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The Beatles Made NOTHING Interesting
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- čas přidán 5. 10. 2022
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Images Courtesy of Getty
Written by Mathew Brule
The transition from Sgt Pepper's album cover to the White Album is potentially the greatest Hard Left Turn in album art history.
hey
Kid A has entered the chat
Srsly, The White Album is such a chad move The Beatles ever did.
kanye going from graduation to 808’s as well. obligatory fuck kanye
@@KianOntong13 Kid A is musically a hard left but the album art isn't far off of OKC.
The album was originally called “A dolls house” and there is the original album art out there, but they found out there was already an album with that title then went with the white album idea, and i’m glad they did because it’s one of the most unique albums arts out there and really fits the no theme stripped back feel of the album
Although the most fitting name for the album considering the band's status at the time would be House of Cards.
they used the album art in the 70s on a compilation called “beatles ballads” ive got it on vinyl
Yeah, the band Family had a classic album with the same name from around the same time period
@@coolshirtkid John Byrne, artist and playwright, did the sleeve. He's from Paisley in Scotland and was good pal of Gerry Rafferty. He designed the sleeves of a couple of Humblebums LPs when Billy Connolly was in the band along with Rafferty. Byrne wrote Tutti Frutti, a brilliant comedy drama about a band, which was in the BBC, starring Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane.
I would have added Sigur Rós ( ) to the list of minimalist album covers. Even the booklet is blank so you can fill with your own lyrics.
such a cool idea using a 1:1 ratio while talking about a 1:1 ratio medium
Definitely enhanced the experience, excellent choice
ratio
enhance!
I didn't even realize that's why he did it... I love the art that this guy makes, such a great creator.
He just said he's on another platform, I would look for the why's and how's there.
When I was 10, I remember one my older sister's girlfriend had colored her copy with Paisley Designs she drew with colored flair pens. She said The Beatles want people to make their own covers
That is a really cool perspective and I love that outlook. But the thought of marking up a cover gives me legit anxiety.
That is a really good idea that I've never ever thought of and I bet if McCartney would of thought that he would of used it
@@MrThedonheadno one can of. it's impossible. it is would have.
This is quite the title there bud
Clickbait honestly
Its kinda clickbait
@@evanorsomething909 I agree with y’all click bait for sure
@@evanorsomething909 you gotta admit the wordplay was pretty clever
@@yelladude6969 yeah
In addition the Brian dying, they also attempted to follow up Sgt Peppers with Magical Mystery Tour, another maximalist heavily arranged colorful album (and movie) which failed. I think they were all sick and jaded of the psychedelic thing very quickly after that and I love that White Album is an expression of that feeling. It’s “here’s two discs of songs four guys made. It’s called the Beatles because we didn’t want to come up with a clever title, and there’s no cover for the same reason. Some of the songs are heavily produced and some are just one guy with a guitar. Deal with it.” Like they didn’t bother try to influence the listener’s perception with a cover and a title so it’s just pure unfiltered Beatles music that says “take me as I am.”
The fact that their next project was “Get Back” and saw them trying to play and write together as a band again makes a ton of sense as a response to this, just like Abbey Road is a real “damn remember when we got together and made good well-produced music?” moment. All three albums are various stages of them trying to re-evaluate their working relationship and their identity as a band and then ultimately deciding it isn’t worth doing anymore.
I am a walrus is pretty darn amazing
Really well put
Magical Mystery Tour was originally an EP. The American version was an album; both the EP and album were critical and commercial successes. They weren't even necessarily "jaded" with psychedelic music either, they just felt they had reached their potential with that type of experiential music and wanted to do something different and fresh. Not even trying to be nitpicky but many people mistakenly conflate the failure of the movie onto the music.
Zzzzzzzzz to zoo
Yeah but as a piece of music the album of magical mystery tour is really beautiful.
I know it sounds odd but I really love the White Album cover. Just that embossed Beatles and the numbering alone I think it’s totally intriguing. Also being white each White Album is unique in the way they’ve aged. No two are the same. Very awesome.
the white album is the exact opposite of sgt pepper wheres that album contain too much people/information and I love it
I wonder who has copy number 9, number 9, number 9? Maybe Yoko?
@@CB-xr1eg I wish it was mine. Lol.
Someone out there has it.
For the White Album The Beatles believed that no image they could possibly create would live up to the hype. They were the Beatles after all, the biggest band in the world. Everyone had their own high expectations and no one image could satisfy them all. I think it is worth putting this in the context of Abbey Road where, by 1969, the Beatles realized that any image they picked, even one as mundane as crossing the street, would become iconic simply by its association with the Beatles. They went from believing it was impossible to live up to the hype to believing that it was impossible NOT to live up to the hype in one year.
