Rank the White Album

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My least favourite Beatles album, but still an interesting subject for this kind of thread because it is so extremely stylistically varied and people disagree so much about which track are the good ones. Anyway, here is my take:

1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
3. Honey Pie
4. Blackbird
5. Piggies
6. I Will
7. I'm So Tired
8. Long, Long, Long
9. Julia
10.Martha My Dear
11.Dear Prudence
12.Happiness Is a Warm Gun
13.Mother Nature's Son
14.Sexy Sadie
15.Glass Onion
16.Rocky Racoon
17.Cry Baby Cry
18.Back In The USSR
19.Revolution 1
20.Birthday
21.Good Night
22.Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
23.Don't Pass Me By
24.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25.Why Don't We Do It In The Road
26.Savoy Truffle
27.Yer Blues
28.Helter Skelter
29.Revolution 9

The tracks from 25 onwards are absolutely godawful and unlistenable, and the main reasons why this is my least favourite Beatles album.

"Wild Honey Pie" is left off because I consider it an interlude rather than a stand-alone track, and as such, it is impossible to rank.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 13:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

Good Night, Geir.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 14 October 2004 13:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

You really are absolutely hatstand, aren't you?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 14 October 2004 13:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

i bet there will be little consensus here.

1. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
2. Sexy Sadie
3. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
4. Cry Baby Cry
5. Helter Skelter
6. Yer Blues
7. Glass Onion
8. Back In The USSR
9. Birthday
10.Dear Prudence
11.Savoy Truffle
12.Long, Long, Long
13.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
14.I'm So Tired
15.Rocky Raccoon
16.While My Guitar Gently Weeps
17.Blackbird
18.Julia
19.Revolution 1
20.Good Night
21.Martha My Dear
22.The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
23.Piggies
24.Why Don't We Do It In The Road
25.Mother Nature's Son
26.Honey Pie
27.Wild Honey Pie
28.I Will
29.Revolution 9
30.Don't Pass Me By

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:08 (8 years ago) Permalink

"You really are absolutely hatstand, aren't you?"

He's positively eggwhisk.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

Take whatever Geir said and reverse it

― Dataismus (Dada), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

My (hastily drawn up) list matches Peter's at the top and the bottom, though there are many differences in between.

1. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
2. Sexy Sadie
3. Dear Prudence
4. Helter Skelter
5. Back In The USSR
6. Julia
7. Mother Nature's Son
8. Cry Baby Cry
9. I'm So Tired
10.Revolution 1
11.Blackbird
12.Yer Blues
13.Savoy Truffle
14.Glass Onion
15.Martha My Dear
16.Piggies
17.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
18.Birthday
19.Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
20.The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
21.Rocky Raccoon
22.Revolution 9
23.Good Night
24.While My Guitar Gently Weeps
25.Long, Long, Long
26.Honey Pie
27.Wild Honey Pie
28.I Will
29.Why Don't We Do It In The Road
30.Don't Pass Me By

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

from the bottom to the top
from the top to the bottom
mmmmmmmm
we got 'em.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2. I'm So Tired
3. Dear Prudence
4. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
5. Martha My Dear
6. Back In The USSR
7. Sexy Sadie
8. Julia
9. Long, Long, Long
10. Cry Baby Cry
11. Helter Skelter
12. Glass Onion
13. Blackbird
14. Good Night
15. Revolution 1
16. Yer Blues
17. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
18. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
19. Revolution 9
20. Savoy Truffle
21. Birthday
22. Piggies
23. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
24. Wild Honey Pie
25. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
26. Mother Nature's Son
27. Don't Pass Me By
28. I Will
29. Rocky Raccoon
30. Honey Pie

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

can we rank ON the white alb instead?

― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

This requires too much work. But in order of my own enjoyment...

1. "Helter Skelter"
2. "Happiness is a Warm Gun"
3. "Glass Onion"
4. "Savoy Truffle"
5. "Everybody's Got Something to Hide `cept for me and my monkey"
6. "Why Don't We Do it In the Road"
7. "Revolution #9" (for the creep-out factor)
8. "Happy Birthday"....

