The Whiter Album
Before I start the topic of the post I just want to remind everyone that I will be taking a one week hiatus from the blog because I will be going on vacation and won't have an internet connection. Now to the topic, do you ever get that feeling like double albums are just too much information to take in? I sure know that I get this feeling especially when a double album really isn't necessary, of course for some albums it is for example Pink Floyd's "The Wall" where a story is being told but for this instance that I am going to write about I am going to focus on The Beatles self titled album which is commonly referred to as "The White Album."George Martin, the record producer of The Beatles has mentioned numerous times that "The White Album" should have been condensed down to just one incredibly good album. Not only does George Martin feel like this but Ring Starr as well and it appears that George Harrison just might feel that way as well although it was hard to take a straight answer from what he has said about it. I am getting all this information from the DVD "The Beatles Anthology" which may I add is the greatest rockumentary ever made, five discs of the story of The Beatles with phenomenal footage and performances. So what if "The White Album" was only one album? What songs would be featured on this one album? In my opinion omitting much of what I believe were filler songs could have been extremely beneficial to the album, and if they were to indeed take only the best material from those two discs they could have put out what probably would be regarded as their greatest album. Instead what they put out what was an album that was just weighed down by an overwhelming amount of material, much of which was completely unnecessary. Now I should not discredit this fantastic album because when I first started listening to The Beatles it was my favorite album. Here I am going to list what I feel could have been the ultimate "White Album."
- Back in the
- Dear Prudence
- Glass Onion
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Happiness Is a Warm Gun
- I'm So Tired
- Blackbird
- Rocky Racoon
- Julia
- Yer Blues
- Sexy Sadie
- Helter Skelter
- Revolution 9
- Cry Baby Cry
- Long, Long, Long
posted by Jeff at 1:09 AM
12 Comments:
This may sound odd, but I have never heard a whole Beatles album in my life. Just songs on the radio. I have not heard that many double albums. I think that the Stones' Exile on Main street is excellant. Nothing I would change about it except I think this was the Stones last truly great album so I don't know if took a lot out of them or what. I think Led Zeppelin's Physical Grafitti is very good, but not great. Again this was their last really good album. I think pulling off the double album is very hard because the chances of having filler songs is greater. Guns and Roses Use your Illusions is not technicly a double album because they were released seperately. Yet they were recorded at the same time and they have too many filler songs. If the band had focused on one album and had the best of these songs then it would have been a very good album. Instead we got two decent albums and I have skip through songs to hear the ones I really like. I would even rather have one very good album now and wait 2 years for the next really good album instead of getting a double album with a lot of filler on it.
Between 1969 and 1971 Chicago released the equivalent of 10 albums worth of material. Their first 3 albums were double LP, their 4th album was a 4 LP live set from their sold out week at Carnegie Hall.
For Chicago Transit Authority, I would have moved Free Form Guitar from the beginning of the 2nd LP to the very end. Its placement served only to disrupt the album's continuity. Not to mention the band essentially bankrolled the album. Columbia Records wouldn't foot the bill for a double LP debut album so the band said, "we feel so strongly about the material on this album we're willing to give up our royalties if you'll release it as a double LP." In the end Columbia honored their wishes.
In all honesty there is some material that could have been left off of Chicago III, but I'm not sure there's enough that could have been left off for it to have been cut down to a single album.
Chicago II is a masterpiece, imho, there's not a track on it that I would have left off. And the album is best enjoyed when listened to from start to finish without interruption.
I guess what I'm getting at is that it really depends on the album. If the material was strong enough to warrant filling two LPs, than I'm all for it. If it's a few strong tracks stretched out over 2 LPs due to the addition of an obnoxious amount of filler material-- well that's kind of overkill.
I miss you already! Have a great time.
As far as the topic - I like what Mark said about Zeppelin and G&R but I think the Stones had good albums up to 1976 (Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock and Roll, Black and Blue.
Then after that they were "okay" with Emotional Rescure, Some Girls and Tatoo You but I never bought a Stones album after 1981 (I did get Mick's last single and like the songs he does with Lenny Kravitz).
Jeff - Yeah I feel the same way about some bands that do that. It's overkill to an extent. Unless it's really really good.
Have a great vacation! And have a drink for me.
Peace,
- Neo
You ask yourself, 'How much more white could this be?' And the answer is none. None more white.
Amazing -- I can't think of ANY modifications I would make to your list. I knew our tstes were close, but I didn't think I'd be nodding my head in agreement all through. If I had to tweak something, I'd remove Revolution 9.
Overall, I can't think of any double albums that couldn't be improved by cutting back. Some, like The Lamb Liees Down on Broadway and The Wall, could never be one album but had some obvious filler material.
I loved most of Physical Grafitti but it could could be one album. Most live double albums get old, too--only Alive! is close to being great in its full double length.
-- david
Metal Mark - I couldn't agree with you more on Use Your Illusion. First of all I thought it was rather ridiculous to release a double album as two seperate albums but I guess it was rather innovative and unique but still robbery for the fans who had to purchase them. If condensed into one album it could have really been a fantastic album, instead I just listen to a few select songs from each.
Perplexio - I think that double albums should only be released as long at they are completely necessary. I hate to hear songs that are complete filler and do only but degrade from the quality of the album.
Layla - I'm not a big Stones fan at any rate but I do respect them. I can't really make any solid comments on their albums considering I've never really listened to any in entirety besides "Sticky Fingers."
Neo - Well said my friend. Making a solid double disc album is not an easy task.
Russ - If you are sort of quoting from Spinal Tap than praise to you. Because that is so incredibly funny!
David - Glad to see that we think so alike musically. I guess great minds think alike.
Oh yes, and the Smashing Pumpkins double album shoudl be cut back to about eight songs. Nuff said.
-- david
Jeff, the one track on Chicago Transit Authority that is considered filler by many is called "Free Form Guitar"-- it's over 6 minutes of Terry Kath just going totally ape-shit with his guitar. Apparently Terry was just messing around and the sound engineers decided to roll tape and a 6+ minute snippet of his total ape-shittedness ended up on the album (the story goes that the full segment of tape they caught of Terry on guitar is about 30 minutes-- thank God they only used about 6 1/2 minutes of it).
It's fun to listen to every now and then. It's essentially a guitarist playing pure emotion, no song structure, no rhythm, no beat. Just playing his heart out for no apparent reason other than pure love of the instrument. But it does really shunt the pacing of the album.
I'm also not a big fan of double albums but I think Tommy by the Who is one of the best double albums of all time.
Your back, why havent you posted yet?
Just kidding! Good to have you back! You asked how I have the photo at the top of my page, I put it in a post and dated in far in the future so it would always be on top. Some templates allow you to have banners in your header, that would be another way to do it.
I can't wait for the unveiling of your new blog!
Perplexio - I often love songs that have no musical direction and structure. Just playing on raw emotion.
Moose - I often forget that "Tommy" is a double album since I own the CD which is only one disc.
Layla - Thanks for the help, I'm back and posting.
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