The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album)

This album is perfect, and it's imperfection makes it that way. If you could only own one album, this is it. It has it all. It's influence is incalculable. Sell everything you own, and just listen to this. Really.

When I think of talented music, I think of Limp Bizkit, Korn, Slipknot, Atreyu, Good Chartlotte, Hanson, Britney Spears, and The New Kids on the block.

The Beatles had no talent, they didn't even have MTV airplay.


Avoid this trash, turn on MTV, and listen to real music people. Not 60s junk.

Received the CD in excellent condition. Price was outstanding--very affordable. The wait was a little long having been shipped from Czechoslovakia. Still, it was worth the wait. Thanks.

Aside from "Number Nine", there are no "clinkers" on this. To answer one reviewers question, yes, as a matter of fact, there were times in '68 that I personally DID wake up & "just have to listen to "Why Don't We Do It In The Road"" (just as there were times I just had to listen to "Jigsaw Puzzle"). Like another reviewer, I also got the White Album for Christmas '68. Is this album the greatest of The Beatles releases? A silly question, if you ask me. To my ears, that would be "Revolver", & Sgt. Pepper would be third or fourth on the list. That said, I realize that it's a VERY subjective question with no "right" answer. If you're looking for the most eclectic album, one that displays the widest range of the combined songwriting skills of the Fab Four, I'd say this is the obvious choice. Is every song a "masterpiece"? Hardly, but on the other hand, I wouldn't judge any of the songs, save the aforementioned (and very experimental) "Number Nine", to be "clinkers". It's as fine piece of work as any produced in the '60's, and better than most. Certainly on a par with "Beggers Banquet", which I also judge as one of the best of the '60s.

When McCartney goes from "I Will" to "Helter Skelter" ...and then creates something like "BlackBird", while Lennon adds "Happiness is a warm gun" and George "While my guitar gently weeps" anyone could argue this is not only a masterpiece but also the best album of all times.

At the end of "Glass Onion" is when you know you are in for something unique and special from the Beatles on The White Album. The end of the song features a slow, piercing violin meshed with a "dink, dink, dink" sound that prepares the listener by saying "Okay, we are going to do something different and we are going to lay it all on the line for you, so be ready." Although I believe Revolver to be the quintessential Beatles album because of its mastery of the balance of art and pop, I believe The White Album to be the very best Beatles album of them all because it has aged the best. Paul himself said, "It stood up, but it wasn't a pleasant one to make." Admit it, Sgt. Pepper sounds like a 1967 album, (which doesn't necessarily hinder its greatness) but The White Album does not sound like a 1968 album. It rocks, but most importantly, it experiments. For a pop group of the Beatles' magnitude, making a double album was a brave move indeed. But with all of their massive success, what did they have to lose? They finally came to realize that making music isn't supposed to be fun, it is supposed to be an adventure and make you push yourself beyond your limits. There is no conceptual theme, just a bravura of eclectic styles and genres boldly bouncing off each other. Trust me, the Beatles tried EVERYTHING on here: rock, pop, blues, chamber hall, vaudeville, Rodgers/Hammerstein-style orchestration, avant-garde experimentation, folk rock, surf rock...and "Helter Skelter" might be the first heavy metal song ever recorded! Who knew the Beatles had it in them? Not the teenyboppers of 1964, that's for sure. This album perfectly illustrates the evolution of the Beatles. The only thing missing is band unity, but no worry - the magic that pays off in the risk-taking more than compensates. Here's the best part: despite all the ground that is being covered, there are no bad songs to be found! For my tastes however, "Obla-Di, Obla-Da" and "Why Don't We Do It In the Road?" are just okay to me. The former has a nice catchy piano melody, but the lyrics are somewhat trite and the latter is very repetitive, although it must be noted that Paul sings each verse in a different fashion and the short length of the song saves it from oblivion (you might not notice Paul singing each verse differently until about the third or fourth time of listening to it). The notoriety surrounding "Revolution 9" is unjust. There have been better avant-garde recordings and there have been worse. Say what you will about "Revolution 9", but the chronology of "Cry Baby Cry", "Revolution 9", and "Good Night" is, to my ears, perfectly sequenced. "Julia" is John's most sentimental moment (it is an ode to his mother who died in a car crash) and ranks as one of the most profoundly moving exercises in catharsis ever recorded, with opening lyrics so emotional, you can't help but be touched by it. The White Album contains some of John's most personal and best songs, which is another reason it is a must-have for any great rock collection. The irony of The White Album is that the best song might be George's! "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar, is a stunning classic in every sense of the word and only gets better after repeated plays. It is sheer perfection from a guitar and melody standpoint. There is a certain mystique that surrounds The White Album while you're listening to it that the other Beatles albums don't really possess. It's really hard to describe. This is the kind of album that leaves you itchy with anticipation for what will come next and, quite frankly, you can't ask for more out of music than that. A+

I was moved to add my voice to the other 999 reviews having just listened to disc one this morning. I am sure that I cannot add much to the proceedings so let me just say this: even the songs that I had wondered previously as to why they were included (Wild Honey Pie and Why Don't We Do It In the Road to name two)sound good in 2008. The Beatles were always several steps ahead of everyone in their music making. This album only goes to prove that in some cases, their vision extended years and years ahead of everyone. But eventually, a cat sitting down to write the one thousandth review of this cd on amazon.com catches up!

There are those that love to bash the Beatles simply because they're so popular and rock icons. It's just those being defiant and against the grain. The Beatles White Album succeeds because of the surprising production values and the sheer magniture of the individual talents who are on display here. It would be senseless to analyze each cut when the entire album is superb. I was in a rock band in the mid-1960's and The Beatles were always the standard to be measured by. They sang better, recorded better and wrote the best songs. There are those that will find Revolution #9 tedious and pretentious, but it does give us a glimpse of Yoko Ono's influence on John Lennon. What makes this album unique is the eclectic vareity of music on the double CD. I never tire of hearing this CD and after 40 years since its release, it's the Beatles CD I keep going back to. Every cut is a surprise.

