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Favourite and Least Favourite "White Album" Songs
20 September 2013
8.20pm
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Hannah
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Would you like to join our club meanmistermustard? That would bring the number up to four! 

20 September 2013
8.52pm
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vonbontee
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Hannah said

vonbontee said
I love everything about “Wild Honey Pie ” – its atonality, its ramshackle rhythm – everything EXCEPT that final “I love youwoowoo Honey Pie “, which comes too close to minstrelsy for my liking. I don’t know whether that’s what Paul intended or not, but it’s almost enough to ruin the entire thing for me.

We almost got you vonbontee! I’ve never thought of the ending like that before (excuse my ignorance but I assume you mean it sounds like the black and white minstrels?) If I thought that I probably would have reservations too but I don’t think that was the intention. Please give me more info to back up your thoughts! 

Yeah, blackface minstrelry is exactly what I’m talking about – Paul singing like a “darkie”. Again, I have no idea if that’s the effect Paul was going for or if it’s just my imagination. But if it was deliiberate and I’m hearing what I fear I’m hearing, I have a huge problem with that, and regard it as an embarrassing anachronism on a 1968 album.

GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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https://rateyourmusic.com/~Myo.....Von_Bontee

20 September 2013
8.52pm
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meanmistermustard
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Do we get matching t-shirts and badges? If so, definitely.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

20 September 2013
9.25pm
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Hannah
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I’m sure that can be arranged. They will read We Support WHP!

20 September 2013
9.37pm
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BrettB
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Favorite? Julia .

Least favorite? I don’t know, man, but, if i seriously had to choose one… Wild Honey Pie , I guess. I love that song, though! Choosing least favorites is haaaaaard! paul-mccartney

Everyman has a man who loves him

Everywoman has a woman who loves her

20 September 2013
9.45pm
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Ahhh Girl
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BrettB said
Favorite? Julia .

Least favorite? I don’t know, man, but, if i seriously had to choose one… Wild Honey Pie , I guess. I love that song, though! Choosing least favorites is haaaaaard! paul-mccartney

Julia and Helter Skelter both gave me goosebumps this morning as I drove to OKC for work-related meetings. So, for today, one of those two would qualify as a favorite.

20 September 2013
10.01pm
Bungalow Bob
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I like mostly everything about the “White Album .” I’ve even listened to “Revolution 9 ” enough times to “kind-of-knowing-it-not-exactly-by-heart,-but-nothing-surprises-me.” One of the songs that I think could have been improved is “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey.” It’s always felt “dashed-off” and underwritten to me. John was probably trying to impress Yoko with his mimicking, minimalist lyrics, or maybe she had an uncredited hand in writing the words. Anyway, the song seems to have Yoko’s influental fingerprints all over it. It has a good rock beat and a driving lead guitar, and I can’t help thinking that it could have been better. Maybe it just needs more cowbell.

20 September 2013
11.21pm
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Funny Paper
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Bungalow Bob said
I like mostly everything about the “White Album .” I’ve even listened to “Revolution 9 ” enough times to “kind-of-knowing-it-not-exactly-by-heart,-but-nothing-surprises-me.” One of the songs that I think could have been improved is “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey.” It’s always felt “dashed-off” and underwritten to me. John was probably trying to impress Yoko with his mimicking, minimalist lyrics, or maybe she had an uncredited hand in writing the words. Anyway, the song seems to have Yoko’s influental fingerprints all over it. It has a good rock beat and a driving lead guitar, and I can’t help thinking that it could have been better. Maybe it just needs more cowbell.

I think it’s absolute perfection.  The bell they’re using is not a cowbell but some kind of larger bell.  If you look up the song in the “Songs” section of this website and read the comments, you’ll see everyone is speculating on what kind of bell it is, and who played it.  Someone mentions that some book says it’s Paul playing a “fireman’s bell”.  It would be nice to know exactly what it is, and who played it.  But I guess since this is 1,000 year-old medieval history, we’ll never know for sure…blue-meanie

But whatever it is, it is being played MADLY and wonderfully, and there’s no need for “more”.

 

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Von Bontee

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21 September 2013
5.42am
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BBCSessions1963
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Wild Honey Pie , and Revolution 9 end up as my least favorites. Sexy Saide, Cry Baby Cry , Happiness Is A Warm Gun , Goodnight, Piggies , Yer Blues , and Mother Nature’s Son have to be my some of my favorites.

And if you saw my love, I'll love her to.

23 September 2013
12.15am
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Linde
The Netherlands
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Hate Revolution 9 and Yer Blues . Savoy Truffle isn’t my favourite either, but I don’t hate it as much as the two I just mentioned. Oh and Revolution 1 . I just prefer the single version. The album version is so boring.

As for my favourite..WMGGW, Dear Prudence and Cry Baby Cry are my three most favourite songs I think. WMGGW and DP have been favourites for a long time, but it’s only been recently that I’ve grown so fond of CBC. 

