FEATURE:
A Buyer’s Guide
Part Twenty-Nine: George Harrison
___________
THIS is quite timely…
IN THIS PHOTO: George Harrison in 1970/PHOTO CREDIT: Wolfgang Heilemann
as George Harrison’s masterpiece, All Things Must Pass, turns fifty on 27th November. I am looking ahead to that important anniversary and, whilst considering that album, I was interested to look in the back catalogue and investigate the work of a terrific songwriter. It must have been hard for the former Beatle to stand out on his own and make a name but, through the years, Harrison produced some marvellous albums! I have recommended the best four, the underrated one worth a look, in addition to his final album – and the book that you need to own. Since his passing in 2001, I think a lot of new ears have discovered his albums away from The Beatles and found a new side to the legend. If you need a guide as to which George Harrison albums to buy then…
PHOTO CREDIT: Ed Caraeff/Getty Images
KEEP reading on…
______________
The Four Essential Albums
All Things Must Pass
Release Date: 27th November, 1970
Label: Apple
Producers: George Harrison/Phil Spector
Standout Tracks: Wah-Wah/What Is Life/All Things Must Pass
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-All-Things-Must-Pass/master/56036
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4I4xtHaIFOzhZfp1NIHkY6
Review:
“Without a doubt, George Harrison's first solo recording, originally issued as a triple album, is his best. Drawing on his backlog of unused compositions from the late Beatles era, Harrison crafted material that managed the rare feat of conveying spiritual mysticism without sacrificing his gifts for melody and grand, sweeping arrangements. Enhanced by Phil Spector's lush orchestral production and Harrison's own superb slide guitar, nearly every song is excellent: "Awaiting on You All," "Beware of Darkness," the Dylan collaboration "I'd Have You Anytime," "Isn't It a Pity," and the hit singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life" are just a few of the highlights. A very moving work, with a slight flaw: the jams that comprise the final third of the album are somewhat dispensable, and have probably only been played once or twice by most of the listeners who own this record. Those same jams, however, played by Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, and Jim Gordon (all of whom had just come off of touring as part of Delaney & Bonnie's band), proved to be of immense musical importance, precipitating the formation of Derek & the Dominos. Thus, they weren't a total dead end, and may actually be much more to the liking of the latter band's fans” – AllMusic
Choice Cut: My Sweet Lord
Thirty Three & 1/3
Release Date: 19th November, 1976
Label: Dark Horse
Producer: George Harrison (assisted by Tom Scott)
Standout Tracks: Dear One/This Song/Crackerbox Palace
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Thirty-Three-13/master/74914
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7y9Fefugnr5b8fHHt9eE7X
Review:
“Among the new compositions is, ‘This Song’ which was George’s musical comment on his trials and tribulations over the plagiarism accusations of ‘My Sweet Lord’ and its similarities to The Chiffons’ ‘He’s So Fine’.
‘Crackerbox Palace’ is George’s account of his meeting with the manager of the comedian, Lord Buckley, earlier in 1976. For many, the standout track on what some have called, ‘George’s soul album’ is the exquisite, ‘Pure Smokey’ a tribute to Smokey Robinson. This delicate and beautiful ballad in recognition of the Motown legend features two of George’s most lovely guitar solos.
The lead single from Thirty Three & 1/3 was ‘This Song’ and another track off the album, the gorgeous, ‘Learning How To Love You’, was chosen as the B-side. George’s UK single, ‘It’s What You Value’ features the opening track ‘Woman Don’t You Cry For Me’ as its B-side. ‘It’s What You Value’ was written after drummer Jim Keltner asked for a new Mercedes sports car, rather than a cash payment for touring with George in 1974.
The record features one cover, ‘True Love’ a version of Cole Porter’s song, made famous by Bing Crosby in the film, High Society.
