THE BEATLES [AKA: THE WHITE ALBUM]

The more tracks you have on an album, the less guarantees you have that it will get an arithmetic average close to a five. However, here's the deal: this is my most favorite of all Beatles albums. Of course, this is not one of the reasons why it got a five. This is a double mammoth that is quite solid in many ways. There are just too many things that I would like to discuss in detail and too many pinnacles to tell which one I love the most. Which ones are the pinnacles for me? Look at the track list below. "Any elements of prog?" Sure. There is the diversity factor. We have hard rock, folk, funk, country, experimental music, crooner, musique concrete, and a mix of sitar music with R&B, soul, and folk. I also encountered some really funny lyrics; ideas where melody and tone are well-crafted together; a mean and crunchy guitar; an outburst in songwriting creativity; and, finally, versatility in arrangements. It looks like the band tries everything in its power to raise the bar in, ahem, "pop" music.

"Is there anything we have to be well prepared for if we haven't heard the album yet?" Yes, actually. Prepare for some really silly short ditties on here. Also, prepare a few volume controls. If you have satisfied all of these conditions, you are good to go. You will thank me later.

Ratings/comments (if you have to ask):

-------------------------- Disc 1:

1. 'Back in the USSR' - ** (I already had one boring geography lesson with The Beach Boys.) 2. 'Dear Prudence' - **** 3. 'Glass Onion' - **** 4. 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' - ** 5. 'Wild Honey Pie' - *** 6. 'The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill' - *** 7. 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' - *** 8. 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' - **** 9. 'Martha My Dear' - ***** 10. 'I'm So Tired' - **** 11. 'Blackbird' - ***** 12. 'Piggies' - ***** 13. 'Rocky Raccoon' - ***** 14. 'Don't Pass Me By' - **** 15. 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road' - ** 16. 'I Will' - **** 17. 'Julia' - ****

-------------------------- Disc 2:

1. 'Birthday' - ***** 2. 'Yer Blues' - *** 3. 'Mother Nature's Son' - ***** 4. 'Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey' - ***** 5. 'Sexy Sadie' - ** 6. 'Helter Skelter' - ***** 7. 'Long, Long, Long' - ** 8. 'Revolution 1' - ** (There is also 'Revolution 0', which I like much better than this one.) 9. 'Honey Pie' - **** 10. 'Savoy Truffle' - **** 11. 'Cry Baby Cry' - ***** 12. 'Revolution 9' - **** 13. 'Good Night' - ****

Stamp: "Highly recommended."