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The White Album (1968 Original with Poster and Photographs!)

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There are a few albums from the rock era that I feel I've been in a relationship with since the first day I got them. "The Beatles" is one of those albums. I found it under my Christmas tree in 1968, and I've been engaged with it at some level ever since. It is not the best Beatles album, objectively; nor is it my favorite. But it has always compelled my attention.

At the time it came out, I was 12, but even then it was clear that we were no longer in Pepperland or on a Magical Mystery Tour. This album wasn't yet more "progress" toward some new musical form. Musically, it embraced values never before associated with the Beatles as I understood them: Parody, pastiche, rock and roll revivalism, music-hall nostalgia, avant-garde experimentation, political agitation, intimate confession, trivial nonsense. It is, simply, a series of highly personal statements from the three songwriters, coalescing around no particular theme other than the right to personal expression.

"The Beatles" is not, to me, "the sound of the Beatles breaking up." That's the storyline a lot of Beatle historians apply to this album. If they're basing this judgement on the fact that the individual songwriters' imprints are on each song, you'd have to argue that the breakup began much earlier, around the time of "Beatles for Sale" or "Help!" Lennon-McCartney were rarely a songwriting "team" in the sense of George and Ira Gershwin. Their partnership was always about strategy, i.e. how to ensure that third-rate songs would not be included on albums just for the sake of fairness. "The Beatles" instead simply shows the evolution of each of the three songwriters (on this album, George emerges dramatically) as they each embraced new musical ideas and applied their life experiences to their art. Having helped break all the molds for what was acceptable songwriting in their previous work, they each now proceeded to take full advantage of the freedom they'd won. Some of the dumber cuts on "The Beatles" demonstrate, perhaps, the expression "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." Paul, in particular, seemed frightened to step out too often without the crutch of some existing form that he could parody or pay tribute to, i.e. "Honey Pie," "Back in the USSR" or "Rocky Racoon." But, while you can say that, you have to acknowledge that in this massive album, there are perhaps half a dozen Paul songs that are among his best and most original: "I Will," "Blackbird," "Mother Nature's Son," "Helter Skelter" for four examples.

Lennon's direction was to become more nakedly confessional, as befits someone who was dealing with such turbulent emotions at the time. He gives us some of his most beautiful songs, like "Dear Prudence," and some of his most intense, like "I'm So Tired," "Revolution," "Yer Blues," and "Sexy Sadie." Often, as in "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill," "Glass Onion," or "Everybody Has Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey," he seems to be writing in code, and that sense of allusiveness gives the album much of its cracked character. And of course, he's the guy who assembled the collage, "Revolution 9," which is to rock and roll what "Finnegans Wake" is to English literature--a dream that floats between meaning and nothingness.

George seems to be captured here in a moment of great self-discovery as an artist; you can hear his talent finally come together in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which I remember at age 12 was to my ears the best thing on the album--and still seems to be so. Prior to the White Album, he had these cautious little songs on the early albums, and then embraced India, which while sometimes satisfying seemed weird and out of place. His songs here sets the stage for "Something," "Here Comes the Sun" and then his monumental early solo work. At age 12, I thought "Long, Long, Long" was a emotional powerhouse--and I still do.

A few months after I got "The Beatles," the Charles Manson murders took place, and eventually the DA made the case that somehow, insanely, the murders were inspired by songs on this album. Around the same time, the media were full of bizarre speculation that Paul McCartney was dead, and that clues were all over this album. It's no accident that half-insane people might mine "The Beatles" for hidden messages and evidence of conspiracies. The world it depicts is strange and almost claustrophobic--all the more so for its haphazard approach and its odd switches in tone from childish delight to fiendish paranoia. But even those of us who live normal lives and dream normal dreams can acknowledge that "The Beatles" has a hold on your consciousness that is unlike anything else the group did, and unlike anything else that came out of the rock era.

