I've been listening to the single version of Revolution for god knows how long and I've only just noticed the f*** up that means Lennon sings 'evojution' instead of 'evolution'! Bad edit by the sounds of it rather than a verbal fub...
Good point. It's tempting to 'hear' songs as contemporary to a Beatles song when they actually came after it. Hearing Tomorrow Never Knows for the first time is a stunning experience for most listeners. However, the uniqueness of it has decreased over the decades due to all the psychedelic-influenced music that followed it. Mark Lewisohn has noted that in researching for Book I, he asked an assistant to construct a playlist of songs in the UK charts during the advent of Love Me Do so he could hear it in its historic context. Something similar could be said for I Want to Hold Your Hand's impact in the face of what was actually being played in the US market at the time of its release. And for us, the White Album must also always be somewhat 'colored' by our awareness of what the Beatles were going through at the time of its recording.
Actually, it is a vocal flub. Vocal track isolation reveals that when John was doubling his voice he sang "institution" instead. Ondra
Flippin` Hades Phil old bean, if your comments on this thread have been `Celebrating The Beatles` I dread to see what you state when you dis anything. I quite enjoy your posts, they make me laugh and laughing is good. From Me To You, I realise you do love The Beatles and that`s good.
Certainly as a product of its time, in its time - that should be taken into consideration when being listened to - if the listener is cognizant of such effects. Some people have no concept of historical markers, timelines, events, climes, scopes, or general geography, in or outside of music - so in that sense, its relative to how sensitive one is to history. We know, and of course this '50th Anniversary' hoopla will help to re-place this album in its 1968 context when the marketing roll-out shows up. Others will claim that the work stands as simply 'from the 20th century, being listened to whenever' as a way to level the playing field for all 'art' to be taken for the 'art' itself. And yet others will claim they don't adhere to any calendar that places the work in any context whatsoever; the work is just floating in space, made by random hominids who thought they were insects. I've found that most people have no idea about history, minute year-to-year, decade-to-decade, or in the epochal sense, let alone music history. I've asked people - 'smart people' - what year they think Sgt. Pepper came out. Some have said 1970. Try it with the 'smart' people you know; you'll be surprised. And it's not because people are dumb (necessarily), it's because they don't have Beatles milestones in their brain or the awareness to care about such dates. Some music lovers just place music they like within the decade or maybe a five-year range of when it probably happened; they don't know what year it was made or came out, unless they were in jr. high at the time or something, nor do they particular care. It's irrelevant to them liking something.
No quotes but since it seems to have come up: We all have our own inner proper context. What I notice about all the elders who 'were there' is that they've missed a lot of good stuff because they never got past the 1970's so they continue to listen to the same thing over and over and over and over and over. I guess it's important for the elders to feel like they were someplace more important than the people who came after them. As I get older I feel more entitled too because I have 'context' of the times before the new times. But really I have no idea what the hell is going on in their lives and what music means to them or how it makes them feel.
Thank you richie. The day the Beatles White Album was released I was only five years old but a huge Beatles fan since my aunt gave me her entire vinyl collection when I was three along with a turntable and all I did day and night was listen to Beatles records. I waited all day for my father to get home from work in Manhattan to take me to Modells on Long Island which back then wasn’t a sporting goods store but a record store. Counting the minutes, couldn't wait for him to get home, his train was delayed. We got to the store around 8:45 just before it was going to close, and my father held my hand as we scurried to the record department where I could hear the new album playing. My dad walked up to the counter and asked the young girl there for a copy of the White Album. The girl tells my dad that they sold out earlier in the day and weren’t expecting another shipment until the following week. She sees my little five-year-old eyes start to water up and my mouth start to quiver and before my dad has to say a word she goes over to the turntable, picks up the needle, and puts Disc One into its jacket. She reaches up to the column behind the register and pulls out four thumbtacks, folds the poster gently, and sticks it and the record inside a bag. Tells my dad “no charge”, pats me on the head, and off I go, the first LP I ever ‘bought’ and the happiest little boy in New York. I still have the LP and the poster still has its thumbtack holes. Dad’s gone and I never got to thank that girl but it’s a memory I remember every time the needle drops and Back In The USSR starts fading in.
I completely agree. I'm 51 -- old enough to be "around" in 1968 but not old enough to understand any of the White Album's real time impacts. For me, real time experience was "that close" but still "that far". I have been painfully aware for about 40 years that my experience of this album was not the same as my older siblings (who were both around AND aware in 1968). For the record, I vaguely remember my older brother playing this record in 1969-1970, then he moved off to college (and took his LPs with him, never to be seen again by me). I didn't get a proper hearing of the album until I bought my own copy in 1979-1980.
Beautiful story, thanks for sharing! My first memories of the White Album are attached to my father as well. He'd learned how to play Martha My Dear on piano when he was a teenager and regularly played it while I was a kid. I had no idea it was a Beatles tune then; I just thought it was some old standard! So, when that song came on during my first run through of the album: Now I know how to play it on piano, and it's probably my favorite thing to play!
Thanks for the reply, seems a pretty glaring mistake to leave on what was going to be a single, and a choice of single that John really wanted...
So was Paul. Just kidding of course! The setup was too good, I had to. I had to. I love Paul's playing!
I remember my mom buying my brother and I The WA when I was maybe 7 or 8. We all listened to it together. Mom wanted to hear what cost her $10 at the time (a lot for a record). I remember she chuckled at Dear Prudence (she thought the premise was humorous). I didn’t understand the lyrics for years but this memory remains for some reason.
The Giles mixes of Revolution are fine. But nothing captures the grit of the mono mix. I think some of it comes from just having everything center. As soon as you spread something, the individual instruments become defined and more “hi-fi” sounding.
Now you know why some still like to have a "physical" product, and not just a stream. My dad and "crying" did not go together btw. Ever. Bern
I have to 'fess up at this point. I don't really like The White Album all that much, or Let It Be. I'm looking forward to this anniversary release, of course, but after 35 years of really trying......I just don't dig this Fabs era as much as the others. Sorry
