George Harrison - George Harrison
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Free Music Notes for George Harrison
Free Music Review: MELLO
Hit: 5 Stars
This cd is the mello side of george, Blow away will make you feel good and faster will speed it up a little. A very fine lp or cd Just kick back and Music Review: George HarrisonHit: 5 Stars Great CD...had the vinyl but haven't listened to in years, wanted to update to CD. The songs sound great and George playing and singing are some of his best. AAA+++
Free Music Review: George looks at his life & sees a wealth of inspiration
Hit: 4 Stars
1976's THIRTY THREE & 1/3 was a reasonably good album from George Harrison that spawned 2 top 40 hits & sold well enough. However, most of that album was tinged in bitterness at having lost his battle with the writers of "He's So Fine" over plagiarizing it for his own "My Sweet Lord" ("This Song" was one way of venting his anger). After that album, George took the next 2 years off, spending most of his time traveling & attending his beloved auto races. Supposedly, George was having a case of writer's block shortly after THIRTY THREE & 1/3, and was not sure if he would ever regain his main line. However, trips to Hawaii & the Virgin Islands at last got his juices flowing, and in 1979, GEORGE HARRISON appeared, its self-titled nature hinting at a new beginning & George tapping into a fresh vein of creativity.
Having just married his second wife Olivia & witnessing the birth of his son Dhani, George was clearly in a much better mood this time around, and the sunny weather of his island jaunts also helped to bring up his spirits & inspire him creatively. For someone as upbeat about the eventual savior of the world, a song like the opening "Love Comes To Everyone" (with guitar by George's pal, Eric Clapton) comes naturally from George. He points out that acheiving peace is never easy or quick, but as he mentions "It only takes time". The closing "If You Believe" also encourages the listener to keep his chin up & that believing in oneself will save the day. At a brief 3 minutes, this is one song that could have easily followed "Blow Away" as a single, for it is everything a hit should be. Those two songs are the only times George is in the role of world peacemaker. The rest are much more personal & introspective.
The glow of his new marriage & family obviously had George smiling bright for Olivia & Dhani appears to have been the inspiration for songs like "Dark Sweet Lady" (which Olivia suggested as a Spanish-type number), "Your Love Is Forever" & "Soft Touch". George clearly took the old creative saying of "Write about what you know" to heart, and that helped him recharge his batteries. Some songs like "Your Love Is Forever" could be interpreted as being to God, but the fact they work on a secular level makes them the most successful.
The new attitude George gained is transferred all throughout GEORGE HARRISON as the nature theme of some songs indicate. "Here Comes The Moon" was George's (un)intentional sequel to "Here Comes The Sun", and as he describes in the album's liner notes (taken from his autobiography I ME MINE), he was utterly entranced by the sunsets and moonrises of Hawaii. Maybe all of us could use a trip like that to brighten our lives.
"Soft-Hearted Hana" also was directly inspired by the surroundings of Hawaii, with George using his own "Deep Blue" as inspiration for creating a yin to its yang (if you gotta steal, steal from the best). Even George himself agreed that the lyrics are a bit flowery, but maybe those "magic mushrooms" he had encouraged him to revisit his latter years in the Beatles when one could not help but feel the need to take a trip.
Something as simple as a leak in George's house inspired the album's top 20 hit "Blow Away", truly one of George's finest singles. While the sunny Adult Contemporary vibe of the song may have people thinking George had gone "too soft", once they start smiling at hearing the song, they will get it. Through all his occasional preaching about world affairs, George boils it all down pretty much into "Blow Away", and as he points out in the notes, "The only thing we really have to work at in this life is how to manifest love".
It was only a matter of time before George's love of racing inspired a song, and that became "Faster". Inspired by racecar driver & friend Jackie Stewart, it is likely this song in particular helped to get George back on the songwriting track again, especially since he mentioned 1977 was mostly an off year. The chorus is by far one of George's catchiest, making it a mystery why it did not do as well as a single like "Blow Away".
