Log In
Register
2.22am
17 October 2013
Offline3.03pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline
BeatlesJR said
…each song has something to offer. Just as all their other albums do.
Amen.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
3.10pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Zig said
BeatlesJR said
…each song has something to offer. Just as all their other albums do.
Amen.
Yip.
‘Hold Me Tight ‘ offers the chance to skip ahead and get to ‘I Wanna Be Your Man ‘.
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
Zig, Beatlebug"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
3.16pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline I’ll be chuckling about that one for a while.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
3.30pm
12 November 2015
Offline The White Album is a complete and utter masterpiece in my opinion, so that’s my favorite.
It’s probably my favorite album of all time, alongside Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk and Queen’s A Night At The Opera. I like the simpler arrangements and I especially love how each of the songs compliment one another. It’s sorta like one big medley.
My second favorite would have to be Abbey Road . It’s very memorable and very well produced. George is just awesome on that album, not just for his songwriting, but also for his guitar playing on songs like Octopus’s Garden and I Want You (She’s So Heavy).
My third is Rubber Soul because most of the songs are great and I can just pop it in at any time, no matter what mood I’m in.
Oh what the heck? I’ll just make another list I guess…
13. Yellow Submarine (duh!)
12. With The Beatles
11. Beatles For Sale
10. Please Please Me
9. Let It Be
7. Help !
6. Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band (great album, but too much Paul and not enough George
)
4. Revolver
3. Rubber Soul
2. Abbey Road
1. The Beatles (White Album )
The following people thank limitlessundyinglove for this post:
BeatlebugGrooving some cookie spaghetti since 1968.
6.24pm
28 March 2014
Offline Magical Mystery Tour wasn’t a U.K. LP????? 
The following people thank Bongo for this post:
meanmistermustard 
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms! 
7.46pm
12 November 2015
Offline Bongo said
Magical Mystery Tour wasn’t a U.K. LP?????
Yeah, I know.
But I put it on my list because it’s been retroactively added into the main Beatles canon, so it’s the version of Magical Mystery Tour that I’m used to. I have made an iTunes playlist of the British EP version, so I usually just listen to that.
Grooving some cookie spaghetti since 1968.
6.55pm
2 March 2015
Offline limitlessundyinglove said
The White Album is a complete and utter masterpiece in my opinion, so that’s my favorite.It’s probably my favorite album of all time, alongside Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk and Queen’s A Night At The Opera. I like the simpler arrangements and I especially love how each of the songs compliment one another. It’s sorta like one big medley.
My second favorite would have to be Abbey Road . It’s very memorable and very well produced. George is just awesome on that album, not just for his songwriting, but also for his guitar playing on songs like Octopus’s Garden and I Want You (She’s So Heavy).
My third is Rubber Soul because most of the songs are great and I can just pop it in at any time, no matter what mood I’m in.
Oh what the heck? I’ll just make another list I guess…
13. Yellow Submarine (duh!)
12. With The Beatles
11. Beatles For Sale
10. Please Please Me
9. Let It Be
7. Help !
6. Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band (great album, but too much Paul and not enough George
4. Revolver
3. Rubber Soul
2. Abbey Road
1. The Beatles (White Album )
Pepper is wonderful and brilliant and a watershed moment of popular music and culture and what have you, but I love The White Album ‘s darker edge to it. Ian MacDonald describes it beautifully thus;
Before the Leicester group Family issued their innovative debut album Music in a Doll’s House in August 1968, The Beatles had been planning to call their new work A Doll’s House (supposedly after Ibsen). The clash was unfortunate since this was an apt title for this musical attic of odds and ends, some charming, others sinister, many tinged with childhood memories, all absorbed in the interior worlds of their authors. There is a secret unease in this music, betraying the turmoil beneath the group’s business-as-usual façade. Shadows lengthen over the album as it progresses: the slow afternoon of The Beatles’ career. Sadly, none of this is captured in Richard Hamilton’s modishly empty sleeve-design. One can only assume that this is because he wasn’t able to hear the music before setting to work, since its crepuscular quality is so tangible. Certainly no other product of the noon-bright idiom of Sixties pop offers as many associates of guarded privacy and locked rooms, or concludes in such disturbing, dreamlike darkness.