I love being in this little Beatles-bubble I am in right now. It's all Beatles for me these last days. Love the content, subscribed.
Absolutely loved the fact that you chose the 1:1 aspect ratio. Such a simple, yet perfect choice.
Tons of interesting quirks on the White Album: for instance, it contains both their shortest and longest full songs (if excluding Her Majesty, which is sort of an unintentional add-on snippet). And there is a lot of instrument role swapping: in fact, Ringo doesn’t even play drums at all on the first two and the last songs on the album…
Yo
It’s you, you should post more
Polyphonic is an amazing channel I always come back to for rock history, exploring the music I love and music I'm about to love.
This guy stretches the last part of the sentence out just like the comic book store owner from the Simpsons
I don't know whether to be amused or creeped out... After not listening to it for a couple of decades, I put on the White Album today while on a longish car drive. And now I just see this dropped today. Synchronisity certainly is a fun part of life!
Good lord the production value 😩
You can tell polyphonic loves music with how much work he puts into these videos
I appreciate the aspect ratio, it really helps the show get across its message and it's really cool to see
Haven’t watched yet but I bet the video is about how they made “nothing” interesting
I dont know man, I think this video is about how they made "something" intresting
I get the urge to title it this way but so true how they made nothing of interest
@@thebluelobsterking8695 theres something in the way they move
Not “nothing,” NOTHING.
@@thebluelobsterking8695 nah it’s how they made “something” uninteresting
the enunciation at the end of the words is grating on my sole. I can feel the hairs on my neck growing out at an accelerated rate.
thought i was the only one. fuck his enunciation is bad
The Beatles made "nothing" interesting.
Hence the genius.
Finally youtube channel that takes album covers seriously. Definitely do more like that.
Also, I want to point out to the first black/blank album - Black Monk Time by The Monks, definitely good subject for a video
That collection is fascinating, I like the ones with lots of variations of wear from the years. My favorite homage was the one in Spinal Tap.
There was also Beck’s The Information album that was essentially blank except for Beck’s name, and it came with stickers that you could use as the cover art.
I don't think I have seen any video essayist put this much work into their videos. Polyphonic is a masterclass and its absolutely heartwarming to see his progress over the years.
If I'm not mistaken, in 1966 Ray Davies, leader of the Kinks wanted to do a black album cover for their next record to express his depression but the label didn't want to do this because it was too dark or something for the public.
Do you think the Beatles would have done the Black Album if they were around longer?
@@beatlecristian It's possible, they referenced some of their own songs on other pieces ("The walrus was Paul" in Glass Onion, "We all know Obladi Blada" on Saffoy Truffle and probably others. So if the Beatles were still around in the 70s, it wouldn't be impossible to see them find a way to reference "The White Album" in this manner.
@@qbsrd if they had gone until the 70’s, when do you think they would have called it quits?
@@beatlecristian It would depend on if George Harrison's songs would have been on later albums, we know John and Paul rejected "Isn't It A Pity" and John already rejected "I Me Mine" so it would probably have been a matter of time before George would have left I think
@@qbsrd what are your thoughts on the September 1969 meeting where they talked about a follow up to Abbey Road?
I think the White Album's cover contributes to its greatness. It's simple, yet mysterious in that it gives no hints as to the sound contained within. A person who's never heard it would probably look at the stark white cover and say "What the heck is this album supposed to sound like?"
Then you put on the album and find out that it sounds a lot different from how you imagined it would. It takes you for a ride, with almost every song a different color and the first track being vastly different from the last.
The White Album's cover is plain, unimpressive, and almost devoid of any meaning. It's perfect.
I bought a copy of the White Album in the late '70's. I was a teenager, and I couldn't resist outlining the Beatles embossed name on the cover, if only so I could see it better.
I never even considered that people would draw on the covers. I love it!
Honestly this level of clickbait in the title is so creative I can't help but admire it
that's bait and it works
I remember I took yearbook when I was in 8th grade and I was the only boy in a class of about 15 girls. One of our first ideas for the yearbook’s cover was a blank white surface where people could design their own cover art. As a massive Beatles fan I pushed HARD for it to win, but got outvoted in favor of a rain puddle with a reflection of the school building. It’s been over 10 years and ngl I’m still a little salty about it lol
I took the title a different way and I was about to start a fight 💀💀💀
That title makes the video topic sound like a hot take and a half
The Mollusk, by Ween, would be a great episode for this series. Great cover (by Storm Thorgeson, who was all-in), great story, great under-appreciated band
My favorite Ringo Starr quote ever is about the White Album. He was talking about producer George Martin was very apprehensive about releasing four sides at once: "George was worried about putting out a double album... but we showed him. It's the bloody Beatles White Album."
