George Harrison | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Nicknamed "the Quiet Beatle" at the height of Beatlemania, George Harrison did indeed seem somewhat reserved compared to the other members of the Fab Four. He favored wry wit to Ringo Starrs clowning, and he never indulged in either John Lennons penchant for controversy or Paul McCartneys crowd-pleasing antics. He preferred sly provocations to larger-than-life bravado. Harrisons measured, considered persona was reflected in his music, particularly his clean, composed lead guitar parts but also in his earliest songs for the Beatles where he didnt seem to waste a line. With the introduction of psychedelics, spirituality, and Indian music in the mid-60s, Georges horizons expanded considerably and he started to come into his own as a musician, releasing a pair of experimental albums on Apples Zapple offshoot before settling into a songwriting style that spliced Dylanesque introspection with his natural pop grace, while also developing a unique slide guitar technique that owed nothing to the blues. Later Beatles albums hinted at this flowering of talent; The Beatles and Abbey Road contained some of his strongest work, with the latter including the standard "Something," a song Frank Sinatra called "the greatest love song of the past 50 years." Still, it wasnt until the 1970 release of All Things Must Pass, the post-Beatles triple album that was effectively his solo debut, that the general audience appreciated the depth of his talents. All Things Must Pass and its smash single "My Sweet Lord" -- a single that topped the charts around the world -- also cemented Harrisons image as a mystic seeker, a reputation underscored by his 1971 superstar charity event The Concert for Bangladesh and 1973s Living in the Material World, back-to-back hits that established George as a superstar outside of the Beatles. His winning streak hit some rough spots in the mid-70s, with his last two albums for Apple -- 1974s Dark Horse and 1975s Extra Texture (Read All About It) -- slowing his momentum, leading him to a respectable plateau where he stayed after establishing his Dark Horse label in 1976 with the release of Thirty Three & 1/3. Over the next six years, Harrison recorded fairly steadily and racked up some hits, but he didnt have a full-fledged comeback until 1987s Jeff Lynne-produced Cloud Nine. Thanks to the singles "Got My Mind Set on You" and "When We Was Fab," the album became a Top Ten hit around the world and Harrison followed the record quickly with the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, whose 1988 album Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 grew out of solo sessions for a Harrison B-side. The Wilburys turned out to be Georges last hurrah. After their final album in 1990, Harrison turned toward the Beatles Anthology reunion, and then maintained a low profile as he battled two types of cancer, succumbing to lung cancer in 2001. By that point, his legacy as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century was secure. George Harrison was born in Liverpool on February 25, 1943, the last of the four children Harold and Louise Harrison had. He fell in love with music at an early age, sketching pictures of guitars in his school notebooks before he acquired his first guitar in 1956. Like many British teenagers, he was equally inspired by rock & roll and skiffle, the variation of folk popularized by Lonnie Donegan. He played in a skiffle group called the Rebels prior to meeting an older fellow schoolmate named Paul McCartney. This set George on the path of joining a different skiffle outfit -- one McCartney had with John Lennon -- when he was just 15. Named the Quarrymen, the group would turn into the Beatles, with that groups lineup solidifying in 1962 when Ringo Starr replaced original drummer Pete Best. Harrison sang the lead vocal on "Do You Want to Know a Secret" on the groups 1963 debut Please Please Me, and his first original song came later that year when "Dont Bother Me" showed up on With the Beatles. Over the next few years, hed sing lead on songs either written by Lennon & McCartney or by one of his idols -- on 1964s Beatles for Sale, he sang Carl Perkins "Everybodys Trying to Be My Baby" -- but generally gained attention for his nimble guitar, which alternately rang and stung. He started to emerge as a writing force in 1965 with songs on Help! and Rubber Soul -- the latter contained two noteworthy compositions in the sneering "Think for Yourself" and "If I Needed Someone" -- but in 1966 he made a forceful impression with Revolvers barbed "Taxman" and "Love You To," the latter indicating his newfound love for Indian music and culture and Eastern spirituality. Soon, the Beatles followed his lead on a pilgrimage to India in 1967, during which their manager Brian Epstein died, thereby setting the group off on a path toward its eventual dissolution. Harrisons increased artistic growth during this period certainly fueled the breakup. Upon returning from India, George entered a purple patch of creativity, producing more songs than he was allowed to feature for the bands 1968 double album, The Beatles. Tensions between the group members reached a boiling point during the sessions for Get Back, a project that was shelved and turned into Let It Be in early 1970, but the band got together for one last album in Abbey Road, a 1969 album bolstered by "Something," a Harrison ballad that turned into a modern standard almost immediately upon release. "Something" provided a launching pad for Harrisons solo career, but hed already been dabbling in solo projects since 1968. That year, the Beatles launched their Apple Corps collective of businesses, one of their enterprises being an experimental label called Zapple. George released Wonderwall Music that year, becoming