The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album)

My earliest memories of hearing songs from The White Album is probably from 1972. I remember this because my older cousins wanted to hear "Smoke on the Water" and I wanted to hear "Rocky Raccoon" and I was outvoted. My Aunt and Uncle seemed to have the coolest music from Alice Cooper to The Doobie Brothers. The Beatles had broken up years earlier and none of my friends listened to them. 

The Beatles were music for an older generation. Me and the other kids I knew were all over what was on the current top 40 and we'd argue in class about whether CKLG or CFUN was the best station. I'd give a passive listen once in a while to a country station (ick) if my Uncle was on the radio over at CJJC and I have one vague memory of us sitting around waiting for him to play "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" for my Aunt.

Regardless, they had an eight track copy of The White Album, and if the stars aligned I could get them to play it. I finally got a copy for myself in 1980, or 81. There in the little second hand shop I stole comics from (got caught, had to paint the exterior of the store) was a small selection of used records. I'd gotten a few treasures, my April Wine LIVE! album and the first two Prism records, but my most treasured album was a white vinyl copy of The White Album. It was the coolest record in my little collection.

I got to play "Rocky Raccoon" until I was sick of it. I played "Revolution 9" and learned that it was "Turn me on, dead man" when played backwards, and figured it was about Paul who was dead ... and spent time dressed up as a walrus. At the time, and likely still ... I don't know as I haven't actually sat and listened to this in it's entirety in over forty years, I like some of it, thought it was cool and weird all at the same time.

When Krazy Bob's went under, I popped in a few times during the store's waning days and picked up a lot of stuff. Sometimes paying more than I would normally. I wasn't looking for a deal, just looking to get some stuff. The Beatles, or as us cool kids called it, The White Album, showed up one day and I snapped it up. No it wasn't the original white one, this one is from 2012. It has the giant poster and the records look to be in immaculate shape.

I have to say I'm kind of stoked to spend some time listening to the records. I think I'll jot down my reaction in real time as the songs play and see what happens. It'll likely push this mess into TLDR territory but for me it'll be fun. Okay, maybe not fun, but it'll be something.

Without further ado, I'm going to get up and put on the first record. Here we go ... 

 Side One:

1. 
   "Back in the U.S.S.R." Oh yeah, this is my jam. As a kid this represented The Beatles at their most cool. What a song.
2. "Dear Prudence" This is John at his finest. 
3. "Glass Onion" I was too young to be even aware of the whole Paul is dead stuff.  When John starts riffing on various things, he declares ""the Walrus was Paul" people went nuts. Me, I just think it's a clever song.
4. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" I've always loved this song. When I think of some of Paul's later work with Wings a lot of the roots seem to originate from this one. That's what I have to say about that. I'm likely full of nonsense, but you can't help what you hear - especially so many years after the fact.
5.  "Wild Honey Pie" my kid brain did not know what to do with this, or how to file it for later consumption. It remains one of those awesome moments that only The Beatles could have pulled off and have the public accept.
6. "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" An earworm under the guise of a throwaway song. It also had the distinction of being the only Beatles song to feature vocals by Yoko. Thankfully the only song.
7. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Is one of George Harrison's crowning compositions. While so many of the songs on the White Album feel like half baked ideas. This is one of, if not the best song on the album(s). Hands down, full stop. Features a killer solo by Eric Clapton who apparently was brought in to help bring some order to the chaos in the control room.
8. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" Despite the odd title, this is a far more complex as the song flits about changing time signatures and employs a doo-wop chorus of sorts. There's a lot to unpack on this one, and it is one of my favourites.

Flipping the album over, let's get right into Side Two:

1. "Martha My Dear" Nice. Hard to reconcile this as being from 1968 as so much of the song feels like what would be coming out through the mid '70s.
2. "I'm So Tired" on the surface it's just a ditty about insomnia.
3. "Blackbird" One of the most magical songs I'd ever heard. The chord structure to me as a kid was otherworldly. The double tracked vocals by Paul were on point, and the subtle percussion is perfect. As fate that cruel mistress would have it, my vinyl copy was not immaculate after all, has a slight imperfection on the pressing and wouldn't you know there's a bit of audible noise ... only on this one track.
4. "Piggies" If Paul could write about birds, George wasn't about to be left out and decided that he needed to write a song about pigs. As a kid this was lost on me. Now, it's genius.
5. "Rocky Raccoon" When I first got a copy of The White Album the song I was most anxious to hear was this one. I'd heard it a few times at my Aunt and Uncles and love it. It was a spaghetti western set to music and I could not get enough. I have to admit that after countless plays I eventually hit the point of saturation. Hearing it now it's a cute idea and I can't quite figure out what it was that moved me so hard. This was the reason I wanted the White Album and for that this song will always be special.
6. "Don't Pass Me By" You cannot shit on Ringo. It's a rule. Long before Beaucoups of Blues showed the world that Ringo loved this kind of music, he let it slip on this one. A sleeper and a keeper.
7. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" I LOVE THIS SONG. When I first heard it I just cracked up. I knew it was referencing something dirty, and to me that was awesome.
8. "I Will" This is wonderful little song.
9. "Julia" John's love letter to his mum. From what I've read this is the only solo recording John performed on a Beatles record. It's beautiful.

