, All Things Must Pass, Oh My Love, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Back Seat Of My Car, Another Day, Get Back, Don't Let Me Down, Something, I've Got A Feeling, I Me Mine, One After 909, Isn't It A Pity, Two Of Us, Not Guilty, Across The Universe, Old Brown Shoe, Carnival Of Light.

Bonus ep - Hey Bulldog, Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much (long version), All Together Now, .

Quadruple album with bonus Yellow Submarine ep then split up.