Four sides of some of the absolute best and worst of The Beatles. It is this fluctuation which makes the White Album such a remarkable project. A division in musical direction and writing style is heard in the Fab Four for the first time. It is not the debut of this isolated work, but it is certainly the first album where each member is, however reluctantly, giving the other three a chance to exercise their creativity. What follows is a series of defining moments from each member of the band, enough of an overlap to suggest this is a project made in partnership with one another’s vision. Between Ringo Starr leaving the band and the amplification of underlying tensions, the White Album is not just an important cornerstone for The Beatles’ history, but an often inconsistent yet truly brilliant piece of work. Its tonal intensity and disregard for continuity are its greatest strength, but also the fatal flaw for the White Album.
Two of the finest songs open White Album, Back in the U.S.S.R. and Dear Prudence are defining moments for The Beatles. Beyond their impact, they are both knockout pieces of work. An outstanding double bill of songs which shows either side of the extreme to The Beatles’ sound. From McCartney rocking through a parodical take on the Soviet rule, which soon turned into a branch of peace, to the delicacy Dear Prudence offers to the sister of Mia Farrow, who had become obsessed with secluded meditation. John Lennon applies a child-like ask, the desire to be free in the streets, on this second song, which is backed beautifully by George Harrison on rhythm guitar. Lennon begins a spiral of self-referential, lyrical jabs – something which would come to life on Imagine – with Glass Onion. References to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band feel like reflections on a different era, despite it being just a year later.
Those moments of so-called filler are just as crucial in the success of the White Album as its perfect hits. Experimentation is the foundation of this release as each member finds a style which would carry them through their post-Beatles careers. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, remains an unfortunately perfect earworm song which would form the base of McCartney’s work in Wings. Wild Honey Pie may offer little more than a short and sloppy piece of avant-garde experimentation, but it proves to be a necessary break before the build towards The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill and the intense double bill of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Happiness is a Warm Gun. Some of the very best writing from Harrison and Lennon here. A favourite of all four members of the band, and rightly so. Sexual suggestions, a first statement from a politically charged Lennon, and a sense the band are finally shedding their image. They are freed of public expectation because of the White Album.
That is a free pass to create with whatever feeling is at hand. From the broken-hearted sounds of I’m So Tired and Blackbird to the experimental B and C-sides which follow. Those are an endurance test for the first-time listener, an endearing and fascinating look into each member’s influence for returning fans. Pieces of the White Album which should work but do not, Rocky Raccoon and Don’t Pass Me By for instance, are not short of quality, just looser than the rest of those album tracks. These are interesting spots, moments where a keen listener can hear the intent and the development in the studio. This massive stretch is not underwhelming in the traditional sense, but those frequent experiments are taxing. Helter Skelter towards the end of the album is a sudden burst of energy, preceded by a delightfully performed Sexy Sadie. After that, the album begins to fall to pieces as the avant-garde exploration begins proper.
That is not to write off I Will and Julia, but these feel like pale imitations of what the band would achieve on Abbey Road and Let it Be. The White Album is a monumental experience which feels like a greatest hits vehicle not of their sound or songs, but of internal struggles which would be amplified in future recordings. Fallouts, frequent problems with the tone and scope of the album, and a singularity which guides each member further and further away from collaborative appeal. The White Album is a breaking point, one which begins to feel a tad overwhelming at times, more by the sheer volume of material at hand, rather than its quality. One of the few albums where plenty of energy is needed. It remains one of the most demanding and most satisfying albums available.
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