The White Album and Revolver were the Beatles finest.
My favorite Beatles album: Rubber Soul (U.S.version).
I’m back in the US, back in the US, back in the USSR!
I own everything they produced, barring any outliers. I even have a one sided Mobile Fidelity labs test disc for Sgt Pepper.
I think there is good stuff on all of their albums. My personal favorite is Rubber Soul, for a variety of reasons, not least of which where I was in my life at the time.
There is an interesting history behind TaxMan.
I’ve never been able to get into Rocky Racoon though.
You could hear the “beginning of the end of the Beatles” on this album, you can clearly sense they wanted to go their separate ways.
It’s almost sad to listen to because you could tell they were trapped in the studio being forced to create. Very unhealthy. No wonder they got on each others’ nerves. But, there were some great tunes.
BTW FReepers, RUBBER SOUL was OK. But REVOLVER was the greatest record ever recorded by anyone.
IIRC While My Guitar Gently Weeps sent shockwaves through the music scene. Up until them most thought the Beatles didn’t need anybody so when Clapton was invited in for a solo it not only was considered a major oddity it became the linchpin for rumors of an impending breakup of the band.
miss John. miss George. wonder what they’d be working on now. ah well, that’s the problem with getting old.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Lennon–McCartney, except where noted.
Side one
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. “Back in the U.S.S.R.” McCartney 2:43
2. “Dear Prudence” Lennon 3:56
3. “Glass Onion” Lennon 2:17
4. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” McCartney 3:08
5. “Wild Honey Pie” McCartney 0:52
6. “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” Lennon 3:14
7. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (George Harrison) Harrison 4:45
8. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” Lennon 2:43
Side two
No. Title Lead vocals Length
9. “Martha My Dear” McCartney 2:28
10. “I’m So Tired” Lennon 2:03
11. “Blackbird” McCartney 2:18
12. “Piggies” (Harrison) Harrison 2:04
13. “Rocky Raccoon” McCartney 3:33
14. “Don’t Pass Me By” (Richard Starkey) Starr 3:51
15. “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” McCartney 1:41
16. “I Will” McCartney 1:46
17. “Julia” Lennon 2:54
Side three
No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. “Birthday” McCartney and Lennon 2:42
2. “Yer Blues” Lennon 4:01
3. “Mother Nature’s Son” McCartney 2:48
4. “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” Lennon 2:24
5. “Sexy Sadie” Lennon 3:15
6. “Helter Skelter” McCartney 4:29
7. “Long, Long, Long” (Harrison) Harrison 3:04
Side four
No. Title Lead vocals Length
8. “Revolution 1” Lennon 4:15
9. “Honey Pie” McCartney 2:41
10. “Savoy Truffle” (Harrison) Harrison 2:54
11. “Cry Baby Cry” Lennon, with McCartney 3:02
12. “Revolution 9” Speaking from Lennon, Harrison, George Martin and Yoko Ono 8:22
13. “Good Night” Starr 3:13
The White Album has a few good songs but is mostly trivial filler. I have four Beatles music books and love to play them. But I don’t play much from TWA. Poor melodies for most of them. Other albums like Revolver and Rubber Soul are far superior.
#9 makes perfect sense if one is tripping on shrooms.
Thanks for posting.
Great summary of the album. enjoyed it. Of course Sgt Pepper is a very special album. After that my favorite has always been Abbey Road. In particular I enjoy the three guitar solos on the 2nd side which was the last thing they recorded for that album. But I love the White Album and Revolver as well ...
One of my all time favorite songs on the White Album is “Dear Prudence”. I love the layering of vocals and instruments - I especially love the drum work on the last minute or so of the piece - I read somewhere that Paul played the drums on this song - don’t know if that’s true or not.
Feel the hate on that album....whew
Lennons contribution is like a prequel to Plastic Ono Band
I grew up with the Beatles from the time my mom brought home one of their 45’s in the early 1960’s. I bought every album, knew every note and lyric—each one a real work of musical art, in my opinion. No wonder they were my favorite band, such talent.
“Dear Prudence”.
I was cleaning a .50 cal machine gun when I heard that for the first time on AFVN. Overlooking the rice paddy that stretched from Hill 29 to the Redball twixt Danang and Chu Lai, deciding right then that I would remember that scene for the rest of my life.
“...The sun is up. The sky is blue....”
Seems like it was just there.
Abbey Road, side 2. Excellence!