George Harrison: Search & Destroy

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I can no longer remember what questions have been asked before. If this has, apologies.

Anyway: does anyone rate Harrison vs other Beatles? Does his solo work beat Beatle work? What was the particular character / achievement of his sound (I think there is a kind of personal character embedded somewhere in his way of stringing chords together)? Which are the best solo LPs and their high points?

― the pinefox, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

pinefox on jungle: Gareth - to answer your questions: no, I don't listen to it; no, it is not nostalgic for me; no, there is no canon, for by my lights it is a sequence of abominations.

how eloquently you sum up George Harrison

― gareth, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I have a theory that the Beatles were cursed. Lennon Shot Macca's wife died Harrison was stabbed a short while back by a psychotic antograph hunter/fan/burgler Ringo Starr Is the pinefox George Harrison?

― tom, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Harrison was the third-best songwriter in the Beatles, sort of like Uruguay ranks third in a list of who has the most nuclear devices after the USA and Russia. Proof that McCartney wasn't a control freak is that mewling, turgid pomposity like "While My Guitar Noisily and Repititiously Whines" and "Something"(genius lyric - "I don't kno-o- ow, I-I-I don't know") was allowed on their albums.

To answer the question of 'personal style' though, it was probably the slide guitar that justified his existence, "For You Blue" and "Gimme Some Truth" demonstrate this nicely, particularly the latter. Proof that he had a 'style' - the fact that it was parodied (and done better) by Jesse Ed Davis on Lennon's "No. 9 Dream"

― dave q, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Always my favorite Beatle; good signal:noise ratio on the Beatles albums (probably enforced quality control, since John & Paul only let him do 1-2 per album); enjoyable pop songs as a solo artist, except "Got My Mind Set on You", which quickly got run into the ground; I even enjoy the T. Wilburys songs where he sings, like "Handle with Care" (awful title) and "End of the Line". Regretting that I passed up Wonderwall on CD a few years ago; always wanted to hear that one...

Search (roughly in order): "Here Comes the Sun", "My Sweet Lord" (shameless 'He's so Fine' steal, but still a great song), "If I Needed Someone", "Love You To", "Within You Without You", "Something", "Blue Jay Way" (pssssychedelic man!!!), "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "All Those Years Ago", "I Want to Tell You", "For You Blue"

Destroy: "Think for Yourself", "Savoy Truffle" I could live without, "Long Long Long" doesn't ring a bell...

― Joe, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I pretty much agree with Joe Lakeside. No, the pinefox != Harrison: I wish I could play with him. Q is an amusing entertainer as ever, but is rather unfair on 'Something' - wasn't it Sinatra who said that was the best song he'd heard in decades?

Harrison overdid the slide, I think - he made it his own, but it occluded his other styles (cf. early Beatles guitar solos). That wasn't quite what I had in mind re. personal sound.

ALL THINGS MUST PASS: key record? One or two rich and strange things on there: 'I Dig Love' (multiple drummers?) and especially the extraordinary (and never-mentioned) 'Awaiting On You All'.

― the pinefox, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Yeah well, Sinatra covered songs by Rod McKuen.

― dave q, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I'm sure Harrison is a complete shit and everything, but:

Search:
'Long, Long, Long' (it doesn't ring a bell, it rings a glass)
'Here Comes The Sun' (those opening bars still cheer me up everytime I hear them)
'Old Brown Shoe' (why do I love that 'I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long' line so much?)
'Something' (though Frank Sinatra went a bit over the top in his praise)
'I Want To Tell You'
'Think for Yourself'
'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'
'Within You Without You'
'The Inner Light'
'Blue Jay Way'
'Love You To'
'I Me Mine'
Lots of 'All Things Must Pass', (esp 'Isn't It A Pity', 'My Sweet Lord', 'I'd Have You Anytime', 'Wah Wah', 'Awaiting On You All' and the title track)

Destroy:
'Piggies'
'Taxman' (sorry, I know it's a great riff, but I can't listen to it without thinking 'you greedy bastard')
'Only A Northern Song'
'It's All Too Much'
the third disc of 'All Things Must Pass'
Probably everything he released after that.