Finally, there is the song that George held on to for over a decade, "Not Guilty". Written during the time of THE WHITE ALBUM, when the Beatles were slowly but surely growing apart, George had even recorded it at the time, with that version making it onto the THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 3. However, maybe it was considered to below the knuckle to issue at the time, but after enough time passed, George could revisit it & record it for GEORGE HARRISON. The song seems to reflect the Beatles' meditation jaunt in India, where George came home the biggest convert & all the others thought it to be of little impact. Maybe this was the element that soured George on continuing as a Beatle. "Not Guilty" is the only time on GEORGE HARRISON that detracts from the album's bouncy, upbeat feel, though the song's lighthearted attitude is still in keeping with it.
Again, the bonus tracks on the Dark Horse reissues come up short, with only a demo of "Here Comes The Moon" to present on GEORGE HARRISON, and it pales in comparison to the splendor of the final product. Clearly, there are some more lost gems in the vaults because it almost never happens that an artist records just the 10 songs that make up the album he releases.
Apparently, the time George Harrison spent just living life & not caring about music for a while helped him regain his enthusiasm for the thing that he had spent his life doing. Of course, that new career of smiles would not last long as the behind-the-scenes events involving this album's follow-up would indicate. Until then, GEORGE HARRISON showed that the only thing he needed to recharge his creative fuse was to look around & see all the good things happening to him.
Free Music Review: Mellow 70's vibe on "George Harrison"
Hit: 4 Stars
Suffused with a mellow 70's vibe, "George Harrison" catches you in the wake of melody and leaves you floating along with a warm feeling when its finished. Although it didn't hit the same highs as Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" or "Cloud 9", "George Harrison coasts along on its own folksy charm. The opening track with Steve Windwood's characteristic sythesizer part became a deserved hit single for George although it didn't quite break through the way Harrison's "Blow Away" did. Both songs share strong performances and memorable melodies that capture your attention immediately. Harrison's guitar playing here reflects his contented life after his new marriage.
"Here Comes the Moon" doesn't quite capture the fire or originality of its sister song but the low-key atmosphere, arrangement and melody make it memorable. The soft-rock minor classic "Faster" chronicles George's interest in Formula 1 racing and provides a snapshot of the racer's life. "Soft Touch", "Dark Sweet Lady" and beautiful "Your Love is Forever" are a trio of great songs written by George in praise of his ladylove. "Your Love is Forever" features one of the most beautiful melodies Harrison had written outside of "Something", "Here Comes the Sun" and "The Inner Light".
The original album closed with the Harrison-Gary Wright collaboration "If you Believe" a marvelous look at faith and inner strength. The CD reissue features one bonus track the original demo for "Here Comes the Moon" which, although not essential, will be of particular interest to Harrison fans.
The 12 page booklet mimics the original inner sleeve and cover with lyrics, credits and lyrics for the various songs.
Free Music Review: My Second Fave George Harrison Album
Hit: 4 Stars
My favorite George Harrison album is "Living in the Material World", and the 1979 "George Harrison" album follows after that. It is regarded by many Harrison fans as one of George's lesser albums, but for whatever reason it really struck a cord with me then, and still now.I still view "George Harrison" (11 tracks, 43 min.) as having the vinyl A and B side, and on that score, I rate the A side 5 stars and the B side 3 stars. Indeed, the opening 5 tracks are as close to perfect as you can get. The opener "Love Comes to Everyone" is a classic Harrison "love" song. "Not Guilty" is a song written in the latter Beatles days (which incidentally you can preview on "Beatles Anthology 3"), and just beautiful. "Blow Away" is one of George's best tunes ever. The B side is not nearly as good. "Faster" (an ode to Formula 1 racing) is the better of the lot, but the Spanish-tinted "Dark Sweet Lady" misfires badly. The closer "If You Believe" is another classic Harrison tune, though.
This remastered edition comes with a demo-version of "Here Comes the Moon", a nice touch but not essential. The liner notes are great, with George commenting on how all the songs came about (extracted from his autobiograpgy "I Me Mine"). In all, a great album.