Many younger listeners prefer THE WHITE ALBUM above all other Beatles albums. Above even the gold standard of Sgt. Pepper and the highly beloved Abbey Road. I don't share this enthusiasm. I place the afore mentioned Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road in the top two followed by Revolver and Rubber Soul. Rounding out the top five would be the unjustly neglected Magical Mystery Tour. THE WHITE ALBUM would then come in sixth.

The Beatles never made a bad album. LET IT BE may be the lone exception--a failure so curious that it is difficult to merely tag it as "bad". (So "bad" it's good in a peculiar sort of way.).

Coming after the psychedelic period, THE WHITE ALBUM is a surprisingly dark album--the previous focus of peace and love is missing here. The record anticipated the stripped down production and "confessional" songwriting found in prevalence during the early 1970's. While this was a welcome development for some, THE WHITE ALBUM was something of a let down initially. Most buyers were disappointed in the absence of the *Hey Jude/Revolution*. The Beatles had a preference for not putting their singles on the albums; but in this case it this was a significant error.

Like most double albums, this one could easily been paired down to a single disc. Many of the cuts are frivolous while others bog things down. Harrison felt on reflection that some of the tracks could have been released as B sides. Still many critics acclaim THE WHITE ALBUM as a celebrated explosion of musicianship in which the Beatles demonstrated that they could play in number of styles--as if such a demonstration was necessary. Still, many listeners like the album precisely because it is so varied.

Whatever else could be said, the wide variety of styles signaled a foreboding and desperation. With the exception of the first side, each song is distant and isolated from all the others. There is a sense of fragmentation and disassociation on THE WHITE ALBUM not found on any of the Beatles previous records. Indeed, now that we know some of the history behind the scenes, it can be seen that The Beatles were fracturing. In retrospect, without the glue of Brian Epstein, their recently deceased manager, each band member was spinning of into separate directions. The Beatles, particularly Lennon and McCartney, had in the past bounced off each other to good effect-- jolting each from their own element.. Collaboration was deteriorating and along side many flashes of brilliance weaker musical instincts slithered in.

Only side one hangs together in the flow of tracks to form a "whole" which is both pleasing and memorable. Three great songs, even the lesser songs stick with you, fun, humorous and recklessly inventive -and it absolutely rocks. The three remaining sides of the original LP version suffer in comparison.

Side one opens with a great coupling in Back in the USSR and Dear Prudence. Parody is a much overused word--too often meaning a barb thrown at others. In fact the Beatles frequently paid homage to the music they loved from other musicians. *Back In The USSR* is no more a parody of the Beach Boys or Elvis (both of whom McCartney loved) than *Got To Get You Into My Life* was of Motown. This is seamlessly followed by Dear Prudence which sounds better with each listening and is far more complex as a song than it seems. The rest is pleasant enough and one song follows another in sharp focus. But the room stops still with *While My Guitar Gently Weeps*. Harrison's *Guitar* towers over the rest of the album and is the one song that immediately jumps to mind in any discussion of THE WHITE ALBUM. McCartney and Lennon are like the older brother turning out excellent work. But Harrison is like the little brother who pops out of nowhere with a piece of work that blows the daylights off the competition. The acoustic version found in the Anthology series reveals it is actually a simple song that lends itself to a relaxed and tender presentation. But here it is played with vehemence with the guest guitar solo by Eric Clapton. The Beatles loved silly songs for their own sake. Yet here, following the failure of the age of peace and love to appear, lyrics of unvarnished grief are put on full display.

Side Two does not hang together well and most tend to pick their favorites to listen to rather than the entire side. *I'm So Tired* is a Lennon downer that ruins this side for me. Much better is *Rocky Raccoon*--a McCartney nonsense song. *I Will* is a lovely McCartney romance that remains an unjustly neglected song by even McCartney's diehard fans. Lennon's *Julia* is one of the sweetest songs he ever wrote--infuriately used as a bit of psychoanalysis into his soul by his biographers (Julia was his mother's name).

Side three was a favorite of early FM rock radio. *Birthday* just rocks. *Me and My Monkey* is joyous, free flying a rocker and truly funny. *Helter Skelter* is one tough hard rocker which some claim is a precursor to heavy metal. *Long Long Long* anticipates much of ALL THING MUST PASS and the rest Harrison's output in the 1970's. However, here THE WHITE ALBUM really needs a kickass rocker--perhaps Lennon's *Bulldog* or a reworking of Harrison's own *It's All Too Much* (both found on the YELLOW Submarine soundtrack).

Side four is a disappointment. The version of *Revolution* appearing here has its own charm but in the context of the album is slow, plodding, and understated where the excitement and full blast rock and roll of the original is needed. John Lennon later claimed that he preferred the slower version--but like many things he said in the 1970's he was just plain wrong. Harrison's big band *Savoy Truffle* is quite good.

In view of what was to come after the Beatles broke up, it is interesting to note that the styles of music we now associate with each Beatle are pretty much here. If you separate and group each song according to its author, we find the spiritual and sometimes sarcastic George, the gentle and good hearted Ringo, the acidic yet sometimes sentimental John, and the entertainer Paul with one foot in rock and roll and the other foot in the old English music hall.

Taken as a whole, John's contributions are not his best. *Yer Blues* is a desolate and pointless barb aimed at the British blues revival. Revolution #1 had none of the exhilaration of the original. *Sexy Sadie* is just plain tedious. *I'm So Tired* makes one uncomfortable and not in a good way. On the other hand, contrary to his common image, THE WHITE ALBUM contains two of Lennon's sweetest and charming compositions: *Dear Prudence* and *Julie*. It is tempting to search *REV # 9* for a deep meaning in the chaos--there is none there. It is only a cut and paste job of various sounds and spoken word. George Martin hated it and opposed its inclusion. It sucks the air out of the room. It would have been much better if *Hey Jude* took its place.

Absent the earlier psychedelic wash, much of McCartney's work remains charming but devoid of "cosmic significance". This is not to say that much of his contributions to THE WHITE ALBUM aren't truly great. It is just that he has a penchant to write very minor work. As much as many complain of the deteriorating quality of McCartney's work in the 1970's, the truth is it is all found here.

