THE BEATLES [AKA: THE WHITE ALBUM]

Aptly given the moniker "The White Album" for its seemingly white album art, The Beatles is a true return to form for the group after a number of psychedelic explorations. Indeed, 1967 proved to be a fruitful year for the lads from Liverpool as cessation of touring allowed the band to experiment to their hearts content and refine their world class studio craft. With this release, The Beatles proved that once again they could produce rock and roll at the highest levels, while maintaining a professional degree of artistry.

This album exhibits nearly everything The Beatles could do musically, ranging from distorted acid rock ('Helter Skelter', 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' and 'Yer Blues') to subtle acoustic numbers ('Long, Long, Long', 'Blackbird' and 'Mother Nature's Son'). What is striking about this record is the complete segregation from the psychedelic pop style on their previous LP and EP. This album boldly demonstrates the group's ability to push the boundaries of rock music outside of the aforementioned style. The group ultimately makes a strong statement about their knack for songwriting, melody, musicianship and versatility.

And no better way to shed the colorful psychedlia of Sergeant Pepper than to issue a double LP encased in a sleek white cover. On this album, the band proves they could be equally successful in expanding the ideas found on Rubber Soul as they were in developing psychedelic music. While it is clear that Revolver and Sergeant Pepper maintain some effect on the experimental aspects of this album, it is obvious it bypasses such a sound in search for a sequel of sorts to Rubber Soul.

By no means is this album merely another chapter to Rubber Soul; in fact, it is arguably The Beatles' masterpiece. Honestly, I don't think they ever quite matched this album in terms of sheer brilliance and ambition. Lennon considered them just a rock and roll group, and this is no more apparent on this record. Extraordinary, but not entirely progressive; The Beatles takes the edge of Rubber Soul to an entirely different level.

Due to the sheer length of the album, there are a few weaker moments. They do not detract from the glorious heights this album reaches; one of the highlights being the tremendous continuity amongst the vast array of incongruous music. The album just leaps all over the place, taking the listener from deep introspection to melancholy to pure ecstasy in a matter of a one side.

Much more rock oriented than their previous two LPs, but still a remarkable album, covering a variety of styles and flexing its musical muscle equally on both discs, The Beatles carries its band's name for one simple reason: it illustrates a band at its creative peak, with the music itself being the palette to decorate the white cover.