George Harrison - George Harrison
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Free Music Notes for George Harrison
Free Music Review: An Excellent Collection
Hit: 5 Stars
This fine collection is a reflection of George's life. By 1979, when he released this work, he appeared to be in high stride, not only with a successful film production company but also following his musical muse. His son was born August 1, 1978 and the song "Blow Away" is a nod to Dhani's birth. George was saying that the dark clouds of a rocky past had blown away and he was moving forward with hope and renewed vigor. During the seventies, music to a large extent was commerical and in some cases cliche, but Harrison's work remained unique and distinct. On this collection, he shows his myriad of styles.
"Love Comes to Everyone" is one of the most beautiful and optimistic songs I have ever heard. He could not have picked a better song to kick this gem off. "Not Guilty" has an interesting history. A decade earlier, George tried unsuccessfully to have it included on the White Album. His original rendition of the song can be found on the Beatles' Anthology 3. It's a shame it wasn't included on the White Album as this song is of extraordinary caliber.
This collection is definitely worth owning. "Here Comes the Moon," a sequel to his 1969 blockbuster "Here Comes the Sun" is a cute, up-tempo song that will undoubtedly bring smiles to many faces. "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a very gentle piece and is ideal for soothing away stress. It is a unique song with the brand of guitar playing Harrison made his own.
"Faster" is a fun, danceable song that is a nod to George's love for race cars - Forumla One. George even admitted in his book, "I Me Mine" that he never got over his love for fast vehicles and this fun song reflects that.
His beautiful song to his wife Olivia, "Dark Sweet Lady" is intensely beautiful. So are the intensely soothing "Your Love is Forever," "Soft Touch," "If You Believe" and the closing track, "Here Comes the Moon." Closing with that one "aligns" this collection neatly and nicely. While I would much rather Harrison had released a never-released song instead, I was not disappointed with this choice.
This is ideal for the inveterate George Harrison fans and people who just like his music. For those who are just becoming familiar with his work, you might want to start with "All Things Must Pass." That is an INTENSE Harrison experience!
Free Music Review: Easy Does It
Hit: 5 Stars
Compared to his former co-band members in the Beatles, George Harrisons solo output may be considered the most uniform. Not one to wildly diverge as far as styles and soundscapes go, his albums were written either because he felt like writing or because he had to write. As much as we love George to this day, the fact of the matter is, that this was a solo career headed for the dumps. A few prolonged projects in the mid 70's ate away his recording time, and when he returned, the record buying public were looking elsewhere. George was less impressed with the workings and demands of record companies, and even less impressed with the musical tastes of the late 70's. After delivering a fine album (33 1/3) to his new record company, he would go on to watch sales drop, the record company moan and the World losing interest. So, George did other things that interested him. Started paying more attention to downtime, racing, movies, producing movies and so on.
But then, after a couple of years had passed, he returned with this self titled album. And what a return it was. Regardless of the record buying publics reaction to this album, it's a real gem. George sounds so at ease, and in such a pleasant mood here, it radiates positivity through the speakers. Here is a man who has found love, and who seems to have enjoyed himself these past years. He is telling us that we will all receive love (Love Comes to Everyone), he tells us how splendid the moon looked when he was on vacation in Hawaii (Here Comes The Moon) and he lets us in on how much he enjoys Grand Prix racing (Faster).
This is in a way the last of the post-Beatles George Harrison albums. Somewhere in England was recorded mostly before the death of John Lennon, but will forever be remembered as a post Lennon album. By the time of Gone Troppo, George had lost interest in such a degree, it ruined any hope the listener had of hearing a great George Harrison album again. Of course, he would return in a commanding way with 9th Cloud, but in 1979, these events could not be guessed. As it is, George Harrison, the album, bookends a decade that began in such a splendid manner, on the ruins of the Beatles, with the monumental 'All Things Must Pass', and it bookends it splendidly.