the first Beatle to release a solo album, and this collection of Indian music was followed in 1969 by Electronic Sound, an album where Harrison experimented with synthesizers. A better indication of the sound George chose to follow once he officially went solo in 1970 came with his on-stage cameos during Delaney & Bonnies 1969 British tour. Along with Bob Dylan and the Band, these American blues-rockers had an influence on All Things Must Pass, a sprawling triple album produced by Phil Spector that functioned as a spectacular introduction to George Harrison the solo artist. Bolstered by "My Sweet Lord," a single that hit number one throughout the world, and the Top Ten "What Is Life," All Things Must Pass topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., elevating George above John, Paul, and Ringos stardom. His rise was not without controversy -- Bright Tunes Publishing sued Harrison for copyright infringement in 1971, claiming "My Sweet Lord" plagiarized the Chiffons 1963 "Hes So Fine"; George lost the case but, in a byzantine turn of events, he wound up with the publishing to both songs after his then-manager Allen Klein purchased the rights to "Hes So Fine" -- but there was no question Harrison came into his own. George followed All Things Must Pass with something equally grand: a benefit concert for the refugees of war-torn Bangladesh. Upon the urging of his friend Ravi Shankar, Harrison arranged a star-studded benefit held at Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971, enlisting his friends Starr, Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Billy Preston to play; it was the first all-star charity show, setting the template for those to follow. Although there were problems dispersing funds, the concert was a success, as was the album, which went gold in the U.S. and won the 1973 Grammy for Album of the Year. Also in 1973, Harrison released Living in the Material World, his second studio album and his second number one, assisted by the single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)," a number one hit in the U.S. that topped out at eight in the U.K. He supported the record with an extensive series of North American concerts, the first tour launched by a Beatle. Upon its conclusion, he released his next album, Dark Horse (his tour shared the same title), a record greeted with mixed reviews and softening sales; it failed to chart in Britain, although it did peak at four in the U.S., where the title track went to number 15. Harrison closed out his contract with EMI and Apple in 1975 with Extra Texture (Read All About It), an album that fared better in the U.K. and performed respectably in the U.S., due to the single "You." He quickly launched his own Dark Horse label in 1976, inaugurating the imprint that November with Thirty Three & 1/3. (Apple released The Best of George Harrison, containing solo and Beatles cuts, almost simultaneously.) Supported by the modest hits "This Song" and "Crackerbox Palace," the slightly slicker Thirty Three & 1/3 wound up a bigger hit than its two predecessors, thereby starting Harrisons Dark Horse years off on a slight rebound. This continued through 1979s eponymous album, a record highlighted by the soft rock hit "Blow Away," a single that peaked at number 16 in the U.S. but went no further than 51 in the U.K. Harrison rebounded with 1981s Somewhere in England, thanks in no small part to the hit "All Those Years Ago," a song fashioned as a tribute to the murdered John Lennon and featuring contributions from Ringo Starr and Paul and Linda McCartney. Despite this hit -- which went to two in the U.S. and 13 in the U.K. -- the record failed to go gold in either America or Britain, and Gone Troppo, released just a year later, sank from view quickly. George slid into a relatively quiet phase, concentrating on raising his son Dhani -- he was born in 1978, the first and only son of George and Olivia Harrison, who also married in 1978. Harrison concentrated on his film company HandMade Films, a company started in 1978 with the intent of financing Monty Pythons silver-screen debut Life of Brian but gained momentum in the early 80s thanks to the release of 1980s Bob Hoskins gangster drama The Long Good Friday and Terry Gilliams 1981 fantasy Time Bandits; the company would also release the acclaimed Mona Lisa (1986) and Withnail and I (1987), before becoming mired in money problems surrounding the runaway production of the 1986 Sean Penn and Madonna vehicle Shanghai Surprise. George stayed involved in music largely through live guest appearances, popping up at charity concerts and tributes, but he also appeared on Dave Edmunds oldies-inspired soundtrack for 1985s Porkys Revenge. Eventually, Harrison began work on his ninth studio album, hiring Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra as co-producer. Lynne brought a lush, glossy sheen to 1987s Cloud Nine, a sound that was instrumental to the records success. Preceded by a bouncy rendition of James Rays forgotten chestnut "Got My Mind Set on You," a single that turned into a number one hit in the U.S. and reached two in the U.K., Cloud Nine was an undeniable comeback, reaching the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic and earning a platinum certification in the U.S., assisted in part by its second single, "When We Was Fab." In the wake of its success, Harrison and Lynne returned to the studio to record a B-side with the assistance of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. This session turned into a full album with the superstars calling themselves the Traveling Wilburys. Accompanied by the single "Handle with Care," their record, The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, appeared in October 1988 and it was selling well prior to the December death of Orbison. Its second