The Black Album (compilation album)

Last updated
The Black Album
The Beatles's The Black Album cover.jpg
Compilation album by
Released21 July 2014 (2014-07-21)
RecordedDecember 1969 – February 1995
Genre Rock, pop
Length3:17:11
Compiler Ethan Hawke

The Black Album (stylised as The BLACK ALBUM) is an unofficial compilation album of solo material by members of the British rock group The Beatles. It was created by the American actor Ethan Hawke, and became widely known as a result of its inclusion in Richard Linklater's 2014 film Boyhood . Hawke compiled the record to give to his daughter Maya on her 13th birthday in 2011, including personalised liner notes; it was then incorporated into Boyhood in scenes shot later that year, with Hawke's character giving it to his son as a birthday present.

Contents

The compilation contains 51 tracks from Beatles members following the band's breakup in 1970. Critical reaction to The Black Album was generally positive: The Desert Sun described it as "a great listen", while USA Today called it "quite a compilation". In an analysis for the New York Daily News , Jim Farber suggested that the record was "a metaphor for divorce".

Concept

A lifelong fan of the Beatles, Hawke compiled The Black Album for his daughter Maya following his divorce from her mother Uma Thurman, and presented it to her on her 13th birthday on 8 July 2011. [1] The record consisted of 51 songs from the Beatles' members following their breakup in 1970. [2] John Lennon had 19 songs on the compilation from his solo career and his collaborations with the Plastic Ono Band, Paul McCartney had 20 from his solo career and his collaborations with Wings and Linda McCartney, George Harrison had seven songs from his solo career, and Ringo Starr had four. Additionally, the song "Real Love"—a Lennon demo reworked and overdubbed by McCartney, Harrison and Starr for the compilation Anthology 2 —was included on The Black Album. Included with the three-disc collection was a set of liner notes in the form of a personalised letter from Hawke to his daughter, explaining his motivation for creating the album. [3]

Usage in Boyhood

"Mason, I wanted to give you something for your birthday that money couldn't buy, something that only a father could give a son, like a family heirloom. This is the best I could do."

— Mason Sr. explains The Black Album [4]

Since 2002, Hawke had been starring in Boyhood, an ongoing 12-year film project directed by the American director Richard Linklater. [5] Boyhood chronicles the life of Mason Evans (Ellar Coltrane) from the ages of six to 18, with scenes shot each year between 2002 and 2013. [1] Hawke portrays Mason's father, Mason Evans Sr. [6] While filming scenes in 2011 for Mason's 15th birthday, Linklater decided to incorporate The Black Album into the film, by having Mason Sr. gift the compilation to his son as a birthday present. [7] In the film, Mason Sr. explains: "Whenever you listen to too much of the solo stuff it kind of becomes a drag, you know? But you put them next to each other, right, and they start to elevate each other. And then you can hear it: it's the Beatles." He describes the record as being the "perfect segue" of solo Beatles material. [1]

During promotion of the film, Linklater was asked at a Q&A in Chicago if the album actually existed. [8] Linklater confirmed that it did, and explained that he and Hawke were looking for a way to distribute its full track listing to the public. [8] Hawke eventually revealed the track listing and an adaptation of its liner notes on 21 July 2014 in an exclusive article for the website BuzzFeed. [9]

Reception

Critical reaction to Hawke's compilation was generally positive. In an analysis of The Black Album, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News suggested that the record was "a metaphor for divorce", and noted that Hawke had selected tracks that were recorded as the Beatles' members were approaching maturity and writing songs about more mature subject matter. [1] Trey Barrineau of USA Today said the album was "quite a compilation", [10] while Peter Howell of the Toronto Star called it "unique". [11] The Desert Sun described it as "a great listen" and were inspired to create their own shorter version of the album, which featured only 12 tracks consisting of solo material from 1970 to 1971. [12]