Harrison hits two out of four with *My Guitar* and *Savoy Truffle* --making one wish that he caught the fire again in his later work. Ringo Starr remains the "gentle giant" who is more fun than musically significant.

Perhaps one's opinion of THE WHITE ALBUM depends on how one views psychedelic music. If you have an innate understand of the multi-layered, slightly touched noise, THE WHITE ALBUM is a step down. If you feel that it is rubbish, THE WHITE ALBUM is a revelation. What is clear is that the Beatles largely began the psychedelic era and then ended it after a few years. Just compare the chronology of the Beatles and the Stones and you'll get a hint of others following in the Beatles wake. THE WHITE ALBUM is dark, yes. But it is also indispensible.

Originally release as a double lp, the "White Album" isn't only colossal in size but also in scope. Only the beatles could release such a work of beauty and turmoil. The artistic counterbalance of Lennon's "Julia" and McCartney's "Helter Skelter" define the sound throughout.

All at once the "White Album" perplexes and sparks debate with musical tenderness, imagery, metaphorical lyrics, dissonant interludes, and primal anger . Remember that not all great art is perfect, and the best art makes the (in this case), listener think and ask questions. The album was made during the bleakest period of their personal and artistic lives, and the disillusion of the group and its individual members can be heard on even the most lighthearted songs.

A classic in any century!

How can I review a product when I NEVER recieved it? I hope that Amazon will check out sellers better. This seller was a rip off and NEVER responded to my emails.

The Fab Four always respected their record-buying public, and adhered to their own standards as the flagship pop group of the era. Their quality control was tight. They never released a live album, for example, because neither the quality of the performance nor the sound would have been up to snuff. The "Let It Be" tapes sat on the shelf for months because the group weren't happy with them. Parlophone, their U.K. label, didn't put out an entire album of material that had already been previously released until "A Collection of Beatles Oldies" came out in 1966, and the title of that record clearly indicated to buyers what they were getting. Nevertheless, "The Beatles," released in late 1968, clearly reveals a slip in quality from the top rung of the ladder. Many listeners give this the usual 5-star Beatle album rating, but I don't. Though high points abound ("Julia," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Blackbird," "Helter Skelter," et. al.), as the only double album the band released, it contains far too much half-baked screwing around in the studio. Paul McCartney's "Rocky Raccoon" (complete with bogus hillbilly accent) is one of his most overrated tunes, and no one can seriously argue that his "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" is anything approaching a decent song. For his part, John Lennon doesn't escape criticism, either; much of the record is taken up by his tape-recording experimentation ("Revolution 9"), which isn't songwriting, and really isn't that interesting, either, forty years later. The White Album reflects the growing fragmentation of the group; by this time, the individual Beatles were writing and recording separately from the others. Thus, the band's days were already numbered by the time this album came out.

Although I tend to prefer The Beatle's earlier work, this album is one of their best in my opinion. Double CD and all the songs are great. Worth every penny! You really can't go wrong with any Beatle album.

Beginning with the release of Rubber Soul in 1965, The Beatles began to be recognized as major, "serious" artists whose best songs stood comparison with great classical music. As their music became more ambitious, they drew progressively away from their rock and roll roots. After their last scheduled concert in August 1966, The Beatles gave up live performance to become exclusively a studio band. Their withdrawal reached its limits in 1967's Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, when they assumed the identities of fictional performers. The pendulum turned the following year. As suggested by its self-title, The Beatles (The White Album) was an effort by The Beatles to return to their original essence. In this quest, they faced great difficulties arising both outside and within the group.

The first obstacle The Beatles confronted was that of history. Between the time of their first stardom in the early 1960s and their making of The White Album in 1968, the world transformed. The album was recorded during a time of political assassinations, Vietnam War casualties, and a sense of impending chaos. At a fundamental level, the meaning of everything had changed. In The Beatles' darker tone and loss of ebullience, one can sense how deeply affected they were as their musical home in rock and roll became a foreign place "back in the U.S.S.R."

In addition, the individual Beatles had by now drawn far apart musically. John Lennon's shattering introspections ("Yer Blues," "Happiness Is a Warm Gun") had little in common with Paul McCartney's bursts of pure melody ("Blackbird," "I Will"). In songs such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," George Harrison emerged on The White Album as Lennon and McCartney's compositional equal, upsetting a balance in which his two band mates had been the dominant songwriters. Ringo Starr, too, moved more to the forefront with the recording of his first song, "Don't Pass Me By." Although The Beatles were still an ensemble, the White Album became very much a collaboration of four solo artists.

Searching for their past, The Beatles broke new ground. The White Album's range is vast, with calypso ("Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"), blues rock ("Yer Blues"), early heavy metal ("Helter-Skelter"), Indian-influenced rhythms ("Dear Prudence"), 1930s dance hall ("Honey Pie") and electronic sound collage ("Revolution 9") just a few of the forms represented. Instrumentation varies from the sparse guitar and bird song accompaniment of "Blackbird" to the luxurious, full orchestration of the concluding lullaby "Good Night." There are contrasting lyrics of distant love ("I Will") and uninhibited sex ("Why Don't We Do It in the Road"); pastoral repose ("Mother Nature's Son") and insomnia ("I'm So Tired"); forfeited time ("Long, Long, Long") and birthday celebration ("Birthday"). There are parodies of The Beach Boys ("Back in the U.S.S. R.") and The Beatles themselves ("Glass Onion"). Each of the album's nearly thirty songs and assorted fragments is unique. Together, they make up a library of styles reaching across all of music.

To truly listen to The White Album is to wonder if, in the midst of its immensity, The Beatles have found their old voices. It is a question vital not only to these four musicians but to our entire era, for what we are asking about The Beatles we must also ask of ourselves. As we drift into a trackless future, is there a way back to our foundations? Somewhere in The White Album is an answer.

