As time goes on, it becomes less and less tedious to write about The Beatles. Fifteen years ago, when I wrote my first piece on Revolver, it just felt wrong. Five years ago, when I wrote about The White Album, it felt unnecessary. These days, as I write about the newly released Esher Demos, it feels exhilarating.
My history with The White Album has always been complicated. I've never rated it, not least because I've never seen it as a Beatles album. For me, it has always been a collection of songs from three (four, arguably) individuals whose commitment seemed suspect. Come to think of it, I've never even asked myself that all-important question: The White Album, should it not have been a single LP? Frankly, I've never seen ten undisputed classics here, never mind fourteen.
But then I couldn't let it lie. All these years, I've been going back to it again and again - trying to figure out the simple magic word, like some Gandalf the Grey. This new White Album reissue would just be another opportunity wasted... but it isn't. Not with Esher Demos proving that my unease had been justified all along.
To get straight to the point, Esher Demos are fantastic (I mean, "What's The New Mary Jane" is horrendous, but come on). Unbaked, half-assed, unfinished, they are nevertheless full of energy and verve and excitement that the finished product never really offered. Suddenly, "Honey Pie" isn't schmaltzy and the chorus of "Bungalow Bill" isn't schlocky. Suddenly, "Rocky Raccoon" is a classic and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" doesn't sound embarrassing. And what's that with "Junk", "Circles" and "Not Guilty" not making the cut? Great melodies all around.
So what is it, anyway? Could it be the fact that they were having fun playing those songs together at Harrison's house or could it just be something as simple as McCartney singing 'awful' instead of 'dreadful' in "Back in the USSR"? I really don't know. What I do know is that the Beatles magic, if you ever believed in such a thing, is all over this record. The White Album? I still don't get it. But the songs - well, I do get them now. And how.