― Nick, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I agree with a lot of that last selection - including the Destroys, actually, esp. 'Taxman' - but might want to defend some later work. Though it might not be easy to do.

I still think 'Something' is fabulous, though Q is right about the occasional lyrical lapse; version on the Anthology is astounding.

― the pinefox, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Didn't we just do beards and the death of rock?

He's the coolest Beatle in Yellow Submarine, what with the standing on mountain peaks and the perpetually wind-swept hair.

― fritz, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

It's All Too Much is the most psychadelic all over the place thing the Beatles ever did and is probably worth it just for that. He was a God, but since I don't really know anything after All Things Must Pass (and admittedly, sides 5 and 6 are crap) I don't feel qualified to comment further.

― Bill, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

As I seem to say on every Beatles-related thread, 'It's All Too Much' is pretty much the only Fab Four track I can stand to listen to these days (perhaps because it's one of the few tracks that I haven't heard a million times before. But also because it's a funky freak out...)

― Andrew L, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Search: "The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter". Destroy: "All Things Must Pass".

Search: The Green Party. Destroy: The Natural Law Party.

OK, I know my two "search" objects have nothing to do with Harrison (he *did* bankroll the NLP, didn't he?). But details, details ...

Seriously: search "Long Long Long" (his best song ever IMO), "Only A Northern Song" (I'm sorry, Nick: even *I* love that one!) and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" even though, as MacDonald sagely notes, its song structure is pure proto-AOR. But destroy a lot of the rest, and destroy his ethos above all: it's the Sham 69 of hippiedom, the ugly meme that discredits all the good stuff.

― Robin Carmody, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"what is life" is my favorite george solo song. great 70s pop-rock.

― gg, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"I don’t know, I don’t know" isn’t a bad lyric. At least it doesn’t sound labored over or stilted like most of George's Beatles lyrics. What's bad is, "I don’t want to leave her now. You know I believe and how." And, "...attracts me like no other lover" might be okay if intended to be from the p.o.v. of an superuptight prig or a virgin. Maybe George was being The Shy Beatle. But I think it's a good song, as pop songs go, in spite of the lyrics.

― Curt, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

On the back of George's Beatles trading card, "Favorite music: Hillbilly". That must have been before he discovered India. George was like the gawky pingerpicking sideman for a country singer until the Eastern vogue gave him a motif and an outlet for his awkward self-expression. I liked his short, country-flavored solos on a lot of the early to mid Beatles songs. Search: "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party".

― Curt, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Personally, I think All Things Must Pass is better than any of the Beatles albums. I'm not really bashing the Beatles, but I think the Harrison album has a certain majesty & mysticism that the multi- songwriter, genre-hopping Beatles records would never have been able to hold together. It's one man letting rip with a mountain of material that had been stockpiled during his days as, basically, a second tier band member. But it's not an I've Got My Own Album to Make sort of trifle. I think it's the sound of FREEDOM. He sounds like a man who's only going to be able to make this ONE album so he gives himself a wide open space to say something very personal and bold.

I find it life-affirming. Forgetting about the third disc (everyone else does... and rightly so because it sucks eggs), those first two are an ocean of melody.

He would never do anything as good after that album and he never really seemed to care to top it. His ego just kind of disappeared after that (excepting that dopey, calculated hit single in the 80's when his mood probably changed for a time). He seemed happy to be a quiet, religious man knocking out innoucous pop rock records.

There's some good stuff there, though. Tracks like "Blow Away" and "Sue You Sue Me Blues". And his Lennon tribute (after asassination), "All Those Years Ago" is beautiful, I think. The lyrics are kinda cornball, but the melody has a lovely, shy sort of quality, I think.

As for the Beatles work, I find "Something" overrated easy listening pop, but "Blue Jay Way" is fucked up in a really nice, gurgly way. And I agree with the pro-"Long Long Long" camp. It might be my favorite Beatles track. It's very candlelit and ghostly.

