GEORGE HARRISON
''THE DARK HORSE YEARS 1976-1992"
2004
312:34
DISC ONE - THIRTY THREE & 1/3 (1976)
REVIEW
by William Ruhlmann
Having suffered the humiliation of being sued successfully over "My Sweet Lord," George Harrison turned the ordeal into music, writing "This Song," a Top 25 hit. Even better was "Crackerbox Palace," which would have fit in nicely on any Beatles album. The rest was slight, although Harrison covering Cole Porter's "True Love" is an interesting idea. This was Harrison's first album on Dark Horse, his custom label, formed after the completion of his contract with EMI/Capitol in June 1976 and initially distributed by A&M.
1. Woman Don't You Cry for Me 03:20
2. Dear One 05:08
3. Beautiful Girl 03:42
4. This Song 04:14
5. See Yourself 02:52
6. It's What You Value 05:09
7. True Love (Cole Porter) 02:45
8. Pure Smokey 03:56
9. Crackerbox Palace 03:58
10. Learning How to Love You 04:15
Additional Track:
11. Tears of the World 04:04
Tracks By Harrison, Except 7
David Foster/Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Synthesizer
George Harrison/Guitar, Percussion, Synthesizer, Vocals
Billy Preston/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
Emil Richards/Guest Artist, Marimba, Percussion
Tom Scott/Flute, Guest Artist, Lyricon, Saxophone
Alvin Taylor/Drums
Alvin "Red" Taylor/Drums
Richard Tee/Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
Willie Weeks/Bass
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Keyboards
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DISC TWO - GEORGE HARRISON (1979)
REVIEW
by Richard S. Ginell
George Harrison is, except for the overdubbed London strings, a painstakingly polished L.A.-made product -- and not a particularly inspired one at that. It's an ordinary album from an extraordinary talent. "Love Comes to Everyone" leads it off on a depressing note, a treadmill tune with greeting-card verses, and there are too many other such halfhearted songs lurking here, although some are salvaged by a nice instrumental touch: a catchy recurring guitar riff on "Soft Touch" and some lovely slide guitar on "Your Love Is Forever." Compared to the original, tougher Beatles version that was left off the White Album, the remake of "Not Guilty" is an easy listening trifle, though it was a revelation when it came out (the original had to wait until 1996 and Anthology 3 for an official release), and the succeeding "Here Comes the Moon" is a lazy retake on another Beatles song. "Blow Away" would be the record's most attractive new song -- and a number 16 hit -- but "Faster," a paean to Harrison's passion for Formula One auto racing, probably better reflected where his head was at this time. There are a few quirks: "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a strange, stream-of-consciousness Hawaiian hallucination and "Dark Sweet Lady" is a Latin-flavored tune written for his new wife, Olivia. Finally, the inevitable spiritual benediction "If You Believe" offers some thoughtful philosophy to ponder, if not an especially memorable tune.
1. Love Comes to Everyone 04:36
2. Not Guilty 03:35
3. Here Comes the Moon 04:50
4. Soft-Hearted Hana 04:04
5. Blow Away 04:01
6. Faster 04:48
7. Dark Sweet Lady 03:22
8. Your Love Is Forever 03:48
9. Soft Touch 04:00
10. If You Believe (George Harrison, Gary Wright) 02:57
Additional Track:
11. Here Comes the Moon (Demo) 03:39
Tracks By Harrison, Except 10
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar, Introduction, Musician
Ray Cooper/Musician, Percussion
George Harrison/Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Neil Larsen/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Mini Moog
Gayle Levant/Harp
Del Newman/Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Andy Newmark/Drums
Emily Richards/Marimba
Willie Weeks/Bass
Steve Winwood/Guest Artist, Harmonium, Mini Moog, Polymoog, Vocals (Background)
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Oberheim Synthesizer
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DISC THREE - SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND (1981)
REVIEW
by Richard S. Ginell
Somewhere in England had a troubled birth, for when Harrison originally submitted it for release in November 1980, Warner Bros. rejected it, claiming that four songs -- "Flying Hour," "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing," and "Tears of the World" (once available on the bootleg "Ohnothimagen") -- were not worthy of being issued. Harrison was forced to go back into the studio to cut four new tunes, delivering a bitterly barbed thrust at his record label in "Blood from a Clone" (which they did release) and a tune originally meant for Ringo Starr but rewritten as a remembrance after John Lennon's assassination ("All Those Years Ago"), as well as "Teardrops" and "That Which I Have Lost." As a result, the most compelling issue of this album is the contest of wills between the artist and the suits. Now how do the four deleted tunes stack up against the ones that replaced them? The four missing tunes are of generally even quality, even similar in sound, although "Tears of the World" is a strident attack against corporate and political masters that probably unnerved the executives the most. Actually, the six tunes that Warner Bros. spared should have been more likely candidates for the hook, including the curious covers of two Hoagy Carmichael songs, "Baltimore Oriole" and "Hong Kong Blues." Yet in general, the new ones are indeed superior and more varied, with more of a punch than the ones they replaced. The bouncy "All Those Years Ago" is a definite gain, being the most heartfelt song on the record as well as a de facto Beatles reunion (Starr plays drums and Paul and Linda McCartney overdubbed backing vocals), and it was justly rewarded with a number two showing on the singles charts. The official release is slightly preferable over the bootlegs of the original.