 

23 September 2013
11.36pm
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Funny Paper
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Cry Baby Cry has very cool lyrics.  The music is good too.  I suspect it’s largely a Lennon song.  I used to like to play cowbell along with it (a bit in Will Ferrell fashion )blue-meanie

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28 September 2013
7.35pm
CorporationT-shirt
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The White Album is my favorite Beatles album.  I love (almost) all of the songs, even the quirky ones.  Hell, I even enjoy dusting off Revolution 9 every once in a while. I also wish they could have included Not Guilty as well, since it would have fit perfectly (IMO). The only tracks that I don’t really care for are:

Bungalow Bill
Rocky Raccoon  
Goodnight
Wild Honey Pie

I find Bungalow Bill to be incredibly irritating, both musically and lyrically.  There’s too much Yoko for my liking. They should have recorded Child Of Nature instead.

I used to enjoy Rocky Raccoon when I was younger, but for some reason it doesn’t really connect with me anymore.  Personally I wish that Paul had recorded Junk instead – that song sounds very “White Album ” to my ears.  Very melancholy and almost eerie.  An incredible melody and chord progression.

I think Goodbye is actually a very good song, but I wish that John had sung it instead.  I also don’t care for the over-the-top orchestration.  I usually skip it for this reason.  I think it would have been a standout track if John had had sung it, with a sparse arrangement.

Wild Honey Pie has to be one of the most irritating recordings I have ever heard.

 

 

 

28 September 2013
7.44pm
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acmac
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CorporationT-shirt said
I also wish they could have included Not Guilty as well, since it would have fit perfectly (IMO).

Definitely. It’s a fantastic song and there’s really just no excuse for it never making a Beatle record.

Sign me up for “Wild Honey Pie “‘s tiny fan club. It’s a guilty pleasure.

28 September 2013
7.59pm
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Sky999
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Favorites in no particular order:

Songs I Hate:

The rest are somewhere in between.

29 September 2013
12.09am
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Funny Paper
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CorporationT-shirt said

I find Bungalow Bill to be incredibly irritating, both musically and lyrically.  There’s too much Yoko for my liking. They should have recorded Child Of Nature instead.

 

I’ve told this story before on The Beatles Bible forum — way back in the winter of Ought ’12, there was a fierce blizzard around these here parts, I’d been ambushed by some Cheyennes out west of the Pecos, and I spent upwards of purt near a year sssssssssucking on my leg in a cave… and anyway, a friend of mine told me that Yoko Ono is singing as part of the chorus on “Bungalow Bill” and I said “no way!” and he said, “yes, here’s the proof” — and he linked me to The Beatles Bible, the “Songs” section.  And as I’ve also said before here, I think Yoko’s voice in that song is delightfully wacky, a perfect touch to that already wacky song.

Anyway, from there, I noticed there was a discussion forum here, and since I’m an old hand at discussion forums on the Net, having cut my teeth on dozens of them over the years (and getting kicked out of a few, with the scars to prove it), I thought I’d join.

And I’m still here… a-hard-days-night-john-3

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29 September 2013
1.39am
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Ahhh Girl
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^^Tell your friend I said “thank you” for pointing you here.

29 September 2013
3.28am
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walrusgumboot
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Fave- I’m So Tired tied with Long Long Long.
Least Fave-hmm…probably Goodnight just cuz it doesn’t FIT. AT ALL.
a-hard-days-night-ringo-14
Sorry Ringo.

....ya won't be interferin' wit the basic rugged concept o' me personality would ya madam?

29 September 2013
4.19am
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trcanberra
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I like “Helter Skelter “, mostly because I could use it back then as an argument against anyone who thought the Beatles were going soft.

Least? Hard to pick one as I love the diversity of the album, but I guess it would be “Julia ” – it has not quite grown on me yet.

Oh, and I’m happy to join the “Honey Pie ” club – I kinda like that one too – does that make 5 of us yet?

==> trcanberra and hongkonglady - Together even when not (married for those not in the know!) <==

29 September 2013
5.07am
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Cry Baby Cry has very cool lyrics.  The music is good too.  I suspect it’s largely a Lennon song.  I used to like to play cowbell along with it (a bit in Will Ferrell fashion )blue-meanie

Funny Paper, I agree.  The lyrics are cool.  I remember reading an interview with John where he dismissed the song as inconsequential, but I think it’s one of his most under-appreciated gems.

One of interesting things about Cry Baby Cry is that Lennon employed an almost McCartney-like 3rd person narrative style.  There are only a handful of other Lennon stabs at “storytelling” in the Beatles catalogue.  Although the lyrics are dreamlike and whimsical, there is  also a palpable sense of dread – a general uneasiness, if you will – that runs throughout the stanzas.

Lennon puts in a marvelous vocal performance on this track.  Fantastic melody. I also love McCartney’s creative bass line, and Ringo really lays down a solid groove – he really locks in with Paul (and vice versa, of course). Who plays the piano?  Is it Lennon?  Whoever played it did a great job as well. 

That descending chord progress is typical Lennon as well.  I love it.

The short Can You Take Me Back fadeout tacked on the end of the track is eerie as hell – it works seamlessly with Cry Baby Cry .  What a great track.  Very “White Album “-sounding, if you know what I mean.

 

 

29 September 2013
11.08am
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Funny Paper
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cbatcu said
^^Tell your friend I said “thank you” for pointing you here.

I will cbatcu, thanks — and I hope you stick around for a long time and don’t disappear like some seem to do…

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