I like George Harrison. A lot.

― Oliver K., Saturday, 1 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and one strange fact.

When the "My Sweet Lord" case was finally settled, somehow George Harrison not only got to keep the rights to his song, but was ALSO awarded the rights to "He's So Fine". He now owns the song that he was accused of ripping off.

I've no idea how that happened, but it's true.

― Oliver K., Saturday, 1 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

My all time favorite Harrison song is the rough version of "All Things Must Pass" found on the Anthology 3 disc. Lovely. Incidentally I also love "Isn't It A Pity", but have only heard the song through Galaxie 500's version.

― JC, Saturday, 1 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

the natural law party is fabulous, making a ring around washington dc and meditating all our problems away sounds promising. ralph nader is no fun.

― keith, Saturday, 1 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Watching my favorite Bollywood TV show this morning, I was reminded of Harrison's "The Inner Light" (they were playing a video of a song which sounded very much like it). I'm surprised it's only been mentioned here once. It's a beautiful song with lovely if enigmatic words (inspired by Basho, I think), though perhaps a little too pretty. Perhaps it's my favorite Harrison song because he only sings on it; the rest is an anonymous Indian band It really has little to do with The Beatles as a group--in fact, there are a whole slew of Beatles songs that have little to do with them as a group, starting with "Yesterday." Well, I waited years for a stereo version of "The Inner Light," and I'm glad they finally got around to releasing one. And I think George ought to be given at least a little credit for collaborating with The Rutles.

― X. Y. Zedd, Sunday, 2 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"Sister Golden Hair" was crap tho

― dave q, Sunday, 2 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Did he really write 'Spoil The Party'? That one's ace.

I quite like what Oliver K has to say about ATMP, though I can't seriously rate it over the Beatles. But it has some remarkable moments, like I (we) keep saying.

Yes, those 'Something' lyrics are bad. But I think we all agree that pop != just lyrics (though lyrics may, sometimes, be important) - so for me the song is still a great.

Harrison as guitarist before he went weepy / wah-wah: Classic? (The latter style becomes too all-encompassing.)

What about the LP (eponymous?) with the song 'Faster' on it? I loved that song as a kid.

RC: I agree, NLP: terrible dud. But I wouldn't want to write off 60s- 70s Harrison's achievements just cos of that involvement (92?). Where do the Greens come in - was he funding them too, at some stage?

Relevant connection: Handmade Films. Classic element?

― the pinefox, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I couldn't defend George Harrison for being 'best solo Beatle' <- which I do believe. I'm not that eloquently versed to beat a koala's pants off. But I enjoyed Wonderwall and All Things Must Pass out of his work. Anyone into self loathing and male angst would *love* All Things Must Pass. It's haunting and immense, layer upon layer of weepy guitar. Cannot... describe... As the years went by the albums got worse (soooo preachy!) until his self titled album in 1979. It was all folksy goodness. Blow Away and Soft Hearted Hana are some good tunes. 80's 'got my mind'- bleech. Then The Wilburys were his last stand and now he has faded into musical obscurity. Well, until he is stabbed or cancerous once more.

― Abbei, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Pinefox: I was saying to search 'I Don't Want To Spoil the Party' for George's guitar break. It's a Lennon song, I'm sure, with a McCartney bridge to cut the self pity.

― Curt, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Reynard,

I don't *think* Harrison has ever had anything to do with the Green Party. I kind of specified that it wasn't related to the subject of this thread and therefore, arguably, against the rules.

― Robin Carmody, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Anyone heard this? Apparently consists of two longish moog pieces.

― Paula G., Monday, 24 February 2003 20:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

oops it was supposed to be a pretty 8-track with childlike drawings called "Electronic Sounds". (Oddly, my trying to post the image here has made it turn into a red x on the original site as well.)

― Paula G., Monday, 24 February 2003 20:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

George is my favorite Beatle.