1. Blood from a Clone 04:04
2. Unconsciousness Rules 03:37
3. Life Itself 04:27
4. All Those Years Ago 03:47
5. Baltimore Oriole (Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster) 03:59
6. Teardrops 04:10
7. That Which I Have Lost 03:47
8. Writing's on the Wall 04:02
9. Hong Kong Blues (Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster) 02:56
10. Save the World 05:01
Additional Track:
11. Save the World (Acoustic Demo) 04:31
Tracks By Harrison, Except 5, 9
Gary Brooker/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Synthesizer
Ray Cooper/Drums, Keyboards, Percussion, Synthesizer
Herbie Flowers/Bass, Tuba
George Harrison/Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals
Jim Keltner/Drums
Al Kooper
Neil Larsen/Keyboards, Synthesizer
Dave Mattacks/Drums
Paul McCartney
Mike Moran/Drums, Synthesizer
Alla Rakha/Tabla
Tom Scott/Horn, Lyricon
Ringo Starr/Drums, Guest Artist
Willie Weeks/Bass
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DISC FOUR - GONE TROPPO (1982)
REVIEW
By William Ruhlmann
Although George Harrison's solo career had faded from its early promise, through 1981 he could be counted on to turn in a gold-selling Top 20 album containing a Top 20 single every year or so. Then came the disastrous Gone Troppo, a half-baked affair led by the minor single "Wake Up My Love" that failed to make the Top 100 LPs. Clearly, Harrison could no longer treat his musical career as a part-time stepchild to his interests in car racing and movie producing if he wanted to maintain it. As it turned out, he didn't; this was his last album for five years.
1. Wake Up My Love 03:36
2. That's the Way It Goes 03:38
3. I Really Love You (Leroy Swearingen) 02:57
4. Greece 04:03
5. Gone Troppo 04:27
6. Mystical One 03:46
7. Unknown Delight 04:18
8. Baby Don't Run Away 04:05
9. Dream Away 04:32
10. Circles 03:48
Additional Track:
11. Mystical One (Demo) 06:02
Tracks By Harrison, Except 3
Gary Brooker/Guest Artist, Synthesizer
Joe Brown/Mandolin, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Vicki Brown/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Ray Cooper/Glockenspiel, Percussion, Synthesizer
Herbie Flowers/Bass
William "Bill" Greene/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
George Harrison/Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Alan Jones/Bass
Jim Keltner/Drums, Guest Artist
Bobby King/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Neil Larsen/Keyboards, Piano
Jon Lord/Synthesizer
Dave Mattacks/Drums
Mike Moran/Keyboards, Synthesizer
Paco Peña/Vocals
Pico Pena/Vocals (Background)
Billy Preston/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Sarah Ricor/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Radina Sloan/Vocals
Henry Spinetti/Drums
Syreeta/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Willie Weeks /Bass
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DISC FIVE - CLOUD NINE (1987)
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Teaming with legendary Beatles obsessive Jeff Lynne, George Harrison crafted a remarkably consistent and polished comeback effort with Cloud Nine. Lynne adds a glossy production, reminiscent of ELO, but what is even more noticeable is that he's reined in Harrison's indulgences, keeping the focus on a set of 11 snappy pop/rock numbers. The consistency of the songs remains uneven, but the best moments -- "Devil's Radio," "Cloud 9," "Just for Today," "Got My Mind Set on You," and the tongue-in-cheek Beatles pastiche "When We Was Fab" -- make Cloud Nine one of his very best albums.
