The Beatles (album)
The self-titled album The Beatles, released by The Beatles in 1968 at the height of their popularity, is often hailed as one of the major accomplishments in popular music. The follow-up to the widely acclaimed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, it showcases better than any other album of their the range and depth of their talents. Along with such standard rockers as the opening "Back in the USSR", it contains classic ballads like "I Will" and "Julia" (the latter written by John--one of his few), whimsical tunes like "Rocky Raccoon" and "Ob-La-Da", the outright heavy metal "Helter Skelter", social commentary such as George's "Piggies" and John's "Happiness is a Warm Gun", and a mix of other tunes, many of which became popular as singles.
Perhaps as a reaction to the trend of dramatic album covers and extras they themselves help foster, this album had a plain white cover with only "The BEATLES" in small lettering; it is thus usually called the "white album". Included in the interior of the album is a set of photographs taken by John Kelley in autumn of 1968 that have themselves become classic.
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Many of the songs here are personal and self-referencing; for example "Dear Prudence" is about actress Mia Farrow's sister Prudence who attended Transcendental Meditation classes in Rishikesh, India at the same time as the group. "Sexy Sadie" is about the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who led those classes. "Glass Onion" is John's song for those fans who spent their time trying to find hidden meanings in the group's lyrics; it references several other Beatles songs in its lyric.
Yoko Ono makes her first appearance, as backing vocals in "Birthday" (along with Patti Harrison) and as a strong influence to John's bizarre "Revolution 9".
Eric Clapton provides an extra lead guitar for Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
The album was produced and orchestrated by George Martin, and was the first album released by Apple Records.
(All songs by Lennon/McCartney except * Harrison and ** Starkey)
Disc 1:
- Back in the USSR
- 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
Disc 2:
- 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