If The White album was a single disc Then ?

The buzz of all the 'new' Beatles material from the Anthology has worn off. 2 new songs, 15-20 previously unreleased songs, alternate versions of well known songs, demo's etc. It's been 20 years + . It's only natural fans talk about remixing, or reconfiguring existing Beatles albums, there's nothing else available.

The main thing we have 35-40 White album songs available to mess with.

By the way, yesterday I read Ringo did a song with Cilla Black called I think- Don't you like me just a little bit, or something like that.. recorded in early 68 & broadcast on tv. Probably produced by Geo Martin... anybody heard this ? I can't find it anywhere, anybody know what it sounds like ? Or where to find it ?

 

it may have been recorded at her show at the bbc which i think he was the first guest star. This will be a bbc recording probably live in front of the studio audience direct to tape. I do not think the episode survives but an audio recording might u never know.

 

Class A drugs ruined the Beatles . End of.

 

Exactly. Why does this question get asked here every three months?

 

A more precise question would be, "If you were to give The White Album the same format as Revolver, which five Lennon songs, five McCartney songs, three Harrison songs and one Ringo tune would you select from it?" I think I would definitely go for "Goodnight" over "Don't Pass Me By" but the rest is certainly up for grabs, depending on exactly what it is that one listens to music for.

 

sorry no Julia ? No I Will ,other than that I have no problems

 

Here's my list of tracks that would make an album closely resembling Revolver in content as well:

John: Revolution, Julia, Hey Bulldog, Dear Prudence, Cry Baby Cry
Paul: Back In The U.S.S.R., Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Lady Madonna, Blackbird, Hey Jude
George: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Savory Truffle, The Inner Light
Ringo: Good Night
Maybe:
SIDE ONE
Back In The U.S.S.R
Dear Prudence
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Blackbird
Julia
Hey Jude
SIDE TWO
The Inner Light
Revolution
Lady Madonna
Hey Bulldog
Savory Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Good Night

 

Or ..."then you become naked"

 

I agree with this. A sprawling, moody, fragmented double it no way eliminates it from being a masterpiece (in its own right). In fact, the sheer variety and weaving turns of melody and emotion are what makes you come back to this album more than any other. That's surely the case with me anyways.

I think Pepper and the White Album endure as the Beatles two crowning achievements. And largely because of completely opposite reasons! It's the stark contrast of these two albums that make them the best in my eyes.

"Aura", for lack of a better term, plays a big part in a masterpiece as well. And the White Album has more of that than any other album ever recorded, in my opinion. It has a vibe or magnetism that is impossible to explain but you know it when you play it. And then you play it again to see if it makes any sense. You can't figure it out so you play it again. And again. And again. Well, you can see the pattern here...

Many albums can battle for the title of "masterpiece". Very few albums can battle for the title of masterpiece AND have a lore. The White Album is distinct because it checks the boxes on both.

 

As an occasional alternative, I decided to put together a single CD of the album implementing my favorite mixes. Here's what I came up with (just shy of 80 minutes long):

1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." (stereo)
2. "Dear Prudence" (mono)
3. "Glass Onion" (mono)
4. "Wild Honey Pie" (stereo)
5. "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" (stereo)
6. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (mono)
7. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (mono)
8. "Martha My Dear" (stereo)
9. "I'm So Tired" (mono)
10. "Blackbird" (mono)
11. "Piggies" (stereo)
12. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" (stereo)
13. "I Will" (mono)
14. "Julia" (mono)
15. "Birthday" (stereo)
16. "Mother Nature's Son" (mono)
17. "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" (mono)
18. "Sexy Sadie" (stereo)
19. "Helter Skelter" (stereo)
20. "Long, Long, Long" (mono)
21. "Revolution 1" (stereo)
22. "Honey Pie" (mono)
23. "Not Guilty" (from Anthology 3)
24. "Cry Baby Cry" (mono)
25. "Revolution 9" (stereo)
26. "Good Night" (mono)

 

It would be counter-productive to reduce it to a single disc. I say it would be better off (not like it really needs to be better off..) by replacing weaker tracks with more solid outtakes and non-album singles, which there are a-plenty to choose from.