The Beatles (aka The White Album) is a fascinating mix of many diverse styles and finds the Beatles stretching out a bit more as far as stylistic daring goes. As a casual Beatle fan, however, I feel there is also a lot of what I do not love about them all that much. There are too many lightweight songs mixed in with the bona-fide genius of others. I am sure die hards love this sort of thing and find the appeal of those songs all the more endearing. I am, however, not in that category and can't help but feel there is one solid single album somewhere in between these grooves. I mean, all double albums give a band the opportunity to branch out and approach styles they would not normally test out for the public. That's not the problem. The problem lies in the filler material, in which there is plenty of.

I cannot blindy call this album a Beatles' classic when in comparison to "Abbey Road", "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul". EVERY song on those mentioned albums was stellar (well, maybe not Yellow Submarine) but you get the point. Unlike popular belief, The Beatles weren't always perfect and The White Album, which for most of it is as good as good music gets, is the real beginning of the cracks that had begun to appear in their relationships with one another. You have Fluff like "Wild Honey Pie", "Bungalow Bill", "Why Don't We Do it in the Road", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle", "Good Night" and the eight minute catastrophe of "Revolution 9" alongside masterpieces such as "Dear Prudence", "Ob La Di", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Blackbird", "Birthday" and "Helter Skelter". Even the version of "Revolution 1" is not as good as the single version.

All that being said, any understanding of the developement of modern pop music must start with The Beatles. The White Album, however, is not the place to start, in my opinion. Yes, it is better than just about anything else that was released during it's time by bands working the same territory, but it is not the best The Beatles have to offer. This is along the lines of "Let it Be", "Magical Mystery Tour" and (oh here come the comments) "Sgt Pepper". All classics, but not the creme de la creme.

Released forty years ago, "The Beatles" aka "The White Album" is notable for many reasons. It's the Fab Four's only double album. It differs greatly from the band's previous two psychedelic albums for a more back-to-basics approach which would continue with their following albums. It's a sprawling and at times schizophrenic record that documents the falling apart of the band as most songs are primarily composed by whomever is singing the lead with the rest of the boys as backup band. Though this is true going back to about "Beatles For Sale", it especially applies to this album as Ringo briefly quit for a while with Paul playing drums on "Back In The U.S.S.R." and a few other songs; Yoko Ono's presence in the studio which irritated everyone with the exception of John; and other personal events that had the band unraveling.
Kicking things off to a rousing start is "Back In The U.S.S.R.", an inspired mixture of Chuck Berry and The Beach Boys. Sung by Paul with wonderful backup singing by John & George, it has a great melody and witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics. John's "Dear Prudence" with a sweet, cascading guitar line the boys became known for follows. This song was inspired by Mia Farrow whom they met during their stay in India for the purpose of studying meditation with Maharashi Mahesh Yogi. Next up is the lyrically self-referential "Glass Onion", another brilliant song by John. For me, the pseudo-reggae of Paul's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is cute but ultimately somewhat forgettable. It's another of the Beatles' children's songs in the tradition of "Yellow Submarine". "Wild Honey Pie" is another track that could easily have been left off the album, sounding totally like filler. John's "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" is mainly notable for its satiric lyrics and Yoko's unique backup singing. Its melody is especially weak when compared to George's stately, lovely "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" which follows. Graced with guitar solos by George's pal Eric Clapton, this song firmly establishes Mr. Harrison as a songwriter on par with Lennon & McCartney. "Guitar" also utilizes that trademark cascading guitar figure that bonds the verses with the choruses. This song is beautifully straight forward, abandoning the psychedelia (which I nonetheless adored) of compositions like "Within You Without You" from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Blue Jay Way" from "Magical Mystery Tour". "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is a song in three parts and the second song from this album in which John mentions guns. Spooky. In light of his tragic assassination in 1980, was this guy psychic? The verses on this one are a bit folk, the bridge is bluesy and the chorus is inspired by doo-wop. Again, the lyrics are delightfully tongue-in-cheek. Paul's "Martha My Dear" is a great little number that was inspired by his dog. John follows this with another bluesy tune, "I'm So Tired". Paul's sublime "Blackbird" was inspired by the American Civil Rights movement. It's just Paul, an acoustic guitar and birdsong and it's absolutely lovely in its simplicity. George's "Piggies" is another satire, this time concerning class differences. The first reference to Bob Dylan on "The Beatles" is "Rocky Raccoon" with Paul emulating the American poet in the lyrics and general form and tone of the song. Ringo makes his writing debut with the country song "Don't Pass Me By". The lyrics are dryly funny but like the songs that immediately precede and follow it (Paul's "Why Don't We Do It In The Road"), the tunes sound a bit tossed off, a bit throwaway. "I Will" is another very pretty song by Paul that is instrumentally minimalist with just acoustic and bass guitar. Disc 1 ends with John's ode to his mother, the delicate acoustic guitar ballad "Julia". It's a very touching song and its simplicity, it mirrors "I Will" perfectly.

Disc 2 opens with the rocking "Birthday" which is followed by John's "Yer Blues", a tortured blues number that references "Ballad Of A Thin Man" with the line 'just like Dylan's Mr. Jones'. Paul's gorgeous "Mother Nature's Son" is next. Largely acoustic, it also features a lovely horn section. John brings back the rock 'n roll with "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey" with its rollicking guitar bits. The piano-driven "Sexy Sadie" was written by John about the boys' fallout with the Maharishi. Lovely background vocals enhance an already terrific song. "Helter Skelter" proves that although best known for his beautiful ballads, Paul could rock like a hell-hound. 'Blisters on my fingers', indeed. Did he invent heavy metal with this song? I believe it predates Black Sabbath's debut album by a couple of years! George's "Long,Long,Long" makes a 360 degree turn from the heavy rock of "Helter Skelter". Anchored by organ, this song is a sublime marvel. The shift in tone, like so many from this album, is what gives "The Beatles" the schizophrenic feel I noted earlier. The version of "Revolution 1" on this album is quite different than the single version. Its focus is more acoustic and again owes a debt to doo-wop. I don't share Paul's love of the music hall/vaudeville genre but if you're curious about it, the second (!) "Honey Pie" is a great example of it. George's tribute to sweets, "Savoy Truffle" follows. It's a nice little rocker with swinging horns. John's haunting, beautiful "Cry Baby Cry" precedes the Beatles' most experimental track, "Revolution 9", which was constructed from various tapes John made. His association with avant-garde artist Ono becomes crystal clear after a listen to this mind-blowing 'song'. Paul & George had enjoyed making tracks out of tapes going back to "Pepper's" at least but had never released them under the Beatles name. It has enormously influenced my own music. If you enjoy "Revolution 9" then check out the works of Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the original practitioners of musique concrete. "The Beatles" fittingly closes with "Good Night", a wonderfully wistful tune perfectly sung by Ringo.
Needless to say and despite its flaws, "The Beatles" is an essential part of this amazing band's catalog. You won't regret owning it.