It needs to be stated that when the White Album reached the stores, the first copies had a red sticker informing the buyer exactly what they had, including song titles. Very few of these survive today, and a copy on the market with the sticker saved in some form spikes the value.
When you feel that little buzz upon discovering a truly first class CZcams channel...and then sub it ready to browse an entire back catalogue. I've got that feeling and I hope that everybody knows!
1:35 What's the first album cover? The other six are Aladdin Sade, Blue Train, Led Zeppelin IV, To Pimp a Butterfly, Rage Against the Machin and In the Court of the Crimson King
Thats especially intersetting considering it was during a time of wild cover art
Similarly, The Wall had only plain white brick pattern on the front.
Out of curiosity, what was on the edge of the white album's cover? Was it plain also?
I've never been clickbaited in such a pleasant way
I once did a consciousness experiment by meditating to get in a good head space and then list to the white album whilst only staring at the blank white art
Eventually my brain started to imagine the music being played out in front of me on the canvas in such a trance like Stare that I was and no drugs involved
My first album of White back in late 1968 had the greatest (IMHO) collage of art and picture put together by my brother and I. I was 14 at the time when we put it together. I'm so glad I was not the only one who did this. Six months afterward someone broke into my house and stole it, along with some other lp's. Boy, I would love to see that cover again..even after 54 years!
I bought my first copy of the White Album in 1970 and it had a number stamped on it. I lost it somewhere along the line and I sure wish I had it now.
There's also a very recent example, Jockstrap's new album only has their name on it and I read that the LP comes with stickers you can customise the cover with
I was about to start throwing hands but then I realized there was a full stop there.
5:04 due to not having anything to mark what kind of album it was, stores ended up just putting in the religious section due to the name of the albums which contributed to the record flopping on its face Immediately.
Primus also made an album kind of inspired by the self-titled album trend. A few bands already had famous self-titled albums that were known by their colour: The Beatles (white album), Metallica (black album), Weezer (blue album). Instead of following the trend exactly by naming it "Primus", Primus called their album "Brown Album"
3:08 My goofy ass thought this was Adam Sandler 🤓
wow! You're so close to a million! You deserve it man
The White Album is my favorite Beatles album with a favorite cover. Thanks for the video😊
I found you first on Nebula and then searched for you here on youtube, subscribed on both platforms. I like youtube for being able to read others’ comments, and sometimes make my own, but somehow Nebula is my preferred place to watch.
BTW, you got me curious, I’ll have to go look and see what the serial number is on my copy of The Beatles (white album), I knew it was a unique number but never paid much attention to it.
My favorite Beatles song is from that Album
Helter Skelter.
They proved that they can be Badass and Brutal.
Plus it Paved the way for Heavy Metal and Punk Rock
Brings new meaning to the question, “Why Something rather than Nothing?”
Are you making your words at the end of your sentences longer even more? I cannot unhear it and its almost every sentence.
I just noticed this too!
Yeah, I heard that too, and I wanted to write something about it, English is not my first language but is it so atypical, I don't understand why is he doing that...
I feel like the White Album is underrated as far as Beatles albums go. Also if you've never heard the Grey Album, give it a listen. Not gonna lie its sounds 20 years old lol, but all the beats and production are interesting.
Grey Album is sick. It's too bad that production like that and the Dust Brothers late 80s stuff is basically illegal now.
@@BockwinkleB it’s not illegal. It’s just hidden off in corners of bandcamp and RYM
I think the White Album is overrated. My least favorite album from Help! Onward, which are really the only albums I listen to. So much filler, the best songs would make a solid single album tho.
The Information by Beck had a plain grid with stickers included in the album with the intention that you'd make your own album art. The shots of the different white albums with fan sketches on them made me think of that
Speaking of 1968, you should do a video about the band The United States of America and their sole eponymous album released that year, one of the first examples of electronic music in a rock context.
Another memorable cover is Spinal Tap’s cover for their album “Smell the Glove”. Nothing is more black than that cover.
And all the songs were in Dm the saddest of all keys lol
Lick My Lovepump is my fave
This IS one of my favorite videos of all time
I have an original 1968 copy, the remastered CD, a Mexican cassette edition, and the 2012 remastered vinyl. It's clearly one of my favourite records of all time
The way this guy drags out the last word in every single sentenceeeeee.
Rolling Stones "Beggars Banquet" cover comparison is an obvious but perhaps conscious omission
Funny thing is the US cassette release wasn't blank - it had thresholded photos of the four on the front (I believe color versions came in the packaging with the LP).
