h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 'The Beatles' aka 'The White Album' - A87904524
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

Here's one I've been waiting to put into Peer Review for ages. November will be the 50th anniversary of the White Album, one of the most influential albums of the 20th Century.

I wonder if they'll release a special 50th anniversary edition complete with previously unreleased bonus tracks? If so I bet the fact that by releasing previously unreleased tracks on or before the 50th anniversary extends their copyright for a further 25 years never crossed their minds...

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Good work BB

Well done

This is another Beatles album I didn't know much about beforehand but I do now

Ringo was an MBE at the time, or was that later?

You mention Yoko in the Rishikesh section, but only say more later - it will be better to put the link on the first mention.

"their accompanying psychedelic film Magical Mystery Tour was broadcast on Boxing Day in black and white to a bemused reception" - I can imagine!

So the Beatles didn't spend three months with the Maharishi as such, but they just enrolled on the longer course?

John overcame LSD before the longer course, or during?

Perhaps specify that the peritonitis was in Ringo's childhood in the main text rather than in a footnote.

George and John left shortly after Paul?

32 songs were recorded, 30 were on the album, 20 of the 30 ?including/excluding What's the New Mary Jane had been composed in Rishikesh

In the Recording section you mention George Martin, but I don't think you've said who he is at that point...

Perhaps the paragraph beginning 32 could go at the end of the Recording section, to show that in spite of the tensions the recording was successful.

"one of the first two albums " - double albums?

I'll read about the songs later

Good points all and I've made changes. Although John overcame LSD before the longer course but following the advice the Maharishi had already given him, addiction isn't a simple on/off affair that once it is turned off is gone for good, so being isolated in a drug-free environment for a prolonged period helped him.

I must admit that I am surprised that no-one has questioned the sentence 'attempted to seduce her with a chicken'. Chicken seduction is obviously more commonplace than I thought...

Oh, and 'The White Album' was one of the first two albums released by Apple Records, either the first or second depending on which side of the Atlantic you were, but George's 'Wonderwall Music' wasn't a double-album.

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Reading a bit more just now...

In Dear Prudence, perhaps better to split the last paragraph into two as the second sentence doesn't follow on from the first...

Is Wild Honey Pie the shortest ever track, or just the shortest on this album? Two different uses of the word 'track', I see...

"Martha was the name of his three-year-old Old English sheepdog, who sadly died at the age of 15 in August 1981." - that sentence reads strangely, that the dog was 3 and 15! I think 'Martha was the name of his Old English Sheepdog' would suffice...

"Although living free from cigarettes, drugs and alcohol (more or less), he was meditating all day but finding it difficult to sleep at night. " - I'm not sure the word 'Although' is right there - is it more 'Although he was meditating all day, he was finding it difficult to sleep at night because of living free from cigarettes, drugs and alcohol (more or less)" ?

up to Blackbird

Wow, the story of 'Piggies' is a story and a half...

I think it would help to specify that 'Mother Nature's Son' is a Paul song, as I got confused by the mention of John's song in the same paragraph.

Excellent linkage there - the lyrics war and Leslie speakers fit in well

"This can also be heard in Love on the track Come Together/Dear Prudence." - what's Love here? Should Come Together/Dear Prudence be in inverted commas rather than italics?

excellent roundup

Thanks for those comments, I've tweaked the entry accordingly.

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This brought back memories!


A few typos which I'm sure you'll find yourself without me listing them. I think Dylan won a Nobel prize - not a Noble prize!

I've corrected Nobble Prize, for which I'll blame the spellchecker; did you know it kept changing Aigburth to 'Airbrush' behind my back…? But Toronoto was definitely my fault.

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"it kept changing Aigburth to 'Airbrush' behind my back"

I say about that - fascinating autocorrect suggestion, though!

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