George Harrison - "All Things Must Pass"

Also, "What Is Life" on the car radio earlier today (coincidentally!) - what a tight blast.

Unfortunately, they're busy climbing up Mount Doom trying to destroy the Ring...

i saw today that union square virgin is selling back to mono right now for $19.99!

i really should have snatched that up.)

Now I have to play this record. Not a bad way to start a Saturday morning, though.

There' a great widely didstibuted bootleg of Harrison's solo acoustic demos of many of the songs on ATMP called "Beware of Abkco" that's wonderful and worth seeking out.

*with the excecption of that deleted scene jam they put on the new DVD of the last waltz. yucky.

great hidden lyric in "Awaiting On You All " which is not included in the liner notes :

"The pope owns 51 percent of General Motors. The stock exchange is the only thing he's qualified to quote us. "

yo..i might be confused! i'll double check when i get home.

I've never heard this. What is the implication - that Paul should stop crying about something?

Wah-wah
You've given me a wah-wah
And Im thinking of you
And all the things that we used to do
Wah-wah, wah-wah

Wah-wah
You made me such a big star
Being there at the right time
Cheaper than a dime
Wah-wah, youve given me your wah-wah, wah-wah

Oh, you dont see me crying
Oh, you dont hear me sighing

Wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free from the wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah

Oh, you dont see me crying
Hey baby, you dont hear me sighing
Oh, no no-no no

Wah-wah
Now I dont need no wah-wahs
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free - of wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah

However, they should have stopped at the double album back then. The third album consists of completely pointless jams that drag the entire album considerably down.

33 1/3 - 3 stars
s/t '79 album - 4 stars
Somewhere in England - 3 1/2 stars
Gone Troppo - 1 star : (
Cloud Nine - 4 1/2 stars

Well, at least there's some credit for the late '70s/early '80s stuff there.

This should be in the FAQ. I've never disagreed so much with someone who hadn't just pissed his clothes.

!! I have always wondered what this fucking verse is! Easily my favorite song on the album.

xpost well maybe cause I owned a copy of only album three of this, back whenever, and got a cheapie HMV sale copy of the new remastered CD set more recently.

isn't that more or less the official line on every solo album every beatle has ever released?

Hi dere: http://web.mit.edu/scholvin/www/harrison/gifs/c310_00.jpg

Lots of people, obviously, judging from the fact that it was his most popular solo album since the first two.

And, yes, ELO fans were among then, and ELO fans usually know good music when they hear it. That is why they are ELO fans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Moran

Also, rescuing "the long good friday" similarly.

I think Lennon saw El Topo, flipped out, then they got Klein to green light Holy Mountain

& Life With The Lions >>>> Electronic Sound

shasta linked to this -- http://www.subcin.com/eltoposounds.html on the Alejandro Jodorowsky : RFI thread

Lennon and Yoko helped to arrange the release and distribution of El Topo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Jodorowsky

This record gives me energy when I need energy.

Beware of Darkness is so beautiful, with that siren call guitar and george singing "watch out now, take kurr bewurr.."

aw man old Bimble posts :) :(

Doing final assembly of the biggest project of the year -- pretty mindless, the brain-cell-burning work has already been done and I'm beyond exhausted. ATMP on neverending repeat is the perfect soundtrack for the ad placement and article-flowing, croaking along in my horrible voice.

Wonderwall Music is really damn good, but it doesn't have "Behind That Locked Door". Or "Awaiting On You All".

If I ever make another mixtape I'm putting "Behind That Locked Door" on it.

Which one of the long jams has the "Electronic Sound" samples wailing away obliviously in the background? "I Remember Jeep"? "Thanks For The Pepperoni"? Either way, a pretty daft artistic choice - not unlike that Spooky Tooth album from the same year.

...and hey, I just remembered that Gary Wright's on both of those records

Since no one has mentioned it yet, let me put in a vote for the comparatively-low-key-but-still-somehow-epic "Let It Down." A perfect example of the buried gem that doesn't hit you right away while you're enjoying the more obviously great songs.