7.00pm
2 March 2015
Offline ‘The slow afternoon of The Beatles’ career.‘
What a perfect sentence. Love that guy’s writing, even I disagree with his general argument that their clear creative peak begun with the opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night and ended with the closing chord of A Day In The Life .
7.11pm
8 January 2015
Offline
long long long said
‘The slow afternoon of The Beatles’ career.‘
What a perfect sentence. Love that guy’s writing, even I disagree with his general argument that their clear creative peak begun with the opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night and ended with the closing chord of A Day In The Life .
Nice writing but still inaccurate: the cover was white because the Beatles wanted it that way. They actually wanted it to be transparent but EMI baulked, so they settled for white. This is the problem with MacDonald, he puts a good paragraph together and totally blows its impact by fantasy facts. This “creepy album” theme also seems to be a favourite of music critics; I’m not sure who copied who though. My issue with that approach is that it’s made out to be something weird but given the relentlessly upbeat sense of their previous albums, no one thought to pay attention to the darker songs on those. But, come the White Album and we can make boring pronouncements on the afternoon of the Beatles career, and this isn’t just MacDonald’s fault. May I remind people that from the Beatles point of view at the time, it wasn’t. So much rubbish from music critics attempting to sound wise can obstruct the view, avoid falling into their rut if you can.
The following people thank ewe2 for this post:
long long longI'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 
but I may have to get more specific in the future.
7.41pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline 
Where do you get the idea that they wanted the sleeve to be transparent for the White Album , @ewe2?
I certainly can’t think of anyone directly involved being quoted with that. @Joe has a page on “The title and cover work” in his article on the album which explains in detail, using quotes from Paul and Richard Hamilton, the development of the design.
Hamilton describes the proposition he made to Paul at their first meeting on the subject, and all the basics of how it turned out are in Hamilton’s original suggestion:
Since Sergeant Pepper was so over the top, I explained, “I would be inclined to do a very prissy thing, almost like a limited edition.” He didn’t discourage me so I went on to propose a plain White Album ; if that were too clean and empty, then maybe we could print a ring of brown stain to look as if a coffee cup had been left on it — but that was thought a bit too flippant. I also suggested that they might number each copy, to create the ironic situation of a numbered edition of something like five million copies. This was agreed, but then I began to feel a bit guilty at putting their double album under plain wrappers; even the lettering is casual, almost invisible, a blind stamping. I suggested it could be jazzed up with a large edition print, an insert that would be even more glamorous than a normal sleeve.
Do you have a source for them wanting a transparent sleeve?
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
7.54pm
1 November 2013
Offline 
Annadog40 said
It’s still Beatles For Sale
Hasn’t changed.
The following people thank Starr Shine? for this post:
vonbontee
8.06pm
8 January 2015
Offline Ron Nasty said
Where do you get the idea that they wanted the sleeve to be transparent for the White Album , @ewe2?
Do you have a source for them wanting a transparent sleeve?
I heard about it recently, buggered if I can remember where 🙁 If I recover the source, I’ll put it up, it could have been a podcast or a website I looked at in the last few weeks.
I'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 but I may have to get more specific in the future.
8.31pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline Could I suggest, @ewe2, that it’s more likely your source that is wrong (especially if you only came across it recently) and not MacDonald who closely echoes Paul and Richard Hamilton’s account?
The only alternate artwork that has been said to have been created for what became the White Album , by John Byrne in 1968 under the moniker “Patrick”, was later used by EMI for The Beatles Ballads:
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
8.47pm
8 January 2015
Offline Ron Nasty said
Could I suggest, @ewe2, that it’s more likely your source that is wrong (especially if you only came across it recently) and not MacDonald who closely echoes Paul and Richard Hamilton’s account?
It’s certainly possible. That doesn’t invalidate the problems with MacDonald though.
I'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 but I may have to get more specific in the future.