single, "End of the Line," helped cement its success and it wound up being certified platinum three times in the U.S., reaching a peak of three; it wound up in the Top Ten in every major country around the world, save the U.K., where it topped out at number 16. The Traveling Wilburys released a second album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3, in the fall of 1990. While it didnt sell as well as its predecessor, the record nevertheless went to number 11 in the U.S., where it also went platinum. Following the 1992 release of Live in Japan and some live appearances that year, Harrison once again receded from the spotlight, reuniting with the surviving Beatles to assemble their 1994 archival Anthology project, an effort that also included working two existing Lennon demos into a finished project with the assistance of Lynne. After Anthology wrapped, Harrison produced Ravi Shankars 1997 album Chants of India, but his output slowed further following a 1997 diagnosis of throat cancer. Over the next few years, Harrison dealt with several different health issues (he also suffered a serious knife attack by an intruder in 1999), and in 2001 his lung cancer spread to his brain. On November 29, 2001, Harrison passed away from lung cancer. After his death, his son Dhani and Jeff Lynne completed Harrisons unreleased recordings and they were released as Brainwashed in 2002. George was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and, over the next decade, there were several archival projects, including a 2004 box set of his Dark Horse recordings and the 2009 compilation Let It Roll. In 2011, his life was the subject of a documentary film from Martin Scorsese called George Harrison: Living in the Material World; it was accompanied by a collection of rarities called Early Takes: Vol. 1. Georges Apple recordings were remastered and released in 2014 as a box set called The Apple Years 1968-75. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 16 Title: Electronic Sound Released: 1969-05-02 Tracks: 2 Duration: 43:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Under the Mersey Wall (25:10) 2 No Time or Space (18:41) |
| Electronic Sound : Allmusic album Review : Hard as it is to believe, George Harrison, guitar picker, was also an electronic music pioneer, as these two lengthy, abstract tone poems for early-vintage Moog synthesizer reveal. A naif in the electronic sphere, George had a lot of help putting this music together, particularly from ace California electronic composer Bernie Krause. (Interestingly, Krause was originally given prominent credit in the artists childlike artwork on the LP cover, but when the album came out, Krauses name was almost, but not quite, obscured by silver paint, and the CD erases it entirely.) The main difference between the CD reissue and the original LP is that the identities of the two works apparently have been reversed; "Under the Mersey Wall" is really "No Time or Space" and vice-versa. Accordingly, Krause is given "assistance" credit for the latter piece instead of the former, which is significant because "No Time or Space" is the masterpiece of the record. Dramatically structured, unearthly in its pitchless writhing, flamboyantly manipulating pink and white noise from the opening electronic gun battle onward, "No Time or Space" is still an entertaining listening experience, and some of its passages would turn up later in the "I Remember Jeep" jam from Harrisons All Things Must Pass album. The shorter "Mersey Wall," recorded in Harrisons Esher bungalow with his own Moog, is a low-key, drifting affair, not quite as virtuosic in its handling of abstract sound, nor nearly as theatrical. Though scoffed at when they were released, these pieces can hold their own and then some with many of those of other, more seriously regarded electronic composers. And when you consider that synthesizers were only capable of playing one note at a time and sounds could not be stored or recalled with the push of a button, the achievement becomes even more remarkable. Alas, George never followed up on this direction, which, like the Zapple label, was abandoned after this release. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 16 Title: All Things Must Pass Released: 1970-11-27 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:45:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’d Have You Anytime (03:00) 2 My Sweet Lord (04:39) 3 Wah‐Wah (05:39) 4 Isn’t It a Pity (version one) (07:10) 5 What Is Life (04:24) 6 If Not for You (03:33) 7 Behind That Locked Door (03:10) 8 Let It Down (05:01) 9 Run of the Mill (02:52) 1 Beware of Darkness (03:51) 2 Apple Scruffs (03:09) 3 Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (03:52) 4 Awaiting on You All (02:50) 5 All Things Must Pass (03:47) 6 I Dig Love (05:00) 7 Art of Dying (03:43) 8 Isn’t It a Pity (version two) (04:51) 9 Hear Me Lord (06:00) 1 Out of the Blue (11:16) 2 It’s Johnny’s Birthday (00:49) 3 Plug Me In (03:19) 4 I Remember Jeep (08:09) 5 Thanks for the Pepperoni (05:32) |
| All Things Must Pass : Allmusic album Review : Without a doubt, George Harrisons 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 Spectors lush orchestral production and Harrisons own superb slide guitar, nearly every song is excellent: "Awaiting on You All," "Beware of Darkness," the Dylan collaboration "Id Have You Anytime," "Isnt 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 & Bonnies band), proved to be of immense musical importance, precipitating the formation of Derek & the Dominos. Thus, they werent a total dead end, and may actually be much more to the liking of the latter bands fans. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 16 Title: Living in the Material World Released: 1973-05-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 54:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (03:37) 2 Sue Me, Sue You Blues (04:49) 3 The Light That Has Lighted the World (03:30) 4 Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long (02:57) 5 Who Can See It (03:53) 6 Living in the Material World (05:30) 7 The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord) (04:34) 8 Be Here Now (04:10) 9 Try Some Buy Some (04:09) 10 The Day the World Gets ’round (02:53) 11 That Is All (03:44) 12 Deep Blue (03:47) 13 Miss O’Dell (02:30) 14 Bangla Desh (03:57) |