Classic tune no one's mentioned: Cheer Down.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 24 February 2003 20:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

Yeah you like him cause of his nickname, the coy beatle. Whatever. Anyone else able to shed me some light?

― Paula G., Monday, 24 February 2003 20:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

search: "what is life"
destroy: the ONJ cover

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 24 February 2003 22:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

"I have a theory that the Beatles were cursed. Lennon Shot Macca's wife died Harrison was stabbed a short while back by a psychotic antograph hunter/fan/"
...what, are you nuts? They're the world's most famous rock group, they're rich in perpetuity, their solo careers have flourished despite the fact that they're all completely hit-and-miss and might not even have broken above the tide if they weren't ex-Beatles, they did the best drugs and really lived the life, they were involved in the quest for world peace, even their relationships and children are world famous unto legendary... I can't call that cursed. What I CAN say is if you live long enough, something bad's gonna happen to you. Statistically!

― matt riedl (veal), Monday, 24 February 2003 22:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

SEARCH: APPLE SCRUFFS

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 23 June 2005 12:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Search: "Apple Scruffs," "If Not For You" (better than Dylan's), "What is Life," "My Sweet Lord," "You," "Blow Away," Cloud Nine, the first Wilburys album.

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 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hey Paula G's pic works now...

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 (7 years ago) Permalink

What exactly is wrong with any of these lyrics? Too simple or something?

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 (7 years ago) Permalink

The album "All Things Must Pass" is CLASSIC and ESSENTIAL, even if it isn't perfect. I also rather enjoy the way it's produced, the atmosphere of tracks like "Wah-Wah" & "Awaiting On You All". I've heard this rumour that it sounds even better on vinyl, though I've never had it on vinyl.

― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Thursday, 23 June 2005 20:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

A fave Harrisong of mine that doesn't get enough love:

Give Me Love

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Thursday, 23 June 2005 20:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Give Me Love has (as usual for George) a lovely melody, let down (as usual) by a terrible vocal.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

There are a ton of songs on 33 1/3 through Gone Troppo as good as "Give Me Love" IMO.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 23 June 2005 21:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Time for me and Tim to wrestle over George again.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Time for me and Tim to wrastle over George again.

(but, yeah, I like "This Song" a lot too.)

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

"What Is Life" is the pinnacle of George for me. I might even go so far as to say it's the best post Beatles song of all their solo work.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 23 June 2005 22:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, "What Is Life" is incredible. I can listen to that one over and over again, and not get sick of it. Fantastic riff, and love the slide guitar on the last verse.

"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 (7 years ago) Permalink

The next song 'Behind That Locked Door', doesn't break the spell.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, that's awesome. And "Run of the Mill" at the end of that side is a really beautiful song.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

I was just going to say, it really is. I feel like I'm listening to this album properly for the first time in my life. The whole thing feels so precious right now.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

'Art Of Dying' is pretty lame though.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Oh I love that one. It's got a great sense of urgency about it.

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 (6 years ago) Permalink

"blow Away" from 1979 is heavenly. and I think that all the songs on All Things that have huge echo are hampered by same. "Apple Scruffs" is the sound of joy itself.

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 (6 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 42 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Does Robin post here anymore? He was all over ILM in its early days -- and he has a nice British name.

― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 02:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

A musician friend and I discussed George on Saturday; he was even more violent in his dismissal. "The guy's almost as bad a crank as Lou Reed, except he had the fortune never to record Berlin.

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 03:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

I remember when a friend played me "It's Johnny's Birthday." I thought they were singing "This song is worthless." I agreed.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Saturday, August 19, 2006 9:

lol

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 03:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

Remove Living in the Material World and Somewhere in England from his discography and I don't think anyone ever makes that accusation, Alfred.

― timellison, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 03:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

A musician friend and I discussed George on Saturday; he was even more violent in his dismissal. "The guy's almost as bad a crank as Lou Reed, except he had the fortune never to record Berlin.

I thought George came off really well in the Anthology series - maybe a bit dismissive of The Beatles legacy, but he seemed to really have good humor about it.

