Revolution 9 | Page 2 | Fab forum

I'm gonna be a lonely voice in favor of the composition, but here goes.

The White Album is absolutely one of the pivotal records in my development as a listener of music and R9 is a major reason why.

I bought the set in 1977 on vinyl when I was 13 or 14 years old, took it home and listened on headphones straight through.  Each and every song struck me as brilliant and taught me something new.  At that point I'd been a Beatles fan for about 4 years.  My first purchase of their music was the "Red" album; I also loaded up on George's, Ringo's, and especially John's albums.  Bought "Rock and Roll Music" the compilation album, and played the hell out of that in a little town called Sinclair, Wyoming, which has about 400 people, an oil refinery, a bar, and a post office.

So, I had been riveted for 3 1/4 sides when R9 came through the headphones and I can promise you it put the White Album right over the top for me.  It felt like it went on for about a half-hour that first time; it was scary but exhilarating, stunningly creative, surprise-filled, staggering work. Then, to top it off with yet another surprise, Ringo with Good Night, absolutely inappropriate yet absolutely appropriate at the same time.

I'd started playing the record when the sun was going down and by the time R9 came on it was dark in my room, so that added to the effect.  I had NO idea what to expect and I thought it weird that there were no lyrics on the album insert for R9.  Didn't take me long to figure out something new was happening here.

This was a few years before I did any kind of recreational drugs at all and I sure didn't need 'em to expand my consciousness for this one.  In fact no one really needs them.  This was really stronger than any drug I did subsequently, for that matter.

Seriously, even if you hate the composition--and it's hard for me to understand why anyone would, I have to say that--doesn't it make an already brilliant document of the Beatles career even more unique and indispensable?  Isn't it yet another reason why no one ever made albums like these guys did, before or since?

They, along with George Martin, INVENTED the rock album as art form.  This was a giant mindblower, right up there with A Day in the Life, and yeah, thank you John and Yoko.

Personal note: Many years later, after I'd graduated from college and was at a party when some folks were playing a cassette copy they'd made of the White Album, I was getting into it on the 4th side when it became obvious they'd CUT R9 from the cassette copy.  Believe me, I gave them a ton of shit for doing that and I didn't care what the other folks at the party thought of my intensity, we got into a pretty good argument.

I'm sorry, whether or not people appreciate the composition or not, even if they hate it, you can fast forward through, turn down the volume, but you just don't CUT any parts out of the White Album or any other Beatles albums for that matter!!

As you can see--if I'm ever your guest and R9 comes on the stereo, I'm sticking with you!!