...and then everything else.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

"good night" always used to creep me out when i was young.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

Actually, as insufferably twee as they are, I do enjoy "I Will" and "Martha My Dear".

"Goodnight" and "Long, Long, Long" should've been stricken from the final mix. Come to think of it, there's an awful lot of filler on this album.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

The coda of "Long, Long, Long" (inexplicably rattling and disembodied wail) used to turn my shit white it scared me so much.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

theres a ton of somewhat creepy soundbyte-y stuff on this album, but nothing is even CLOSE to as scary as the end of "DMSR" by prince.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm sorry, but there's nothing scary about Prince.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

..`cept for maybe those assless pants.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Sexy Sadie
2. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
3. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
4. Cry Baby Cry
5. Dear Prudence
6. Yer Blues
7. Helter Skelter
8. I'm So Tired
9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
10. Julia
11. Savoy Truffle
12. Martha My Dear
13. Blackbird
14. Glass Onion
15. Back In The USSR
16. Birthday
17. I Will
18. Revolution 1
19. Revolution 9
20. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
21. Mother Nature's Son
22. Piggies
23. Good Night
24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25. Rocky Raccoon
26. Long Long Long
27. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
28. Wild Honey Pie
29. Honey Pie
30. Don't Pass Me By

― briania (briania), Thursday, 14 October 2004 14:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Dear Prudence
2. Julia
3. Cry Baby Cry
4. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
5. I'm So Tired
6. Helter Skelter
7. Sexy Sadie
8. Glass Onion
9. Blackbird
10. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
12. Birthday
13. Martha My Dear
14. Yer Blues
15. Revolution 1
16. Mother Nature's Son
17. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
18. Long, Long, Long
19. Good Night
20. Rocky Raccoon
21. Piggies
22. Savoy Truffle
23. Honey Pie
24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25. Back In The USSR
26. Wild Honey Pie
27. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
28. I Will
29. Revolution 9
30. Don't Pass Me By

― yossarian, Thursday, 14 October 2004 15:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

1.) "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"
2.) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
3.) "Sexy Sadie"
4.) "Can You Take Me Back"
5.) "Not Guilty"

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 14 October 2004 15:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

i dont understand, pleasant plains.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 15:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Sexy Sadie
2. Back in USSR
3. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
4. Cry Baby Cry
5. Dear Prudence
6. Blackbird
7. Long Long Long

that's about it, the rest, blehh. Would've made a nice EP, that album. It does have a creepy air about it I like but I mean, what I am I, crazy? I haven't listened to the goddam thing in ten-fifteen years and have no intention of doing so.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

Take whatever Geir said and reverse it

"His inside is out/And his outside is in,
His outside is in/When his inside is out,
So come on/Come on"

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

Peter, I've always liked that little McCartney song that comes right before "Revolution IX". If Paul had done more of that instead of frickin' "Honey Pie", it'd be easier to like him.

And "Not Guilty" is a white album Harrison outtake that's much, much better than "Long, Long, Long" though the end oscillating moaning part used to scare me, too. ("Used to...", who am I kidding?)

The worst stretch for me has always been those animal songs: "Blackbird", "Piggies", and "Rocky Raccoon" leading right into that prize-winner of "Don't Pass Me By". Yech.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

oh right right - i totally shouldve picked up on the "can you take me back"... thats one of the main reasons "cry baby cry" figures so high on my list. i cant bring to mind the end of "long long long" right now.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 and 2 tied are Happiness is a warm gun and I Will
3 Blackbird
4 so tired

the rest can go to hell. especially the Honey Pies

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:50 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. John
3. George Harrison
4. George Martin
5. Ringo for his rhythms, not his songs
-100. Paul

Long, Long, Long is lovely

― Good Dog, Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

is yoko #2? she deserves it.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

flipping 'eck, I forgot 2!

2 was the bass in Dear Prudence. Even though it's Paul

― Good Dog, Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

Julia Lennon theory!