Which one of the long jams has the "Electronic Sound" samples wailing away obliviously in the background?

Having just read the AMG write up moments ago, it's "I Remember Jeep."

Listened to this four times last night and today while I ground up theoretical pigs into digital sausage. (Then I switched to Sunn O)))).)

Actually I prefer the earlier demo of "Let It Down" included as a bonus on the reissue - the Spector bombast on the final version makes my ears hurt.

xpost

My younger brother just bought me the original vinyl pressing in damn near mint condition, equipped with the original huge poster of George looking super creepy. Looked around online and it goes for a couple hundred (not that I'd ever dream of selling it).

"Wah-Wah" at full volume is one hell of a good time.

huge poster of George looking super creepy

nothin to see here, just a hippy hanging out with some gnomes

Amazingly enough, as a Beatles fan who was listening to the radio when "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life" were hits, I do not own this. I do love "Behind That Locked Door," though, and all three hits.

The title track is soothing to my troubled soul.

01 - I Dig Love
02 - The Art of Dying
03 - My Sweet Lord
04 - Apple Scruffs
05 - Beware of Darkness
06 - What Is Life
07 - Hear Me Lord
08 - It's Johnny's Birthday
09 - I'd Have You Anytime
10 - Wah Wah
11 - Let It Down
12 - Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
13 - Awaiting On You All
14 - All Things Must Pass

err....shit, pasted over something there. That's a one-CD mix of this that I made back in 1998 or 1999, probably one of the first CDs I ever burned. It must have been my preferred listening experience for a while, because looking over it, I can't bring to mind any of the songs I left out (aside from "Isn't It A Pity"). Submitted for your consideration!

testing it out right now, and looking forward to it! I always enjoy good chunks of All Things Must Pass, but something keeps me from heavily replaying it. Hoping this will help.

Left out "Behind that Locked Door"

Got the reissued box set for my birthday in October, and I can only say my love for this album has continued to grow.
Am I the only one to think that Let It Down is the template for later Spiritualized?

Nah there's a pretty obvious connection

well with this whole album really, not just that one tune imho

OTM OTM Definitely with that tune tho!

Was just digging around Christgau's site and stumbled on his review of ATMP. Has he ever been more wrong than this about anything?

All Things Must Pass [Apple, 1970]
As a slave of the very "MAYA" (pidgin Hindi for the concrete world) Harrison warns against, I am obliged to point out that playing headsie with the Universal Mind is not introspection and that the International Pop Music Community is not a group. Presumably, the featurelessness of these three discs--right down to the anonymity of the multitracked vocals--reflects Harrison's notion of Truth, and he's welcome to it. But he's never been good for more than two songs per album, and after "My Sweet Lord" I start to get stuck. C

It's not a C, but it deserves no higher than a B+ or B. And most of George's other records are irredeemable.

The "only 2 good songs per album" jibe holds for some of his others, its true, but never for ATMP.
I'm especially fond of Simply Shady from Dark Horse, but its surrounded by tedious jams.

Irredeemable is a bit harsh. George lends himself to a S/D thread because there are great songs - if you're into melancholia with a spiritual edge - across his solo albums, amongst a bit of filler, e.g

Living in The Material World:

- That is All
- The Light that has Lighted the World

Extra Texture:

- The Answer's at the End
- World of Stone
- Can't Stop Thinking about You

Aside from "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long," "Blow Away," and Cloud Nine (the only one I love end to end), I think the guy really needed collaborators.

I have the three-disc (three, right?) mini-box, and I've never listened to more than the first disc. What am I missing?

if you're into melancholia with a spiritual edge - xpost

sums me up!

Aside from "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long," "Blow Away," and /Cloud Nine/ (the only one I love end to end), I think the guy really needed collaborators.
--Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

That was my argument (I guess it wasn't clear).

if you're into melancholia with a spiritual edge

Or if you're into George as a pop song writer, there's lots of good stuff on his Dark Horse-era LPs (especially 33 1/3, the self-titled album, and Gone Troppo). Unless someone happens to be a big Jeff Lynne fan, I'm not sure how Cloud Nine is substantially different from those.

hi, Tim!

