Before I begin this review, please be reminded that my blog has available
to each of you a comprehensive article defining full intricate details during
the recording process from all 30 tracks off the White Album, and can be read
at your leisure within the archives. These fascinating reads begin in the April 2018 Archives and continue through the November 2018 Archives, so enjoy. With that said, let’s get on with the 50th
analysis.
Number 9 (Turn me on, dead man)
Number 9 (Turn me on, dead man)
November 9 (Turn me up, dear man) – Yes increase the volume, because
we’ve heard many a time that less is more, but not in the case formulated by this
bountiful gift issued through Apple Corp just in time for Christmas. Twas the 9th
day of last month, Headquarters’ management unleashed the 2018 release of the
exceedingly anticipated 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ ‘White Album.’ Apple
decided early on the best way to spark mass appeal was to cater toward everyone’s
money conscious budget. Therefore, the Company offers a fresh choice between various
priced remixed CD and vinyl packages while the most sumptuous piece spotlights
today’s article, the Super Deluxe edition, boasting an elaborate 168-page
hardcover book. This set truly peaks praise from hardcore Beatles fans. Regardless
to which cost effective set takes up residence, you’ll feel like you’re a fly
on the wall listening in on The Beatles as they record their only double-LP
studio album.
When first perceived that the super deluxe set contained 6 CDs and
1 Blu-ray, I expected the Blu-ray featured never before seen video treasures of
and about the Beatles during their cumbersome, and at times, rocky project.
Instead, the Blu-ray merely presents a surround sound audio version which
comprises stereo, HD and mono mixes directly off the original album.
Upon listening to this brilliant and awaited Super Deluxe edition,
you’ll find the first two discs copy the original content except bathed in a
new stunning and welcomed stereo mix. The album’s transformed remixed 30 tracks
come courtesy through the gifted producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam
Okell, outsourced from the 1968 creative four-track and eight-track session
tapes supervised by Giles father, George Martin, the innovative genius producer
for our beloved Beatles right from the early sixties’ onset.
“Many have assumed that there was a weakening of the bonds between
The Beatles during the making of ‘The White Album’… This is simply not true,”
explains Giles Martin in his introduction for the new White Album releases. “It
is clear from listening to the tapes that their collective spirit and
inventiveness were, in fact, stronger than ever.”
Disc 3 fills in all the blanks as to how the whole White Album
journey got its start. Affectionately referred to as The Esher Demos, buyers
now have these diamonds in the rough gems in hailed possession. Around May
1968, after The Beatles returned from India with a whole bunch of new songs
they had written during their trip, they went to George Harrison’s house in
Esher, Surrey and recorded acoustic demos for 27 of these new songs. Tracks
20-27 never made it onto the White Album, but quite interesting all the same
making the demos inclusion an obliged value.
Discs 4-6 wonderfully present 50 outtakes from the recording
sessions including a few songs scratched off the original album – For example,
“St. Louis Blues” depicts a fun studio jam although it only lasts 50 seconds.
Also, Paul McCartney lets loose singing a hard-rocking' version of Elvis
Presley’s song “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care.” Unfortunately, this
song plays a short 42 seconds, but at times the lyrics get lost and a bit
difficult to understand.
Some surprises in the session outtakes include an instrumental
backing track of “Back in the USSR,” a bluesy version of “Let It Be,” and an
alternate version of “Don’t Pass Me By” which features an elaborate orchestral
opening, yet ultimately deleted from the final version.
You really feel like you’re behind the scenes in the recording
studio with John, Paul, George, and Ringo on the tracks while they hash things
over with each other. Ringo does a comical version of “Good Night” where he’s
speaking the lyrics and then joking about them in a short 37-second clip. Also,
after singing a shortened version of “Blackbird,” Paul McCartney starts
analyzing which voice he should use when ready to sing. He favors singing it in
a “quiet” voice, and an unknown woman can be heard agreeing with him.
“We had left Sgt. Pepper’s band to play in his sunny Elysian Fields
and were now striding out in new directions without a map,” writes Paul
McCartney in his introduction in the new hardcover book.
It’s interesting to hear that two songs from the future Abbey Road
album appear during this period. “Mean Mr. Mustard” and “Polythene Pam” were
both written by John Lennon and did not change much in their final form on the
Abbey Road album one year later.
Four of the songs, including “Junk” by McCartney, and “Not Guilty”
and “Circles” by Harrison, were released in later years on the ex-Beatles
respective solo albums. The most intriguing is John Lennon’s song “Child of
Nature.” The inspired lyrics of this song surfaced through one of Maharishi’s
lectures about nature.
“I never did anything with it,” Lennon recalled about the song.
“But I always liked the melody. The words were silly, anyway… I decided to
change it – and, with Yoko’s help, I did.”
The melody of “Child of Nature” would be paired with new lyrics
and became Lennon’s song “Jealous Guy” later released on his 1971 Imagine
album.
The unique hardcover book in the Super Deluxe package also serves
as the CD holder case for the White Album. The first two and last two pages of
the book use sturdier cardboard-type pages which hold all of the discs in
built-in pockets as well as a folder which contains a full-size reproduction of
the original album poster and four glossy color photos of each Beatle.
The back-side of the White Album poster includes the lyrics to all
the songs on the album. The poster is a type of home-movie set in photos of The
Beatles.
The plastic protective cover of the book, featuring photos of The
Beatles and the track listing, is transparent and slides off of the book,
leaving a blank white cover just like the original album. Early copies of the
White Album received individual numbers on the front, and this feature again
duplicates on the front of the book in the Super Deluxe package.
The book unfolds seven chapters written by various music
historians and two brief introductions from Paul McCartney and Giles Martin.
The chapter that covers handwritten lyrics come printed on different paper
(matte) than the rest of the book, which is glossy, for a more authentic
reproduction of the historic lyric sheets.
One chapter features a track-by-track description for each song on
the album plus the Esher demos. Other chapters collectively trace the White
Album from beginning to end including details on the recording process, the
design of the poster, plus a fine musical analysis and the release and
reception of the album.
Special rare photos as well as original ads for the White Album
highlight the packaged manuscript, not to mention a chapter on the Beatles “Mad
Day Out” photo session around London from July 28, 1968.
All in all, the 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe version pinpoints a
treat for the hardcore Beatles fan. It includes practically everything you
could ever want to know, see and hear about the making of the White Album.
Please feel free to leave any comments or corrections and share
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