I tried to get a handle on what to expect with the remastered BEATLES songs, by comparing the old remastered CDs from the 80s, with BEATLES ONE (the red CD with the yellow "1", that had 24 bit remastered versions of their number one hits, that came out in 2000.) You can get a ballpark idea about the new remasters, using this method. But of course, NOTHING from the white album is one BEATLES ONE. I expected at least some increased clarity, and increased volumn from the added compression. Yes, its all that and more. Right off the bat, you start hearing sounds you have NEVER heard (or noticed?) before. This isnt from equalization popping up the top end of the sound. There's improved sonic clarity across the HERTZ spectrum. Its as tho you were sonically nearsighted, and someone just put glasses on you for the first time. EVERYTHING just STANDS OUT with such clarity and force. YOU get this effect on ALL the songs. If you listen to JULIA, the acoustic guitars just BLOW YOUR MIND! You can hear John's fingers scrape across the strings. His vocals are rich, full, and the bottom end is....well, altho there is NO bass guitar on JULIA, the bottom end is so full and rich, you would think there WAS bass. Naturally, the BIG TEST for the white album, is listening to REVOLUTION #9. For some reason, deciphering REVOLUTION #9 thru headphones, penetrating the incomprehensible density of tape loops, has been a favorite pass time for some mega-fans for decades. (I'm one.) And you know what? For the first time EVER, I was able to hear more of Ringo's and John's bizarre mumbling jokes, and nonsense verbage. Again, the CLARITY! the DEPTH OF SONIC PERCEPTION! Honestly, its about as much as anyone can hope for. Of course, the WHITE ALBUM was the first Beatle's album recorded in 8 track, so there is less bouncing to free up tracks on this album. For that reason alone, there has always been less tape hiss, and greater clarity, with this album. But since this isnt a digital remix, like the YELLOW SUB soundtrack, the same clarity and vibrancy can be expected on each remastered title. Its amazing, that the engineers at ABBEY ROAD were able to find such vivid soundscapes on those (digitally transfered) master tapes. BRAVO!

NeedI say how great the WHITE ALBUM is? Let's just stick to the remastered CD's "GOODIES". First, you have a protective cardboard slip case around the double gatefold CD, EMBOSSED with "THE BEATLES", just like the first LPS did. The White album folds open, giving you four panels, each with one of the color "glossy photos" on it. (originally on seperate sheets, like the poster, but no more.) The first panel contains the 28 page booklet. It gives you all the lyrics, along with a small essay about the album. The information it contains is concise, exact, and puts the album within the context of the Fab Four's total discography. I loved the extra photos. The July '68 color "Hollyhock" photos are included, and rare B&W promo shots from that period, but the surprises will give Beatle fans something new to munch on. After the first panel containing the booklet, the next two panels have CD1 and CD2 of the album. (the documentary is on CD2). The fourth panel holds a mini reproduction of the poster, with the lyrics on the back. My only complaint, is that the glossy cardboard CD foldout has the CDs stuck in those cardboard slots TIGHT. They tend to grab onto the CDs....be careful taking them out, or the cardboard will give you minor surface scratches. (The CDs aren't in something like LP sleeves, which is the norm when this type of CD mini-LP format is used. Next, I played the QUICK TIME mini documentary. (They're about 3-4 minutes long.) I was worried cos my computer is an old MAC, but it supports MAC OS 10.3 on G4 and G5, as well as PC Pentium 3 processor using windows 2000+. Obviously, nearly anyone with a working computer will be able to watch the QUICKTIME documentaries. They don't have complete music videos, but rather show bits of studio performance. My favorite bit was Paul recording BLACKBIRD. It starts with a close up of TAP SHOES producing that beat, then the camera pulls back to reveal Paul recording on his acoustic. MAD COOL! Also, there's a TON of previously unseen footage from John's home movies of Maharishi's summer camp at Rishikesh India. Plus, photos of the sessions, topped off with studio chatter by the fab four. If you remember the White album section from the ANTHOLOGY, its an extension of that, but no repeats for the most part. Now that the WHITE ALBUM is over 40 years old, putting the songs in a sociological/historical context, will definately be a service to those new to this album, or discovering the BEATLES for the first time.