Heard "Cheer Down" for the first time this morning. Like a lost WIlburys track! From the "Lethal Weapon 2" soundtrack, no less.

I have the three-disc (three, right?) mini-box, and I've never listened to more than the first disc. What am I missing?

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, February 20, 2011 9:02 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

Beware of Darkness, Apple Scruffs, Awaiting on You All, and the wonderful death-disco of The Art of Dying! among others...

Heard "Cheer Down" for the first time this morning. Like a lost WIlburys track! From the "Lethal Weapon 2" soundtrack, no less.

Dude's shit pops up on some random-ass soundtracks. I don't know which is weirder: the fact that he has a song on the Porky's Revenge soundtrack, or that Dave Edmunds was chosen to produce/assemble it.

lol

(three, right?)

No, two.

Unless someone happens to be a big Jeff Lynne fan

Not expressing myself right here. I AM a big Jeff Lynne fan. But Alfred, I don't hear Cloud Nine as being much more of an example of Harrison working with collaborators than the albums that preceded it.

There's a real style that comes to the fore on 33 1/3 and it very much has to do with the people playing on those records. And, of course, of couple of them had co-producers, too: Russ Titelman, Ray Cooper. Co-writing with Gary Wright on the self-titled album (the excellent "If You Believe").

As for George's own production, I think the crispness of 33 1/3 is really cool coming after Dark Horse and Extra Texture.

I'd love to hear an unSpectorized mix of this album. It might not be any better, but I'd still like to hear it.

All things must piss

Spector's mark on the album is not just in the mix, though; it's also in the arrangements.

Well, OK, but I'd still like to hear an unSpectorized mix.

I got the remaster for Christmas
i love this so much

I really want to hear the OG version after reading about the extreme remixing that went on with the remaster.

Was it remixed? I thought it had just been remastered.

I just heard about it from this marcello carlin post here http://nobilliards.blogspot.com/2010/05/george-harrison-all-things-must-pass.html

There are sonic clean-ups, redone guitar and rhythm parts, re-recordings, alternate takes

I mean, who knows how much of it is audible. It'd be fun to A-B them, though.

that christgau blurb is so smug and irritating.

I can understand being a Christgau and embracing the counterculture's ethos of sexual and racial liberation only to watch Nixon get elected and to endure a budding but potentially excellent singer-songwriter-guitarist singing hare krishna the same year that CSNY go global and reaching for a bucket to barf in.

well put

christgau in dickhead shocker
― gear

Recently got a very good copy of this box set incl. a very cool and very dark poster that I'm considering framing.

http://i.imgur.com/UZGwUMk.jpg

Great record and all, but I can't help being slightly "annoyed" with the box set format - it seems like it will get a lot of wear from being opened, from me trying to flip the records out etc. I like the new Dylan Bootleg boxes for having open constructions, makes for easy access to the discs. Uhm anyway, so what are your thoughts - are those boxes annoying or what?

according to the Then Play Long link above, there is *re-done* guitar on the CD box reissue? is the original vinyl that different? was there a CD version released bitd that's considered better than the reissue? the updated packaging of the CD is fucking terrible compared to the original vinyl box i know that much.

Lovely album.
the title track is so good.
it's also interesting to hear the rehearsing sessions with the Beatles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0IgO0So2BU

there are longer sessions recording where you hear McCartney working on the harmonies.
By the way, it always seemed strange to me the idea that McCartney was jealous or trying to put Harrison's tracks down since he seemed to be the one spending time and helping the most (bass on "Something", work on "I me mine", etc) while Lennon actually did seem to not care at all and not even attending some recording sessions.
Yet, it's McCartney that is attacked on some of the album's tracks while Harrison and Lennon remained close for a while after the Beatles' break up (and Harrison contributed to some tracks on "Imagine", and all).
Of course there were other issues but still, seems unfair to Macca !

Also, funny thing : for a while, I only know the instrumental version of "What is life" since I had downloaded a version without the final version... it was so nice to finally discover the vocals !

only knew

I know it's a demo but Harrison sounds awful on that version of ATMP.

