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The Beatles Beatles [White Album] Release Date: 1968 11 22 Running Time: 93:43 Label: Apple Each song on the sprawling double album The Beatles is an entity to itself, as the band touches on anything and everything it can. This makes for a frustratingly scattershot record or a singularly gripping musical experience, depending on your view, but what makes the so-called White Album interesting is its mess. Never before had a rock record been so self-reflective, or so ironic; the Beach Boys send-up "Back in the U.S.S.R." and the British blooze parody "Yer Blues" are delivered straight-faced, so it's never clear if these are affectionate tributes or wicked satires. Lennon turns in two of his best ballads with "Dear Prudence" and "Julia"; scours the Abbey Road vaults for the musique concrète collage "Revolution 9"; pours on the schmaltz for Ringo's closing number, "Good Night"; celebrates the Beatles cult with "Glass Onion"; and, with "Cry Baby Cry," rivals Syd Barrett. McCartney doesn't reach quite as far, yet his songs are stunning -- the music hall romp "Honey Pie," the mock country of "Rocky Raccoon," the ska-inflected "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and the proto-metal roar of "Helter Skelter." Clearly, the Beatles' two main songwriting forces were no longer on the same page, but neither were George and Ringo. Harrison still had just two songs per LP, but it's clear from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the canned soul of "Savoy Truffle," the haunting "Long, Long, Long," and even the silly "Piggies" that he had developed into a songwriter who deserved wider exposure. And Ringo turns in a delight with his first original, the lumbering country-carnival stomp "Don't Pass Me By." None of it sounds like it was meant to share album space together, but somehow The Beatles creates its own style and sound through its mess. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Back in the U.S.S.R. Lennon, McCartney 2:43 2 Dear Prudence Lennon, McCartney 3:56 3 Glass Onion Lennon, McCartney 2:17 4 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Lennon, McCartney 3:08 5 Wild Honey Pie Lennon, McCartney :52 6 Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill Lennon, McCartney 3:14 7 While My Guitar Gently Weeps Harrison 4:45 8 Happiness Is a Warm Gun Lennon, McCartney 2:43 9 Martha My Dear Lennon, McCartney 2:28 10 I'm So Tired Lennon, McCartney 2:03 11 Blackbird Lennon, McCartney 2:18 12 Piggies Harrison 2:04 13 Rocky Raccoon Lennon, McCartney 3:32 14 Don't Pass Me By Starr 3:50 15 Why Don't We Do It in the Road? Lennon, McCartney 1:41 16 I Will Lennon, McCartney 1:46 17 Julia Lennon, McCartney 2:54 18 Birthday Lennon, McCartney 2:42 19 Yer Blues Lennon, McCartney 4:01 20 Mother Nature's Son Lennon, McCartney 2:48 21 Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey Lennon, McCartney 2:24 22 Sexy Sadie Lennon, McCartney 3:15 23 Helter Skelter Lennon, McCartney 4:29 24 Long, Long, Long Harrison 3:04 25 Revolution 1 Lennon, McCartney 4:15 26 Honey Pie Lennon, McCartney 2:41 27 Savoy Truffle Harrison 2:54 28 Cry Baby Cry Lennon, McCartney 3:01 29 Revolution 9 Lennon, McCartney 8:22 30 Good Night Lennon, McCartney 3:11 Releases: Year Type Label Apple 1968 Parlophone 1987 CD Capitol 1990 CD Capitol 1998 CD Capitol 1987 CD EMI 2008 CD EMI Europe Generic 1987 CD Parlophone 1998 CD Toshiba EMI 1987 CS Capitol 1991 CS Capitol 1978 LP Capitol 1978 LP Capitol 1986 LP Capitol 1987 LP Capitol 1991 LP Capitol 2008 LP EMD Int'l 1988 LP EMI/Parlophone 1982 LP Mobile Fidelity 1989 LP Parlophone 2004 LP Toshiba EMI PD Audio Fidelity

Group Members: Stuart Sutcliffe Pete Best George Harrison Paul McCartney John Lennon More >> Similar Artists: Peter & Gordon The Monkees The Searchers The Hollies Gerry & the Pacemakers More >>

Influenced By: Fats Domino Roy Orbison Little Richard The Isley Brothers Buddy Holly More >> Followers: Nic Armstrong The Redwalls The Lovethugs The Singles The High Dials More >>

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