After creating two of the most ambitious musical statements in rock music history with Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album, The Beatles decided to return to their roots in 1969. At the urging of Paul McCartney, the band convened in Twickenham Studios and started work on a back-to-the-basics straight-ahead rock album. Recorded live in the studio, the songs from that session would later be released as Let It Be.

Despite McCartney’s intention to return to the band’s early freewheeling days, the recording sessions were filled with tension. At one point, George Harrison left the band for a few days. Displeased with the results from the sessions, The Beatles put the work aside and focused on recording another album, which would be released as Abbey Road.

Somehow, despite increasing tensions within the band, The Beatles were able to add one more masterpiece to their rich discography with the release of that album. It begins with the cool strut of “Come Together,” a number that John Lennon wrote as the campaign theme song for LSD-guru Timothy Leary’s failed 1969 run for California governor. The rest of the album’s first eight numbers include classics like George Harrison’s “Something,” with its impressive fluid guitar work, and the ‘50s rock flashback “Oh! Darling.” One highlight of the first batch is the almost eight-minute-long John Lennon number “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” a song dripping with palpable sexual tension that features one of the earliest appearances of the Moog synthesizer.

Despite the greatness of the album’s first set of songs, the latter numbers on Abbey Road are even more impressive. The centerpiece is an eight song, 16-minute medley composed primarily of song snippets like the cartoon-ish “Mean Mr. Mustard” and the grandiose “Golden Slumbers.” Despite the unique sound of each piece, every song seems to effortlessly segue way into the next number.

Following the release of Abbey Road, the tracks recorded during the grueling Let It Be sessions were given to Phil Spector, a producer known for his distinctive work on hits like The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” Spector significantly altered the sound of some songs, especially McCartney’s “The Long and Winding Road,” before the album was released in 1970. McCartney was pissed with Spector’s re-working of “The Long and Winding Road,” while Lennon was more appreciative of Spector’s contributions. Later, Lennon said that Spector “took the shittiest pile of shit and made something of it.” By the time Let It Be was released, The Beatles had already broken up.

Though Let It Be can’t compare with The Beatles’ greatest recorded works like The White Album and Abbey Road, the album is not rubbish, but rather an uneven rock record with a handful of highpoints. Amongst filler like “Dig It” and a roughshod take on the traditional number “Maggie Mae” is the Stones-ish “Get Back” and the overlooked gem “Dig a Pony,” which starts off with a galloping instrumental section.

Now, after bringing Beatles’ albums like Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to life at the Golden State Theatre this past November, The White Album Ensemble, a group of veteran regional musicians, returns to the majestic venue to try and reproduce the great band’s last two recorded works. Formed in 2003, The White Album Ensemble, which includes former members of The Doobie Brothers and Santa Cruz rock band Snail, has already performed Rubber Soul, Revolver, The White Album and Sgt. Peppers at venues including Santa Cruz’s Rio Theater, San Jose’s Cesar Chavez Plaza, Carmel’s Sunset Center and the Golden State.

Dale Ockerman—who plays keyboards, guitar, trumpet, harmonica and mandolin for The White Album Ensemble—says he truly enjoys playing the piano parts of Let It Be (which had been supplied by session man and legendary pianist Billy Preston). Ockerman is personally dedicating his performance in the show to Preston, who passed away a few weeks ago. “I want to honor that type of playing,” he says.

When The White Album Ensemble came together in 2003, the band’s goal was to perform all of The Beatles recorded work that the foursome never played live. With Saturday’s performance of Abbey Road and Let It Be, the group will have achieved that goal, which leads to the question of what is next for the band of local players. A show of The Rolling Stones’ best works? A batch of Madonna’s greatest hits? A tribute to Steely Dan?

Ockerman says it is unlikely that the band will head off into a radical new direction. Instead, he sees the possibility of doing a show of Beatles’ singles or greatest hits from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison’s solo careers.

THE WHITE ALBUM ENSEMBLE performs Let It Be and Abbey Road at the Golden State Theatre, 316 Alvarado St. in Monterey, Saturday at 8pm. $20/balcony rear; $30/orchestra; $50/preferred seating. 372-4555.