Disc 2 skips in the begining.......not cool..but it was great to hear this CD since I traded my white album years ago to my brother!

Very few artist have ever produced such a diverse and eclectic album such as this. For all its oddness "The Beatles" (The white album) seems to work as a coherent form. I am sure they were not trying to accomplish this feat when they first set off on this endeavor; it just ended up that way. Musically it's all over the map. Caution was thrown to the wind. It's more a collection of solo recordings and a group effort, but you still get the feeling it's The Beatles. There are some great moments (Back in the USSR, While my guitar gently weeps, Birthday & Dear Prudence) and few low points too (Revolution #9, Goodnight) many have tried to recreate it, but none have come close to capturing the essence of this work. Because it is so eclectic and varied on one level and kind of focused on another that it works. It's not their best album by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly their most interesting. George Martin their long time producer has always maintained he would have preferred they had made a single "good" album instead of a double album, but other than a handful songs, which ones do you cut out?

Hadn't heard this in years, just listened to it all the way through. So many moods and textures and so much weirdness. Lennon is so clearly whacking his brain this way and that; Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one of the most obvious junkie's laments in all pop music, and from the sounds of I'm So Tired he wasn't loving his habit too much. Paul's contributions are sublime at times and schmaltzy at others but that's Paul; still, Blackbird is evergreen, and Savoy Truffle is a good shot at John's ersatz mysticism. You can see the beginning and the middle of the end of the McLennon partnership here. It's every man for himself.
George's tunes have their moments, Weeps is still sweet, Clapton's leads add a new feel, some of his better playing.
Ringo's tunes are, well, Ringo tunes.
All in all, a ton of unique and melodically inventive music, new darkness from John (and Yoko, thanks for that, O Great Artist of song and vision, gag), and with cuts like Rev 9 and Helter Skelter, an album which proved that the Beatles could be as weird and rock as hard as most anyone out there.
Just another masterpiece of creativity, ho hum.
What other group has an album this wide-ranging? Not many...
And it's not even close to being their best record. Astounding.

MY favorite song is Goodnight and it will be the lullaby I will be singing to my grandchildren. That song just touches my soul. Sadly it is only on this album, and unless you have this it goes unheard. There is great music on this album I have to say that this is my favorite and I have a lot of Beatle music.

As my friend says, "Everything the Bible doesn't say, is in the White Album". This album may have some of their worst songs but the rest is perfection. Every time I listen to it I have a new favorite, the songs grow on me or they leave and come back, Hell Helter Skelter is kind growing on me. The album has everything I could ever ask for; however, this is not my favorite Beatles album, that goes to Rubber Soul.
Highlights
Dear Prudence
While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Julia (favorite as of this moment, so touching and beautiful)
Birthday
Long Long Long
Revolution 1

I really enjoy listening to this album and thoroughly enjoy about five tracks. But I must admit to skipping several tracks "Honey Pie" being one of them, which is unbearable for my ears. However I do recommend the CD for eighty percent of the tracks. A great CD to add to your collection if you are a true Beatle's fan.

The music-buying public has always had a certain love affair with the vaunted "double album". Often considered the defining album in a band's career, the double album is rarely that at all. Instead, it is usually a two-sided album for the sake of being long and "epic". The Beatles' White Album suffers from this syndrome, and its a shame.

There are some tremendous songs here, however there is also alot of trash. Cut the fat and give me 13 quality tracks ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. "Abbey Road", and "Sgt. Pepper's" stand out as much stronger albums in my opinion, and I believe it is due to the selectivity of the material, not necessarily the strength of the best songs on each album.

I liken the White Album to Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti" - both heralded, both considered by many to mark the pinnacle of each band's respective career. I see it much differently! Each of these albums is loaded with good tunes, yet equally chock full of material not suitable to be released. Trim the fat. Don't make it long, make it great! The same comparison can be made, albeit to lesser extent, to the Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" (1995) and the Foo Fighters' "In Your Honor" (2005), each of which reeks of the same non-selectivity flaw that pervades the majority of double albums.

This was the one Beatles album I didn't have, and I listen to it frequently, enjoying the sixties sound which has become classic.

One of the reviewers said it best with this line...

"It is, simply, a series of highly personal statements from three songwriters, coalescing around no particular theme other than the right to personal expression."

I couldn't agree more.

This is a classic Beatles album - it gives the listener a very diverse view of their styles and capabilities.

This was the first album I ever owned that didn't have Batman on the cover or barnyard animals singing on it. My parents bought it for me for Christmas, and I've loved the Beatles ever since. It contains some great songs, and George Harrison's contributions are uncharacteristically strong. But it also contains a lot of crummy music by a band who I think probably just had entirely too much time and money on their hands at the time. This could have easily been one record instead of a double-album, and it would have been better for it.

Unbelievable that this album was written and recorded forty years ago. There are songs on it that are so fresh. "Blackbird" remains one of those simplistic works of magic that can happen in a studio. Some songs are pure rebellion and some are all about searching for whatever. This album was created during and right after their trip to the Ashram which ended poorly - this album is such a picture of not just the Beatles history, but a picture of musical and world history.

