The Beatles - The Beatles [White Album]

Each song on the sprawling double album The Beatles is an entity to itself, as the band touches on anything and everything it can. This makes for a frustratingly scattershot record or a singularly gripping musical experience, depending on your view, but what makes the so-called White Album interesting is its mess. Never before had a rock record been so self-reflective, or so ironic; the Beach Boys send-up "Back in the U.S.S.R." and the British blooze parody "Yer Blues" are delivered straight-faced, so it's never clear if these are affectionate tributes or wicked satires. Lennon turns in two of his best ballads with "Dear Prudence" and "Julia"; scours the Abbey Road vaults for the musique concrète collage "Revolution 9"; pours on the schmaltz for Ringo's closing number, "Good Night"; celebrates the Beatles cult with "Glass Onion"; and, with "Cry Baby Cry," rivals Syd Barrett. McCartney doesn't reach quite as far, yet his songs are stunning -- the music hall romp "Honey Pie," the mock country of "Rocky Raccoon," the ska-inflected "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and the proto-metal roar of "Helter Skelter." Clearly, the Beatles' two main songwriting forces were no longer on the same page, but neither were George and Ringo. Harrison still had just two songs per LP, but it's clear from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the canned soul of "Savoy Truffle," the haunting "Long, Long, Long," and even the silly "Piggies" that he had developed into a songwriter who deserved wider exposure. And Ringo turns in a delight with his first original, the lumbering country-carnival stomp "Don't Pass Me By." None of it sounds like it was meant to share album space together, but somehow The Beatles creates its own style and sound through its mess. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Aaron Bremner Photo Editing, Photo Research Alan Rouse Liner Notes, Project Coordinator Alf Reece Tuba Andy Morris Saxophone, Trombone Bernard Miller Violin Bill Povey Trombone Billy Preston Organ Chris E. Thomas Producer Chris Thomas Harpsichord, Producer, Mellotron David Smith Clarinet Dennis McConnell Violin Dennis Walton Saxophone Derek Watkins Trumpet Don Lang Trombone Drew Lorimer Redesign Eric Clapton Guitar Freddy Clayton Trumpet Frederick J. Alexander Cello Gavin ONeill Photo Retouching Geoff Emerick Engineer George Harrison Organ, Guitar (Rhythm), Violin, Vocals, Tambourine, Guitar, Guitar (Bass) George Martin Horn, Piano, Producer, Orchestration Guy Massey Remastering Harry Klein Saxophone Henry Myerscough Viola Jack Fallon Violin Jim Chester Saxophone John Lennon Tambourine, Guitar (Bass), Organ, Horn, Saxophone, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar John Power Trombone Ken Scott Engineer Kevin Howlett Historical Research, Liner Notes Leo Birnbaum Viola Leon Calvert French Horn, Trumpet Les Maddox Violin Lou Sofier Violin Mal Evans Tambourine, Trumpet Maureen Starkey Vocals (Background) Nicky Hopkins Piano, Performer Patti Harrison Vocals (Background) Paul McCartney Guitar, Vocals, Flute, Drums, Bass, Organ (Hammond), Percussion, Guitar (Bass), Piano Pete Shotton Tambourine Raymond Newman Clarinet Reginald Kilbey Cello Richard Hamilton Design Ringo Starr Bongos, Piano, Percussion, Drums, Marimba, Vocals, Tambourine Ron Hughes Trumpet Ronald Chamberlain Saxophone Stanley Reynolds Trumpet Steve Rooke Remastering Ted Barker Tuba Tony Tunstall French Horn Wendy Day Project Manager Yoko Ono Vocals (Background)