Thirty Three & 1/3 outsold both, Dark Horse and Extra Texture in America, peaking at No.11 on the charts. Inexplicably, given the quality of the songs, it only made No.35 in the UK, entering the chart on 8 January 1977; but then again, two days after George finished recording his album, the Festival Of Punk took place in London’s 100 Club… the musical times were a-changin’.
‘This Song’ and ‘Crackerbox Palace’ peaked at No.26 and No.19, respectively, on the Hot 100; none of the three singles released in the UK charted” – Udiscovermusic
Choice Cut: True Love
George Harrison
Release Date: 20th February, 1979
Label: Dark Horse
Producers: George Harrison/Russ Titelman
Standout Tracks: Not Guilty/Here Comes the Moon/Faster
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-George-Harrison/master/74951
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5LEZHIvSR7NRc9J4ojDUwU?si=2lHYyCvES7moD-FoBHG83g
Review:
“Another nod back to his Beatles’ years, “Here Comes the Moon” acts as a natural sequel to “Here Comes the Sun” from the Abbey Road album. This subtle, acoustic track features fine methodical accompaniment including vocal effects and a vocal chorus. Inspired by the hallucinatory effects of some Hawaiian “magic mushrooms”, the good-timey ragtime tune “Hard Hearted Hannah” features a fine acoustic lead and some call and response vocals. Perhaps the finest overall track, “Blow Away” features an exquisite combo of electric piano and slide electric guitar in the lead in along with a very catchy chorus hook and great guitar link back from chorus to verse. The song was the lead single from the album and became a hit in the United States and Canada.
The album’s second side starts with “Faster” an upbeat, celebratory tribute to Formula 1 racing which also served as the early title for this record. Next comes two subtle love songs, “Dark Sweet Lady” with a beautiful Caribbean style and the methodically strummed acoustic of “Your Love Is Forever”. A leftover from Thirty Three & 1/3, “Soft Touch” was re-written in Hawaii with a tropical theme and musical arrangement, while the closing track “If You Believe” wraps things up with an upbeat and positive message” – Classic Rock Review
Choice Cut: Blow Away
Cloud Nine
Release Date: 2nd November, 1987
Label: Dark Horse
Producers: Jeff Lynne/George Harrison
Standout Tracks: Cloud Nine/This Is Love/When We Was Fab
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Cloud-Nine/master/74960
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1nbq8GgaVdINI3PulXvPUq
Review:
“Throughout Cloud Nine, Harrison and Lynne add layers of inspired production touches that make undeniable aural confections even out of some of the album’s lovely but slight songs (“Fish on the Sand,” “This Is Love,” “Just for Today,” “Got My Mind Set on You,” “Someplace Else”). When the team brings its sonic smarts to bear on more substantial numbers (“Cloud Nine,” “When We Was Fab,” “That’s What It Takes,” “Wreck of the Hesperus”), the results make for sublime pop.
