White Album 50th Anniversary Edition | Page 13 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

I got the super deluxe for Chrimble and O  M  G !!!

I literally squealed when I opened it. It’s packaged so beautifully!! I cannot wait to dig into that hefty book that it’s packaged in! I teared up pulling the four portraits and the collage out of the slip sleeve. I haven’t owned those in so many years. My mom framed each of the portraits and I had them hung on my bedroom wall for the longest time. 

Excited to dip into the Esher demos and then listen to the session stuff! 

*squeals and bounces some more*

Just starting to listen to one of the sessions discs……..

Goodnight comes over really well, preferably well in fact……either with John’s Travis picking and the boys harmonies…….Or the version with George Martin ‘Travis picking’ gently along on his piano. Glad I have these versions in my life now. There’s a lovely bouncy Revolution that I like much more than the White Album ‘s BeeBop version…..John does a Don’t Let Me Down type gobbledegook mess up that’s obviously responsible for the break down but I’ve a soft spot for his mess-ups now. However, the ‘B’ side version they worked up to makes more sense in its context.

Ob la di the 3rd version is great too. As is the take on Anthology with more saxophone ………

They got things right in the end with the final Rev’ and Ob La Di ……..But John’s perverse desire to out, ‘granny s**t’ Paul and, perhaps, compensate Head master George Martin for Rev 9 by giving him his head with the sumptuous, but syrupy score and Benny Hill’s Mike Sam singers…..is a missed opportunity….For yours truly at least.

Goodnight, (with an after ‘taste of honey’), positioned where it is, following Revolution No.9 didn’t  (as I suspect it’s intended to do) make-up in a ying and yang way for the chaos of ‘9’ ending with the order of Goodnight.

…..Being the Album’s last two songs……………I usually skipped them both.

Still lots and lots to digest.

One thing established for me is that George Martin is the 5th Beatle..even on this album where he says he just ate chocolates and read the papers. 

Von Bontee said
I have to say I appreciate “Martha” so much more without the strings/brass. That’s one of my least favourite GM orchestration jobs; the added instruments don’t seem to add anything that the piano isn’t already playing. Maybe George and Paul just liked the sublime-ridiculous idea of a big, overblown arrangement accompanying a song about a sheepdog, who knows. Whatever, the sonic combination always seemed too “tasteful”.

  

Not saying you’re wrong in any way……..But I love the song……and I suppose I’m so used to the brass band that to my mind it adds to the songs quintessential Englishness!  

I think Paul around this time had written and produced ‘Thingamabob’ for the Black Dyke Mills Band…..and always looking for something new thought …..’Why not?’ 

Whatever, I’d love this piano song with just a comb and paper backing………

In a weird Wigwammy way I see it as Paul’s piano companion to Blackbird …….His best piano playing to sit alongside his best guitar…… 

Dingle Lad said
I’ve enjoyed all the Super Deluxe Editions so far, the Esher disc pushes this one over the top!

  

I like the Super Deluxe a lot. And think Good Night is the perfect end to the album. A lullaby after such lively personality, and especially the chaos of Revolution 9 .