Various Artists: The White EP (2012)

As far as taking on a challenge goes, commemorating The Beatles is a daunting task to have a go at. The world's most popular band still if I'm not much mistaken, with a well documented career featuring some of the most loved and well known songs composed. Their White Album from 1968 is one of many classic productions from this Liverpool foursome, and right on the eve of it's 45th anniversary Fruits de Mer Records decided that it was time to give this album a fitting tribute as regarded from a psychedelic rock point of view.

With material as strong as just about anything penned by The Beatles is, it's hard to go much wrong when covering their material. The challenge is to make an alternate version that makes an equal or in rare cases greater impression than the original, and it seems Fruits de Mer have been wise and lucky both with their selections.

Three Minute Tease kicks off splendidly with their take of Cry Baby Cry, where the bass guitar and lead vocals maintain the core melody while sounds and effects flutter in and out of the song in a suitably chaotic manner. The Bevis Frond continues the line of excellence with dampened but gritty guitar cascades with occasional slide guitar details backed by a sickly sounding keyboard motif on their version of Glass Onion. The Luck of Eden Hall comes next with a spirited, garage rock romp of Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey, complete with powerful vocals and psych dripping guitars. And in a flamboyant case of downplayed perfection, The Pretty Things take on Helter Skelter with a refined bass and drums display at the core supplemented by careful acoustic guitars, vocals and Mellotron backing is a tour de force of sophisticated art pop music, again with the main psychedelic ingredients courtesy of the guitar in the instrumental passages.

The second half of this EP isn't quite as intriguing however, although none of the contributions can be described as weak. Jack Ellister's take on Dear Prudence is nice but somewhat forgettable to my ears, while Cranium Pie's version of The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill sounds like Frank Zappa fooling around with electronic gizmos. The Seventh Ring of Saturn have chosen to have a go at Savoy Truffle, and opts for a garage rock tinged sound and psychedelic dripping guitar soloing for the occasion. And when Henry Padovani ends this brief commemoration of The Beatles "White Album", it is with a careful rendering of Long Long Long utilizing acoustic guitar, vocals and keyboards only, the latter employed as a simple but effectively contrasting sound layer.

All in all a strong celebration of The Beatles White Album, the first half of this EP in particular making a strong impression. With The Pretty Things version of Helter Skelter as the arguably best one in a generally strong company.

My rating: 90/100
Track list:
1. Three Minute Tease - Cry Baby Cry
2. The Bevis Frond - Glass Onion
3. The Luck of Eden Hall - Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
4. The Pretty Things - Helter Skelter
5. Jack Ellister - Dear Prudence
6. Cranium Pie - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
7. The Seventh Ring of Saturn - Savoy Truffle
8. Henry Padovani - Long Long Long