# Best of the Beatles: The Beatles (aka The White Album) - Part One **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392 "2014-03-10T23:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/1 "2014-03-10T23:30:29Z")
After an analysis of [_Magical Mystery Tour_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717637&page=1), it’s time for Part One of _The Beatles_ (commonly known as _The White Album_). I debated whether to do _The White Album_ in one or two parts: on the one hand, an album is a collective work of art, and splitting it up ruins that sense. However, I think that, had it all been squashed together, too many songs would have been overlooked. This way, they all get their breathing space. _The White Album_ was an incredible album. It encompassed more styles than was though possible by a single album back then (and still today): folk rock, hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, baroque pop, whatever “Revolution 9” was . . . you get the picture. Disc One has a relatively high proportion of acoustic pieces, due to the fact that most songs were written at a retreat in India where the acoustic guitar was the only Western instrument available to them. _The White Album_ really marks the point where the four Beatles began to split, their music taking on more individual tones rather than the blend in earlier albums. Fun fact: the working title for the album, _A Doll’s House_, was changed when another rock band released an album whose title was similar. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/2 "2014-03-10T23:59:26Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > whatever “Revolution 9” was [Musique concrète](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musique_concr%C3%A8te). ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/3 "2014-03-11T00:05:57Z")
While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Dear Prudence and Blackbird were close runners up! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/4 "2014-03-11T00:10:53Z")
I picked Dear Prudence. As John gets older, his music appeals to me more and more. Back in the USSR is a great fun song, While My Guitar has that great Clapton work, but Dear Prudence is just an excellent song. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/5 "2014-03-11T00:32:50Z")
While. USSR took 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/6 "2014-03-11T00:38:10Z")
_While My Guitar Gently Weeps_ with _Julia_, _Bungalow Bill_, and _Happiness Is A Warm Gun_ tied for very close second place. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/7 "2014-03-11T00:42:27Z")
Trivia: “I read somewhere” that Happiness Is A Warm Gun was the one track all four Fabs really enjoyed recording together. At the time. The White Album sessions. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/8 "2014-03-11T00:48:16Z")
Almost went with “While my Guitar,” but “I Will” is one of McCartney’s most beautiful melodies. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/9 "2014-03-11T01:15:33Z")
I lied a little. I wanted to show some love for Martha My Dear because it is a wonderful song and I love the fact that Martha was Paul’s dog. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is the real answer but I knew it would take the lead. I am really surprised that there are no votes for Blackbird or even a mention in the posts above mine. I think it is Paul’s best on this record. I Will is leading among all Paul’s songs and for me it is his weakest listed. John has a lot of great songs here but none of them are compelling anyone to vote for them including me. It’s kind of weird because I think Julia, Dear Prudence and Happiness is a Warm Gun are all special songs but they have something private about them. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/10 "2014-03-11T01:48:39Z")
I want to pick “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, but I went with “I’m So Tired”. Partly because it’s one of the Beatles songs to spontaneously appear in my head, partly because it’s got such a nice build up to the climax of the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/11 "2014-03-11T01:58:51Z")
_Dear Prudence_ is my favorite Beatles song of all, so this was an easy choice. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/12 "2014-03-11T02:15:24Z")
“Dear Prudence,” here as well, also one of my favorites. I’m a bit of a weirdo as " While My Guitar…" has never resonated with me for some reason, and I’m likely to skip over it. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/13 "2014-03-11T02:16:38Z")
I’m the guy who voted for Glass Onion. [waves] ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/14 "2014-03-11T02:21:53Z")
Anticipating this thread, I was really looking forward to voting for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” (The only other song I even considered for a moment, before remembering it’s not on the album, is the single version of “Revolution.”) I never foresaw the OP would break the White Album in two. Time to give Disc 2 another listen – my choice won’t be nearly as clear cut. Looks like George is finally running away with a winner tonight. Good for him. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/15 "2014-03-11T02:23:11Z")
Rocky Raccoon. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/16 "2014-03-11T02:38:51Z")
I voted for “USSR”. Something about the way it parodies so many things (the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, the USSR) without really doing a full out parody - just sly acknowledgement. Add in the fact that the Beatles had been refused entrance to the USSR and their relationship was strained (to say the least), and I find the lyrics hilarious (“come and keep your Comrade warm”). > [@pulykamell](#): > > “Dear Prudence,” here as well, also one of my favorites. I’m a bit of a weirdo as " While My Guitar…" has never resonated with me for some reason, and I’m likely to skip over it. “While My Guitar” was one of my favorite songs until I started listening to the words. I prefer the acoustic version, for some reason, to the White Album one, but even so - the word choice is _really_ forced. Rhyming “diverted” “perverted” and “inverted,” stretching out some words (like “sold”) for an uncomfortably long amount of time to fit the beat - some of the words are really meaningful and poetic, but it’s ruined by the rhymes. I actually see that in a lot of Harrison songs - a gorgeous melody, lots of great lines, but this sense of him struggling to naturally rhyme words (“Here Comes the Sun” is the exception, and one of my all time favorite songs). > [@Lukeinva](#): > > Rocky Raccoon. You might appreciate this rather funny [rejected take](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Uf9d8aXr4). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/17 "2014-03-11T03:17:50Z")
_Don’t Pass Me By._ Just kidding. _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/18 "2014-03-11T03:20:44Z")
Being an overly-romantic type, I have always loved **I Will**. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/19 "2014-03-11T03:35:58Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > You might appreciate this rather funny [rejected take](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Uf9d8aXr4). That’s great. I voted for “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” - I like Paul’s “Granny Music”. I read Bob Spitz’s book _The Beatles_ a few years back and the song’s beginning always reminds me of the story about how John really didn’t care for all the effort put towards this song. He burst in the studio one night and yelled “I’m DRUNK and THIS is how you play this song!” He then pounded out the opening on the piano, which Paul agreed was the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392/20 "2014-03-11T03:48:06Z")
_While My Guitar…_ is running away with this one, yes. I would have expected it though there are other notable pieces in this half such as _Back in the USSR_. I must admit there has always been a whimsical place in my heart for another Harrison track, _Piggies_. I’ve always imagined a Muppet Show sequence around it… _“to eeeat theee baaacon–wait, what?”_. _Happiness is…_ I’ve also always liked, one of those that sound like it was cobbled together from fragments while on some heavy substances, but it works for me. And as far as McCartney light pieces are concerned _Blackbird_ will do quite nicely. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-the-beatles-aka-the-white-album-part-one/683392.md?page=2)