| Living in the Material World : Allmusic album Review : How does an instant multimillion-selling album become an underrated minor masterpiece? George Harrisons follow-up to the triple-disc All Things Must Pass (which had been comprised of an immense backlog of great songs that hed built up across the last years of his time with the Beatles), Living in the Material World was necessarily a letdown for fans and critics, appearing as it did two-and-a-half-years after its predecessor without that earlier albums outsized songbag from which to draw. And it does seem like Harrison narrowed his sights and his vision for this record, which has neither the bold musical expansiveness nor the overwhelming confidence of its predecessor. And while there are still some beautiful and delightfully lyrical, charming moments throughout, few of the melodies are as instantly memorable and compelling as those of most of the songs on the earlier record, and some of the most serious songs here, such as "The Light That Has Lighted the World," seem weighed down with their own sense of purpose, in ways that All Things Must Pass mostly (but not entirely) avoided. What Living in the Material World does show off far better than the earlier record, however, is Harrisons guitar work -- unlike the prior album, with its outsized contingent of musicians including Eric Clapton and Dave Mason on guitars, hes the only axeman on Material World, and it does represent his solo playing and songwriting at something of a peak. Most notable are his blues stylings and slide playing, glimpsed on some of the later Beatles sessions but often overlooked by fans. "Dont Let Me Wait Too Long" is driven by a delectable acoustic rhythm guitar and has a great beat. The title track isnt great, but it does benefit from a tight, hard, band sound, and "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)," despite its title, is the high point of the record, a fast, rollicking, funky, bluesy jewel with a priceless guitar break (maybe the best of Harrisons solo career) that should have been at the heart of any of Harrisons concert set. Vocally, Harrison was always an acquired taste, and he isnt as self-consciously pretty or restrained here, but it is an honest performance, and his singing soars magnificently in his heartfelt performance on "The Day the World Gets Round," a song that resembles "Beware of Darkness" and also, curiously enough, "Across the Universe." Perhaps a less serious title would have represented the album better, but nobody was looking for self-effacement from any ex-Beatle except Ringo (whos also here, natch) in those days. Even in the summer of 1973, after years of war and strife and disillusionment, some of us were still sort of looking -- to borrow a phrase from a Lennon-McCartney song -- or hoping to get from them something like "the word" that would make us free. And George, God love him, had the temerity to actually oblige, to the extent of painting a few signs here and there suggesting where hed found it and where we might, all with some great playing and some laughs. And it wasnt all serious -- there are pointed moments of humor throughout, especially on the title song; and "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was a follow-up to Beatles-era tracks such as "Only a Northern Song," dealing with the internal workings and business side of his lingering involvement with the group, in this case the multiple, overlapping, sometimes rotating lawsuits that attended the breakup of their organization. And one track, "Try Some, Buy Some," which hed given away to Ronnie Spector at the time, actually dated back to the All Things Must Pass sessions. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 16 Title: Dark Horse Released: 1974-12-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hari’s on Tour (Express) (04:44) 2 Simply Shady (04:38) 3 So Sad (05:02) 4 Bye Bye, Love (04:09) 5 Māya Love (04:24) 6 Ding Dong, Ding Dong (03:41) 7 Dark Horse (03:55) 8 Far East Man (05:53) 9 It Is “He” (Jai Sri Krishna) (04:50) |
| Dark Horse : Allmusic album Review : With his first solo tour looming ahead in November and December of 1974, George Harrison felt impelled to rush out a new album, and even a steadily worsening case of laryngitis wouldnt stop him. Would that it did, for the appallingly weak state of his voice would torpedo this album and the tour, to his great embarrassment. "Haris on Tour (Express)" -- with Tom Scotts L.A. Express churning out all-pro L.A.-studio jazz/rock -- gets the doomed project off to a spirited start, but its an instrumental, and Harrisons vocal distress becomes obvious to all in the next track, "Simply Shady." Some of Georges tunes -- particularly the title track and the exquisite "Far East Man" -- might have benefited from waiting for a better time to record, while others probably could not have been saved. The recording quality, like the voice, has a raw, coarse-grained sound that belies the impeccable musicianship. Dark Horse is perhaps most notorious for Harrisons bitter, slipshod rewrite of the Everly Brothers hit "Bye Bye Love" -- referring openly to Georges wife Pattie running off with Eric Clapton and, for good measure, having both of them on the session! Dark Horse would also be the name of Harrisons soon-to-be-formed new label, as well as a metaphor for the underestimated Beatle who leaped artistically and commercially ahead of his three colleagues immediately after the Beatles breakup. Unfortunately, this album -- despite its humorous Sgt. Pepper parody on the cover and outright plea to critics on the margins of the inside jacket to go easy on its contents -- would only undermine Harrisons hard-fought campaign for respect. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 16 Title: Extra Texture (Read All About It) Released: 1975-09-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You (03:43) 2 The Answer’s at the End (05:33) 3 This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying) (04:13) 4 Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You) (04:00) 5 World of Stone (04:43) 6 A Bit More of You (00:44) 7 Can’t Stop Thinking About You (04:32) 8 Tired of Midnight Blue (04:52) 9 Grey Cloudy Lies (03:42) 10 His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen) (05:46) |
 | Album: 6 of 16 Title: The Best of George Harrison Released: 1976-11-08 Tracks: 13 Duration: 45:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something (03:03) 2 If I Needed Someone (02:21) 3 Here Comes the Sun (03:06) 4 Taxman (02:39) 5 Think for Yourself (02:19) 6 For You Blue (02:32) 7 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (04:45) 8 My Sweet Lord (04:39) 9 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (03:37) 10 You (03:43) 11 Bangla Desh (03:57) 12 Dark Horse (03:55) 13 What Is Life (04:24) |
| The Best of George Harrison : Allmusic album Review : Released just after George left Apple for his own Dark Horse label (and appearing in stores just in time for the Christmas season of 1976), The Best of George Harrison neatly splits into a side of Harrison solo hits and a side of his Beatles tunes. This is the only solo Beatles hits compilation to rely so heavily upon Fab Four recordings, which is a good indication of how George didnt rack up as many charting singles as John, Paul, or Ringo, but having the Beatles tunes here does paint a fuller portrait of Harrisons work as a singer/songwriter, even if it makes the collection somewhat less useful -- after all, most listeners would want a George Harrison compilation to focus on his solo recordings, not the Beatles hits they already have. But all this is down to a matter of timing and circumstance: Harrison needed to have a hits collection out in 1976, he didnt have enough big hits to fill out 13 tracks (even if he certainly had enough great album tracks to do so), and so the Fabs were brought in to fill in the cracks. The result might be a little underwhelming in retrospect, but its undeniably entertaining. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 16 Title: Thirty Three & 1/ॐ Released: 1976-11-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Woman Don’t You Cry for Me (03:19) 2 Dear One (05:08) 3 Beautiful Girl (03:42) 4 This Song (04:14) 5 See Yourself (02:51) 6 It’s What You Value (05:08) 7 True Love (02:44) 8 Pure Smokey (03:55) 9 Crackerbox Palace (03:56) 10 Learning How to Love You (04:12) 11 Tears of the World (04:03) |
| Thirty Three & 1/ॐ : Allmusic album Review : Having suffered the humiliation of being sued successfully over "My Sweet Lord," George Harrison turned the ordeal into music, writing "This Song," a Top 25 hit. Even better was "Crackerbox Palace," which would have fit in nicely on any Beatles album. The rest was slight, although Harrison covering Cole Porters "True Love" is an interesting idea. This was Harrisons first album on Dark Horse, his custom label, formed after the completion of his contract with EMI/Capitol in June 1976 and initially distributed by A&M. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 16 Title: George Harrison Released: 1979 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Comes to Everyone (04:36) 2 Not Guilty (03:34) 3 Here Comes the Moon (04:48) 4 Soft Hearted Hana (04:03) 5 Blow Away (03:59) 6 Faster (04:47) 7 Dark Sweet Lady (03:22) 8 Your Love Is Forever (03:48) 9 Soft Touch (03:59) 10 If You Believe (02:57) |
| George Harrison : Allmusic album Review : George Harrison is, except for the overdubbed London strings, a painstakingly polished L.A.-made product -- and not a particularly inspired one at that. Its an ordinary album from an extraordinary talent. "Love Comes to Everyone" leads it off on a depressing note -- its a treadmill tune with greeting-card verses -- and there are too many other such half-hearted songs lurking here, although some are salvaged by a nice instrumental touch: theres a catchy recurring guitar riff on "Soft Touch" and some lovely slide guitar on "Your Love Is Forever." Compared to the original, tougher Beatles version that was left off the White Album, the remake of "Not Guilty" is an easy listening trifle, though it was a revelation when it came out (the original had to wait until 1996 and Anthology 3 for an official release), and the succeeding "Here Comes the Moon" is a lazy retake on another Beatles song. "Blow Away" would be the records most attractive new song -- and a number 16 hit -- but "Faster," a paean to Harrisons passion for Formula One auto racing, probably better reflected where his head was at this time. There are a few quirks: "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a strange, stream-of-consciousness Hawaiian hallucination, and "Dark Sweet Lady" is a Latin-flavored tune written for his new wife, Olivia. Finally, the inevitable spiritual benediction "If You Believe" offers some thoughtful philosophy to ponder, even if its not an especially memorable tune. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 16 Title: Somewhere in England Released: 1981 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blood From a Clone (04:04) 2 Unconsciousness Rules (03:04) 3 Life Itself (04:24) 4 All Those Years Ago (03:45) 5 Baltimore Oriole (03:57) 6 Teardrops (04:07) 7 That Which I Have Lost (03:46) 8 Writing’s on the Wall (04:01) 9 Hong Kong Blues (02:55) 10 Save the World (04:57) |