I saw "Across The Universe" recently, and Evan Rachel Wood's version of "Hold Me Tight" reminded me how good the song was, and indeed the whole "Meet The Beatles" album and '63 period: tight arrangements, invigorated voices, the sound of a band out to prove itself and excite its listeners.
Cut to five years later. As the gradual loosening of their standards due to their drug-intake since Sgt. Pepper continues, one finds a distinct air of the Beatles taking their audience for granted and a "they'll buy anything" attitude in the sprawling tedium of the White Album, which unfortunately works with their repackaged corpses to this day. For every bit of brilliance in numbers like "Back In The U.S.S.R." and "Cry Baby Cry," there's lobotomized dreck like "Dear Prudence," "Rocky Raccoon," and "Bungalow Bill" to wade through, as if they could care less. Call it art, call it farting on the 8-track, the fans'll buy it, because we're the Beatles.
By comparison, listen to the Rolling Stones' "Beggar's Banquet," released in the same period. Sure, it's a third the length of the White Album, and the diversity of style isn't comparable, but each track on "Beggar's" sounds like a band intent on giving their audience value for money, with lyrics and a sound trying to communicate what's happening in the streets NOW. Goods like "Wild Honey Pie," "I'm So Tired," and "Revolution #9" are really kind of repulsive in their self-absorption, and not even four decades of steam-rolling hype should convince you to spend your recession-era dollars on it.

There are many double-albums which beg for that proverbial woulda-made-a-great-single-album: here is one of them (there are two James Browns I could mention...how many you got?): as I recall the Drummer Formerly With Rory Storm And The Hurricanes expressed the same sentiment.
Paul dominates the record, still cutting loose, showing no signs of disinterest; John still bats clean-up, as every single note he sings or plays has musical *and* poetic value ("Julia" especially is quintessential Beatles, a stunningly georgous song, which mysteriously was not picked up by the Folk and middle-of-the-road balladeers of the day); George has *three* lead vocals (what a shame that "Not Guilty" was not used where something like "Revolution 9" was; Ringo has two lead vocals, both excellent by the way; his harmony on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" is beautiful.
(Love to hear Groucho Marx do this one: calling Shirley Maclaine).
There's alot of presumptive George Martin heavy orchestrating - sounds fine on "Good Night" and some others. Talking about near over-production, I discovered, by applying my stereo-mono headphones and switching to mono (somehow losing about 85% of the right channel with piano and drums),
that "Back In The U.S.S.R." sounds even better with surging bass and rhythm and guitars and muted percussion - it becomes Chuck Berry meets the Beach Boys, rather than CB meets the BB with a Little Richrd stand-in. (Try it, you'll like it...).
Forty years ago this set was, if memory serves, premiered in New York City by Murray Kaufman, who played the whole album, to the tri-state area and 13,000 reel to reel tape recorders with an external mike pressed against one speaker and Mothers saying, What are you doing in there, the spaghetti's ready! The Dee-jay Formerly Known As "Murray The 'K' was mystified about the phrase "stupid get". In 2008, I can say, as a lifelong Beatles' fan, that it meant nothing beyond the sound of the words. Like most of their material. "Hidden meanings"? C'mon!
As I wrote, Paul dominates and so does his musical alter-ego Little Richard Penniman. Those high-pitched staccato runs really add something to "Back In THe U.S.S.R", "On-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?", and "Helter Skelter". While the "cute one" was thrilling listeners at home and abroad with these fresh new perennials, Mr. Penniman was tearing up the Aladdin in Vegas, reportedly recording an album to be called "Little Richard Sings At The Aladdin", around the time of the release of this collection. (How did another Richard imitator, Prince, appear to know this later when he recorded "Prince Sings At The Aladdin"? Say man, any acetates you can loan me? - I won't copy 'em).
There's a womderful snippet of sound tagged onto that miserably indulgent "Revolution 9", something presumptively titled "Can You Take Me Back?". This minimalist opus is what it's all about - listen in mono to the whole album - when you get to this one....switch to stereo.

What can I Say? It's the legendary White Album.

It's on my home sound system, it's in my media player library on my laptop, it's in my MP3 player.

Thanks Amazon for PRONTO delivery. 2 snaps up!!

I'd actually intended to buy another Beatles album for me mum, yet, somehow instead ended up with this one which made it just right as they were mostly song's she hadn't even heard yet.

Great addition for ANY beatles fan.

I mean, c'mon, It's the BEATLES people!

Maybe not their best, most cohesive album, but it might be their most influencial. They flirt with many styles of music during their career, but this album showcases nearly every style of music that ever made an impression on them, more so than any of their other releases.

Not many bands ever have had the balls, clout, and talent to pull an album off like this, and back in the day, The Beatles had all three. The Beatles had so much credibility they could put out a double album of very divergent and experimental songs, and still keep their fanbase - people who didn't care for this album just accepted that the lads went exploring.

For some reason, I like the production. Yes, its a mess, but I like that the songs sound as if they were done in one or two takes - on a good system, some of these songs have such a 'you are there' quality, which is a welcomed break to their sometimes overly busy sound. This is also interesting since most of the songs were done track at a time, so few of them were performed with all four members in the studio, playing at the same time. Yet, some songs have such an organic sound to them.

No, I would'nt use this album to showcase The Beatles to someone who wasn't familiar with their albums per'se, but I think everyone who hasn't sit down with this album and given it a few spins, should.

This came to me in very good shape. I have been enjoying it alot. I am proud to own it.

Some people just don't get it. In my opinion, the notorious "White" album was never meant to be a collection of songs (having said that, "Martha My Dear" is as good as any melody they composed). If people prefer a sequence of neat songs then the Beatles already did that with all their albums prior to Rubber Soul and Revolver. This album was different: it reflected the unstable era it was conceived in .
You really had to have lived through that era to understand that 1967/68 was a time of experimentation in record making. The White album was like a journey through the labyrinth of human emotions. As a young teen when I got it for a Christmas present, it scared me a bit. It was a musical orgy of neurotic feelings, mixed up emotions and dark thoughts. Those who say that half the tracks should have been shelved and the album made as a single album are missing the point (even if it was George Martin who said it). The consequence of that would have been just another commercial exercise to make lots of money on a Beatle record.
This album was a social statement; it had to be made. It reflected the times it was made in; a time when the Western world was delicately poised on the brink of both social and artistic anarchy. I believe it should be judged in that context. But if you just like good songs, there are at least 18 or 20 here that travel very nicely thank you.