In conclusion, from the first JET ENGINE flying between your speakers, to Ringo whispering "Good night everybody, everybody everywhere, Good night", the remastered WHITE ALBUM does NOT DISAPPOINT. I don't think they could have gotten a better sound if they had gone back to remix the album. Some people are disappointed that the Beatles didnt put this out on SACD (a format already abandoned), or AUDIO DVD (Perhaps when this format is further standardized, APPLE RECORDS might bring out an AUDIO DVD boxset...who knows?) So many Beatles fans have complained about the original transfer, and then, complained as 24 BIT remastering arrived, but APPLE RECORDS didnt remaster. Well, now it's done, and obviously they worked their butts off to make everybody happy. I"m happy. And, you can bet I'm going to buy at least the ABBEY ROAD, SGT PEPPER, and REVOLVER remasters. If you're on the fence about replacing your whole BEATLES CD collection, my advice is to just buy ONE. Only YOUR ears will tell you where to go from there.

The Beatles left very deep footprints, and, love them or hate them, they are a cultural force to be reckoned with. The White Album represents both the peak of their art and the nadir of their personal relationships within the group (only to be surpassed by the gruesome Let It Be sessions...). Less of a group effort, each of Fabs here showcase their individual songwriting and singing talents, using the others as session players. They decisively destroy the image of the four happy pop clones of 1964. It was a liberating move for the musicians, but it can also be a jarring experience for the listener. It is a massive, sprawling masterwork that occasionally verges on complete collapse. The Beatles were never afraid to push the envelope to breaking point and beyond: The White Album is a case-in-point. As a historical document, The White Album can be heard as the "come down" from the Summer of Love, a testament to the idealism and disillusion (and dissipation) of 1968 (the year that saw the murder of both Martin Luther King and the death of the dream of peace, both within the US and internationally with the escalation of the Vietnam War). The minimalist cover artwork can be seen as the inevitable antidote to the colorful and florid excesses of Flower Power fashion. The White Album is a historical moment preserved in song. Matching the anguish and uncertainty of the era is the anguish and schizophrenia of the Beatles music on this record.

Many (including producer George Martin) have complained that the album is too long and includes tracks of inferior quality, that it could have been boiled down to a single album of solid gold. Honestly, there is something here to offend everybody. While most people (including Paul McCartney) find Revolution #9 unlistenable, it was a major achievement of experimental electronica at the time, and it bears repeated listening (but not when you're in an Obla-di Obla-da mood!). You may find yourself consistently skipping over several tracks, like Why Don't We Do It in the Road?, Wild Honey Pie, Good Night, Don't Pass Me By because they're all put-ons.

I find myself skipping over some tracks, like Yer Blues, not because it's a poorly written tune, but because it's just too emotionally painful, which is actually an acknowledgement of Lennon's success as an artist. He was in pain, and he conveyed it all too clearly. Helter Skelter, on the other hand, is completely empty of meaning, yet is absolutely hair-raising, perhaps the most terrifying pop song ever (after I Am the Walrus). The frantic clanging of Everybody's Got Something to Hide matches perfectly with Lennon's manic mood and mystical mind at the time. He describes the most profound LSD and/or meditation experience - "Your outside is in/when your inside is out" - but the way he sings it, it sounds like he's being torn apart by the experience, making the song both inspiring and frightening. I'm So Tired is such an effective evocation of apathy, insomnia, and frustration that it also makes my hair stand on end, esp. when he screams "I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind!" That song has fit into the soundtrack of my life alarmingly well. In short, some people might be put off by The White Album because it is too emotionally charged and artistically adventurous. It wasn't designed as musical wallpaper and refuses to be reduced to that. You have to be prepared to listen to The White Album. When you are, it's an exhilirating experience. If not, it might make you want to puke.

The contrast in mood between the tracks is most jarring. Lennon snarls at his fans in Glass Onion, layers sarcasm on gun lovers in Happiness is a Warm Gun, pointedly berates the Left in Revolution #1, savagely attacks the Maharishi in Sexy Sadie, wails of suicide in Yer Blues. In contrast, McCarney offers some of his mildest, sweetest songs - I Will, Blackbird, and Mother Nature's Son, as well as the syrupy, music hall kitsch of Honey Pie, Martha My Dear, and Rocky Raccoon. None of McCartney's tracks here are "deep," but if you're in the mood for some tasty musical candies, these fit the bill quite nicely. Obladi Oblada is perhaps the best of the fluffy treats here. If this is your first exposure to the Beatles, you might well wonder how the group could contain such dramatic differences in temperament. (In fact, it couldn't, and would soon collapse because of those very differences in personality).

