Destroy: every album b/w Dark Horse and Cloud Nine.
Never mentioned: his production work on Ringo's ace "It Don't Come Easy" and co-writing the fantastic "Photograph"; also, his solo on Belinda Carlisle's "Leave A Light On."
Verdict: With some all-too-obvous exceptions, the man needs collaboraters.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 13:02 (eighteen years ago) link
Oh, and as for G.Harrison's lyrics...
(From Love you to)"I'll make luv to you..If you want me toooo"
Dawn: Knock yourself out, why don't you...
― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 23 June 2005 13:03 (eighteen years ago) link
F that!
George wrote "Something" when he was only 25 years old! It and "Here Comes the Sun": 2 of the greatest Beatles tunes ever, period.
― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 23 June 2005 20:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Thursday, 23 June 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link
Give Me Love
― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Thursday, 23 June 2005 20:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:01 (eighteen years ago) link
(but, yeah, I like "This Song" a lot too.)
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― darin (darin), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:42 (eighteen years ago) link
"If Not for You" is another great one off that album. His voice was perfectly suited to sing those lyrics.
― Joe (Joe), Friday, 24 June 2005 00:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
My fave track off ATMP though is I Live for You, another great melody.
I've been reading a few George interviews recently. I really like the turn of phrase he had and his gently cynical perspective.
― Bob Six (bobbysix), Monday, 10 July 2006 20:54 (seventeen years ago) link
and no one else on Earth has that sweet sound he got on the slide roundabout 1969.
― veronica moser (veronica moser), Monday, 10 July 2006 21:11 (seventeen years ago) link
and no one else on Earth has that sweet sound he got on the slide roundabout 1969 onwards.
― veronica moser (veronica moser), Monday, 10 July 2006 21:12 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 10 July 2006 21:38 (seventeen years ago) link
The only other one of his I have is Living In The Material World which is one of those records that almost mechanically alternates between tracks that make you want to put it on and tracks that make you keep flipping past in the bin. "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" is probably the best thing on there, would have slid in to ATMP very very nicely. And of course "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" which is short on lyrics but is lovely and head-sticky, and I like his vocal on it, so hey.
One night I randomly caught the drag-racing-themed video clip for the later "Faster" on VH1 Classic. That's probably worth hearing at least once - the "Faster than a bullet from a gun!" line is really cool, unfortunately the song overall is really aimless and dull. I fear that probably describes a lot of the 70s and 80s Harrison, which is why I haven't really delved much further, and this thread isn't giving me much inspiration to. Surely ILX has at least one rabid defender of Extra Texture?
Oh, and as for his Beatles work: his own compositions are about an even mix of very good ("Taxman," "Something," "Savoy Truffle") and embarassingly bad ("I Need You," "Piggies"). His guitar playing on the other hand is consistently essential, and fun to listen for because you can hear it getting better and better with each successive album. Get to Revolver and he pretty much epitomizes what I think rock guitarists should play like and sound like. Not such a fan of the slide stuff later on but it has its moments.
Unheralded greatness: George as backing vocalist! He's the Michael Anthony of the 60s, the absolutely essential ingredient in so many songs I don't know how to pick an example. "I'm Down" is probably the best use of him as the straight man. His lead vocals are sometimes awkward, sometimes so perfect you can't imagine the song without them - see "Don't Bother Me," "Love You To." Also check "Roll Over Beethoven" as it appears on Live At The Hollywood Bowl, where he has McCartney putting some enthusiasm into backing him up, it's great.
In short - I think the conventional wisdom is right. One great album (near excellent), inconsistent as a songwriter outside of that, but very consistently perfect as guitarist and team-member where-ever he appears.
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Monday, 10 July 2006 22:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 10 July 2006 22:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 10 July 2006 23:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 00:00 (seventeen years ago) link
omg I love love love this song
― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 00:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 00:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 01:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 01:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 02:19 (seventeen years ago) link
Thank you, Tim! Don't know if it's because of the horns, acoustic 12 string, sad lyrics or what, but this song has always been my favorite from ATMP.
xpost: kyle, I think this was not George (Martin's) shining moment. I like the slow tremelo Harrison used here, but it seems to be overplayed with at the console. wtf do I know? I do enjoy the song though.
― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 02:19 (seventeen years ago) link
For point of comparison, check out "Another Girl," where he tears it up on the same kind of call-and-response gap. "For I have got" BRANDOWN DA DOWN DOWN... etc. Now obviously "I Need You" is a different sort of song but it just feels as if so little energy was brought to bear on it. In George's defense, I would suspect that this was more for lack of interest from the other Beatles/George Martin than from himself...
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 02:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 02:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 02:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 03:03 (seventeen years ago) link
Title song from Dark Horse LP"You" from Extra Texturewhole 33 1/3 LPwhole s/t LP from 1979"Blood from a Clone" and "All Those Years Ago" and "Teardrops" from Somewhere in England LP (and I wish they'd put out those four tracks that got edited out when the record company had him rework the album - "Lay His Head" and those)whole Gone Troppo LP
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 03:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Lenny Koggins (Bimble...), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 04:55 (seventeen years ago) link
but "love you to" is one of the songs that absolutely spoils revolver for me. the lyric "make love all day long/make love singing songs" makes me laugh uproariously!
― cate flamingo (cate flamingo), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 05:49 (seventeen years ago) link
Actually, Tim, I believe "Yes It Is" also employs a volume pedal. And I'm pretty sure "Love You To" does as well.
Nice to see the fantastic "What Is Life" get so much love here.
― Monty Von Byonga (Monty Von Byonga), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 06:15 (seventeen years ago) link
yeah - that lyric's obviously ridiculous when you can get the whole thing over in 20 minutes maximum, including foreplay, right?
