On the turntable today we have the lovable fab four with their groovy 1968 double LP offering The Beatles, better known as The White Album. This double LP was a revolution when it first came out but as soon as you hear it dontcha know it’s gonna be alright.
How a band of mop tops could go from Please Please Me to this in just five years is nothing short of astonishing musical progress. The mix of songs on this album is simply amazing. We have Ob La Di, Ob La Da sitting alongside other tracks such as Revolution 1, Revolution 9, Julia, Helter Skelter, Good Night, Birthday and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. A more diverse collection of songs on the same album you would be very hard pressed to find.
It's the diversity of this bunch of songs that is its attraction. You will find stuff you love (Blackbird) and other stuff that's perhaps a tougher listen (Revolution 9). It's a must have album though, especially the 6 CD deluxe set with the Esher sessions. On this edition you can hear the germination of songs that would reappear later on Beatle solo albums. Lennon's Child of Nature would eventually evolve into Jealous Guy on Imagine and McCartney's Junk would return for his first solo outing.
Not as commercial as earlier Beatle albums but still an essential part of any Beatles music collection as it highlights the bands progression from Love Me Do in '63. The Beatles White Album is a part of the bands closing chapter and was to point the way forward for their musical future as it entered the 70's after the group split. Although on the pricey side the 6 CD box set with a Blue-ray disc and lavish hardbound book does represent good value purely for the high quality packaging and enclosed comprehensive collection of rare rehearsal tracks and the Esher demos. You can view the product on Amazon here.
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