Wednesday, 9/26

Because I have my annual doctor's appointment in a few minutes, and because the album I discuss in the following blog was released 50 years ago this week, I'm going to leave you with a “best of” today.

Hope you won't mark my grade for the whole semester down just because of that.

Back with something new tomorrow—the story of sneezes, No, seriously...sneezes.

So practice your “gezundheits”, if you would.

(jim@wmqt.com)

****

(as originally posted March 21^st, 2016)

It was just one of those discussions.

After Beatles producer George Martin died a couple of weeks ago, Loraine read an interview with him in which he had offered the thought that the group's “The White Album” should have been a single disc instead of a double album. I can't say I disagree; the 1968 album isn't one of my favorites, and it has a lot of filler and experimental work on it that, at least when I listen, gets skipped over.

And that started the discussion between Loraine and me. If you had to follow George Martin's suggestion and cut “The White Album” to a single disc—from 30 songs to 15 songs—which would make the cut? As we found out, no two people would put it together the same way. I'm sure that every single person would have different songs make the cut, based on their tastes and their idea of what would constitute a classic Beatles album. I know Loraine and I couldn't agree, and I'd imagine that if any of you put together your own version of a single disc “White Album”, it would be radically different from mine.

But for what it's worth, here's what I think. First of all, for your reference, the 30 songs that make up the double length “White Album”.

Back in the U.S.S.R.
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


Now, here's my thought process in cutting it down to 15. Your thought process, of course, will differ, but I started by keeping the songs that everyone would consider the classics--”USSR”, “Obi-La-Di”, “Guitar”, “Blackbird”, “Julia”, “Birthday”, “Helter Skelter”, “Revolution”, and “Good Night”. You have to have those nine songs, or it wouldn't be the essence of “The White Album”. Admittedly, the list is a little McCartney heavy, so let's add “Dear Prudence” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun” from John Lennon, and George Harrison's “Savoy Truffle”, just because. That's 12 songs.


But what about the final three? That's where it gets tough.”Why Don't We Do It In The Road” is cute but disposable. “Bungalow Bill”'s the same. “Revolution Number 9”, like a bunch of the tracks, is just too weird. However, songs like “Mother Nature's Son” and “Rocky Raccoon” have been remade by a bunch of people, so let's throw those onto the list. That's 14. For the final song? Throw in Ringo's “Don't Pass Me By”.


He could probably use the songwriting royalties.


So here's what MY one-disc version of “The White Album” would look like--


Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Blackbird
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By
Julia
Birthday
Mother Nature's Son
Helter Skelter
Revolution 1
Savoy Truffle
Good Night


Nice tight playlist, classic songs, and no filler. It's just what a Beatles album should look like. And yet, I'm guessing, there are many of you out there who find my logic faulty or my tastes lacking. And that's okay. Loraine and I couldn't agree; in fact, I'm guessing very few people on the planet could agree. But that's what makes this such a fascinating mental exercise. So thank you, George Martin, for leaving us one final musical gift, a gift that became a little more than just one of “those” discussions.