Beatles White Album Turns 43

It was on this date, November 22nd of 1968, that the Beatles' self-titled double LP known as 'The White Album' was released.  The album contained 30 songs, and was incredibly diverse.  From soft ballads to extreme rock, and everything in between, it's all there.

The album had mixed reviews on its release, due in large part to the gamut of sounds and styles presented.  It sounded like a collection of solo songs by the band members on a lot of the tracks.  In retrospect, it is now considered one of the Beatles' best, and is increasingly a fan favorite.

I like listening to The White Album because of the creativity and stretching of boundaries that can be heard as you roll through the 30 songs.  The extreme rock of 'Helter Skelter' from McCartney, and the beautiful melody of 'Julia' from John are juxtaposed with snippets of melody like 'Honey Pie' and 'I'm So Tired'.  And then there's the psychedelic soundscape of 'Revolution 9', reflecting John and Yoko's experimental phase.

You get retro 1920s sounds such as Paul's 'Martha My Dear', and even some tongue in cheek politicizing from George on 'Piggies'.

Check out a mini-documentary video on The White Album below.  It was included on the remastered edition of the album on cd.  And if you haven't listened to it lately, take some time to revisit the genius of The Beatles: