Gordon Thompson is Professor of Music at Skidmore College. His book, Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out, offers an insider’s view of the British pop-music recording industry. In the post below he looks at “The White Album”.
“The White Album”: One need not say much more to evoke the alternately dreamlike and daunting experience of encountering the Beatles’ 1968 magnum opus. The year 1968 shaped our aesthetic 
interpretation with student riots in Europe and race riots in the U.S., assassinations (Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy), political repression (in Chicago and Prague), and the inevitable loss of innocence as pop psychedelia began unraveling into drug addiction and death. What had begun in exhilaration and optimism had crested the hill and now careened in descent towards dissolution; but for the moment, the Beatles’ eponymous double album offered a breathtaking vista of monkeys, tigers, and blackbirds entertaining kings, queens, children, cowboys, and Jamaicans. Their sentiments could range from deep inside love (“I Will” and “I’m So Tired”), through outright sarcasm (“Sexy Sadie” and “Piggies”), to sheer terror (“Revolution 9”).
These recordings still hold the ability to capture our collective attention and individual fantasies, reminding us of how new and exciting music was. The album begins with a tip of the hat to the Beach Boys (and indirectly to Chuck Berry) as a jet roars into “Back in the USSR” (even as the USSR roared into Czechoslovakia). As the jet’s roar fades into “Dear Prudence,” we begin to wonder if this song about Mia Farrow’s introverted sister shields some darker purpose in the thicket of bass and drums. McCartney and Lennon seem to be talking about two different realities. Journalists of the time gossiped about the impending dissolution of the Beatles, sensing the internal tensions and multi-polar tug of personal interests. Listeners wondered about the future of civilization.
Forty years ago on Friday 22 November 1968, the Beatles’ commercial venture, Apple Records, issued their anti-Sgt. Pepper’s album, The Beatles. Gone were Peter Blake’s pop art colors and crowded imagery. The Granny Smith apple, known for its sourness, replaced the aura of fab-four comradery—of first moustaches and satin band-uniforms—with individual portraits and collaged domestic snapshots spread like memories on a bed sheet. Now, like other groups of the era, the Beatles sought to re-imagine themselves more as individuals than as a group.
The very same day that the Beatles released their eponymous “white album,” Pye released The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (with catchy Ray Davies’ tunes like “Picture Book”). Two weeks later, the Stones would finally see their own much-delayed Beggar’s Banquet released, with its carefully constructed DIY sound. But the Beatles would dominate the Christmas market that year, even as they inspired a cottage industry of cryptographers who believed they had deciphered from John Lennon’s clues the meaning behind Paul McCartney’s apparent death in a car crash. Lennon, when interviewed by a young teen from Toronto, spoke about multiple layers of meaning in the music, even as he backed away from the youth’s interpretations. Indeed today, we still find ourselves disaggregating the sounds and words of this compilation, wondering what it all means…, if anything.
We look back on this era and see a generation trying to make sense of the chaos, searching for meaning in songs and art. Perhaps we see ourselves trying to understand our selves, wondering what our future might hold, just as the Beatles struggled with these issues. Perhaps in repeatedly returning to this album, we continue to ponder our choices.
I recall decorating the Christmas tree that last week of November 1968 while listening to my brand new “white album”. It was a perfect complement to the wild, emotional roller coster ride we all took in 68′. The album was schtzophrenic, beautiful, violent, hopeful, disparing, upbeat, bluesy…… just so unpredictable and outright scary for a Beatles album. It perfectly complemented the scary nature of 1968.
I remember putting on the disks, reveling at the quality of the sound, and wondering where Harrison’s Indian music had gone. The focus of the Sgt Pepper track “Within You without You” was gone. In its place was the distorted insanity of “Savoy Truffle.” Man, what an album.
Wow leveling, Warcraft power leveling, Cheap WoW Power Leveling Store
we professionally focused on providing wow powerleveling service and offers 24/7 non-stop power
leveling service. With the quickest speed and best service we will satisfy your powerleveling
aspiration for your game. We only employ the most professional players and assign only those familiar buy WOW Gold
with your specific class to play your characters. So your character can be leveled by our professional
players who are expert in World of Warcraft,We have helped thousands of players reached their desired
levels at their appointed time. In addition, we have a strong credit standing and the safety of your
account will be protected forever. Our motto is “Do what you wish!”.And our high quality service, good
reputation and competitive price will make you enjoy your purchase from us.
NOTE:We use real players (WOW Power Leveler) to level your character, ALL HAND MADE. Your account
will be safe and secure,GUARANTEED.
Non-stop service is a fast powerleveling that from the order confirmed to the end time you required.
The merits are:fastest,unnormal and cheapest. You will find an expected surprise after finishing the
service,In order to avoiding something unnomal happened, please do not change your password or login Wow power leveling
by yourself,your friends or any other people. when we are playing for you . If that ,we will not
undertake the loss and disputation .
Part time service is we will not keep your powerleveling for 24 hours, we can do it within the time
you offered. For example: you require us do it during the time (24:00-8:00) you are sleeping, we ca
not do it during any other time except the one you offered , until finish your powerleveling. The
adventage of this is not only you could play the game, but also can keep the speed of powerlevling
when you are not online. At the same time, In order to keep the speed and the security of your
powerleveling, we want to say “please do not play game or change your password when we are playing it
for you”. If that ,we will not undertake the loss and disputation .
cheapest World Of Warcraft Power Leveling service
Compared with part time service, Variable Time Service is more flexible. You need not worry about
your labour union activity or being logout when you are playing with your friend.Do not even worry
about the trouble logined by yourself and our guys at the same time. Opposite,you can play your game
for a whole weekend and holidays with nobody interrupt you. The advantage of variable time service is power leveling cheap
you could check your order at our powerleveling report ,and sent SMS to break off our service by
pressing “pause”.we promise we will logout within 10 minutes.in order to insure your successful
logining. In the same way, you could let us start your powerleveling when you are tired or you do not
play the game. we will go on it within 10 minutes.
Our 24 hours online service makes that your problem can be resolved at any time.