| Somewhere in England : Allmusic album Review : Somewhere in England had a troubled birth, for when Harrison originally submitted it for release in November 1980, Warner Bros. rejected it, claiming that four songs -- "Flying Hour," "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing," and "Tears of the World" (once available on the bootleg "Ohnothimagen") -- were not worthy of being issued. Harrison was forced to go back into the studio to cut four new tunes, delivering a bitterly barbed thrust at his record label in "Blood from a Clone" (which they did release) and a tune originally meant for Ringo Starr but rewritten as a remembrance after John Lennons assassination ("All Those Years Ago"), as well as "Teardrops" and "That Which I Have Lost." As a result, the most compelling issue of this album is the contest of wills between the artist and the suits. Now how do the four deleted tunes stack up against the ones that replaced them? The four missing tunes are of generally even quality, even similar in sound, although "Tears of the World" is a strident attack against corporate and political masters that probably unnerved the executives the most. Actually, the six tunes that Warner Bros. spared should have been more likely candidates for the hook, including the curious covers of two Hoagy Carmichael songs, "Baltimore Oriole" and "Hong Kong Blues." Yet in general, the new ones are indeed superior and more varied, with more of a punch than the ones they replaced. The bouncy "All Those Years Ago" is a definite gain, being the most heartfelt song on the record as well as a de facto Beatles reunion (Starr plays drums and Paul and Linda McCartney overdubbed backing vocals), and it was justly rewarded with a number two showing on the singles charts. The official release is slightly preferable over the bootlegs of the original. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 16 Title: Gone Troppo Released: 1982-10-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wake Up My Love (03:34) 2 That’s the Way It Goes (03:34) 3 I Really Love You (02:57) 4 Greece (04:02) 5 Gone Troppo (04:26) 6 Mystical One (03:44) 7 Unknown Delight (04:18) 8 Baby Don’t Run Away (04:04) 9 Dream Away (04:04) 10 Circles (03:45) |
| Gone Troppo : Allmusic album Review : Although George Harrisons solo career had faded from its early promise, through 1981 he could be counted on to turn in a gold-selling Top 20 album containing a Top 20 single every year or so. Then came the disastrous Gone Troppo, a half-baked affair led by the minor single "Wake Up My Love" that failed to make the Top 100 LPs. Clearly, Harrison could no longer treat his musical career as a part-time stepchild to his interests in car racing and movie producing if he wanted to maintain it. As it turned out, he didnt; this was his last album for five years. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 16 Title: Cloud Nine Released: 1987-11-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cloud 9 (03:14) 2 That’s What It Takes (04:01) 3 Fish on the Sand (03:24) 4 Just for Today (04:05) 5 This Is Love (03:49) 6 When We Was Fab (03:56) 7 Devil’s Radio (03:53) 8 Someplace Else (03:52) 9 Wreck of the Hesperus (03:33) 10 Breath Away From Heaven (03:35) 11 Got My Mind Set on You (03:51) |
| Cloud Nine : Allmusic album Review : Teaming with legendary Beatles obsessive Jeff Lynne, George Harrison crafted a remarkably consistent and polished comeback effort with Cloud Nine. Lynne adds a glossy production, reminiscent of ELO, but what is even more noticeable is that hes reined in Harrisons indulgences, keeping the focus on a set of 11 snappy pop/rock numbers. The consistency of the songs remains uneven, but the best moments -- "Devils Radio," "Cloud 9," "Just for Today," "Got My Mind Set on You," and the tongue-in-cheek Beatles pastiche "When We Was Fab" -- make Cloud Nine one of his very best albums. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 16 Title: Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 Released: 1989-10-10 Tracks: 14 Duration: 56:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Poor Little Girl (04:33) 2 Blow Away (03:59) 3 That’s the Way It Goes (03:34) 4 Cockamamie Business (05:16) 5 Wake Up My Love (03:34) 6 Life Itself (04:24) 7 Got My Mind Set on You (03:51) 8 Cloud 9 (03:14) 9 Here Comes the Moon (04:09) 10 Gone Troppo (04:26) 11 When We Was Fab (03:56) 12 Love Comes to Everyone (03:41) 13 All Those Years Ago (03:45) 14 Cheer Down (04:07) |
 | Album: 13 of 16 Title: Brainwashed Released: 2002-11-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Any Road (03:52) 2 P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) (02:38) 3 Pisces Fish (04:52) 4 Looking for My Life (03:49) 5 Rising Sun (05:27) 6 Marwa Blues (03:41) 7 Stuck Inside a Cloud (04:02) 8 Run So Far (04:05) 9 Never Get Over You (03:25) 10 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (02:34) 11 Rocking Chair in Hawaii (03:07) 12 Brainwashed (06:07) |