1. Cloud 9 03:17
2. That's What It Takes (Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Gary Wright) 04:01
3. Fish on the Sand 03:24
4. Just for Today 04:06
5. This Is Love (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne) 03:49
6. When We Were Fab (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne) 04:00
7. Devil's Radio 03:54
8. Someplace Else 03:53
9. Wreck of the Hesperus 03:34
10. Breath Away from Heaven 03:36
11. Got My Mind Set on You (Rudy Clark, George Harrison) 03:55
Additional Tracks:
12. Shanghai Surprise 05:09
13. Zig Zag 02:46
Tracks By Harrison, Except 2, 5, 6, 11
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar
Ray Cooper/Drums, Guest Artist, Percussion
George Harrison/Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Jim Horn/Guest Artist, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Elton John/Guest Artist, Piano
Jim Keltner/Drums, Guest Artist
Bobby Kok/Cello
Jeff Lynne/Guest Artist, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Keyboards
Ringo Starr/Drums, Guest Artist
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Piano
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DISC SIX - LIVE IN JAPAN, DISC ONE (1992)
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
George Harrison returned to the stage for the first time in years in 1991; that Japanese tour is documented on the fine double-disc set Live in Japan. Backed by a stellar supporting band led by Eric Clapton, Harrison turns in surprisingly strong versions of his best solo material; it easily surpasses Paul McCartney's double-disc Tripping the Live Fantastic or Paul Is Live. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like to give concerts.
1. I Want to Tell You 04:33
2. Old Brown Shoe 03:50
3. Taxman 04:16
4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) 03:37
5. If I Needed Someone 03:50
6. Something 05:21
7. What Is Life 04:47
8. Dark Horse 04:21
9. Piggies 02:57
10. Got My Mind Set on You (Rudy Clark) 04:56
Tracks By Harrison, Except 10
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DISC SEVEN - LIVE IN JAPAN, DISC TWO (1992)
1. Cloud 9 04:23
2. Here Comes the Sun 03:31
3. My Sweet Lord 05:41
4. All Those Years Ago 04:26
5. Cheer Down 03:53
6. Devil's Radio 04:25
7. Isn't It a Pity 06:33
8. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 07:08
9. Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) 04:45
Tracks By Harrison, Except 9
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Ray Cooper/Musician, Percussion
Nathan East/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Steve Ferrone/Drums
George Harrison/Guitar, Vocals
Katie Kissoon/Vocals
Chuck Leavell/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Andy Fairweather Low/Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Tessa Niles/Vocals
Greg Phillinganes/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
------------------------------
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REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
George Harrison's albums for Dark Horse drifted out of print in the late '90s as his contract with Warner Brothers expired. Over the half-decade, they fetched high prices on the collector's market, as any relatively rare Beatles-related item does, and the demand for these records -- along with the Traveling Wilburys albums, which were part of Harrison's Dark Horse/Warner contract -- never diminished. At the time of his death in November 2001, the albums were being prepared for reissue, but his passing delayed them for a few more years, and it wasn't until February 2004 that the albums -- Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976), George Harrison (1979), Somewhere In England (1981), Gone Troppo (1982), Cloud Nine (1987), and Live in Japan (1992) -- were reissued, both individually and as part of the lavish box set Dark Horse Years 1976-1992. All five of the studio albums have been remastered and are graced with a bonus track or two, while the double-live set has been reissued as a hybrid SACD with a 5.1 surround mix (a nice gesture, but it does raise the question of why wasn't the entire set released as hybrid SACD, the way the 2002 Rolling Stones and 2003 Bob Dylan reissues were). In addition, the box set contains an exclusive booklet and a DVD containing video highlights of the Dark Horse years. It seems like the box would be the definitive word on Harrison's latter-day career, and it very nearly is, but it comes short in a couple of ways. First, there is the aforementioned puzzling decision to release only one SACD in the set, which only highlights the fact that the rest of the discs are standard CDs (which do have very good remastering). Second, the bonus tracks are underwhelming. With the exception of Cloud Nine, which has two songs from the Shanghai Surprise soundtrack, there's only one bonus track per disc, and with the exception of Thirty Three & 1/3, which has the fine "Tears of the World," a demo of a song that's on the album. Harrison has a lot of unreleased material in the vault -- Somewhere In England is notorious for being reworked on Warner's request, so at the very least the excised songs could have been featured on this reissue -- so it's a disappointment that there's not more bonus material here. Third, the DVD isn't nearly as complete as it should have been, containing a ten-minute "Dark Horse Feature," some selections from the Live in Japan video, and the Shanghai Surprise movie, plus seven promotional videos, all prefaced with interview excerpts from Harrison. While the featurette would have been much more interesting if it was expanded to a full documentary, the real disappointment is that this doesn't contain all of Harrison's promotional music videos, with such gems as the lovely "Blow Away" missing in action (some may also wish that the videos had been mixed for 5.1 sound as well). Considering the steep price of the box set, it's hard not to think that this DVD could have been a little bit more thorough. That said, the box set is very well made: the art direction is lovely, the sound is terrific, and the hardcover minibook is beautiful, with good notes from David Fricke. All of this makes it an essential purchase for Harrison fans, who have already accepted the uneven quality of the albums and want them in their collection anyway.