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Happiness is a Warm Gun
2. Everybody's got something to hide...
3. Savoy Truffle
4. I'm So Tired
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
6. Helter Skelter
7. Cry Baby Cry
8. Martha My Dear
9. Glass Onion
10. Sexy Sadie
11. Julia
12. Revolution #9
13. Mother Nature's Son
14. Dear Prudence
15. Good Night
16. Why Don't We Do It in the Road
17. Blackbird
18. Long Long Long
19. Revolution #1
20. Honey Pie
21. Yer Blues
22. I Will
23. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
24. Back in the USSR
25. Don't Pass Me By
26. Birthday
27. Piggies
28. Ob La Di Ob La Da
29. Wild Honey Pie
30. Rocky Racoon

― darin (darin), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 Dear Prudence
2 Cry Baby Cry
3 Helter Skelter
4 Julia
5 Martha My Dear
6 Revolution
7 Long, Long, Long
8 Happiness Is a Warm Gun
9 Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
10 Blackbird
11 While My Guitar Gently Weeps
12 Back In The USSR

The rest I can't be bothered to rank it's so mediocre.

― Jamie Fake (the pirate king), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Martha My Dear
2. Savoy Truffle
3. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
4. Long, Long, Long
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Dear Prudence
7. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
8. Julia
9. Glass Onion
10. Helter Skelter
11. Blackbird
12. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
13. I Will
14. Mother Nature's Son
15. Cry Baby Cry
16. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
17. I'm So Tired
18. Revolution 1
19. Yer Blues
20. Back in the USSR
21. Piggies
22. Rocky Raccoon
23. Good Night
24. Don't Pass Me By
25. Revolution 9
26. Honey Pie
27. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
28. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
29. Birthday
30. Wild Honey Pie

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

This album is perfect. It is an encyclopedia of every genre of music ever made - easy listenng, ska, blues, surf rock, avntgarde, jazz, hard rock... it has everything!

It is a mess and that is why it is brilhant There is no filler - the sequence is responsible for the enjoyment - you have to hear "revolution 9" before "good night" to understand the beauty of these song.

My favorite beatles album.

― Elvis is Dead, Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

Repeating "honey pie!" 11 times isn't filler?

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

ok, elvis. now rank them!

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

I can rank pretty much everything under the sun except The White Album and Sandinista!. To me, doing so would be a fundamental insult to the point of both albums. Mostly for the reasons Elvis listed.

I could do it in a life or death situation but would under no other circumstances.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:08 (8 years ago) Permalink

Me too.

― Elvis is Dead, Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:16 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm too lazy to do this properly, but:

AWESOME
Savoy Truffle
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Sexy Sadie
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Julia
Helter Skelter
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I Will
I'm So Tired
Piggies
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Birthday
Wild Honey Pie

OK
Long, Long, Long
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Blackbird
Revolution 1
Back in the USSR
Good Night
Revolution 9

SUCK
Martha My Dear
Mother Nature's Son
Cry Baby Cry
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Yer Blues
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By
Honey Pie

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

For a start the extremes. For the stuff in between I need more time.

1. Julia
...
30. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

I can't decide whether I hate Don't Pass Me By or Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da with more passion.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm a massive Beatles fan but never particularly liked this album. I like Happiness is a Warm Gun, Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I'm So Tired, Back in the USSR, and Sexy Sadie in about that order. The rest I don't much like.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

I made some brief comments on my blog that I co-write with Huck.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Long, Long, Long
2. Happiness is a Warm Gun
3. Helter Skelter
4. Sexy Sadie
5. Birthday
6. Cry Baby Cry
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Cept For Me and My Monkey
9. Revolution 9
10. Back in the USSR
11. I'm So Tired
12. Julia
13. Dear Prudence
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Glass Onion
16. Savoy Truffle
17. Mother Nature's Son
18. Wild Honey Pie
19. Revolution 1
20. Why Don't We Do It In the Road?
21. Martha My Dear
22. Good Night
23. Yer Blues
24. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
25. I Will
26. Blackbird
27. Rocky Racoon
28. Honey Pie
29. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
30. Piggies

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

i agree with most of your classification, nick but surely don't pass me by is classic. ringo is so bad a singer that he is good again.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

