4 members changing into solo artists (The Beatles Approach to the White Album) | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

It is commonly known that The White Album was historically the trigger to what happened in the Get Back project and what followed it, in other words the split. The Beatles, now managers by themselves, Ringo and George full time dads and John and Paul freshly become fiances. Each has his own side projects (Ringo started acting, Paul and George managed other artists, John and Yoko started experimenting in the avant-garde scene and peace movements), the technology of late 60s started bursting and new modern music started popping out of every hole of England and the US. It was only reasonable that they would create the most guiding example of all these, a rock n roll masterpiece, that combined the heaviest rock mania of the time (helter skelter) with the following long-long-long, a psychdedelic-almost spiritual tune. It combined different folk influences – from flamenco in Bungallow Bill, country in Don’t Pass Me By , indian/eastern in The Inner Light (although released as a single). This magnificent album, has also combined a baroque-like Piggies with probably the most heard-of avant-garde tune – Revolution #9.

There’s no doubt, that this album is one of a time, history changing pop masterpiece. But… That’s what we think. As far as I know, John later noted that it might have been a solo-work collection. For example, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road, Honey Pie , Mother Nature’s Son , Martha My Dear and etc they’re all Paul. On the other hand, Julia is all John, Hapiness Is a Warm Gun is mostly John and etc. In While My Guitar Gently Weeps they invited an external guitarist (Clatpon), Ringo does not play in many songs… In other words, it’s not The Beatles which he formed and saw in his visions. Plus, it’s noticable that in his solo career, John “retreated” to the late 50s and early 60s rock n roll feel, like in Cold Turkey and probably most of his solo work.

On the other hand, George started experimenting with electronic music and managing. Also, as far as I know, much of his double-album All Things Must Pass songs was written during 1968. So, George finally started writing, but it didn’t make Paul and John let more of his music into their album, and only 1 song of the White Album ‘s 30 songs stood out as a George hit (While My Guitar)

Ringo, as we all know was in a crisis and he left the band. As I mentioned he didn’t play in many songs and his first wirtten songs wasn’t something really.

Paul is the only one I can say can relate to the White Album , it matches his solo-work approach, and he was probably the one who played the most instruments from all Beatles.

Add the recording time limit to all this, and it makes me think that The Beatles themselves didn’t really liked the period and what they did. It made them eventually take a break and then fire George Martin, go back to their roots and abandon the new approad. Unfortunatly the reality made them split because such important late-20 year olds cannot make music the same way they did when they formed in their youths. They again formed for Abbey Road , hired Martin and used the same approach of the White Album for it (for example John didn’t participate in Here Comes The Sun and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer , Ringo didn’t participate in Because …), Paul again wanted his experimenting way of work, John again wanted his more traditional way of work, what eventually made us one of the greatest albums of all time, which John didn’t like most of it commenting harsh stuff on songs like Maxwell and the medley. But hey, they’re both on the Rolling Stones’ top 10 albums of ALL TIME.