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
In his most obvious contribution to music as lead guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band with a lyrical style of playing in which every note mattered. Later on, as a songwriter with the Beatles and subsequently as a solo artist, Harrison used his celebrity and his musical sensibilities to try raising the awareness of millions of listeners about issues much bigger than music, especially the life of the spirit, and the living (and dying) situations of people in parts of the world that not a lot of Westerners usually thought about. And yet, for all of that, and a journey through life that took him to musical horizons he scarcely could have imagined at his start in Liverpool, Harrison was also one of the humblest of superstars -- in his last decade, he still preferred to describe himself as "just an old skiffle man."
George Harrison was one of millions of young Britons inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line." But he had more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a slightly older school friend, Paul McCartney, he advanced quickly in his command of the instrument. Harrison developed his technique painstakingly over several years, learning everything he could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. At 15, he was allowed to sit in with the Quarrymen, the Liverpool group founded by John Lennon of which McCartney was a member; by 16, he was a full-fledged member, and was playing lead guitar when they became the Beatles.
The Beatlemania years, from 1963 through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The group's studio sound was characterized by very prominent rhythm guitar, and on many of the Beatles' early songs, his lead guitar was buried beneath the chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, his aspirations as a songwriter were thwarted by the presence of Lennon and McCartney, both natural and prodigious composers whose output left little room for songs by anyone else.
Harrison was known as "the quiet Beatle" but "the reluctant Beatle" might have been more accurate, in some respects. He was the member least comfortable with the sheer masses of people that their music inspired to frenzied outbursts. He was also the one who was most concerned with pure musicianship -- one of his idols was the classical guitarist Andrés Segovia -- and knew that the quality of his playing was lost on those screaming concert audiences. It was a situation that he came to loathe.
Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a musician during those years, even writing a handful of songs, including one near-classic, "If I Needed Someone." He also played a key role in popularizing the Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, which became a staple of American folk-rock, especially in the sound of the Byrds. And he made his first acquaintance with the sitar, an Indian instrument whose sound fascinated him. Harrison subsequently developed a friendship with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar that lasted for the rest of his life; and his fame as a Beatle, in turn, helped to transform Shankar into the most well-known Indian musician in the world. By 1966, Harrison was writing music for the sitar, starting with the exquisite "Love You To" from Revolver. This was also the period in which the band, to Harrison's relief, agreed to give up doing concerts, which had become futile attempts at performance.
In the wake of that decision, Harrison's playing and songwriting grew exponentially. His interest in the sitar yielded a pair of beautiful songs, "Within You, Without You" and "The Inner Light," that were effectively solo recordings. He also wrote some clever, very personal psychedelic-style songs. And he developed a personal friendship with blues virtuoso Eric Clapton, which would have a profound effect on both their careers -- additionally, Clapton fell in love with and later married Harrison's then-wife, Patricia Boyd Harrison, who was also the inspiration for several of the best-known songs of the period by either guitarist. And, growing out of his devotion to the sitar, Harrison also developed a smooth, elegant slide guitar technique that showed up on the group's last three albums. Finally, he contributed three classic songs to those albums: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here Comes the Sun," and "Something." The latter was also the first Harrison song to appear on the A-side of a Beatles single, and not only topped the charts, but was good enough to get widely covered, including a version by no less a figure than Frank Sinatra, who called it "the greatest love song of the last 50 years."