It's not the singing that really pisses me off, it's just a terrible song, with that sucky bouncy organ part and the stupid fake ending.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Good Night
2. Revolution 9
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Revolution 1
5. Cry Baby Cry
6. Blackbird
7. I Will
8. Julia
9. Savoy Truffle
10. I'm So Tired
11. Long, Long, Long
12. Birthday
13. Honey Pie
14. Martha My Dear
15. Dear Prudence
16. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
17. Sexy Sadie
18. Back In The USSR
19. Glass Onion
20. Helter Skelter
21. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
22. Rocky Racoon
23. Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
24. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
25. Don't Pass Me By
26. Wild honey pie
27. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
28. Piggies
29. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
30. Yer Blues

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

i bet there will be little consensus here.

It kind of seemed there was regarding two tracks. Until I Billy Dods' list that is :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

yeah - im pleased that most everyone likes "happiness is a warm gun" and "sexy sadie". i wasnt sure what ILM would collectively think of SS...

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

Those were among the last good non-ballads John Lennon ever wrote IMO. At least until "Double Fantasy"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 22:46 (8 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 16 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

There I must disagre with you Geir, "Bungalow Bill" is rotten

― Daddyismus (Dada), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:38 (8 years ago) Permalink

Stop dissing "Honey Pie", which is an excellent song. Yes, it isn't "rock", but that is just a good thing.

Yeah, come on Rockers! Open your minds!

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

"It's fine just the way it is. Don't mess with it."

― Uncle Charlie (vassifer), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

Here's my ranking of the tracks on the Beatles' SMiLE album:

1. Because
2. Tomorrow Never Knows
3. Strawberry Fields Forever
4. It's Only A Northern Song
5. Penny Lane
6. She's Leaving Home
7. What's The New Mary Jane
8. Revolution (single version)
9. Wah Wah
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
11. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
12. Flying
13. Hey Jude
14. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
15. I Am The Walrus
16. Carnival Of Light
17. Long Long Long
18. The Inner Light
19. Revolution 9
20. Good Night
21. My Mummy's Dead

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

(hidden extra track: A Day In The Life)

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

Not so much a ranking, more a running order.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:08 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Not Guilty" deserves to be part of that album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

Quite correct - in between tracks 10 and 11 I think would be the best place.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 15 October 2004 13:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Bungalow Bill" is rotten

I agree, but I do like that final "AYE-OHH!" from Lennon that segues right into the piano intro of "WHile My Guitar Gently Weeps".

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 15 October 2004 18:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Bungalow Bill" is great too. Those who have no musical taste may call it "twee", but there is no such thing, at least not in a negative sense. :-)

-- Geir Hongro (geirhon...), October 15th, 2004.

so true.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm surprised that "Me & My Monkey" has had such a poor showing. It's so heavy and chaotic. The whole track sounds like it's going to fall apart at any moment - in a good way!

― darin (darin), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

1. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
2. Wild Honey Pie
3. Savoy Truffle
4. Helter Skelter
5. Piggies
6. Blackbird
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Good Night
9. Julia
10.Happiness Is a Warm Gun
11.Dear Prudence
12.Birthday
13.Cry Baby Cry
14.Back In The USSR
15.Glass Onion
16.Rocky Racoon
17.The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
18.Sexy Sadie
19.Mother Nature's Son
20.Revolution 1
21.Long, Long, Long
22.Revolution 9
23.I'm So Tired
24.Honey Pie
25.Why Don't We Do It In The Road
26.I Will
27.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
28.Yer Blues
29.Martha My Dear
30.Don't Pass Me By

Not sure I understand the appeal of "Sexy Sadie".

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

Repeating "honey pie!" 11 times isn't filler?

It lasts for, what, a minute or something, doesn't it? As such, I don't think it fills a lot of space, so it cannot be considered "filler"

However, repeating "Number 9" a zillion times on top of various strange noises for 9 minutes is definitely filler...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:09 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm surprised that "Me & My Monkey" has had such a poor showing. It's so heavy and chaotic. The whole track sounds like it's going to fall apart at any moment - in a good way!

