'The Beatles'

Deep thoughts:

1. My friend Garrison borrowed all of my Beatles albums in order to really delve deep into their catalog. After listening to the White Album, he quickly touted the George Harrison tune "Long, Long, Long." A deep cut buried on the second disc. One I'd always ignored. Since, I've learned to appreciate it much, much more.

2. This is by far the worst produced-engineered album by the Fab Four. It was also probably the one album that all four Beatles played together the least one. Ringo Starr apparently "quit" midway through. John Lennon was strung out on Yoko Ono and drugs. Paul McCartney was kinda trying to get it together, but came off looking like an asshole while the three connected as the guys not really wanting to do it anymore. I tend to think this is why it's so poorly mixed. Notice "Long, Long, Long," the guitar solo on "Helter Skelter" or the total mix on "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey." Horrible.

3. I received the White Album on CD on my 14th birthday. Probably due to it being a double album, it was tough to get the $40 together for one album. That same birthday I received my first guitar amplifier and a Beatles tablature book.

4. The White Album interests me because it's one of the few which contains a whole separate album of songs that could not have been placed on any other Beatles album. For example, "Helter Skelter" never would've fit on "Let It Be" or "Magical Mystery Tour." "... Me and My Monkey," "Piggies," "I'm So Tired," "Why Don't We Do It On The Road?," "Wild Honey Pie," "While My Guitar ..." and "Bungalow Bill" all are White Album songs and only White Album songs. On the other hand, "Honey Pie" would've fit perfectly on "Sgt. Pepper ...", "Dear Prudence" on "Revolver" or "Mother Nature's Son" on "Rubber Soul."

5. The White Album's collection of song is really fascinating. There's a wink to the 1940s ("Honey Pie"), avant garde ("Revolution No. 9"), a nod to the Beach Boys ("Back in the USSR"), jaunty piano rock about a dog ("Martha, My Dear"), two stories ("Bungalow Bill," "Rocky Racoon"), a Jamaican tune ("Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"), metal ("Helter Skelter"), lo-fi ("Long, Long, Long"), the blues ("Yer Blues") and the second most popular birthday song ever ("Birthday").

6. Have you really listened to "Revolution No. 9?" I'd highly suggest playing it at 12. It's quite the feat.

7. There's always been debate about the double album decision. George Martin hated it. Harrison is quoted as saying there was too much ego and that it helped clear out the backlog of songs. Ringo thought it should've been two albums. Paul said it was fine as is. Of course, if I were bass player for the Beatles, I would've let it slide too.

8. There's an inordinate amount of acoustic songs on the album. This is due to many of the songs being written while meditating in India. Not like they could haul a Hammond organ along with them.

9. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" always made me tense as a teenager listening to it with an adult because I just assumed it was about sex.

10. Thirty songs made it to the final cut. There were about 12 other songs developed. Half of which made it onto solo records. The other half on "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be." I guess there was little else to do in India.