The Beatles
White Album

THE REVIEW

Some things I will say here I've already written in the comments. This review is not about the album, which is widely known; it instead tries to explain why the Beatles had the terrible idea of making a double album and why this double contains some things that are borderline decent.

In 1998, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the release of the “White”, I read some reviews that critics dedicated to the album. The best of these started with two words: “Sick masterpiece”. This is the best description one can give of this (controversial) album. Because it is indeed a masterpiece; but it is a masterpiece in potential. As it is, it absolutely cannot deserve this definition.

To understand the presence of certain mediocrity (and sometimes of real “sketches”), one must return to 1968, and understand what happened after their return from India. The poor production of the album is Lennon’s fault. John, annoyed by the myth of “Pepper” and probably by the celebration critics began for McCartney’s genius, sidelined George Martin (without eliminating him entirely) and imposed on the other three an album that “portrayed the Beatles naturally, without tricks”. Now, while it is certainly true that “Pepper”, in some places, is overproduced, John, being his nature, swung to the opposite excess and began to act as the ideologue of minimalism (though some of the better-produced songs are precisely his, cf. “Happiness is a Warm Gun”). The result of this approach are gems like “Blackbird,” and “Julia,” thrown down there like demos. An intolerable amateurism. The same John, two years later, will change his mind and become a follower of an “excess producer” like Phil Spector. This was Lennon, take it or leave it.

To this, one must add Yoko Ono. Lennon and Yoko met in May 1968, fell in love, and decided to live together. John, with his extreme character, fell so much in love that he brought her even into the studio. Now, with Yoko watching the rehearsals, the Beatles stopped being 4 friends capable of being frank with one another. Once, in the golden years, in the studio, the good-natured Ringo dared to say to his majesty Lennon: “John, your song is rubbish”. And John, after a little joke, followed the advice and changed it! It was this frankness that made the Beatles greater than the sum of their parts. As Lennon said: “Our music was born from our being together. We were there working, and suddenly something happened”. Now, with Yoko in the studio, the 4 had to be “polite” and could no longer be themselves, and criticize the songs openly as they used to. The sad result you can listen to. The script is almost complete.

Almost, because to all this drama, the terrible idea of the double album was added. The reason is not clear, perhaps because it is “unconfessable”. In the summer of ‘67, the Beatles signed a new contract for 7 albums in 9 years (in a group or solo), and so there was no longer the contractual obligation to produce two records every year. Therefore, the Beatles “did not have to” make a double album obligatorily. In my opinion, the real reason was the money. In 1968, the Beatles had created “Apple Records” without even putting a manager at the head of the new label – in a probable delusion of omnipotence. And none of them knew what a balance sheet was – as McCartney says in Anthology. In a few months, the 4 led their creation to the brink of bankruptcy. Hence a double album could have replenished Apple’s coffers. And this partly happened: the “White” sold (in a few months) various million copies, but a million of a double is a lot more money than a million copies of a single album. (Harrison will talk about this transformation of the Beatles into businessmen subtly in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”).

The Beatles, therefore, had not lost their minds – at least not all of them. They knew what they were doing, and they knew well that the album was full of mediocrity. Realizing this, they understood that the mediocre pieces had to be well hidden, and so they dedicated to the distribution of the songs 12 hours straight of work. 12 hours straight. (Cf. John Robertson, John Lennon, Tarab).

George Martin said: “I didn’t want them to release a double. I told them to make a single album with 12 great songs”. And they had 12 great songs. If we remove the sketches, and imagine the remaining pieces produced with the perfectionism of the previous two albums, we have a masterpiece. But I am indulging too much in fantasy…

To you the judgment on the best 12 pieces.