George Harrison & Friends - Concert for Bangladesh
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Free Music Notes for Concert for Bangladesh
Free Music Review: It all started right here...
Hit: 3 Stars
There's so much material here to discuss I believe the best way to analyze this project would to talk about the high points and low points.
High-The opening of "Wah-Wah" is a tremendous intro into the show with Harrison doing an excellent job of kick starting the proceedings, greatly assisted by Jim Horn and his Hollywood Horns. Billy Preston's "That's The Way God Planned It," gives the show a nice lift, especially the rousing finale (where he is dancing, which is obviously not seen on a cd). Ringo's word-dropping rendition of "It Don't Come Easy" gave some humanity to the whole event and kept it real. Leon Russell"s "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood" medley brough some funk to a mostly Anglo show and let the musicians flex their muscles a little. And though Clapton doesn't remember it today since he was stoned then, the dueting between him and Harrison on "While My Guitar Gentle Weeps" was great to hear. And hearing Dylan give a disciplined, understated performance was pleasant as well. An overlooked item I think is Harrison's rendition of his biggest Beatle hit, "Something" even though he flubs the second verse a little.
Low-Did we really need such a long set of Ravi's music? As much as his performance was symbolic of what the event was, was this much Indian music necessary? I doubt very much if anyone who buys this today sits through all/any of it. Also, did Dylan need to have so many songs when the show was in desperate need of an edge? Badfinger, (who were more commercially accessible than either Preston or Russell) had the classic single "No Matter What" under their belt, had also just finished recording their most popular album and could've played a tune from that. This could have given the show a more rock 'n roll edge that it was missing. And the recording for this concert didn't do anyone any favors, remastered or not. The overall sound is still muddy. This only proves that new technology cannot improve what was recorded wrong in the first place. Plus, for some unknown reason, some of Harrison's comments have been edited out from the original version.
The best thing that can be said about "The Concert For Bangla-Desh" is that it was(and is)a template for all the other charity concerts that rock stars have given over the years(Farm-Aid, Band-Aid, Aid-Aid, Kampuchea, etc.). It all started right here.
Free Music Review: The original mix of this album is better
Hit: 3 Stars
When I purchase a re-master of a classic album, I am always alert to the fact that there might be possible tampering with the original mix: instruments or noises either added or subtracted. Upon listening to the new version of THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH, it is very clear that there was a lot of subtraction going on. Although some new clarity is brought into the overall sound of the recording (which originally sounded a bit muddy to some people's ears), there has been an extensive change in many of the sounds I was familiar with on the original LP. For example, several of the stage comments have been deleted, Harrison's introduction of Leon Russell is one. Also, the inspiring hoots and shouts of the background singers during "That's The Way God Planned It" have been erased. Even many of the hilarious audience comments that were audible (someone shouting "Do something Ringo!!" prior to "Awaiting on You All") are now missing. Overall, the new crowd sounds seems to be a lot different from the sounds that were on the original LP. I don't know why the producers of the re-master decided to do this. They should have gone for a more faithful approach. Because of this, the original CD version is still better.
Additionally, the new cover art is not faithful to the original album package. Some of the photos are still there, but I wish that the entire original book would be available for this edition. Not to mention the chronic problem of CD storage: in this package, the bare disc is stuffed in a non-protective sleeve, ready for a barrage of scuffs and scratches.
Despite the drawbacks, the new version of THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH not without merits. As mentioned above, there is a new sound clarity which still sounds very good. And then there's the extra Dylan track from the afternoon show "Love Minus Zero/No Limit." Perhaps a few other alternate tracks from the afternoon show could have been added as well as there is plenty of room on the discs for more music.
Free Music Review: "We've got a lot of singers here ..." where?
Hit: 3 Stars
As a previous reviewer already stated, the remaster job on this landmark concert album has one major flaw - the background singers are in many cases completely erased from the CD. "That's The Way God Planned It" is a gospel song that has its gospel essence severely restricted by the excising of the background vocalists. It's really a shame as they did a fantastic job on the remastering of the instruments and lead vocals - you can hear the many guitarists distinctly for the first time. If not for the background vocalists having gone missing, I'd give this at least 4 1/2 stars.
I have to agree - I'm keeping my original "Concert for Bangladesh" CD (I still have the original LP as well) because it's a more realistic depiction of those great concerts.
At least you can hear Badfinger on acoustic guitars for the first time with the new CD ...
Free Music Review: Sterilized, but still good
Hit: 2 Stars
What I was hoping for was a clean version of my totally worn out album...
What I got was a sterilized version of music that seems to be loved by all the reviewers (and who can't love music from the musicians that assembled to help a noble cause), but is so terribly different than the album.
Little things... like hearing the countdown before While My Guitar Gently Weeps, or tuning before a song and stage banter is all lost on the CD. It's like the CD is trying to be a studio album.
And then, theres the "A couple numbers from Leon..." while the songs are done well, they are not the version that was on the LP and it is our loss.
Oh well - I'll invest in software and hope to clean up the LP import... anything to get the Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood medley right!
Free Music Review: Why change the original cover?
Hit: 1 Stars
It was so thoughtless to have changed the original cover which meant something. From what we have read George was a humble person. The producers have ignored the feelings of so many people.Why George Harrison and friends? Was it not Ravi Shankar's original plea and idea? I am sure George is fuming.