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Band on the Run" (from Band on the Run , 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 5:10
2."My Sweet Lord" (from All Things Must Pass , 1970) George Harrison 4:38
3."Jealous Guy" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 4:17
4."Photograph" (from Ringo , 1973) Ringo Starr 3:56
5."How?" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 3:43
6."Every Night" (from McCartney , 1970) Paul McCartney 2:31
7."Blow Away" (from George Harrison , 1979) George Harrison 4:00
8."Maybe I'm Amazed" (from McCartney , 1970) Paul McCartney 3:53
9."Woman" (from Double Fantasy , 1980) John Lennon 3:32
10."Jet" (from Band on the Run , 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 4:06
11."Stand by Me" (from Rock 'n' Roll , 1975) John Lennon 3:26
12."No No Song" (from Goodnight Vienna , 1974) Ringo Starr 2:33
13."Junk" (from McCartney , 1970) Paul McCartney 1:54
14."Love" (from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band , 1970) John Lennon 3:21
15."The Back Seat of My Car" (from Ram , 1971) Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney 4:26
16."Watching the Wheels" (from Double Fantasy , 1980) John Lennon 3:35
17."Mind Games" (from Mind Games , 1973) John Lennon 4:13
18."Bluebird" (from Band on the Run , 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 3:22
19."Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" (from Double Fantasy , 1980) John Lennon 4:02
20."What Is Life" (from All Things Must Pass , 1970) George Harrison 4:22
Total length:75:00
Disc two
No.TitleArtistLength
1."God" (from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band , 1970) John Lennon 4:09
2."Listen to What the Man Said" (from Venus and Mars , 1975) Wings 4:01
3."Crippled Inside" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 3:47
4."You're Sixteen" (from Ringo , 1973) Ringo Starr 2:48
5."Let Me Roll It" (from Band on the Run , 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 4:47
6."Power to the People" (from "Power to the People", 1971) John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band 3:22
7."Another Day" (from "Another Day", 1971) Paul McCartney 3:41
8."If Not For You (2001 Digital Remaster)" (from All Things Must Pass , 1970) George Harrison 3:29
9."(Just Like) Starting Over" (from Double Fantasy , 1980) John Lennon 3:56
10."Let 'Em In" (from Wings at the Speed of Sound , 1976) Wings 5:10
11."Mother" (from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band , 1970) John Lennon 5:34
12."Helen Wheels" (from "Helen Wheels", 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 3:44
13."I Found Out" (from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band , 1970) John Lennon 3:37
14."Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" (from Ram , 1971) Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney 4:49
15."Instant Karma!" (from "Instant Karma!", 1970) Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band 3:21
16."Not Guilty (2004 Digital Remaster)" (from George Harrison , 1979) George Harrison 3:35
17."Heart of the Country" (from Ram , 1971) Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney 2:23
18."Oh Yoko!" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 4:20
19."Mull of Kintyre" (from "Mull of Kintyre", 1977) Wings 4:44
20."It Don't Come Easy" (from "It Don't Come Easy", 1971) Ringo Starr 3:00
Total length:78:17
Disc three
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Grow Old with Me (2010 Remaster)" (from Milk and Honey , 1984) John Lennon 3:07
2."Silly Love Songs" (from Wings at the Speed of Sound , 1976) Wings 5:54
3."Real Love" (from Anthology 2 , 1996) The Beatles 3:54
4."My Love" (from Red Rose Speedway , 1973) Paul McCartney & Wings 4:08
5."Oh My Love" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 2:50
6."Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (from Living in the Material World , 1973) George Harrison 3:36
7."Pipes of Peace" (from Pipes of Peace , 1983) Paul McCartney 3:56
8."Imagine" (from Imagine , 1971) John Lennon 3:01
9."Here Today" (from Tug of War , 1982) Paul McCartney 2:27
10."All Things Must Pass" (from All Things Must Pass , 1970) George Harrison 3:44
11."And I Love Her" (from Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) , 1991) Paul McCartney 4:17
Total length:40:54

See also

Works that explore similar concepts

Related Research Articles

<i>The Beatles</i> (album) 1968 studio album by the Beatles

The Beatles, also referred to colloquially as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 22 November 1968. Featuring a plain white sleeve, the cover contains no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed. This was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's previous LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). The Beatles is recognised for its fragmentary style and diverse range of genres, including folk, British blues, ska, music hall, proto-metal and the avant-garde. It has since been viewed by some critics as a postmodern work, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Hawke</span> American actor and film director (born 1970)

Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, author and film director. He made his film debut in Explorers (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in Dead Poets Society (1989). Hawke starred alongside Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy from 1995 to 2013. Hawke received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Training Day (2001) and Boyhood (2014) and two for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). Other notable roles include in Reality Bites (1994), Gattaca (1997), Great Expectations (1998), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Maggie's Plan (2015), First Reformed (2017), The Black Phone (2021) and The Northman (2022).