Wow - I had always heard that you must have the "WHITE ALBUM" by the Beatles and how great it is and diverse and classic. Ummm...let me put it this way...I love Rock and Roll, I love the Beatles..but this is a compilation of experiments gone awfully wrong. I could take a dump better than most of the songs on this album. Granted there are about 4 classics on here that you should just download for .99 Cents but the rest don't waste your hard earned cash. Use it to buy "True" toilet paper as this is expensive and is not as soft as Charmin but both can be used in the same fashion. Buy Sgt. Peppers you will be happier. Happy new year to all.

This may not be the Beatles best album, but it is still worth every penny. I got it for Christmas and I was pretty excited. The best songs have to be:

Back in the USSR
Dear Prudence
OblaDi OblaDa
Wild Honey Pie
Bungalow Bill
While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Martha My Dear
Blackbird
Rocky Racoon
Don't Pass Me By
I Will
Birthday
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Honey Pie
Savory Truffle
Cry Baby Cry

Every Beatles album is worthwhile. They all have their hits. Every Beatle fan needs this album. There is a perfect balance of Paul, John, George and Ringo on this album. (Don't Pass Me By is sung by Ringo, but surprisingly it is really good!) The album might seem expensive, but you have to realize that it is a double album.

I would SO reccommend this to any Beatles fan!
--Kari :)

There are already nearly 1,000 reviews of this fine, double CD Classic Rock work so I'll just make a few comments which will hopefully be informative.

This is arguably the best Classic Rock album of the 20th Century... it's certainly in the top 10 and no rock music enthusiast should be without a copy. The 60s counterculture compositions/renditions manifested herein are representative of the culmination of The Beatles' (psychedelic) "middle period". I know of no rock music which was ever more innovative than that which is found within the songs on this CD. I suppose, at this point, I've owned a half-dozen copies over the years in every format of available media.

My favorite song on the album has always been "Mother Nature's Son" which I finally learned to play correctly on acoustic guitar about 5 years ago. It's really a simple set of lyrics, prose with no particularly deep meaning -- just a fun little song.

It's true that Paul, George, and Ringo tried desperately to keep Yoko Ono's dubious "contribution," the sound collage of "Revolution No. 9," (the credit reads "Lennon/McCartney" which probably irks Paul to no end), off the album but John ultimately prevailed on that one -- it quickly became the most controversial cut on the album and remains so today. From my view, that singular recording, musically speaking, manifests 8+ minutes of worthless trash -- as a curiosity which launched similar ideas on other rock albums, it's difficult to estimate its considerable impact. All other songs on the CD (melodically) are just great, brilliant actually.

This CD set does include a nice insert which contains all song lyrics, individual color bust photos of the Fab Four, and, a few collages of The Beatles, shot mostly in the studio as they developed this album but you'll need a magnifying glass to view the latter.

And finally, enthusiastic Beatles fans should be made aware that significant differences exist between the mono and stereo versions of the original vinyl albums, including differences in vocals, instrumentation, sound effects, etc.

So, there you have my two-cents' worth!

The White Album is an excellent work of art and is perhaps the greatest rock and pop double album of all time.

Some critics claim that the haphazard mix of tunes from Honey Pie to Blackbird to Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey failed to highlight a cohesive, artistic direction. I retort that this classic was crossover before crossover was in the vernacular of pop music. Thus, The Beatles, upon this release, added a new, somewhat bipolar dimension in the psychological realm of music.

Despite the apparentness that the myriad ranges and themes did not come close to mirroring one another, The White Album recordings revealed that The Beatles knew how to amalgamate all the chaos as they had earlier done with Revolver. As they did several times previously, they masterfully assorted an excellent blend of tracks, ranging from acoustic numbers to electric guitar moments to the soulful piano tunes that had been their trademark for so long.

Back then, and even now, any other group or performer that would or did dare to perform Back in the USSR or Helter Skelter would likely sound little more than a mere garage band. Thus, The White Album was and is another testament that The Beatles are arguably the greatest pop and rock group ever.

I never received this item even though they took my money. It took me 3 e-mails with a threat to dispute the charge before anyone even answered me. I still do not have it and it is Christmas morning. How horrible. I will be disputing the charge with my credit card company. I only rated it at all because I couldn't submit the review without a rating, otherwise I wouldv'e given it zero.

I don't think this is the best album ever, nor do I think The Beatles are the best rock band ever, they are up there though. I have to admit though this is a very good album, a classic. There are some really great songs on here, and overall the album is put together very good. Essential.

What more can be said other than this may be the defining double disc rock record of our time. Classic

ESSENTIAL ALBUM! This was actually the first Beatles album I ever got, I got it at its release. I suppose the very plainess of the cover is what attracted me, initially. I'm always in a quandry when faced choosing between this album & Abbey Road as to which is the best. Usually, Abeey Road wins out but it's still a win-win situation; this IS the Beatles, after all! The White Album is the only studio album by the Beatles that was, and is, two discs. This created a twofold (no pun intended) situation; it put a lot of good material on it but it also burdened it with some trash. Really, the only song I wish wasn't here would be "Revolution #9". Does anyone really listen to this so-called song? Highlights are many including: "Back in the U.S.S.R.", "Dear Prudence", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "I'm So Tired", "Blackbird", "Birthday", "Mother Nature's Son", "Revolution" (the original slow version) & "Helter Skelter". Find out for yourself why this is one of the 10 best selling albums of all time. Listener beware though, this album , in reality, is NOT a Beatles album; this is more like four solo efforts with the same backing band, i.e., Paul with the band, John with the band, etc. It still doesn't detract from the final result: This is a darn good album worthy of being in EVERY collection!

No doubt, this is one of the best, if not the best album the 60's ever produced. The later generation of rockers were greatly influenced by this album. I was born in 1968, and even if i didn't hear the album during its initial release, all the songs seem so familiar. I rate this the BEST Beatles album. Revolver, Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper are my 2nd, 3rd and 4th next best. Each members individuality really came out here!

Been waiting a month but still has not arrived so not really impressed at this time.