| Brainwashed : Allmusic album 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 1987s Cloud Nine. His son, Dhani, and his longtime friend/collaborator Jeff Lynne completed the recordings, released late in 2002, nearly a year after Georges death, as Brainwashed. Given its baggage its easy to be suspicious about the merits of Brainwashed prior to hearing it. Posthumous efforts often feel incomplete, Harrisons albums were frequently inconsistent, and Lynne favors ornate, cinematic productions that run contrary to Georges desire for this project to be simple and low key -- nothing that would suggest that Brainwashed would be a success. Defying all odds, Brainwashed isnt just a success, its one of the finest records Harrison ever made. No, it doesnt 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 its a quiet, subtle gem, one that strikes close to the heart of Harrisons music. Its 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 arent 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 its a fitting way to say goodbye, every bit as good as Double Fantasy and, in some respects, even sweeter. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 16 Title: The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 Released: 2004-09-13 Tracks: 76 Duration: 5:11:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Woman Don’t You Cry for Me (03:19) 2 Dear One (05:08) 3 Beautiful Girl (03:42) 4 This Song (04:14) 5 See Yourself (02:51) 6 It’s What You Value (05:08) 7 True Love (02:44) 8 Pure Smokey (03:55) 9 Crackerbox Palace (03:56) 10 Learning How to Love You (04:12) 11 Tears of the World (04:03) 1 Love Comes to Everyone (04:36) 2 Not Guilty (03:34) 3 Here Comes the Moon (04:48) 4 Soft Hearted Hana (04:03) 5 Blow Away (03:59) 6 Faster (04:47) 7 Dark Sweet Lady (03:22) 8 Your Love Is Forever (03:48) 9 Soft Touch (03:59) 10 If You Believe (02:57) 11 Here Comes the Moon (demo) (03:35) 1 Blood From a Clone (04:04) 2 Unconsciousness Rules (03:35) 3 Life Itself (04:24) 4 All Those Years Ago (03:45) 5 Baltimore Oriole (03:57) 6 Teardrops (04:07) 7 That Which I Have Lost (03:46) 8 Writing’s on the Wall (04:01) 9 Hong Kong Blues (02:55) 10 Save the World (04:57) 11 Save the World (demo) (04:31) 1 Wake Up My Love (03:34) 2 That’s the Way It Goes (03:34) 3 I Really Love You (02:57) 4 Greece (04:02) 5 Gone Troppo (04:26) 6 Mystical One (03:44) 7 Unknown Delight (04:18) 8 Baby Don’t Run Away (04:04) 9 Dream Away (04:31) 10 Circles (03:45) 11 Mystical One (demo) (06:01) 1 Cloud 9 (03:14) 2 That’s What It Takes (04:01) 3 Fish on the Sand (03:24) 4 Just for Today (04:05) 5 This Is Love (03:49) 6 When We Was Fab (03:56) 7 Devil’s Radio (03:53) 8 Someplace Else (03:52) 9 Wreck of the Hesperus (03:33) 10 Breath Away From Heaven (03:35) 11 Got My Mind Set on You (03:51) 12 Shanghai Surprise (05:09) 13 Zig Zag (02:45) 1 I Want to Tell You (04:34) 2 Old Brown Shoe (03:50) 3 Taxman (04:16) 4 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (03:39) 5 If I Needed Someone (03:50) 6 Something (05:21) 7 What Is Life (04:46) 8 Dark Horse (04:21) 9 Piggies (02:56) 10 Got My Mind Set on You (04:54) 1 Cloud 9 (04:16) 2 Here Comes the Sun (03:31) 3 My Sweet Lord (05:41) 4 All Those Years Ago (04:26) 5 Cheer Down (03:53) 6 Devil’s Radio (04:24) 7 Isn’t It a Pity (06:33) 8 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (07:08) 9 Roll Over Beethoven (04:36) |
| The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 : Allmusic album Review : George Harrisons albums for Dark Horse drifted out of print in the late 90s as his contract with Warner Brothers expired. Over the half-decade, they fetched high prices on the collectors market, as any relatively rare Beatles-related item does, and the demand for these records -- along with the Traveling Wilburys albums, which were part of Harrisons Dark Horse/Warner contract -- never diminished. At the time of his death in November 2001, the albums were being prepared for reissue, but his passing delayed them for a few more years, and it wasnt until February 2004 that the albums -- Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976), George Harrison (1979), Somewhere In England (1981), Gone Troppo (1982), Cloud Nine (1987), and Live in Japan (1992) -- were reissued, both individually and as part of the lavish box set Dark Horse Years 1976-1992. All five of the studio albums have been remastered and are graced with a bonus track or two, while the double-live set has been reissued as a hybrid SACD with a 5.1 surround mix (a nice gesture, but it does raise the question of why wasnt the entire set released as hybrid SACD, the way the 2002 Rolling Stones and 2003 Bob Dylan reissues were). In addition, the box set contains an exclusive booklet and a DVD containing video highlights of the Dark Horse years. It seems like the box would be the definitive word on Harrisons latter-day career, and it very nearly is, but it comes short in a couple of ways. First, there is the aforementioned puzzling decision to release only one SACD in the set, which only highlights the fact that the rest of the discs are standard CDs (which do have very good remastering). Second, the bonus tracks are underwhelming. With the exception of Cloud Nine, which has two songs from the Shanghai Surprise soundtrack, theres only one bonus track per disc, and with the exception of Thirty Three & 1/3, which has the fine "Tears of the World," a demo of a song thats on the album. Harrison has a lot of unreleased material in the vault -- Somewhere In England is notorious for being reworked on Warners request, so at the very least the excised songs could have been featured on this reissue -- so its a disappointment that theres not more bonus material here. Third, the DVD isnt nearly as complete as it should have been, containing a ten-minute "Dark Horse Feature," some selections from the Live in Japan video, and the Shanghai Surprise movie, plus seven promotional videos, all prefaced with interview excerpts from Harrison. While the featurette would have been much more interesting if it was expanded to a full documentary, the real disappointment is that this doesnt contain all of Harrisons promotional music videos, with such gems as the lovely "Blow Away" missing in action (some may also wish that the videos had been mixed for 5.1 sound as well). Considering the steep price of the box set, its hard not to think that this DVD could have been a little bit more thorough. That said, the box set is very well made: the art direction is lovely, the sound is terrific, and the hardcover minibook is beautiful, with good notes from David Fricke. All of this makes it an essential purchase for Harrison fans, who have already accepted the uneven quality of the albums and want them in their collection anyway. