I love the pastiches. Back in the USSR is actually my favorite song of all time. It's just great to hear the Beatles playing songs that they otherwise wouldn't play. and it's not like the songs in question don't have merit. USSR is one of the best rock songs ever. Yer Blues is a perfect mockery of the blues. Honey Pie is an acquired taste but I like it.
everyone always says that the White Album is just "straight forward rock" or a "return to old" for the Beatles. that's true to some extent. songs like Birthday, Ob La Di, and I'm So Tired are very reminiscent of past recordings. but at the end of the day, nobody at the time of the album's release has ever heard anything like Helter Skelter or Revolution 9...so there's major creativity there, in spite of some people's negative opinions of the tracks. there's acoustic masterpieces all over the place (Blackbird, Long Long Long, Mother Nature's Son), there are songs that are just plain fun and shouldn't be taken to seriously (Bungalo Bill, Why Don't We Do It, Honey Pie, Rocky Raccoon, Wild Honey Pie), John hitting on all cylinders with the lyrics (Julia, Revolution, Sexy Sadie, Happiness is a Warm Gun) and lastly.....Ringo backed by an orchestra.
the rest of my opinion is summed up in my signature