The White Album: Perfect In Its Imperfection

Whether The Beatles admitted it, either publicly or to themselves, they must, in the early days of 1968 felt a huge amount of pressure and expectation on their shoulders.

In 1967 the band released their latest album, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was an immediate hit. Even though pretty much everything The Beatles composed turned to gold, the commercial success of Sgt Peppers was stratospheric. Popular with both critics and fans alike, the album introduced songs such as Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and A Day In The Life to the world.

In fact, the album is considered their opus. And that isn't just a retrospective opinion. It was a contemporary one too, with many people wondering if anything the band produced in the future could better it.

Part of Sgt Peppers success was it perfectly summed up the summer of love. It reflected how society was changing. It brought colour and excitement to Britain, a country that seemed stuck in a bubble of post war greyness. It gave something to the youth of the country, hope for a brighter, freer future. Even by The Beatles standards, it was exceptional.

But, as much as the summer of love was fleeting, expectation for the next Beatles album was not. Fans eagerly awaited the next chapter in the story of The Beatles. However, the habit of producing two albums a year was over. There was to be a long wait for Sgt Peppers follow up - 18 months in fact.

In March 1968 the band flew out to Rishikesh and this is where The Beatles started to compose the songs for their next album. They returned to London in the May and continued to write and record for the album there. Recording for the album was completed in October 1968 and it was released at the end of the following month.

It was titled simply, The Beatles, though is commonly known as The White Album due to its plain, white cover that was embossed only by the words, The Beatles. Already the design of the album was in stark contrast to Sgt Peppers. For as colourful as the Sgt Peppers cover was, The White Album was blank.

The album was also a double album. This was something The Beatles had not done before, but it seems that the time spent in India and the length of time between two albums meant there were a plentiful amount of songs of which the band wanted to include on the album.

The production of the album had not been easy, though. Tensions were rising in the London studios, the relaxing time in India swiftly forgotten. Each member of the band had fallen out with the others at one point or another and had left the recording sessions. George Martin's popularity with the band was starting to wane and he had left the recording sessions without warning one day, leaving the work to an assistant engineer. In addition, the constant presence of Johns new girlfriend and future wife, Yoko Ono was quickly resented by the other members of the band, especially when she started voicing opinions about how the songs should be recorded.

Working through these tensions as best they could, the band block booked studio time up to July and began to build on some of the demo's that had been recorded at George Harrisons Esher home in May of 1968.

The White Album features varied songs such as John Lennon's touchingly simple song, Julia to one of George's most impressive songs up to that time, While My Guitar Gently Weeps to Ringo's touching vocals on Goodnight and Paul's song for the mums, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La -Da.

It is an album that is black or white, an album of contrasts. From the loud and thumping Helter Skelter to the quiet but intense Long, Long, Long. From the deep and meaningful Blackbird, to the lighthearted and poppy Don't Pass Me By.  From Johns sarcastic I'm So Tired to the upbeat Martha My Dear, written by Paul.

Unlike Sgt Peppers that flowed seamlessly from one fantastical song to another and the future album, Abbey Road, which blended perfectly, The White Album is choppy and somewhat jerky. This is not a criticism of the album, rather it keeps you on your toes. For instance the loud and fast Back In The USSR leads onto the quiet and restrained Dear Prudence.

What strikes me about The White Album is that you can see the differences fully in each Beatle. Their own personal styles are so different at times it feels as though you're listening not to a group of people but four separate identities that seem to be working on different projects. It's a bit sad that there seems to be less of a joined up effort as you had on Sgt Peppers. They were drifting apart, with barely two years left together as a band and as much as I love this album, you can also sense this separation. Yet, it's an eclectic album which proves that The Beatles were not willing to stand still. They were ever evolving, willing to take risks. Sgt Peppers had been done, there was no point trying to recreate it. The White Album was different and really so it should of been. One thing you can never accuse The Beatles of is being stuck in the mud.

One of the things I still see today discussed at length was should the album of been a double album or should it of been slimmed down to a single volume. Of course, being Beatle greedy, for me I have the more the merrier type attitude. However, I can see why people could think a single album would be better.

The White Album does include some of the weaker songs The Beatles recorded. As much as I am a George fan, Piggies can never be considered one of his most acclaimed songs. Wild Honey Pie and Why Don't We Do It In The Road seem to be nothing but album fillers. Nonsense songs that could of been removed from the album and not seen the album suffer. But aside from these, I cannot imagine not having Savoy Truffle, I'm So Tired, Cry Baby Cry, Goodnight amongst others on the album. So, sorry folks, I'll never subscribe to the single album argument!

When the album was released on the 22nd November 1968 it was released to an eager Beatle hungry crowd of fans and critics. Overall, the album was praised by music journalists. It went straight to number one and spent seven weeks at the top of the charts, including the important Christmas season.
But, there were comparisons to Sgt Peppers and this led to criticism that the album was boring, showed the worse that The Beatles could offer and that it was too long, too dreary.

I think any album that The Beatles would of released after Sgt Peppers would of been unfairly compared to its predecessor. Anything they would of done would of been held up in comparison. Do I think it's a worthy successor to Sgt Peppers? I certainly do. It may not be so catchy, so upbeat or so positive. But the eighteen months in between the release of these two albums was a long time, and people change, musical styles change, and the country had changed.

As much as I love Sgt Peppers, I don't believe that was The Beatles best album. That crown I hand to Abbey Road. So, I do get a bit resentful that all The Beatles work is held up to Sgt Peppers. Each album should be assessed and enjoyed on its own merits. But I do admit that Sgt Peppers cast a long shadow over The Beatles works.

I love The White Album for its eclectic mix of songs. I love it because it mixes fun with serious songs that bore good messages. I love it because it's an extraordinary work that stands by itself as one of their greatest albums. It has its high points, and a few low ones, too. Just like any album by any artist.

And I can honestly say, there is nothing more beautiful than the 2018 mix by Giles Martin. You can hear the benefits of the new mix on Long, Long, Long and The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill. If you don't believe me, have a listen!

I love Sgt Peppers. I love The White Album. Which is good, as The Beatles sang, all you need is love! And all I need is The Beatles.