Free Music Review: Harrison's Comebacker: Upbeat Romantic Tunes with Personals
Hit: 5 Stars
This is Harrison's seemingly comeback album after taking a few years off and after several music critics seemed to cliquishly attack his music as if all they listened to was Harrison's Dark House single making assumptions that he was done in spite of some very fine work in between like 33 1/3. Harrison received many positive reviews for the first time in years possibly due to the up beat pop sounds of commercial hits "Blow Away" and "Love Comes to Everyone" but also because it contains a bit of nostalgia with "Not Guilty" and "Here Comes the Moon". The latter being a take off of "Here Comes the Sun" ("a little brother to the sun") but the former is more an introspective of the Beatles' problems indicating that they were struggling to stay together a few years before the break. "Not Guilty" is about the trip to the Maharishi, which turned disastrous and this is Harrison's response to any blame put on him (written in 68). The Album also features significant points in Harrison's life, his relationship with his then future wife in a sweet ballad called "Dark Sweet Lady" and his fascination with race cars in the story of racing in "Faster" that plays some energized riffs. Harrison also includes his sense of humor in "Soft Hearted Hanna", which sounds like a fun throwback tune with a tuba playing in the background. It sounds somewhat familiar to some of Harrison's Extra Texture tunes. My personal favorites are "Love Comes To Everyone", which is a pretty snappy tune full of positive statements and music with perhaps the best lyrics and music that flows nicely with the lyrics and "Soft Touch", which features some unique guitar work that is uniquely Harrison with a tumble down sound on the guitar that is as unique as the waltz like riffs on "I, Me, Mine". Overall this is very positive sounding album by a happy Harrison with plenty of upbeat songs such as "If you Believe" and "Your Love is Forever". In many ways, the pop hit "Blow away" is the weak song on the album, Harrison's personal happiness is evident and his creativity thrives with the guitar. This one, as 33 1/3 should have, aptly puts to bed the any false stereotype that Harrison only wrote dirges.Free Music Review: The Best Beatles CD they never made
Hit: 5 Stars
George, even more so than Lennon and McCartney hewed his craft closer to The Beatles aesthetic in his solo career than any of them did: great music, well arranged that stands the test of time. This CD in particular is an absolute gem, and is really the best CD that The Beatles never made, although you can see how seamlessly it would have been to integrate Paul, John and Ringo into this. The songs, every one of them, are remarkable acheivements. This is every bit as good as ALL THINGS, and now sounds positively amazing with the sterling remastering.Sonically, it is worlds away from ALL THINGS and Phil Spector. In many regards, this is probably what Paul was after with the concept for GET BACK as a film and CD. Ironic that it should be George who should most fully realize what could have been their swan song. There is an organic wholeness to this that predates and predicts Travelling Willburys, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt, Notting Hill Billies, Billy Bragg. The Band was in the process of giving up the fight, and yet here was George resetting the gold standard in his unasumingly but fully realized way.
The guitar work throughout this disc is spectaular: as brilliant and tasty as it gets. The songs are so well written and assembled that they come off as thoroughly natural progressions. Each is a keeper. By this point, George and Eric Clapton had resolved their differences, and the tremendous magic they were capable of together is absolutely laid open on "Love Comes to Everyone." George's wry humour and love for the era that produced Hoagy Carmichael (an interesting and unexplored influence) is evident on "Soft Heareted Hana". "Blow Away" and "Here Comes the Moon" are quintessentially George: almost lithesome in sound and completely impossible to play, using, as he often said, "the naughty chords" to effect wonderful melodies.
This CD and the LIVE IN JAPAN CD are as essential as ALL THINGS & CLOUD NINE. George was brilliant, and here he is at the absolute peak of his powers. At the bare minimum, 5 stars. Pity John and Paul didn't give him more room.
Free Music Review: I Love This Album!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Love it, Love it, LOVE it! OK, now that I got that out of my system, I'll tell you this: listening to this cd is like being at a lovely beach on vacation and being deeply in love. There is something endorphin-raising about the songs on this album, and it makes you feel as though life is looking rosy. It's not a sappy, superficial happy feeling, it is a deep contentment: well, drat, it's difficult to explain. The only time you start feeling sad is when you remember that George Harrison is no longer on this earth. Otherwise, this is a happy cd. If you want angry, if you want dreary, get another cd. (The one and only song that really doesn't belong is "Faster." I wish that could have been on "Cloud Nine" with Jeff Lynne producing it. I loved Russ Titleman and George Harrison's production of every other song, though. Very "Guitar-centric." )
George Harrison wrote some of the most beautiful love songs EVER. People mistakenly have this impression of him as the weird Hare Krishna Beatle who wrote all that w00-w00 sitar music (which I enjoy, frankly) but I'm tellin' ya, this man wrote some gorgeous love-music! Maybe his spirituality contributed to his ability to appreciate romantic love and life's simple joys as "Good Gifts;" and how fortunate we are to be able to listen to his interpretation of those gifts.
"Dark Sweet Lady" is sublime. "Your Love is Forever" made me stop what I was doing and just listen in astonishment. "Blow Away" reminds us how easy it is to let go of a bad mood, and forget about it, as easy as warm winds blowing away a cold, dreary day.
"Here Comes the Moon" has a totally different feeling than "Here Comes the Sun." I'll explain in my pathetic way: You know how you sit outside at late summer dusk, and the sky gets progressively darker and this big full moon climbs up slowly 'til the day's heat is gone and the balmy breezes start wafting around all these summery fragrances, and it's suddenly turned into a beautiful summer night?
Yeah. THAT'S what the song is like.