The chaotic pop genius of “The White Album” by The Beatles
The Beatles' legacy is a monster of perfection and curiosity. Their records have become the go-to blueprint for commercial pop music—but there was also a slyly subversive, at times blatant, rejection of the mainstream in favor of something far more heady and difficult. Nevertheless, they became the saviors of pop music in the '60s, a band who could put out singles and stay in the upper reaches of the charts but who also weren't limited by any set musical guidelines. They could cover classic pop tunes from the '50s and then turn around and plaster their songs with gallons of psychedelic ephemera. They were The Beatles, and that was all people cared about.
The story of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr has been memorialized in practically every way, from films to records to a slew of biographies. And with each retelling, we get a little closer and a little further from the truth. This history is constantly shifting with explanations, insight and assumptions that have become commonplace—with the necessity of filtering out many of these misinformed and highly subjective opinions becoming second nature to fans. No record has elicited such a dichotomy of opinions than their still-controversial 1968 self-titled record, commonly known as "The White Album."
By: Joshua Pickard
Source: Nooga.com