Apple Records is a record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston. In practice, the roster had become dominated by the mid-1970s with releases of the former Beatles as solo artists. Allen Klein managed the label from 1969 to 1973, then it was managed by Neil Aspinall on behalf of the Beatles and their heirs. Aspinall retired in 2007 and was replaced by Jeff Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul McCartney and Wings</span> British–American rock band

Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, were a British-American rock band formed in 1971 in London by former Beatles bassist and singer Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards, session drummer Denny Seiwell, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. Wings were noted for their commercial successes, musical eclecticism and frequent personnel changes; going through three lead guitarists and four drummers. However, the core trio of the McCartneys and Laine remained intact throughout the group's existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helter Skelter (song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Helter Skelter" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song was McCartney's attempt to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible. It is regarded as a key influence in the early development of heavy metal. In 1976, the song was released as the B-side of "Got to Get You into My Life" in the United States, to promote the Capitol Records compilation Rock 'n' Roll Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let It Be (Beatles song)</span> 1970 single by The Beatles

"Let It Be" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 6 March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single version of the song, produced by George Martin, features a softer guitar solo and the orchestral section mixed low, compared with the album version, produced by Phil Spector, featuring a more aggressive guitar solo and the orchestral sections mixed higher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something (Beatles song)</span> 1969 song by the Beatles

"Something" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Together with his second contribution to Abbey Road, "Here Comes the Sun", it is widely viewed by music historians as having marked Harrison's ascendancy as a composer to the level of the Beatles' principal songwriters, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Two weeks after the album's release, the song was issued on a double A-side single, coupled with "Come Together", making it the first Harrison composition to become a Beatles A-side. The pairing was also the first time in the United Kingdom that the Beatles issued a single containing tracks already available on an album. While the single's commercial performance was lessened by this, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States as well as charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and West Germany, and peaked at number 4 in the UK.

<i>Abbey Road</i> 1969 studio album by the Beatles

Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969. It is the last album the group recorded, although Let It Be was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly recorded in April, July, and August 1969, and reached number one in both the US and the United Kingdom. A double A-side single from the album, "Something" / "Come Together", was released in October, which also topped the charts in the US.

<i>McCartney</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Paul McCartney

McCartney is the debut solo album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 17 April 1970 by Apple Records. McCartney recorded it in secrecy, mostly using basic home-recording equipment at his house in St John's Wood. Mixing and some recording took place at professional London studios. In its loosely arranged performances, McCartney eschewed the polish of the Beatles' past records in favour of a lo-fi style. Apart from occasional contributions by his wife, Linda, McCartney performed the entire album alone by overdubbing on four-track tape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackbird (Beatles song)</span> 1968 song by The Beatles

"Blackbird" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney with minor lyrical contributions from John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, and performed as a solo piece by McCartney. When discussing the song, McCartney has said that the lyrics were inspired by hearing the call of a blackbird in Rishikesh, India, and by racial tension in the Southern United States.

<i>The Best of George Harrison</i> 1976 compilation album by George Harrison

The Best of George Harrison is a 1976 compilation album by English musician George Harrison, released following the expiration of his EMI-affiliated Apple Records contract. Uniquely among all of the four Beatles' solo releases, apart from posthumous compilations, it mixes a selection of the artist's songs recorded with the Beatles on one side, and later hits recorded under his own name on the other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey</span> 1971 single by Paul & Linda McCartney

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album Ram. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first of a string of post-Beatles, Paul McCartney-penned singles to top the US pop chart during the 1970s and 1980s. Billboard ranked the song as number 22 on its Top Pop Singles of 1971 year-end chart. It became McCartney's first gold record after the breakup of the Beatles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band on the Run (song)</span> 1974 single by Paul McCartney and Wings

