I’ve been listening to The Beatles WHITE ALBUM for the past week or so. Unlike some of my friends, I didn’t grow up with the album in the house, and for the most of the songs I either knew the hits, or heard the lesser known songs (like, say, “Glass Onion”) on the public radio. Listening to it all together on an iPod is almost overwhelming. I’m reminded of what Greil Marcus once said: “Masterpieces scattered like crumbs…” In my mind, along with ABBEY ROAD, this is the best Beatles record, and certainly one of the best rock and roll albums ever.

I was compelled to seek it out when some enterprising folks on alt.binaries.mp3.bootlegs released MP3s of a tribute concert by Robyn Hitchcock and The Heavy Friends covering the entire album from start to finish (an listening experience in itself).

But after all this listening, I was once again struck my the question: How did Charles Manson end up interpreting this beautiful record as a call for African Americans to rise up in armed revolt against America, spurring the Tate-Bianca murders? Turns out it’s all very simple!

Anyway, listen to this record. SGT PEPPER? Forget about it! REVOLVER? Piffle! THE WHITE ALBUM is where it’s at!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 21st, 2005 at 3:19 pm and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.