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REVIEW: The Beatles remastered 1967-70
Part 2 of our expert guide to the box sets
Joe Bosso, Tue 8 Sep 2009, 1:10 pm UTC
When The Beatles returned to London, however, change came fast: Lennon had plunged into his all-consuming affair with Yoko Ono, had started using heroin, and lost interest in the group, an ennui which quickly spread to the others with the exception of McCartney.
The double album called The Beatles was recorded from 30 May through 16 October at EMI (with a brief stop at Trident Studios in July during which the band recorded the single Hey Jude on eight-track, their first experience using such a board).
Upon its release on 22 November 1968, it was immediately referred to by fans and the group themselves as 'The White Album,' in reference to its stark, all white packaging which resembled classical collections of the time.
Often called the work of individuals (John with The Beatles, Paul with The Beatles and so on), what's remarkable is how much they sound like a living, breathing group in mono.
Lennon butted heads with George Martin, insisting that this recording be the anti-Pepper, devoid of the producer's suggestions and Geoff Emerick's sound wizardry (the engineer would quit the sessions halfway into the project, disgusted by the band's in-fighting - this time, the group weren't just bickering; their insults were drawing blood and leaving scars).
For the most part, Lennon got what he wanted, and The White Album - er, The Beatles - given the oppressive conditions with which it was made, is chock full of mostly unadorned gems.
To no great surprise, the mono package evokes the palpable sensation of hearing the album on vinyl for the first time. It's visceral and warm, whereas the stereo set is another assortment of Grand Canyon-wide hard left-and-right pans - fascinating at times but mostly frustrating.
Check out McCartney's big bad drumming on the Beach Boys' parody Back In The USSR and Lennon's "come out to play" note to Mia Farrow's sister, Dear Prudence (Ringo had briefly walked out of the sessions, leaving Paul to assume the throne). The man could play - and his performances come through loud and clear in mono.
But if you want to hear The Beatles rock the sure-shot, you can do no better than Lennon's vanity-discarding cry for help, Yer Blues. The group crammed into Studio Two's 'annex' (a broom closet, practically) to track this monster, and the mono edition makes it sound as if you've just cracked open the door to eavesdrop on a one-time-only event.
