If The White Album Were One Record

[Ziggy C]

The Beatles, aka The White Album, fka A Doll's House was released unto the world on November 22, 1968 in the UK and November 25, 1968 in the US. While not the first double album to ever be released, it was the only double album released by The Beatles as a group. George Martin believed that it would have been a stronger album if several of the weaker songs had been left off. Maybe issue them as B-sides.

Playing devil's advocate, let's suppose that's exactly what happened.
What songs would you drop?

What would be the strongest version of The Beatles as a single record? I would hope the strongest iteration would include tracks that sounded like the band were jamming together for the most part. So would that mean that Back In The USSR and Dear Prudence don't belong? Hmmmm....

I'd remove:
Good Night - too slow and sappy. Orchestral, yes. But it's no Yesterday. Sure it's a Ringo vocal. But better served on a Ringo solo album.
Cry Baby Cry - an obvious throwaway tune.
Revolution #9 - Better suited for Two Virgins 1 or 2. Far too experimental and strange.
Wild Honey Pie - self explanatory
Martha My Dear - a sentimental ditty about a sheepdog?
Long Long Long - not one of George's best. Not as compared to, say, WMGGW.

....to be continued.....


What I'd Keep: (evolving and still in progress...)
Side One and Three are the strong sides. Two and Four are the weak sides.

Back In The USSR
Ob-La-Di
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I'm So Tired
Mother Nature's Son
Julia
Helter Skelter
Savoy Truffle
Revolution #1
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
Birthday
Don't Pass Me By

[KennySaxton]

I'd remove Wild Honey Pie, Martha My Dear, Rocky Raccoon, Don't Pass Me By, Why Don't We Do It In The Road, Birthday, Mother Nature's Son, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey.

[Antonio218]

I'd remove Obladi Oblada, Wild Honey Pie, Bungalow Bill, Piggies, Don't pass me by, Honey Pie and Revolution 9.

[Mrbeatleg]

"It's great, it sold, it's the bloody Beatles' 'White Album, shut up!"

[ianbuckers]

...you would ruin it!

[Fast lucky]

I would add Not Guilty

[Ziggy C]

Not Guilty isn't a bad idea. I'd consider Hey Bulldog and Lady Madonna, too.

I get it...Paul's quote from Anthology, "...it's the bloody Beatles 'White Album. Shut Up!" Yeah, I get it. Still playing devil's advocate, though.

One thing that stood out about Anthology as one of the few, scarce negative aspects, is the reweaving of history by Paul McCartney. His remembrances of things that happened during Help, during the writing/recording of various songs throughout their career, comes off as part truth, part reconstruction/fabrication. And in the years since Anthology, it's only gotten worse. Another negative aspect of Anthology is George snubbing Paul pretty much through the whole thing; most evident when they're kicking back with the ukulele and Paul is trying to horn in on Dera Duhn with his imitation of an Indian droning instrument.

[quigatolah]

Well, if 74 minute CD's were available,
instead of a (usually under) 50 minute LP, maybe that is what they would have done.
There are always weaker/ stronger songs on a set, so of course paring it down to your favorites
would make for a better listen. But who wants fewer, rather than more Beatle songs?


You could do the same with

Rubber Soul / Revolver
Sgt P / MMT
Abbey Rd / Let it Be

Or better yet, we could boil it all down to one album.
We could call it, I dunno, maybe.... 1 or something like that.

[alphabeatles]

Another negative aspect of Anthology is George snubbing Paul pretty much through the whole thing

Interesting that Paul brought George into the Beatles in the first place, shared the live mic with him for countless shows, but other than that they didn't seem to work together much, especially in the solo years (not at all as I recall, until Anthology, and then not again until the last hospital visit and that wasn't musical).

Geroge could either be brilliant on lead (Till There Was You, Roll Over Beethoven) or hamfisted (I Saw Her Standing There, Can't Buy Me Love outtake solos, for example – "What kind of solo was that!?"). And his singing voice really stood out (especially in backing vocals). Sometimes I wonder how he didn't also get Pete Best-ed. (Not that I don't like and respect George, just some observations.)

As for the White Album, I am always surprised that not only did Revolution #9 make the cut (all 4 would have had to agree), but that it was so long. I guess it was payback for Honey Pie...

[Lord Reith]

I would instantly chuck:

obladi oblada
wild honey pie
bungalow bill
rocky raccoon
why don't we chew it in the road
long long long too long
revolution 1 (prefer the long version)

I guess I'd have to throw out a few others too, so if pushed I would probably pick:

savoy truffle
blackbird (never liked this song)
yer blues (I prefer the Dirty Mac version)
can you take me back
julia (prefer the demo)