Cloud Nine is an especially heartwarming return to form because it suggests Harrison has come to terms with his own Beatledom. “When We Was Fab,” the eerie Sgt. Pepper-sound-alike track that ends the first side of the album, is Harrison’s droll sendup of and tribute to his days as a Beatle. And on the album sleeve, George saves the last of his special thanks for John, Paul and Ringo. And that’s only appropriate, because Cloud Nine is a totally fab record that lives up to the legacy of all those years ago” – Rolling Stone
Choice Cut: Got My Mind Set on You
The Underrated Gem
Living in the Material World
Release Date: 30th May, 1973
Label: Apple
Producer: George Harrison
Standout Tracks: The Light That Has Lighted the World/Living in the Material World/The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Living-In-The-Material-World/master/56051
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1UdvnEcaxCI30ywmt7fgGP
Review:
“The second side opens with the excellent composition, “The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)” with melodic vocals and musical flourishes, leading to climatic slide lead to end the track. Lyrically, Harrison sought feedback about Krishna philosophy, which encouraged him to develop such themes that are unorthodox in popular music. “Be Here Now” is a quiet and surreal acoustic ballad with some earthy and ethereal sounds, as “Try Some, Buy Some” (a leftover from 1970 co-produced by Spector) is a musical waltz built on a descending riff and it reaches for grandiose heights with horns and other “wall of sound” production techniques. Next comes the Beatlesque acoustic ballad “The Day the World Gets ‘Round”, short and sweet but with rich production. The album concludes with the aptly titled “That Is All”, a forgotten classic filled with melancholy emotion and musical aptitude, where Harrison really stretches his vocal range with high-pitched sustained notes” – Classic Rock Review
Choice Cut: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
The Final Album
Brainwashed
Release Date: 18th November, 2002
Labels: Dark House/EMI/Parlophone
Producers: George Harrison/Jeff Lynne/Dhani Harrison
Standout Tracks: Marwa Blues/Stuck Inside a Cloud/Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Brainwashed/master/124223
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2VFLjY1S0D8nKml6nlU2MD
Review:
“George Harrison went quiet not long after the second Traveling Wilburys album, surfacing only for the Beatles' Anthology in the mid-'90s. He was recording all the while, yet he died before completing the album that would have been the follow-up to 1987's Cloud Nine. His son, Dhani, and his longtime friend/collaborator Jeff Lynne completed the recordings, released late in 2002, nearly a year after George's death, as Brainwashed. Given its baggage it's easy to be suspicious about the merits of Brainwashed prior to hearing it. Posthumous efforts often feel incomplete, Harrison's albums were frequently inconsistent, and Lynne favors ornate, cinematic productions that run contrary to George's desire for this project to be simple and low key -- nothing that would suggest that Brainwashed would be a success. Defying all odds, Brainwashed isn't just a success, it's one of the finest records Harrison ever made. No, it doesn't achieve the splendor of All Things Must Pass, nor is it quite of its time like both Living in the Material World and Cloud Nine were, but it's a quiet, subtle gem, one that strikes close to the heart of Harrison's music. It's intimate, alternately insightful and cheerfully lightweight, balancing his trademark black humor with silliness and good humor. Anyone searching the album for his views on mortality -- as he faced not only cancer, but an attacker that nearly took his life -- will surely find it, but this is not a somber album, it is a warm album, the sound of someone enjoying life without losing his wry sense of humor. This same spirit carries over to the music, with Harrison abandoning the idea of getting a hit and simply relaxing, primarily by playing a lot of ukulele and guitar. There aren't any major songs here and perhaps a tune or two could be pegged as throwaways by the cynical, but there are no down moments and it all holds together well -- better than most Harrison albums -- and it's a fitting way to say goodbye, every bit as good as Double Fantasy and, in some respects, even sweeter” – AllMusic
Choice Cut: Any Road
The George Harrison Book
George Harrison: Be Here Now
Authors: Barry Feinstein/Chris Murray/Donovan
Publication Date: 29th September, 2020
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Synopsis:
“On hand from 1970 to 1972 for Harrison's blockbuster Triple Crown--the release of All Things Must Pass; The Concert for Bangladesh; and Living in the Material World, which helped make Harrison the best-selling post-breakup Beatle, Barry became good friends with George during the three-plus years they worked together. Feinstein captured George Harrison at home, in his garden, onstage, and in the studio. Nearly all the images are previously unpublished. The book contains never-before-seen ephemera related to these seminal releases during George's most richly creative time post-Beatles, including handwritten letters talking about album ideas, album-cover thoughts, and putting together the Concert for Bangladesh. This collection also features beloved performers that George convened for that Concert for Bangladesh--where Barry was the only sanctioned photographer onstage--including George's friends Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, and Billy Preston. The book coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of All Things Must Pass. George Harrison: Be Here Now is a deeper visual dive that the significantly large and passionate Beatles/George Harrison fandom will want to add to their collection” – Waterstones
Order: https://www.waterstones.com/book/george-harrison/barry-feinstein/chris-murray-donovan/9780847867752