"Band on the Run" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released as the title track to their 1973 album Band on the Run. The song was released as a single in April 1974 in the US and in June 1974 in the UK, following the success of "Jet", and became an international chart success. The song topped the charts in the United States, also reaching number 3 in the United Kingdom. The single sold over one million copies in 1974 in America. It has since become one of the band's most famous songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listen to What the Man Said</span>

"Listen to What the Man Said" is a hit single from Wings' 1975 album Venus and Mars. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on soprano saxophone. It was a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the week of July 19, 1975 and reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM National Top Singles Chart. It also reached number 6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junk (song)</span> 1970 song by Paul McCartney

"Junk" is a song written by English musician Paul McCartney and released on his debut studio album McCartney (1970). He wrote the song in 1968 with the Beatles while the group were studying Transcendental Meditation in India. After the band's return from India, he recorded the song as a demo at Kinfauns, George Harrison's home, before sessions for The Beatles took place. It was ultimately passed over for inclusion on The Beatles and Abbey Road in 1969. After the group's break-up, McCartney recorded the song for inclusion on McCartney. The lyrics describe various items in a junkyard. A slightly longer, instrumental version of the song, titled "Singalong Junk", also appears on the album.

<i>Boyhood</i> (2014 film) 2014 film directed by Richard Linklater

Boyhood is a 2014 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan Hawke. Filmed from 2002 to 2013, Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. (Coltrane) from ages six to eighteen as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents. Richard Linklater's daughter Lorelei plays Mason's sister, Samantha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul McCartney</span> English musician and member of the Beatles (born 1942)

Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.

<i>New</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Paul McCartney

New is the sixteenth solo studio album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 11 October 2013 through MPL Communications, Hear Music, and Universal International. The album was his first since 2007's Memory Almost Full to consist entirely of new compositions.

Boyhood (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album to the 2014 film of the same name directed by Richard Linklater. The album, released on July 9, 2014 by Nonesuch Records, consists of 15 songs from popular artists recorded and released during 2000s and early-2010s, that are compiled by Linklater and music supervisor Randall Poster. The film features more than 50 songs that are not included in the album.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Farber, Jim (8 September 2014). "Ethan Hawke's 'Black Album' is a post-divorce metaphor". New York Daily News . New York City. OCLC   9541172. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014.
  2. Perez, Rodrigo (21 July 2014). "Listen: The Post-Beatles 'Black Album' From Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016.
  3. Giles, Jeff (3 September 2014). "Listen to the Beatles' 'Black Album' Playlist From the Movie 'Boyhood'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014.
  4. Scott, Mike (4 August 2014). "'Boyhood': Five cool things to know about Richard Linklater's landmark drama". The Times-Picayune . New Orleans: Advance Publications. ISSN   1055-3053. OCLC   61312201. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014.
  5. "'The Black Album' Puts The Beatles Back Together for New Generation". New York City: WNYC. 18 August 2014.
  6. Buchanan, Kyle (8 July 2014). "Ethan Hawke on His 30-Year Career and Why It's Weird for Him to Watch Boyhood With His Kids". New York City: Vulture.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014.
  7. Wickman, Kase (22 July 2014). "Here's How To Get Ethan Hawke's Secret Album From 'Boyhood'". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 Singer, Matt (21 July 2014). "Coolness: The full track listing for Boyhood's The Black Album". The Dissolve . Chicago. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014.
  9. Hawke, Ethan (21 July 2014). "Ethan Hawke's Heartwarming Tribute To A 'Boyhood' With Music". New York City: BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014.
  10. Barrineau, Trey (21 July 2014). "The 'Black Album' from 'Boyhood' is quite a compilation". USA Today . McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016.
  11. Howell, Peter (17 July 2014). "How to mark time and track the Beatles in Boyhood: Peter Howell column". Toronto Star . Toronto: Star Media. ISSN   0319-0781. OCLC   137342540. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014.
  12. "'Boyhood's' Black Album inspires solo Beatles playlist". The Desert Sun . Palm Springs, California. 24 July 2014. OCLC   26432381. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016.