The classic tunes of this collection certainly more than justify the purchase of the two-disc set. John offers the stunning ode to his lost mother (and to Yoko) entitled Julia. George Harrison scores perhaps his greatest triumph with While My Guitar Gently Weeps (featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar). Lennon's Dear Prudence is another touching masterpiece, written to order to induce Prudence Farrow to quit hiding out in her bungalow at Rishikesh. Ultimately, The White Album has something to delight everyone. If you prefer to avoid some tracks, you are among the majority of listeners. That's par for The White Album course. Once again, the inconsistency of the album accurately portrays the mind of each of the Beatles at the time as well as the larger cultural environment of 1968. It is required listening for anyone interested in 20th c. pop music. But be forewarned, it's not a smooth ride.

For me the remaster took a little getting used to. They are "bright and clear" like everyone keeps saying, but to me this initially seemed "harsh." On the White album the drums hit you in the neck when they're present. You can hear the bass pluck- and tell whether McCartney is using his fingers of a pick- it is that clear. On "I Will" you can hear him making bass sounds entirely with his voice (I had to go back to the un-remastered CD and check if that was there in the original mix). Some of the previously more laid back songs like Julia, or LongLongLong, stand out a lot more. The acoustic guitars are fierce, and deep. Check out Blackbird- that song threw me back a little. Definitely different. You can hear the percussive monotone tap of Paul's foot. The bird sounds are really prominent toward the end- but overall his voice is just so beautiful and the guitar so well composed that it still works for me.

Overall the album seems "woken up." For me the original CD release always seemed a bit sleepy. Now even the acoustic pieces have punch.

BUT, I don't think that the white album is the most noticeable of the remasters. There is a lot of improvement/ change- but the real bulk of the remastering happened on the earlier albums.

If the White Album is your favorite- get it. If you planned on getting them all- get it. But if you're looking to see a really obvious improvement I would try some of the albums before Sgt. Peppers. You may just find that these more drastic changes (cleaning of the tape hiss, fix in dynamics etc.) will make you a new fan. I've camped on the post 1965 albums for some time just because I couldn't stand the early quality. These remasters opened my eyes.

I am floored, I just listened to the 2009 Stereo Remaster of "The Beatles" aka "The White Album" and WOW! Everything sounds better with this awesome remastering, much fuller and dynamic. I'm no audiophile but I CAN tell the difference between this and the old CD release! Comes with a nice booklet and a reproduction of the poster that came with the original LP. Even the slipcover for the 2-CD set is embossed like the original LP cover! I give this 2009 Stereo Remaster an A+

1968 was a very significant year in pop & rock's music growth and development. The psychedelic mood that started in 1967 together with the experimentation concepts were evolving into a heavier and more aggressive sound that eventually lead into progressive and hard rock during the 70's. The Beatles contributed to the process of change with this album that consists of a combination of solo and group efforts, and a large variety of different music styles.

Regardless of the different music preferences and the like or dislike for the Beatles' music, the "double white" adds value based on the following concepts. First, it offered a summary of almost every style played during the 60's. (1) Rock'n Roll ("Back To the USSR", "Every Body's Got Something To Hide"...), (2) Heavy Rock ("Helter Skelter", "Birthday"), (3) Electric Blues ("Yer Blues"), (4) Jazz ("Honey Pie"), (5) Folk-Rock (the album's version of "Revolution"), (6) Folk ("Blackbird", "I Will" "Julia", "Rocky Raccoon"), (7) Experimental ("Revolution No 9"), (8) Baroque ("Piggies"), (9) Raw expressions ("Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It..."), (10) Heavy Ballads ("Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Dear Prudence", "Sexy Sadie") and, (11) Typical 60's pop (from "Ob-la-di-Ob-la-da", "While My Guitar..." through "Don't Pass Me By"). Second, the sound of the instruments evolved significantly as bass was given a protagonic role ("Dear Prudence" or "Birthday") as opposed to being kept in the back of the tracks. Guitars were used to create a forceful atmosphere ("Helter Skelter", "Every body's Got.."... "Yer Blues"). Third, the Beatles' grew as individual musicians and as a result the instrument switching during the recordings increased, thus George gets to play bass and to invite Clapton into one of his sessions, while Paul plays drums and guitars on more than one track. Many of the tracks reflect the work of a "soloist" or of a soloist with a backing group, and the White Album included more of these solo efforts than any of the Beatles previous material. However, I don't find that these characteristics diminish the quality of the album. "Blackbird" and "I Will" relate more to McCartney's solo music than to the Beatles, but so did "Yesterday", "For No One", and "Fool On the Hill". In addition, "Julia", "Cry Baby Cry" and "Sexy Sadie" were totally Lennon and distant from the Beatles music, but also were tunes like "You've Got To Hide Your...", and "Tomorrow Never Knows". The same cold be said for Harrison's compositions, were "Within You and Without You", "The Inner Light", or "Love You To", reflected more George's mood than the Beatles 60's music.

