I’ve lived with this album for so long that it’s hard to even think about it clearly sometimes. It’s like an old friend who’s weird, unpredictable, sometimes a bit much, but always welcome. I don’t listen to The White Album for consistency or flow. I listen to it because it’s one of those albums I know that actually feels like real life. It’s messy. It’s brilliant. It has dead-ends and detours and moments of beauty that sneak up on you. I used to skip certain songs when I was younger, but I’ve grown into most of them. It’s that kind of album — one that shifts with you over time. I’ve always loved how this record refuses to be one thing. One minute you’re in the middle of something as beautiful as Blackbird or Dear Prudence, and the next you’re thrown into chaos with Helter Skelter or Yer Blues. It doesn’t care if you’re ready or not. That’s part of the charm for me. It’s like the Beatles opened up all the doors in their heads and just let everything pour out. Some of it’s nonsense, some of it’s genius, some of it is both at once. I find something new to like almost every time I put it on. The songs I didn’t understand as a teenager like Long, Long, Long, Mother Nature’s Son, even Revolution 9 (ok maybe not that one ) but they have grown into more listenable favourites along the way and time. If I’m really honest, I think this Beatles album is the least controlled and it's one of the things that makes it such a good album. It feels human but in away where the seams are showing, but that just makes it more real. You can hear them pulling in different directions, filled with idea after idea in multiple genres and somehow it still works. I love how it doesn’t try to be perfect but somehow just is. It just throws everything at the wall and lets you decide what sticks and then after maybe a few listens or a few years you notice everythings stuck to the wall. I’ll always be grateful for how generous this album is how much it gives you to dive into. It’s long, it’s flawed, but it’s alive and there's a lot of artists who could still learn a lot from this album about keeping things organic and gimmick free and let your music do the talking for you. No flashy cover, no massive pile of story led lore or mysterious personnel. just 4 lads a bunch of instruments and the ability to write catchy interesting songs...