So far I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised as how much of this I remembered how much better it was than I expected. To be fair, a lot of the songs are great in the context of the record and not so much when taken as a standalone piece of music. Probably the biggest nugget I slept on as a kid was "Don't Pass Me By."

Here we go, let's spin the second platter.

1. "Birthday" Oh yeah. Always liked this one. I still can't tell if Ringo drifts on the beat, and does it matter?
2. "Yer Blues" I suppose there are those who like this one. It never worked for me. Still doesn't. They can't all be winners.
3. "Mother Nature's Son" Nice one. The brass section was perfect. Like "Julia" this was a solo recording, this time with Paul performing all the parts. Which apparently went over like a fart in church with the other guys.
4. "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" I loved the title more than the song. I did like the raucous arrangement and just as the band is throwing it all against the wall the song fades. It deserved a proper ending. 
5. "Sexy Sadie" Funny I didn't remember this one. What? It is what it is.
6. "Helter Skelter" This is one of those songs that is as infamous as it is famous. As a kid I really wanted to like it. The riff and energy are palpable. This was chaos in the form of a song. It's amazing but it's not a song I enjoy hearing. Which is still perplexing to me and I really want to like this one.
7. "Long, Long, Long" sort of like "Sexy Sadie" I don't really have a lot of memories of this one. Which is strange as I played the record a lot. I suspect my ears were so tired after "Helter Skelter" that this was more like a relief than a song. Yes it is beautiful and all that and I'll want to hear it again.

This was a little weirder for me. Odd how many of the tracks I didn't really remember that well. I'm sure that if you're a real fan of the band you must be thinking, "This guy is a right pillock." Yeah, you'd be right. Let's flip this over and see what else there is to dredge up.

1. 
   "Revolution 1" Now this, this is the version I prefer. I know that's it's a tad slow, but to me that's swagger. It feels restrained as if the band is being deliberately held back from letting loose.
2. "Honey Pie" may come across as an old timey dance hall throwaway track, but there's something endearing about this one. I wonder how much Queen borrowed from this track when they were lazing on a Sunday afternoon thinking about good old fashioned lover boys?
3. "Savoy Truffle" As a kid this was a bit too hippy dippy, but old George was killing it. Such a good song.
4. "Cry Baby Cry" Again another one of those songs that seemed to be new to me. I suspect I must not have played this side as much as I thought.
5. "Revolution 9" I often picked up the needle and took the album off the turntable at this point. I mean really this went on forever. You hear it once and then after that it's like torture. Even now as it's playing I'm trying to stay engaged ... and failing.
6. "Good Night" a song that seldom got played, and honestly hearing it now is a revelation. Ringo steps forward to sing lead over what is a gloriously lush and deliberately corny string arrangement with a backing chorus. After the gruelling "Revolution 9" this was indeed the perfect way to send the listener off to dreamland.

Well that was something.

Probably the coolest thing about this record is the fact it was released at all. Make no mistake there are some absolutely draw dropping classic songs interspersed over the four sides. In many ways The Beatles gets a pass because, well, it is the friggin' BEATLES! The album is more than a collection of throw away songs and half baked ideas. I mean they were coming off Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the greatest albums of all time. The Beatles had journeyed to India and many of the songs on The White Album originated in some form from this experience. I suppose the idea was to meditate, relax and regroup.

The songs here are more of an artistic expression at times than songs, although I'm not steeped enough in Beatles lore to speak with any authority, so I'll just stick with my reaction and thoughts even if they are horseshit at times. They weren't looking to repeat themselves, and they didn't. I don't think any other band could have pulled this off, and boy howdy they pulled it off with aplomb.

Many of my favourite memories of The Beatles are associated with this album, and while it may seem like my song by song reaction as I heard this in it's entirety for the first time in decades may seem to be less than favourable, I think this is an amazing album.

Looking into some of the songs I've found that there is a wealth, almost too much information, out there with respect to each song and how many takes and which takes and who did what where and when that it seems to elevate John, Paul, George and yes, Ringo to almost dizzying heights. There are lists that rank the songs from best to worst each with little footnotes and examples. Books have been written. Everything can be viewed under a microscope. 

Then there's me, the armchair Luddite who's contribution to all this is essentially nothing but my experience. I'll leave the heavy lifting to those who have the fortitude and energy and a strong back, Me, I was just really happy to find the record and wallow in the warm glow of nostalgia and I relived a foundational memories from my youth for an hour and a half.