If you have doubts on the value of the "double white" and its subtleties, let me humbly recommend that you "only" compare this material with the sound of the albums issued during 1967 and 1968. Please abstain from comparing the "Double White Album" with 70's rock groups, contemporary artists, or any other group that emerged and developed after this material was released. I've received comments of listeners who argue that many of the tracks sounded raw, unfinished and disconnected from each other. As a result, some seem to think the "White Album" should have been a one record album instead of a double. Analysing the material I find that there are at least 21 songs that have the same quality standard as the material considered as the group's best. Only 9 tunes out of 30 contained in the album could be questionable. Probably the album should have been a "shorter double album".

My final comment is that the "Double White" was an innovative concept at the time it was released and I remind music lovers that most of the Beatles' music was "perfectly simple", which made it "simply perfect".

This was on sale way Back in November 1968, for $5.00. That was the best five Bucks I ever spent. By 1968 after Eight years Together, The Beatles had just about seen it all, and they were very close to imploding. But, Lucky for all of us John, Paul, George & Ringo were on top of their Game and with the "White Album" they Presented their Best Songwriting and their greatest Playing over the Span of the 30 Tracks Here.
From: "Back in the USSR" all the way thro' to "Goodnight" and my favorite Track in reverse: "Revolution #9" you get a Beatle Album So Different & so Bold in it's Scope and Range from anything else they Gave us. We were Very Lucky to Have this band on the Planet from: 1964-70. It will never happen again in our Lifetime, But here it is, in all it's Glory...

There are almost 1,000 reviews posted here and About 95 Per-Cent of those Reviews are Gonna tell you how GREAT this is, and it is, Don't waste your Time Reading About this Record, BUY IT NOW.

The Beatles, commonly known as the "White Album", was the Beatles first double LP released after Magical Mystery Tour in 1969. The sound is much more raw, and lacks the overdubs that were found everywhere in Sgt. Pepper and Magical Myster Tour. This is due to the fact that the album was written while the Beatles were in India, armed with nothing but their accoustic guitars. The result was a collection of thirty songs(not all made it to the album)that contain some of John and Paul's best work ever. John offers some of his lyrically best songs. "Happiness is a warm gun", "Sexie Sadie", and "Glass Onion" contain John's usual biting lyrics, while "Julia" is an emotional tribute to his mother. Paul's melodic songs have no equal. "Blackbird" and "Mother Nature's Son" are masterpieces. George also makes a strong showing on the album with classics such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This album also acts as the debut for Ringo's first song "Don't Pass Me By". Every song on this album is a masterpiece. The construction of each song is flawless will stay in your head for a long while. The album contains such a wide variety of styles from blues to rock. John's song "Goodnight", which was written to his son, is a pure lullaby. It is unfortunate that you can see the band drifting apart in this album. Regardless, the album is a must have for any music fan. The album shines in every aspect and is truly a masterpiece that is just as good now as it was 33 years ago.

The White Album--the Beatles had had enough with the experimentation of Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and Revolver. Abandoning the pop feel of their previous albums, the Beatles did what they did best--they wrote and played what they liked. The White Album represents The Beatles as well as any other album they produced. All four wrote their own songs in their own genres. From paradies on the Beach Boys (Back in the USSR) to social commentary (Piggies, Everybody's Got Something to Hide...) to old western (Rocky Racoon) to hard rock (Helter Skelter); from ballads (I Will) to fun rock (Birthday) to experimentation (Revolution 9--terrible in my opinion) to blues (Yer Blues) to heartfelt songs (While My Guitar Gently Weeps), this album has everything, even a lulluby (Goodnight).

