The Beatles (The White Album) (1968)

 


At one time I would have counted  The White Album as my favorite album of all time. I spent hours and hours in doobie-struck paralysis  listening to this magnificent puzzle of an album, trying to figure our what it all meant, and if it meant nothing, well, what did nothing mean, dude? 

Nowadays I have to say that there are an amazing amount of crap half-written songs and unsuccessful experiments on this album, yet somehow the way they sequenced it makes it all sound beautiful and right, as if there is a purpose in all this chaos. I can see now how The Beatles basically took something from everything that was going on around them all year in 1968 and tried to see if they can do it themselves: reggae, blues rock, Donovan-esque folk-pop, the dying vestiges of psychedelic rock. They wisely kept away from Band/style roots rock, but fuck if if they wouldn't be trying to do that by 1969. 

I don't know. It still might be in my Top 10 Albums of all time: it's certainly one of the weirdest uber-popular  albums I own. It's really a very very dark album, well, the original George Martin mix is anyway: Giles Martin's 2017 remix makes them sound like Toad The Wet Sprocket. 


5/5

I've owned this several times: on cassette, the 1987 CD remaster (at least twice) the 2009 stereo and mono mixes (still have both) and an iTunes version of the 5 CD Super Deluxe from 2017. (remix: meh, Studio tracks: could have been cut to two discs.) I don't really have a preference: re: the 1987 and 2009 mixes. When I listen I tend to listen to the mono mix mainly because it's a still a novelty after decades of listening strictly to the stereo mix.

Coming Up:

All This Useless Beauty - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Alpha Mike Foxtrot -- Wilco

The American Dream

American Idiot - Green Day

Amnesiac Radiohead

Another Life - Another Life

Arrival - ABBA

B

The B-52s

Bachelor No. 2 (Or, The Last Remains of the Dodo) - Aimee Mann

The Ballad of Easy Rider - The Byrds

Bambu - Dennis Wilson

Band on the Run

Bangles EP

The Basement Tapes - Bob Dylan & The Band

BARB

The BBC Sessions -- Belle & Sebastian

The Beatles [The White Album] 

Beatles For Sale 

Beauty and Sadness -- TheSmithereens

Beauty and the Beat -- The Go-Go's

Become What YOu Are - The Juliana Hatfield 3

Before & After - Tim Finn

Beggar's Banquet. The Rolling Stones

Begin Here - The Zombies

Being There - Wilco

The Bends -- Radiohead

Berlin - Lou Reed

The Best of Badfinger

The Best of Dark Horse - 1976-1989 - George Harrison

The Best of Sam Cooke

Best Shots - Pat Benatar

Betchadupa

Between The Buttons - Rolling Stones

Big Canoe - Tim Finn

the Big Express - XTC

Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi - Camera Obscura

Billy Idol

A Bit of Previous - Belle & Sebastian

The Black Album - Prince

Black Gold - Nina Simone

Black List - Alex Chilton

Black Market Clash - The Clash 

Black Sea - XTC

Black Snake Diamond Role -- Robyn Hitchcock

Black Spring - Lush

Black-Eyed Man - Cowboy Junkies

Blind Man's Zoo - 10000 Maniacs 

Blonde on Blonde - Bob Dylan

Blondie

Blood And Chocolate - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan

Blue Kentucky Girl -- Emmylou Harris

Boats Against the Current -- Eric Carmen

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan In Concert: Brandeis University 1963

Book - They Might Be Giants

Bookends -- Simon and Garfunkel

Booker T & The M.G.'s

The Bootleg Series 1-3 Bob Dylan

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

Born toDie - Lana Del Rey

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Bossanova - The Pixies

The Both

Boy - U2

The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle & Sebastian

Boys Don't Cry - TheCure

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan

Brutal Youth - Elvis Costello

Bryter Layter - Nick Drake

Buena Vista Social Club

Buffalo Springfield

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buoys - Panda Bear

Byrdmaniax - The Byrds

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