This reminds me of buying Pink Floyd’s Wish You We’re Here, which was caring wrapped in dark blue with a sticker of the album’s logo. It’s the only album I’ve seen packaged in opaque shrink wrap.
You had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
Cool story! I grew up on the Beatles and Stones. Had them both on 8-tracks! 😎✌️
The gatefold White Album was also the perfect record for cleaning weed! :)
without Frank Zappa to influence the beatles, they would have never made sgt p the beatles openly admitted sgt p was their attempt to do what Frank Zappa did with Freak Out.
You should do a video on The Replacements sometime
5:04 you could've said that the very SAME year The Rolling Stones released "Beggars Banquet".
Thanks for the direction to the webuywhitealbums. The very groovy creativity and uniqueness of the covers are outstanding!
Hope you reach a million subscribers soon. You’re awesome as your content
Genius click bait title. I'm not even mad.
Once again, year to year, hit to hit, album to album - The Beatles break the mold.
when i saw the title i never stopped in my tacks so quick.
A nice essay, but I would have liked you to touch on minimalist and monochromatic art forms as an inspiration for the cover design.
The album cover was blank because their manager committed suicide and they were not in to making any cover art.
Yes A NEW VIDEO!!! (still waiting for A Tom Waits Vid)
I love the way you lengthen the last syllable of every sentence
I find it _super_ annoying... He never did this before, at least not this severe. 😐
@@R3TR0R4V3 embrace it
I really liked the square aspect ratio. Obviously, thematically sound and appropriate for displaying subject matter, but also saves battery on oled screens.
Love your vidos mate. the aspect ratio is funky, I love it man!!!!
The concept is minimalism....Nothing would've been No album......it's white( not a color perse )...and it was John's idea.
I’ve always wondered if it was inspired by Yoko. She was obsessed with stark white spaces. If I recall when John met her it was at a gallery with her work. The whole room was painted white with a white ladder in the middle of it. John climbed the ladder and at the top was a magnifying glass. When he looked at the ceiling through the glass he saw the word ‘yes’ written. He was smitten.
You can make that sentence mean like 6 different things depending on how you emphasize and pause.. and each one’s implications are scarier than the next
You must be from Florida. The way you let the last syllable of a phrase wine off into nothingness is such a Florida accent quark
now That’s a title man
Think this is very cool and neat. I never thought about it before that people would collect this album due to the cover alone. It's unique and neat.
I’m in the same boat. I never had a clue that early buyers decorated their albums even though I grew up with my mums Beatles albums (we still have the original VERY battered copies)
My cd copy was bought back when the Beatles doubles were priced at £31.99(!) and it cleared out most of my disposable budget for that week. That was around 1998! not sure what it costs now but I’m sure it’s a bit cheaper than that???
Anyway, another possible interesting discussion point is the fabulous, unique packaging of Spiritualized’s “ladies and gentlemen” 1997(?) album which comes as a packet of blister pack tablets. You have to break the seal to get the cd I think they even released a whole albums worth of smaller tablets each with their own blisters as a follow up collecting piece. Polyphonic might want to do that as part of a “cds can be interesting too” collective discussion ???
2:30 didnt know lenin was there too
what's the melodic accent at the end of the last word of the every sentence narrator says 😂
Wondering the same thing myself, but I couldn't think of how to describe it.
good video anyways
The fact that you're not already well past 1 million subs is an injustice!
And here I thought the title was referring to their post - "Revolver" output
2:00 whyyy areeee youuuuuu taaaalkiinng liiikeeee thaaaaaaat?
Don't know how much truths in this. But it has always made me laugh.. apparently. The original name for the Abbey Road album was gonna be "everest" and the cover art would be a photo of the band at the mountains peak... while the band were in the process of being told how much work that photo would entail,, John. Who was looking out the window at the time suggested, "if we called it abbey Road instead, we could take the picture outside"... and the rest is history !
Not six months later, they were at the retreat when they heard of Brian's death.
I really want to watch this channels content but I can’t take the way this guy speaks.
I love the White Album cover but I believe if a not so popular band did the same artwork it would of failed miserably. The Beatles could do no wrong and whatever they did someone came up with many reasons why. The Velvet second LP was a black cover with a barely visible tattoo that also gets too much credit, they get the credit because they are an iconic band not because it was a great piece of art. When you are hot everything you do is over praised.
i always thought that the white album meant a memorial for brian
The video title is pretty clever. I misunderstood it while clicking and before I watched it, but yeah, that's a really smart title.
IDEA: since Halloween is almost here. who thinks a video about the monster by Bobby Pickets would work?
Forget the aspect ratio...the title of the video is click bait without it being click bait. Congratulations.