I lent this 2-disc set to a friend, and she moved to a different state without giving it back... So I bought it again. It's THAT good.

In November of 1968, The Beatles released their self-titled album which was their only double album released when they were together.
The album was nicknamed The White Album because of its stark white cover as an antithesis to the extravagance of Sgt Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour.
The album is a great album and is one of the best albums ever made.
This album has every music genre conceivable.
We start the album with with bass player Paul McCartney's opening rocker "Back in the USSR" which is a classic. We then segue into guitarist John Lennon's atmospheric rocker "Dear Prudence". We follow with another Lennon gold nugget "Glass Onion". Next is Macca's pop number "Oblidi Oblada" which some says is called Life Goes On probably cos of the show from the 1990s. We follow with the first bizarre track "Wild Honey Pie". Next is Lennon's silly but classic "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" which segues into guitarist George Harrison's classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" which features Eric Clapton on lead guitar and the first quarter ended with Lennon's anti-violent rocker "Happiness is a Warm Gun".
The second half kicks off with McCartney's ode to his sheep-dog "Martha My Dear" which is a great number. Next is Lennon's bluesy ode "I'm So Tired" which is a great song. We follow with McCartney's classic acoustic number "Blackbird". We then have a funny song from George Harrison called "Piggies" which is a great song. Next is Paul's silly but classic acoustic number "Rocky Raccoon". Next is drummer Ringo Starr's first penned Beatles song, the country-ish "Don't Pass Me By" which is another classic Ringo number. We follow with Macca's rocker "Why Don't We Do It in the Road". Then another Macca number "I Will" is next. We close the first disc with Lennon's "Julia", a beautiful acoustic song written for his mother who passed away when he was a kid.
The second disc opens with the Lennon/McCartney rocker "Birthday" which is a great song. We follow with a great Lennon rocker "Yer Blues". "Mother Nature's Son" follows and is a nice McCartney acoustic piece. Lennon follows with two more great rockers "Everybody's Got Something to Hide" and "Sexy Sadie". Then Macca rocks out with the superb "Helter Skelter". George ends the third quarter of The White Album with the atmospheric "Long Long Long".
We start the final quarter with Lennon's bluesy re-working of "Hey Jude"'s B-side Revolution called "Revolution #1" and is a good re-recording. The jazzy "Honey Pie" is next and a nice McCartney number. Next is George's rocker "Savoy Truffle" which is an ode to Eric Clapton's sweet tooth. Lennon then goes acoustic with "Cry Baby Cry" which is a great song. Next is the almost nine minute sound collage known as "Revolution #9", many hate this track but I think is a great piece. We let Ringo have the final word on "Good Night" which is a beautiful lullaby.
Surprisingly, this album worked very well and gave the band YET ANOTHER US #1 ALBUM and still holds up today.
To date, The White Album is the group's best selling album ever in the US with some 18 million copies sold according to the RIAA although Abbey Road is the best selling single disc. If you need another Beatles disc aside Abbey Road and Sgt Pepper, scoop up The White Album.

The Beatles "White Album" remains just as fresh, exciting and fascinating today as it did all those years ago when it was originally released on vinyl. These two CDs give us all the tracks from the two LP set and the digital remastering is also very well done.

The first CD starts with the stimulating "Back In The U.S.S.R." As The Beatles sing and play a song about a man's return to the former Soviet Union, the electric guitars work wonders for the musical arrangement. This has always been one of my favorite songs by The Beatles because it is so playful while rocking hard at the same time. "Dear Prudence" features John Lennon singing flawlessly about his woman; and this song has a fine guitar arrangement as well. Moreover, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is another electric number with fantastic singing, guitar, drums and percussion. "Ob-La Di, Ob-La-Da" showcases how well The Beatles could work together no matter what personal conflicts they have had at the time. Great!

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is easily a highlight of this double album; George Harrison finally did prove his stunning genius with this classic love ballad. The song works so well with the guitars, vocalizing, drums and percussion that "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" remains one of George Harrison's greatest hits ever. "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" doesn't require too much imagination to know what John is singing about; and John doesn't miss a beat on this fine ballad, too. I predict that you'll like "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" very much.

"Blackbird" features Paul McCartney singing soulfully of his woman with a gentle guitar accompaniment in the background; and "Birthday" gives us The Beatles performing their own rock and roll version of "Happy Birthday" while throwing in their desire for romance with their women. Listen for some great electric guitar on "Birthday," too. "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey"" has John Lennon singing his best with awesome percussion; and $exy Sadie" is a beautiful number John sings about his woman. "$exy Sadie" allows John to expose some of his innermost feelings, too.

"Honey Pie" has a great piano arrangement; and Paul sings this sweetly as he describes a woman he wants to return to him. "Revolution 9," a rather experimental number, gathers strength from the different keys and sound effects in the arrangement.

The liner notes have great photos and artwork; and we get the song lyrics, too.

The Beatles "White Album" will always remain one of their greatest works. Beatles fans will always enjoy this two CD set; and I highly recommend this CD set for people who enjoy classic rock and pop.

I have never taken music lessons, but this album should be part of the curriculum when crafting young musicians. This is the next step in the musical journey of one of the world's greatest songwriting groups. Although these particular tunes were written more solo than collabrative, they are the things legends are made of. Musical perfection in the rock arena. Put this on your desert island list, Johnnie and pray for a record player and plenty of power. It's just that good! - Ciao

Heres the thing - obviously this is some great psychedelic rock music, but I must say that I found it very hard to listen to this double-album once I became acquainted with the fact that the Charles Manson murderers listened to this for their inspiration and even constructed their killing spree around certain track titles from this album.

I don't know about you - but when a bunch of cold-blooded psychopathic killers can sit around and get 'inspired' by one album and then commit mass murder (if you haven't heard about the infamous Sharon Tate murders committed by the 'Manson Family' in the late 1960s, please check the Net for data), then I'm sorry, I can't listen to the record with a straight face.

I know its all associative, but still, the beauty of this record diminished the day I learnt it inspired the murder of an eight-month pregnant woman. I just cant listen to this album again - it won't be the same.