There are countless other great songs, including Happiness is a Warm Gun (a great song), Cry Baby Cry, Blackbird (a classic), The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (another parody, this time on Buffalo Bill from the American West), and Why Don't We Do It in the Road (banned from radio as the entire song is about having sex in the road).

This multi-genre album marked the beginning of the end for the Beatles. Conflicts about the vast array of music added to the rift that was growing between the Beattles (around this time John and George got in a fistfight during recording). The White Album certainly shows each Beatles' individual preferences (Paul despised John's Revolution 9 while John hated Paul's Ob-La-Di Ob-Da-Da). The While Album represents the Beatles at their best, even while they were beginning to split up. I truly feel that this is the world finest double LP ever produced.

Let me start out by saying I am not an "old fart" (I'm 15), so this is hardly music that I've grown up with! The "White Album" is full of experimentation and a wide range of different genres of music (rock, pop, country, blues, ballads, classical, and just plain weirdness). If you're looking for #1 hits, a bunch of popular singles thrown together, this is the farthest thing from a Beatles greatest hits album! This is a wonderful album for those who have an open mind! It is intended to be a cohesive unit, listened to as a whole, rather than track by track. If you are not familiar with the Beatles, this is not the place to start! It is not very accessible, which is why some people criticize it, so a better place to start would be with an album such as "Sgt. Pepper's" or "Rubber Soul," and both are superb!

Onto the album: It is true that there is a lot of what people consider filler, such as "Why Don't We Do It in the Road," "Wild Honey Pie," and "Revolution 9." However this is not typical filler for any group! It is so off the wall, and such a change of pace, that I enjoy listening to it. The last thing it could be considered is trite, as with the whole album, which is why it was so innovative and revolutionary, and I'm sure many artists have been influenced by this unusual material! Some of the Beatle's greatest song writing is found within the "White Album." Paul's "Blackbird" is a beautiful, uplifting ballad (he had many of those), but is surpassed by the absolutely magnificent "I Will," and two of John's most heartfelt songs, "Julia," and "Dear Prudence." Who said these guys had meaningless lyrics! George also makes a lovely contribution, proving he has a knack at song writing too, with his rather depressing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," including a lovely performance by Eric Clapton. The Beatles proved they could rock with their hardest rock song, "Helter Skelter," written by Paul. For those of you who say that "Helter Skelter" is wimpy and weak in comparison with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and others, you are forgetting that this was the late '60s, and hard rock and heavy metal were not invented yet! "Helter Skelter" was considered as close to metal as anything in those days, and if the Beatles had tried anything closer, they would have been would have been laughed at! You've got to start somewhere! George also wrote a symbolic, sort of classical song, "Piggies," which is quite good. As far as country, there is Paul's humorous "Rocky Raccoon," and Ringo's catchy song, "Don't Pass Me By." John adds his unusual, but brilliant songs to the "White Album," with "Glass Onion," a truly strange, but equally good song, "Happiness is a Warm Gun," which is extremely well written and powerful, and even spine-tingling "I'm so Tired," which musically, is a very nice song and fits in well with the album, "Revolution" a classic protest song, very nice and catchy, one of the only songs that could be considered "single-worthy," along with "Back in the U.S.S.R," a parody of Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys. The Beatles had one blues song on this album, "Yer Blues," which is a very nice song. Paul's 20s jazz inspired songs, "Martha My Dear," and "Honey Pie," are both fabulous! Also the very catchy and wonderful reggae style, "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da," is truly the most upbeat song on the "White Album." A perfect conclusion to one of the Beatle's greatest albums is Ringo singing the lovely lullaby, "Good Night."

Though strange and without any focus, totally opposite of the concept album, "Sgt. Pepper's," the "White Album," was recorded when the Beatles were begining to separate and find their individual styles, truly the height of their career. At the very least it expanded the limits of rock and roll, and allowed one of the most influencial and innovative bands ever to continue to blossom and grow. The Beatles helped give full length albums their popularity over singles, by turning their albums into works of art that are most valuable as a whole. The Beatles poured emotion, insight, and honesty into their work. There is no better proof than the "White Album." It's not for everyone, but it has intrigued and captivated millions of people who were willing to give it a chance.