Читать книгу The Mojo Collection - Various Mojo Magazine - Страница 146

Record label: Apple

Produced: George Martin

Recorded: Abbey Road, London; May 30–October 14, 1968

Released: November 22, 1968 (UK) November 25, 1968 (US)

Chart peaks: 1 (UK) 1 (US)

Personnel: John Lennon (v, g, p, o); Paul McCartney (v, b, p, g, d); George Harrison (v, g); Ringo Starr (d); George Martin (p); Chris Thomas (harpsichord); Eric Clapton (g)

Track listing: Back In The USSR.; Dear Prudence; Glass Onion; Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; Wild Honey Pie; The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Happiness Is A Warm Gun; Martha My Dear; I’m So Tired; Blackbird; Piggies; Rocky Raccoon; Don’t Pass Me By; Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?; I Will; Julia; Birthday; Yer Blues; Mother Nature’s Son; Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey; Sexy Sadie; Helter Skelter; Long, Long, Long; Revolution 1; Honey Pie; Savoy Truffle; Cry Baby Cry; Revolution 9; Good Night

Running time: 93.15

Current CD: CDS 7 46443 8

Further listening: Let It Be (1970); Anthology 3 (1997)

Further reading: Revolution: The Making Of The Beatles’ White Album (David Quantick, 2002); www.getback.org/bwhite.html

Download: Not currently legally available

Following a particularly relaxing and fertile meditation break in India, The Beatles presented over 30 songs for consideration for the follow-up to Sgt. Pepper, deciding to record as many as possible for a double.

The normal state of Beatles sessions was soon disrupted by the presence of Lennon’s constant companion, avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. ‘Once I found the woman, the boys became of no interest whatsoever,’ Lennon would explain later. ‘The old gang of mine was over the moment I met her.’ It was the first time anyone had been allowed access to the band’s inner working process and McCartney, Harrison and Starr were naturally thrown by both Lennon’s distraction and Yoko’s vocal opinions on their music. Things were further aggravated by Lennon’s extreme mood swings, caused by his recently acquired heroin habit. Tired of the tension, long-time engineer Geoff Emerick quit. Equally sick of the atmosphere (and disheartened by McCartney’s drumming instructions), Ringo walked out for two weeks. McCartney pragmatically (and skilfully) took over on drums for a few tracks and later took to recording on his own in an adjacent studio, which Lennon later confessed to being stung by: ‘I can’t speak for George but I was always hurt when Paul knocked something off without involving us.’ But then, McCartney had felt equally excluded by Lennon and Yoko contriving the nine-minute sound collage Revolution 9 without him.

With the breakdown of both communication and the old team spirit, the tormented sessions actually produced a rich, amazing record encompassing an incredibly wide stylistic range. From the compellingly visceral (Helter Skelter, Yer Blues, Birthday) to the comically whimsical (Honey Pie, Goodnight, Martha My Dear); from the obscured confessional (Julia, Everybody’s Got Something To Hide) to political commentary (Revolution, Blackbird), the whole is rated by some as the pinnacle of The Beatles’ genius, by others as disappointingly indulgent.

Producer George Martin famously tried to persuade the band to trim the fat and make it a ‘really super’ single album, starting a debate that continues to this day. McCartney’s having none of it: ‘Come on, it’s The Beatles’ White Album.’