The White Album at 40

Forty years ago, George Martin, the Beatles' producer, advised the band against releasing what would become known as the White Album as a two-record set, and both Ringo and George later allowed that editing it down to a single disc might have been a good idea.

But few would argue today that the Beatles made a mistake. Last night's note by note, song by song, reproduction by the Fab Faux--an extraordinary group of five musicians devoted to reproducing the Fab Four's entire body of work live onstage--shows more clearly than can ever be appreciated on even the finest stereo system just how monumental a musical achievement the White Album was, and still is.