9.11pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline I understand the problems some have with MacDonald. Some of that criticism is fair, though overall I like his book. It’s also important to criticise him for the right things though. If you look at the comments on Joe’s article, there’s a wonderful bit near the top where various people come up with this story – based on their memories – that the White Album was originally released with a picture of four naked Beatles and Yoko, and that it was immediately pulled but that some copies survive!!! Lots of people come up with wild and wacky theories about what did and didn’t happen, and especially in this internet age when people can suggest anything, it’s always important to check other sources. I’m happy to say, that had The Beatles and EMI had a battle over a transparent sleeve, @Joe’s article on the album would have detailed it.
The following people thank Ron Nasty for this post:
ewe2"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
5.40am
28 July 2015
Offline
Today I think it’s The White Album 
8.03am
31 March 2008
Offline 
@ewe2 @Ron Nasty The source is almost certainly correct, because it’s George Harrison !
Via http://galacticramble.blogspot…..-have.html
I’ll update my White Album article to reflect this, because I only found out about it recently. Stand by for changes.
I think I first read about the Ibsen/Dolls House thing in Lewisohn’s Sessions, but I don’t know if it surfaced before then. I’m not sure that the Beatles Ballads illustration was ever really a contender for the White Album artwork, though I may be wrong. AFAIK they always intended to work with Richard Hamilton.
The following people thank Joe for this post:
ewe2, BongoCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
8.58am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline @Joe, @ewe2 Who’d have thunk it!!! Shows why it’s so annoying that certain important books are either long out of print, or have only ever been made available in expensive limited editions, making them difficult for us mere mortals to access.
With the Byrne artwork, I’ve seen that referred to as being created for the White Album in more than one book since the early ’80s. I think it could well make sense if The Beatles and EMI were in dispute over what the sleeve would be. Since Apple were highly unlikely to have provided EMI with unused artwork at the time of The Beatles Ballads, it could well be something EMI itself had commissioned in 1968, without The Beatles knowledge, in case they couldn’t come to an agreement. While the 1967 contract protected The Beatles say on the music, it did not do the same on the artwork of the packaging. It would not be at all surprising if EMI got themselves a back-up.
EDIT: Having just Googled “the beatles john byrne”, there are many references to the artwork, and that it was commissioned by The Beatles. It appears to have been commissioned when they still intending to use A Doll’s House. Here’s just a couple.
The Scotsman (11 April 2015):
…it was The Beatles who gave Byrne his first commission for an album cover in 1968, the year after his first solo exhibition at Portal Gallery, in London…
The Sunday Herald (24 May 2015):
Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, Byrne painted and made a living in London, illustrating covers for books and records. He did sleeves for albums by Gerry Rafferty and Donovan and a design originally commissioned for what would become The Beatles’ White Album eventually saw the light of day on a 1980 release, The Beatles Ballads.
Dangerous Minds (29 May 2014):
“Patrick” became a star and was feted by London’s chattering classes, even having The Beatles commission “Patrick” to paint a cover for their 1968 White Album (it was later used on their Ballads compilation in 1980).
The following people thank Ron Nasty for this post:
ewe2"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
4.31pm
2 March 2015
Offline ewe2 said
long long long said
‘The slow afternoon of The Beatles’ career.‘
What a perfect sentence. Love that guy’s writing, even I disagree with his general argument that their clear creative peak begun with the opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night and ended with the closing chord of A Day In The Life .
Nice writing but still inaccurate: the cover was white because the Beatles wanted it that way. They actually wanted it to be transparent but EMI baulked, so they settled for white. This is the problem with MacDonald, he puts a good paragraph together and totally blows its impact by fantasy facts. This “creepy album” theme also seems to be a favourite of music critics; I’m not sure who copied who though. My issue with that approach is that it’s made out to be something weird but given the relentlessly upbeat sense of their previous albums, no one thought to pay attention to the darker songs on those. But, come the White Album and we can make boring pronouncements on the afternoon of the Beatles career, and this isn’t just MacDonald’s fault. May I remind people that from the Beatles point of view at the time, it wasn’t. So much rubbish from music critics attempting to sound wise can obstruct the view, avoid falling into their rut if you can.
Yeah, writers do love their narratives.
1 Guest(s)