― Darin, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 05:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

He had moments of Cranky Old Dad that mitigated Ringo and Paul's sentimentality -- gestures and remarks you imagine John would have made -- but I always remember this moment when the three are jamming on stools and Paul, obviously having a ball, says, "Another one?" and George aims the briefest of evil scowls at him, as if he's thinking, "It's not 1969, motherfucker."

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 11:29 (1 year ago) Permalink

Download zip file of "Beware of Abkco", solo demos for "All Things Must Pass." Love this, could even bring some of the haters around:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YLWVTLIV

― thirdalternative, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

I watched the Concert for Bangladesh recently & was pretty shocked at how thin George's voice was. I like his Beatles songs from "If I Needed Someone" on (though not before that), but haven't ever gotten into anything post-Beatles (not for lack of trying, esp. with All Things Must Pass). But that live set, yeesh; George's vocals sound like hard work & that's no fun to hear, especially when the singing is so cringeworthy otherwise. It's a drag, isn't it?

― Euler, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's exactly my problem with most of his solo albums: he can't sing worth a damn, which makes his homilies a chore to sit through, and he's not resourceful enough a producer to arrange his songs in a way that mitigates the preaching.

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

Remove Living in the Material World and Somewhere in England from his discography . .

The former has two of my favorite George songs, "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" and "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long."

he can't sing worth a damn

Given his multitracked backing vocals all over "All Things Must Pass," some of which are pretty dense and complex, this is madness.

― Michael Bay, CEO of Transformers (Phil D.), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

You just made my point though: the vocals were multitracked and produced by Phil Spector. George needs help.

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

There's a gulf of difference between "can't sing worth a damn" and "requires a producer's guidance."

― Michael Bay, CEO of Transformers (Phil D.), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

When I hear him mangle the line "you made me such a big star" on the Bangladesh "Wah Wah", I'm inclined to say "can't sing worth a damn".

― Euler, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 13:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

Phil, I only mentioned those two albums because I think they might have the heaviest concentration of the type of lyrics that were being criticized. No one's ever going to say they can't take Gone Troppo because it's too heavy-handed.

And Alfred, as ever, I disagree with your producer stance. Phil Spector is one thing, but I really like the sound of the Dark Horse-era albums. And there are collaborators on those records - all the people who play on them.

― timellison, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

What's the name of that Harrisong playing at the very end of the Time Bandits movie?

― t**t, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

"Dream Away" - one of his greatest!

― timellison, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeeesss!

― t**t, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

Well, it's like "All things must pass", I quite like the first third, but the second gets very "more of the same" but more heavydraggy.

(The "jam" album I don't mind, actually!)

― Mark G, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

Well, I do mind the jam album. A lot. Then again I got a whole lotta love for most of what comes before it. On ATMP.

Wonderwall is one very decent soundtrack too.

― t**t, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

Yeah, I'd call it the very definition of "overlooked"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

Alfred's constant dismissals of George reminiscent of famous talent scout putdown of Fred Astaire

― Retweet From The Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

It seems like George took the opportunity of the Anthology to assert himself and stand up to Paul's condescension. He insisted on Jeff Lynne to produce, shut things down when a third Threetles song wasn't working out, and vetoed "Carnival Of Light" on Anthology 2 (that last one rankles, though).

According to Peter Doggett's indispensable You Never Give Me Your Money, George only did the Anthology because he was nearly bankrupt from his film company and a shady business manager or two.

― shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

George is my favorite Beatle

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

Bangladesh album is a mess though, I'm not gonna defend that. Dylan's version of Maggie's Farm from that is pretty fun tho

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

tho

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

Jim Keltner and Ringo doubling their drum parts during the Bangladesh Concert is one of the alternately most pointless/entertaining things about ti

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

When I hear him mangle the line "you made me such a big star" on the Bangladesh "Wah Wah", I'm inclined to say "can't sing worth a damn".