It's a great goddamn track -- I always thought it sounded like a runaway fire engine -- all those ringing, siren like guitars. Like so much of this album, it retains a slightly off riff too....hinting indescribably at someting sinister.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

I like how Ian MacDonald took apart "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with a crowbar in Revolution In the Head.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

hey, the fourth side of this record kind of sucks, don't it?

― amateurist, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

savoy truffle, revolution 9 & cry baby cry are all pretty good iirc.

― ian, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

also, i once knew a guy whose fave song on the white album was "wild honey pie"!!!! wtf??

― ian, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

"I Will" is a great song!

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:17 (3 years ago) Permalink

No one would ever talk about this album if it wasn't wildly uneven.

― boring movies are the most boring (Eric H.), Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

"i will" is on side two!

― amateurist, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

kind of wish they would've just released a three-sided record, with some picture etched into side four.

― amateurist, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

picky picky picky.

― ian, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:22 (3 years ago) Permalink

Revolution 1 is good

― billstevejim, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

je suis pas d'accord

― amateurist, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

Still align myself with Ian MacDonald w.r.t "Revolution 9."

― boring movies are the most boring (Eric H.), Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

I love this record so much. It has to be the weirdest number one album ever.

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 13 September 2009 04:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

Too great. I remember once thinking that Album 1 (sides 1 & 2) was boffo and Album 2 had all the filler (I'd just swap "Savoy Truffle" in for "Rocky Raccoon" and be happy) but I put it on the other day in consolation for not being able to source a mono box locally and ... wow! There's hardly a song I'd skip. I must have been going through an extreme popist phase or something.

I agree with above posters that it's a complete work of art - you can't really take it apart and even the sucky bits contribute to the whole. As well, the sequencing is, in the main, masterful. I find "Bungalow Bill" and "Wild Honey Pie" (among others) hard to defend on their own merits but they perform perfectly in their respective places.

I have to rep for "Don't Pass Me By" - it's a plodding, derivative (of Buck Owens, mainly) pedestrian piece of shit that somehow transcends: Ringo's everybloke vocals, Leslie speaker on everything in sight giving the whole track an underwater feeling, the queasy fiddle, and the weird, brassy quality that most of the instruments have... there's something unreconstructable about it; it has an otherworldly inevitability that the Beatles' music (and relatively speaking so little else) often musters. I give thumbs up.

Rocky Raccoon and Honey Pie still don't do it for me, even so.

― staggerlee, Sunday, 13 September 2009 16:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

i like "don't pass me by" as well.

― amateurist, Sunday, 13 September 2009 22:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

I don't mind playing the album, but can honestly only get behind about five songs (Helter, Happiness, Everybody's, Glass Onion, Dear Prudence). And of those five, four were done better by someone else (counting Tick, Tick as a Glass Onion cover...).

― dlp9001, Sunday, 13 September 2009 23:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

ooh the other week i was wondering how i'd single-albumise this

― alien vs the smiths (country matters), Sunday, 13 September 2009 23:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

xpost. Huh? Whose versions are better? Please don't say U2's Helter is better...please? Those 5 songs all kill as originals...oh this makes me sad.

I'm still trying to rank them, but it's just so damn mercenary. Even when I pull that cd off the shelf to hear Prudence or Helter, I have to play it through. So I guess I can't really argue til I can back myself up... harrumph.

― VegemiteGrrrl, Sunday, 13 September 2009 23:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

i agree that the big sprawling messiness makes the album interesting, but as an exercise here are the songs i'd include in a short, to-the-point single album:

Back In The USSR
Dear Prudence
Martha My Dear
I'm So Tired
Birthday
I Will
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Blackbird
Julia
Rocky Racoon
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
Don't Pass Me By

― amateurist, Monday, 14 September 2009 00:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

haven't decided on mine beyond the fact that Dear Prudence and Happiness Is A Warm Gun are *definitely* in it

― alien vs the smiths (country matters), Monday, 14 September 2009 00:38 (3 years ago) Permalink

dear prudence is one of my very favorite beatles songs.