My guess is that George was already becoming well-immersed in Indian art and traditions by this time. In Indian art you can indeed see conjoined couples singing to each other. And the Kama Sutra, of course...
― Bob Six (bobbysix), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 06:16 (seventeen years ago) link
Not mentioned so far: Search: his lead playing on a lot of the Hamburg album, really tough jagged lines, like he's using a razor blade instead of a pick, the best he ever sounded.
― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 03:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 04:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― cate flamingo (cate flamingo), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 05:13 (seventeen years ago) link
That lyric reminds me of those mid-late 90s sex instruction shows that were suddenly everywhere on UK TV, with presenters like Toyah Wilcox (no, really) saying things like:
"Why not try singing to your partner when you make love?
It used to popular in indian culture - we're trying to bring it back."
― Bob Six (bobbysix), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 06:03 (seventeen years ago) link
The Trypes did a really good version of this. In typical Feelies format, the lyrics kind of blend into the rest of the song.
"Love You To" > "Within You Without You"
― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 14:10 (seventeen years ago) link
No love for "don't bother me"?
― kyle (akmonday), Saturday, 19 August 2006 20:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 19 August 2006 22:45 (seventeen years ago) link
Ouch.
― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 19 August 2006 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Sunday, 20 August 2006 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link
For a short time I had a cassette of his "Dark Horse Years" greatest hits, until the tape got screwed up at the very beginning of a long Greyhound ride. Some great stuff on there - "Gone Troppo," "Crackerbox Palace," "Here Comes The Moon," "Blow Away." Could really do without the 'thoughtful' stuff, especially the 'all your money doesn't make you happy' trip on "Cheer Down." But some really nice material - wish it had had "Faster" on it but hey.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 15:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah, the cover is pretty good - it's now the logo for his foundation too.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 1 June 2023 21:17 (one year ago) link
Talk about a forgotbuster: #1 for weeks in the summer of 1973People were still on a Beatles high, especially in the US — hell, Ringo had more top 10 singles through 1975 than John and George combined, and only two fewer than Paul. Any Major Release by any of them was cause for excitement in the moment: “Are they getting back together? Are there hidden clues in this record suggesting they might get back together? Will any of them tour? Oh wait…hm, this record is kind of boring, actually…”
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 June 2023 21:39 (one year ago) link
This was also when the Beatles blue record came out, heavy on George songs; it wouldn't be too long before he was being treated a lot worse in the press than he was used to.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 1 June 2023 21:44 (one year ago) link
"don't let him rate too long," the press declared.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 1 June 2023 22:01 (one year ago) link
Not even Material World always had the best reviews. What I can never get my head around was Dark Horse then going on to miss the UK top 50 entirely, after two conseuctive mega albums (three including Bangladesh). That's insane for a Beatle.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 1 June 2023 22:43 (one year ago) link
His 1974 tour is generally held to be a disaster, with his voice shot and his persona at his most spiritually hectoring. That can't have helped.
― Alba, Thursday, 1 June 2023 22:55 (one year ago) link
The live clips aren't bad at all, and I sorta admire how he forced his audience to listen to Ravi Shankar.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 June 2023 23:37 (one year ago) link
The tour was US-only, besides which I think a lot of the tour went without an issue IIRC.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Friday, 2 June 2023 00:18 (one year ago) link
(US and Canada*)
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Friday, 2 June 2023 00:19 (one year ago) link
I’ve been obsessed with “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” for about the last week – I literally haven’t been able to get it out of my head for more than an hour or so at a time.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 12 June 2023 03:25 (one year ago) link
Ha - I had that phase a few months ago.
― Alba, Monday, 12 June 2023 05:43 (one year ago) link
It’s a little surprising because I wouldn’t call myself a giant fan of Harrison’s—there’s a persistently sour feeling I find hard to dismiss—and while I suppose I’ve known this song forever I’ve never really thought much about it one way or another. But there’s something undeniable about the circular chord sequence, modulations and slide guitar harmonies that collectively feel like they could go on forever. And now, I’m realizing at least two songs I wrote 25 years ago were influenced by it? Strange.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 12 June 2023 12:19 (one year ago) link
Got really into All Things Must Pass again this week for some reason, particularly enjoying the Art of Dying which would have been an ace Beatles track, though the released version is obviously amazing too (wish Clapton would tone it down a little though). Have been poking around at other solo Beatles things I'd not given attention to in years, including Ringo's Rotogravure, which I had on vinyl as a kid (and liked! because I didn't know any better), and remembered that Harrison's track on that record was by far the standout:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXg45wYBCcg
Harrison wrote this back during the ATMP era (or earlier? dunno) and recorded it for the album, but apparently never came up with a satisfactory take. All I've been able to find is this:
https://soundcloud.com/harrisonstories/george-harrison-whenever-ill
A real lost opportunity with this one.
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 6 September 2023 19:19 (nine months ago) link
I think not intended for ATMP:https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/george-harrison-legal-action-against-ringo-over-ill-still-love-you.1100437/
― Alba, Wednesday, 6 September 2023 20:04 (nine months ago) link
ah, didn't see that. it's weird there is so little documented truthful information about this song; when harrison recorded, whether there was or was not some lawsuit. it's kind of rare in beatles quarters for something to remain a total mystery like this.
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 6 September 2023 22:48 (nine months ago) link
Happy birthday, bro!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI4xzwvaTWU
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 25 February 2024 14:04 (three months ago) link
Been listening to some of the albums I never loved. I think, even when it's not my favorite stuff, he didn't really indulge in just creating filler. Like on Extra Texture, I feel like I kinda get what he was going after with those songs and that there always seems to be some degree of musicality to the compositions that I find interesting at least.
Somewhere in England sounding pretty good to me lately.
― timellison, Friday, 5 April 2024 01:10 (two months ago) link