I've honestly never seen Bangladesh straight through, just snippets here and there (must rectify) but damn if that youtube didn't give me chills. I didn't hear that line (or any of his singing on that song) as mangled; I think he sounds ragged but right.

― Have not gotten over my dancing phase (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah it's not like he Amy Winehouse'd it or anything

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

George stuff I like from the seventies:

"Blow Away" (who needs Macca when you've got this chorus?)
"This Song" (not very funny, but he sounds like he's enjoying himself over this 'ere beat)
"Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" (a God song about being real horny; one of the few times he understood Al Green)

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

Also, he seems pretty at-ease and comfortable for a guy who hadn't been on a concert stage in five years.

― shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

George is maybe the best thing about this tune (apart from the lyrics)

― a man is only a guy (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 17:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

His dual slide guitar solo on "Day After Day" is great, too.

― Darin, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 18:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

I've always had a soft spot for this drunken hootenanny of a b-side:

― Have not gotten over my dancing phase (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 18:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

If I haven't already mentioned it upthread, Simply Shady from Dark Horse is one of those snake charmer melodies he did so beautifully, though never better than Beware of Darkness

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Martin Scorsese documentary airing on HBO in October:

http://www.georgeharrison.com/#/news/archive/201107/george-harrison-documentary-and-book-announced

― timellison, Friday, 15 July 2011 03:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Trailer for the movie.

― timellison, Tuesday, 23 August 2011 01:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

The Worst of George Harrison.

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 6 August 2012 15:33 (9 months ago) Permalink

Pete Prown? I thought that was a 'fakey' name, but it seems not

― Mark G, Monday, 6 August 2012 15:45 (9 months ago) Permalink

Wonderwall is one very decent soundtrack too.
― t**t, Wednesday, June 29, 2011 10:33 AM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I'd call it the very definition of "overlooked"
― Mark G, Wednesday, June 29, 2011 10:38 AM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM. So good.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Monday, 6 August 2012 16:32 (9 months ago) Permalink

some of the wonderwall stuff really invent the "wes anderson" vibe, particularly mark devo's stuff on the rushmore soundtrack

― Elrond Hubbard (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 6 August 2012 16:54 (9 months ago) Permalink

I don't know what's being particularly identified as "slick and overproduced" about the 1979 self-titled album or why a song like "Love Comes to Everyone" is singled out as an "overt stab at polished LA pop." That album sounds a lot like the production on the other albums from that period to me. Not exactly the same, but nothing radically different.

I also think it's too easy to make assumptions based on his personality that lead to claims about how "alienated by the current pop scene" he was. "Blood from a Clone" strikes me as far less serious than the writer makes it out to be (he says it's "supposedly his savage commentary on the state of popular music") and actually remarkable for how of its time it sounds, at least in Harrison's own way. It's an easy rival of "Coming Up" for eccentric older guy new wave with some cool funky bass.

"Wake Up My Love" from Gone Troppo is another one. The synthesizers on that are like something you'd hear in an Italo tune.

― timellison, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 23:29 (9 months ago) Permalink

I like "Love Comes to Everyone" and disagree with how he tosses "dated" to signify something he doesn't like. He could've criticized him in other ways.

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 7 August 2012 23:35 (9 months ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

Just listening to the iTunes clips of the '06 Living in the Material World and it is awfully good sounding.

― timellison, Saturday, 16 March 2013 05:08 (2 months ago) Permalink

Living in the Material World remaster, I meant to say.

― timellison, Saturday, 16 March 2013 05:09 (2 months ago) Permalink

― dave q, Thursday, August 30, 2001 8:00 PM (11 years ago)

even after these all years i feel compelled to say Fuck you dave q, fuck yoooooouuuu

― ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (Z S), Saturday, 16 March 2013 05:13 (2 months ago) Permalink

― t**t, Saturday, 16 March 2013 10:58 (2 months ago) Permalink

the self-titled is a gorgeous album. such a strong run of simple, beautiful songs on there. it stands up bloody well.

― Esteban Buttiérrez (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 16 March 2013 11:55 (2 months ago) Permalink

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