― amateurist, Monday, 14 September 2009 00:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

this record is such a mess, a wonderful mess. I don't listen to it often anymore.

― Hugh Manatee (WmC), Monday, 14 September 2009 00:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

same here! there is something quintessential about it. quintessentially of its time and yet timeless. that last 30 seconds is just *fuck yes*

but i think 'happiness' is my favourite from the album. mostly for that syncopated bit.

― alien vs the smiths (country matters), Monday, 14 September 2009 00:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

amateurist!

― cutty, Monday, 14 September 2009 00:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

xpost: better versions (this is also probably in another thread) are Helter Skelter (Husker Du), Happiness is a Warm Gun (Breeders), Everybody's Got Something to Hide (Feelies). And when I hear Glass Onion now, I'm always waiting for "the part that sounds like Tick, Tock."

― dlp9001, Monday, 14 September 2009 00:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

i also prefer the boney m version of "julia" to the original.

― amateurist, Monday, 14 September 2009 00:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

see also the new dandy warhols (yes really, suspend your disbelief) cover of blackbird which is eerie awesomeness

― alien vs the smiths (country matters), Monday, 14 September 2009 01:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

― Mr. Que, Monday, 14 September 2009 01:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

Maybe I'm just aggravated by talk of Beatles covers since the ungodly Chris Cornell cover of 'Imagine' on Conan the other night. Seriously dude wtf. Can we put a moratorium on Cornell doing any more covers? Or on his career altogether? Fuck.

― VegemiteGrrrl, Monday, 14 September 2009 01:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

But that's off topic. My #1 is definitely Happiness is a Warm Gun. I can't get much further than that atm

― VegemiteGrrrl, Monday, 14 September 2009 01:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

― dlp9001, Monday, September 14, 2009

I give you credit for iconoclasm but u r soooo wrong

― iago g., Monday, 14 September 2009 02:27 (3 years ago) Permalink

True. It's "Tick, Tick..."

― dlp9001, Monday, 14 September 2009 02:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Long, Long, Long
.

.
.
.
I'm So Tired
Julia
Dear Prudence
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Mother Nature's Son
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Sexy Sadie
Revolution 1
Helter Skelter
Blackbird
Glass Onion
Cry Baby Cry
I Will
Revolution 9
Martha My Dear
Savoy Truffle
Rocky Raccoon
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Yer Blues
Birthday (ruined by being the birthday song on some early morning news show for years)
Back In The USSR
Honey Pie
Wild Honey Pie
Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Piggies
Good Night

Don't Pass Me By

― you're all going to hello (Z S), Sunday, 29 July 2012 04:13 (10 months ago) Permalink

1. Cry Baby Cry
2. Sexy Sadie
3. Back in the USSR
4. Helter Skelter
5. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Cept For Me and My Monkey
6. Happiness is a Warm Gun
7. Mother Nature's Son
8. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
9. Dear Prudence
10. Martha My Dear
11. Long, Long, Long
12. Julia
13. Blackbird
14. Rocky Racoon
15. Wild Honey Pie
16. I'm So Tired
17. Glass Onion
18. Yer Blues
19. Why Don't We Do It In the Road?
20. Good Night
21. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
22. I Will
23. Revolution 1
24. Don't Pass Me By
25. Savoy Truffle
26. Honey Pie
27. Birthday
28. Revolution 9
29. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
30. Piggies

― MumblestheRevelator, Sunday, 29 July 2012 05:50 (10 months ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Rutherford has a unique vinyl collection. He only collects the Beatles first pressing of The White Album.
In this show Chang is creating a record store that stocks only White Albums. But rather than selling the albums, he buys more from anyone willing to part with an original pressing in any condition.

http://www.dustandgrooves.com/rutherford-chang-we-buy-white-albums/

― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Sunday, 17 February 2013 21:17 (4 months ago) Permalink

Geir likes I'm so Tired more than stereotypical McCartney tracks Martha My Dear and Mother Nature's Son!

― glumdalclitch, Sunday, 17 February 2013 21:22 (4 months ago) Permalink

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