This demo is much, much better:

http://youtu.be/kmEqq3OSNpE

according to stevehoffman.tv folks, there is no good CD issue of All Things Must Pass

Yet, it's McCartney that is attacked on some of the album's tracks

McCartney supposedly repeatedly rebuffed Harrison's entreaties to write together. After "I'd Have You Anytime," George was all, "Oh, you won't write with me? OK, fine. But you know who will? BOB DYLAN."

Paul started dropping real strong hints around the time of Cloud Nine and the first Wilburys album, no doubt b/c George was having hits again and he wasn't.

according to stevehoffman.tv folks, there is no good CD issue of All Things Must Pass

Care to expound?

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/opinions-on-all-things-must-pass-cd-versions.55294/

Interesting.

I worked at a used record shop around the time the "remastered and expanded" All Things Must Pass came out in 2000 and we were all very excited to hear it (obviously). So, we put it on and I was the only one that thought it sounded crap. Everyone else was all about it. Kind of ruined the album for me and I still don't own a copy to this day.

I've heard the same about the reissue and for that reason have always been happy to stick with my old issue of the CD in the two separate jewel cases.

"according to stevehoffman.tv folks, there is no good CD issue of All Things Must Pass"

you can download the master steve hoffman did himself of ATMP which was never officially released, from torrent sites. He sold his single copy of the cd masters to this in some fundraising drive, which is pretty sneaky. never mention this on their boards or your question will be deleted by overzealous moderators.

and yeah, second demo there is better, but it's not a beatles take, I don't think. is it?

No pretty sure it's solo.

Y'know, it kinda pains me to say this in a way, but I honestly can't remember the last time I felt like listening to this album, even though it's undoubtedly one of Harrison's better solo albums.

Really hoping the Harrison estate gets it together to release the 1974 Dark Horse/Hoarse tour. Apparently George used to screen footage of it for friends at Friar Park and did plan a film at some point.

But back on topic, I really like the extra track 'I Live for You" on the reissue.

If its anything like the footage shown on the documentary thing, no.

Can't be said enough how fucking awful that documentary was. Three-and-a-half hours long and it literally did not provide a single insight to me about the guy or his music.

to me this is not as rough as legend suggests but maybe i'm just blinded by the whole 'hey wow George Harrison playing live!' thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1MWWWQ-Uw

i liked the doc but it tried to do a No Direction Home where the story was partly over-familiar and partly (the 2nd half) a bit boring.

had no idea about this Steve Hoffman business

Three-and-a-half hours long and it literally did not provide a single insight to me about the guy or his music.

Pretty sure that George would love that review - it'd appeal to his sense of the ridiculous.

His best. He had a few.

A+ list Alfred. Only omission in my mind is "Let it Roll"

I would've put "Wah-Wah" on there -- his anti-Paul pissiness was far better better than Lennon's ham-fisted attempts. Otherwise, ace list.

I still think it sounds like he's singing "mmmmmm, I love dick!" in the second verse of 'I Dig Love'

no I'm singing it

Hehehehe!

Lol, for sure

He loves dick in the mornin'
He loves dick in the evenin'

"Beware of Darkness" rules

beware of ABKCO !!

george's version of "if not for you" on this album may be my favorite george performance of all

beware of darkness! clapton's playing is really good on that

xp!

the power of george compelled us to post at the same time

ATMP is one of those albums where there's 10-12 contenders for the very best song and there's no real way to be wrong. feels good out here

there are

the power of george compels you

so many amazing tracks, not sure what i would pick

george's version of "if not for you" on this album may be my favorite george performance of all

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Sunday, December 22, 2019

Heavy competition from "Apple Scruffs" though.

like both of those

You had “What Is Life” on your best-of rundown, but maybe you are making a distinction between song and performance.

https://i.imgur.com/1qPmqCt.jpg

I love how the outro of Isn't It A Pity (version 1) simultaneously threatens to turn into that of Hey Jude, Carry That Weight and I Am The Walrus

Haha yeah -- George's fuck you to his mates. "See? I can do this long fadeout shit too!"