Lately, Sunday is the day I take my THC edible, and I like to listen to classic rock albums on my Alexa. I’ve been enjoying my rediscovery of The White Album by The Beatles. It’s a double album of 30 songs released during 1968. Rolling Stone magazine praised the album’s “ambition” and “eclectic nature.” Years later, this magazine rated it the 29th best album of all time. This album has a greater variety of songs than any other album I’ve ever listened to. There are rock songs, rhythm and blues, pop songs, kids’ songs, lullabies, parodies, weird songs, dumb songs, psychedelic songs, political songs, and pseudo-country songs.
List of songs on The White Album
Although Ringo Starr didn’t contribute as much creatively to the songwriting as Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison; his percussion is excellent and underrated.
The album begins with “Back in the USSR,” a rock parody of The Beach Boys music, complete with excellent vocal harmonies. A line in the lyrics suggests The Beatles found Beach Boy music nauseating.
The 2nd song is “Dear Prudence,” a pretty love letter kind of song.
“Glass Onion” features Ringo Starr’s impressive percussion and has lyrics that mention lyrics from previous Beatles songs, including the revelation that the walrus in “I am the Walrus” was Paul McCartney.
“Ob La Di Ob La Da” is a pop song influenced by a Jamaican man’s comment, but it doesn’t sound like reggae. I can play this song on keyboard and glockenspiel.
My cat likes “The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow Bill” because the lyrics ask “Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill, Bungalow Bill.” My cat is a killer of baby birds, insects, and other small animals. I learned to play this melody too.
“Wild Honey Pie” is just a weird song.
” While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is George Harrison’s biggest contribution to this album. It’s the best song on the album in my opinion.
“Happiness is a Warm Gun” includes double entendre lyrics and nice vocal harmonies.
“Birthday” has an interesting guitar riff, played fast, alternating with percussion and some really exciting pounding on a piano that was fed through a guitar amplifier. I learned to play this riff on my glockenspiel, and it’s fun to play.
“Yer Blues” as the title suggests is a rhythm and blues song. It’s not the best song on the album, but it is my personal favorite.
“Revolution #1” begins with a kick ass electric guitar riff and is a political song with a good melody.
“Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey” is a catchy tune.
I would categorize “Helter Skelter” as punk metal 10 years ahead of its time.
“Revolution #9” is just a weird song for people who are stoned.
“Rocky Raccoon” is a pseudo-country song that sounds like it’s sung by Ernest T. Bass, a fictional character from The Andy Griffith Show. Ernest T. Bass was a crazy hillbilly who threw rocks through people’s windows.
“Why Don’t We Do It in the Road” is a dumb song with a heavy rhythm and blues beat.
“Piggies” is Orwellian social satire.
“Good Night” is a lullaby written by John Lennon for his young son.
Most critics rate Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as The Beatles best album, though Rolling Stone magazine in a review liked The White Album better. I formerly rated The White Album The Beatles 4th best album after Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper, and Magical Mystery Tour; but after further analysis I rank it 2nd only to Abbey Road.
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