# Cut the White Album down to a single LP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745 "2009-12-10T17:23:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/21 "2009-12-11T22:14:12Z")
If I remember my Beatles History correctly, George Martin only wanted a single disk, but he prudently avoids saying what he would have keep and what he would have dumped. After Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles got unfocused. They recorded a lot of stuffed loosey-goosey. In a sense, they only recorded two albums after that. The stuff from “Magical”, “Yellow Sub” and “Let It Be” really don’t count. They were sound tracks. The US Singles album. “Hey Jude”, doesn’t count. “The Beatles” or \*White \*album and “Abbey Road” albums had gobs of songs written more individually than together. Abbey Road could have ended up like the White Album, but it was tightened up and edited beautifully. All the odds and ends ended up, rightfully, in the Beatles’ individual albums. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/22 "2009-12-11T22:23:04Z")
Martha My Dear Revolution 1 Happiness Is a Warm Gun While My Guitar Gently Weeps Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Blackbird Rocky Raccoon Don’t Pass Me By Mother Nature’s Son Dear Prudence Sexy Sadie Helter Skelter I Will Back in the U.S.S.R. I’m too lazy to sequence them, which may mean I’m not a real music nerd, but so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Not_Appearing_on_This_Site)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/23 "2009-12-11T23:42:56Z")
Here is my cut: Back in the U.S.S.R. Happiness Is a Warm Gun I’m So Tired Don’t Pass Me By Helter Skelter While My Guitar Gently Weeps Revolution 1 Blackbird Rocky Raccoon Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Dear Prudence Birthday Good Night There were a few obvious choices for omission, Revolution 9, Long Long Long, and Wild Honey Pie, after that it got a little tougher. I think list I have above would flow pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/24 "2009-12-12T01:05:54Z")
“Revolution 9” aside, Lennon’s songs are _far_ better than McCartney’s on that record. Lennon has fluff on there, but his fluff is better than Paul’s. George’s “WMGGW” is better than anything by Paul on that record. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/25 "2009-12-12T01:12:51Z")
1. Back in the U.S.S.R. 2. Sexy Sadie 3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 4. Why Don’t we do it in the Road 5. Revolution 6. Helter Skelter 7. I’m So Tired 8. Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey 9. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da 10. Happiness is a Warm Gun 11. I Will 12. Don’t Pass Me By That’s not to say I don’t think the songs I’ve left out shouldn’t have been released. In fact I only hate Revolution 9 and Long, Long, Long. In fact I’ve left off a few songs I love (Honey Pie, Savoy Truffle, Dear Prudence, Piggies), but I just picked songs that I though would go well together. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/26 "2009-12-12T03:09:55Z")
If someone is on the fence about including _Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?_ but needs to cut some time how about adding an edited version as the inner groove of the LP where the record ends. Side 1 can end with infinitely repeating “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?..” Side 2 can end with infinitely repeating “No one will be watching us. No one will be watching us. No one will be watching us…” ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/27 "2009-12-12T05:05:29Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > “Revolution 9” aside, Lennon’s songs are _far_ better than McCartney’s on that record. Lennon has fluff on there, but his fluff is better than Paul’s. George’s “WMGGW” is better than anything by Paul on that record. Boy do I disagree. For me, Lennon’s great songs on the album = Revolution #1 and Glass Onion. McCartney: Back in the USSR, Helter Skelter and Blackbird. McCartney wins. Though I might add Sexy Sadie for Lennon. OTOH, I might also add I Will. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/28 "2009-12-12T05:15:03Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Boy do I disagree. For me, Lennon’s great songs on the album = Revolution #1 and Glass Onion. McCartney: Back in the USSR, Helter Skelter and Blackbird. McCartney wins. Though I might add Sexy Sadie for Lennon. OTOH, I might also add I Will. I don’t think much of either of the two Lennon songs you mentioned. His best songs on that record are “I’m So Tired,” “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” “Dear Prudence,” and “Sexy Sadie.” “Back in the USSR” and “Helter Skelter” are just OK, and “Blackbird” is just plain silly and overrated. The rest of Paul’s stuff on that record is pap. Frankly, I don’t think much of ol’ Macca. By the same token, I’m not a big fan of the _White Album_ as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745/29 "2009-12-12T05:50:22Z")
Back in the U.S.S.R. Dear Prudence While My Guitar Gently Weeps Happiness Is a Warm Gun Blackbird Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? I’m So Tired Julia Helter Skelter Sexy Sadie Mother Nature’s Son Yer Blues Revolution 1 Rocky Raccoon The first five on the list are some of the best Beatles songs period, I think. I love WDWDIITR and a few others for their fun, rocking quality. I threw in a few softer songs to even out the tone of the album, and I had to have Yer Blues and Helter Skelter in there; they are both such unrestrained, almost feral songs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-the-white-album-down-to-a-single-lp/520745.md?page=1)