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 16 Title: Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison Released: 2009-06-15 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:17:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Got My Mind Set on You (03:51) 2 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (03:37) 3 Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (03:52) 4 My Sweet Lord (04:39) 5 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (live) (04:47) 6 All Things Must Pass (03:47) 7 Any Road (03:52) 8 This Is Love (03:49) 9 All Those Years Ago (03:45) 10 Marwa Blues (03:41) 11 What Is Life (04:24) 12 Rising Sun (05:27) 13 When We Was Fab (03:56) 14 Something (live) (03:10) 15 Blow Away (03:59) 16 Cheer Down (04:07) 17 Here Comes the Sun (live) (02:55) 18 I Dont Want to Do It (02:54) 19 Isn’t It a Pity (version one) (07:10) |
 | Album: 16 of 16 Title: Collaborations Released: 2010-08-19 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:40:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Vandanaa Trayee (04:32) 2 Omkaaraaya Namaha (01:53) 3 Vedic Chanting (one) (03:10) 4 Asato Maa (07:11) 5 Sahanaa Vavatu (04:26) 6 Poornamadah (01:24) 7 Gaayatri (03:25) 8 Mahaa Mrityunjaya (04:42) 9 Veenaa-Murali (03:36) 10 Geetaa (02:13) 11 Mangalam (04:02) 12 Hari Om (02:57) 13 Svara Mantra (04:33) 14 Vedic Chanting (two) (02:13) 15 Prabhujee (08:05) 16 Sarve Shaam (05:07) 1 Vandana (02:43) 2 Dhamar (05:23) 3 Tarana / Chaturang (05:53) 4 Raga Jait (09:48) 5 Kajri (04:51) 6 Bhajan (03:55) 7 Naderdani (04:42) 8 Dehati (10:08) 1 I Am Missing You (03:40) 2 Kahan Gayelava Shyam Saloné (03:15) 3 Supané Mé Ayé Preetam Sainya (04:44) 4 I am Missing You (reprise) (03:56) 5 Jaya Jagadish Haré (04:50) 6 Dream, Nightmare & Dawn: Overture (02:28) 7 Part One - Dream: Festivity & Joy (03:52) 8 Part One - Dream: Love - Dance Ecstasy (03:10) 9 Part Two - Nightmare: Lust (Raga Chandrakauns) (03:12) 10 Part Two - Nightmare: Dispute & Violence (03:05) 11 Part Two - Nightmare: Disillusionment & Frustration (02:51) 12 Part Two - Nightmare: Despair & Sorrow (Raga Marwa) (03:07) 13 Part Three - Dawn: Awakening (03:07) 14 Part Three - Dawn: Peace & Hope (Raga Bhatiyar) (04:21) |
| Collaborations : Allmusic album Review : Its well-known that Ravi Shankar and George Harrison had a close personal relationship, Shankar giving Harrison personal sitar instruction after the Beatle became interested in Indian music and religion in the mid-60s. Its not so well-known that the relationship extended to collaborations, of sorts, on albums and concerts. The three-CD, one-DVD box set Collaborations is a limited-edition release, coinciding with Shankars 90th birthday, with three of those albums, as well as a DVD of a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1974. Without downplaying the closeness of the two musicians friendship and Harrisons genuine participation in all of these projects, it should be stated up front that this is much more Shankars music than Harrisons, and much more Indian music than the rock for which Harrison was most famed. Harrisons primary role in these albums -- 1974s Shankar Family & Friends, 1976s Ravi Shankars Music Festival from India, and 1997s Chants of India -- was as producer, though he did play some acoustic guitar on Shankar Family & Friends, and several instruments on Chants of India, and he does introduce the Royal Albert Hall concert. As a bountiful gathering of some of Shankars more accessible recordings, however, Collaborations has some value not just for Beatles completists, but also for more general appreciators of traditional Indian music. Shankar Family & Friends actually combines the work of Indian classical musicians with contributions of some Western jazz and rock musicians, including Harrison, Ringo Starr, Tom Scott, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, and Billy Preston. Its the least artistically successful of the discs, however, the blend sometimes sounding forced and, more surprisingly, occasionally sappy, the more traditional pieces coming off best. Harrison was inspired to produce Ravi Shankars Music Festival from India after hearing an orchestral composition Shankar did for All India Radio around the mid-60s, and which has more of an ensemble feel than many of Shankars recordings, as it features more than a dozen Indian musicians, including a good number of vocalists. This results in a more diverse group of arrangements than is heard on many Indian recordings, though the mood is largely one of devout humility interspersed with some low-key, joyful boisterousness. Although the title of Chants of India might lead one to expect it to be the most traditional and serious of the group, in some ways its the most approachable; the arrangements are sparse, and the instruments and vocals have a serene glow that does not veer toward piety. Unfortunately, some footage from the September 23, 1974 concert featured on the DVD has been lost. Theres still about an hour to be seen, however, on the disc in this package, filmed in basic but competent style. A large group of musicians, and some singing, is featured in this performance of traditionally oriented material, Shankar not only playing, but sometimes conducting. A more complete audio-only version of the concert, lasting a little more than an hour and a half, is also on the DVD, along with an inessential eight-minute bonus feature about the mixing of the concert for this box set. Also in the box is a 56-page book with photos, and notes by Harrison and Shankar. | ||