 

Like the mix and match.

 

George Martin must have made a list of titles for a single album( I'm sure Giles is aware of it).

 

1. If it were a single they probably would have picked the songs I don't like and omitted a lot of the ones I do like. They would probably released another album in June. The original came out in time to be a popular Christmas present, the second would probably come whe school was out. You get a lot of blockbuster albums in the summer.

2. I never understood the stand alone single. It sells more copies in the beginning, but if you're buying the album a few years later, it was too late to buy the single, and the album usually isn't as good. I.e. The U.K. vs US Are You Experienced. Still, it's a business decision, so I'm sure that they would ha e remained singles to be collected later like on the Hey Jude album.

3. I don't think they cared about Yellow Submarine all that much, they were thinking of bigger things. It probably would be the same as it actually is.

4. Probably very little-- I think with a double, they were trying to make a grand statement. There was plenty of stand alone singles and b sides to make a second release if they needed to for contract obligations.

5. As an executive, it all worked out for the best. All of the albums made plenty of money.

6. I'm not sure, but Rev #9 would definitely make the cut, Obla Di, Piggies, Don't Pass Me By, both Honey Pies and Rocky Raccoon wouldn't. However, I feel everything turned out for the best the way it actually happened. The one thing that I would change is that they would hav had two better songs than Maxwell and Octopus for Abbey Road and then it really would be one of the greatest of all time.

 

If you're going to do something like this you may as well kitchen sink it and make it the best possible listening experience:

Side one
1. Dear Prudence
2. Lady Madonna
3. Not Guilty
4. Back in the U.S.S.R.
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Side two
1. Blackbird
2. I'm So Tired
3. Piggies
4. Rocky Raccoon
5. A Beginning
6. Don't Pass Me By
7. Sour Milk Sea
8. Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
9. I Will
10. Julia

Side three
1. Sexy Sadie
2. Mother Nature's Son
3. Savoy Truffle
4. Yer Blues
5. Helter Skelter
6. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey
7. Hey Jude

Side four
1. Junk
2. Child of Nature
3. Long, Long, Long
4. What's The New Mary Jane
5. The Inner Light
6. Cry Baby Cry
7. Revolution (take 20)
8. Good Night

I'm sure the running times for the sides are all over the place.

 

No flaws on "Ladyland"?
I think you need to go back and listen to "Little Miss Strange". It totally devalues the album.

 

... I would have 5 less CDs in my Beatles collection.

 

It is the weakest track on the album but as I pointed out on the other thread where we discussed this, it was Jimi's concession to Noel's ambitions and it was very galant of him. The song's pop quality and Noels lighter voice do sound a little out of character with the overall thrust of the album - mind you, it is in similar aural texture to Jimi's "(Have You Ever Been To) Electric Ladyland". Also, Noel's track makes a nice atmosphere change as it kicks off Side B and it is brilliantly executed, even if one doesn't like Noel's voice. So, no, "Little Miss Strange" is not a flaw at all and Electric Ladyland remains the greatest rock album of all time.

 

Sorry...I did not initially realize it was you I had discussed this with on the other thread. I don't think I can agree with "the greatest rock album of all time" assessment. I may even like "Are You Experienced" better. I don't know...I also have always had issue with the fidelity of some of the tracks on "Ladyland", like "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", which is so distractingly muddled. I'm not sure there is a flawless double for me. Maybe "Songs in the Key of Life".

 

Yeah, good one. Manassas also.

 

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

 

Hard to believe nobody's ever broached this subject before.

Well done, sir!!

 

Actually, it's only four "No's". It goes "No, no, no, NOOOO! Say you don't need no diamond rings, and I'll be satisfied".

 

I'll give "Ladyland"a spin this afternoon. It's weird, but I had never heard of "Manassas". Not sure how that one missed my radar, but I'll have to check it out.