Although never a strong singer, Harrison's vocals were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right setting. For his first solo record following the group's 1970 breakup, All Things Must Pass, he collaborated with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "Wall of Sound" technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the former Beatles to top the charts. Unfortunately, Harrison was later sued by the publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord" -- he lost the case, in what was deemed an instance of unintended plagiarism. The album, however, was extraordinary in any context, built around some highly personal, topical songs, and some phenomenal rockers, but much of it also steeped in spirituality. It posed as many questions for the serious listener to ponder as it offered exquisite melodies and stunning production for the casual listener to revel in. And it sold about as well as any Beatles album, an even more impressive feat as a two-record set (with a bonus record, the "Apple Jam" -- which, itself, was historically important as the sessions that spawned Eric Clapton's band Derek & the Dominos).
In 1971, he organized rock's first major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, staged at New York's Madison Square Garden to aid that famine-ravaged nation, which yielded both a movie and a triple album. Rather ironically, for the man once known as "the quiet Beatle," Harrison found himself at the center of the international news media. What's more, he was having a decidedly easier time than his former bandmates selling his music. John Lennon's personal and political evolution yielded records that were sometimes difficult for fans to embrace; Paul McCartney was selling lots of records but was also being attacked by critics and fans for the superficiality of his work. In the most towering irony imaginable, the reluctant Beatle became the beneficiary of most of the lingering good will attached to the group.
In 1974, he organized Dark Horse Records, which -- following the end of his contract with EMI in 1976 -- became the imprint on which all of his subsequent solo work was issued. His albums from the '70s into the '80s always had an audience, but -- except for Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the murder of John Lennon -- none attracted too many listeners beyond the core of serious fans. And some of his best musicianship was not in evidence on his own albums, so much as on recordings by such Dark Horse artists as Splinter. During this same period, Harrison co-founded Handmade Films, which produced such hit movies as Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail and I, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
In 1987, he released Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached number one on the U.S. charts. A year later, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison, he formed the Traveling Wilburys, who released two very successful pop/rock albums. All of this activity heralded his short-lived re-emergence from private life, resulting in a 1991 tour of Japan that yielded the album Live in Japan with his longtime friend Eric Clapton.
He withdrew from the public after that, devoting himself to his life with his second wife and their son. In 2000, he began work on remastering and expanding his classic All Things Must Pass album, in what was to be the first in a series of archival explorations of his post-Beatles career. Harrison had been treated for throat cancer in the late '90s, but in 2001 it was revealed that he was suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer. At the time of his death on November 29, 2001, The Concert for Bangladesh album had been announced for upgraded reissue in January of 2002, and a DVD of the film was in release internationally. In the years since, his Dark Horse solo catalog has been re-released, as has the Traveling Wilburys library. Martin Scorsese produced an epic documentary on Harrison's life, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, which premiered in the fall of 2011.
''THE DARK HORSE YEARS 1976-1992"
2004
312:34
DISC ONE - THIRTY THREE & 1/3 (1976)
REVIEW
by William Ruhlmann
Having suffered the humiliation of being sued successfully over "My Sweet Lord," George Harrison turned the ordeal into music, writing "This Song," a Top 25 hit. Even better was "Crackerbox Palace," which would have fit in nicely on any Beatles album. The rest was slight, although Harrison covering Cole Porter's "True Love" is an interesting idea. This was Harrison's first album on Dark Horse, his custom label, formed after the completion of his contract with EMI/Capitol in June 1976 and initially distributed by A&M.
1. Woman Don't You Cry for Me 03:20
2. Dear One 05:08
3. Beautiful Girl 03:42
4. This Song 04:14
5. See Yourself 02:52
6. It's What You Value 05:09
7. True Love (Cole Porter) 02:45
8. Pure Smokey 03:56
9. Crackerbox Palace 03:58
10. Learning How to Love You 04:15
Additional Track:
11. Tears of the World 04:04
Tracks By Harrison, Except 7
David Foster/Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Synthesizer
George Harrison/Guitar, Percussion, Synthesizer, Vocals
Billy Preston/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
Emil Richards/Guest Artist, Marimba, Percussion
Tom Scott/Flute, Guest Artist, Lyricon, Saxophone
Alvin Taylor/Drums
Alvin "Red" Taylor/Drums
Richard Tee/Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
Willie Weeks/Bass
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Keyboards
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DISC TWO - GEORGE HARRISON (1979)
REVIEW
by Richard S. Ginell
George Harrison is, except for the overdubbed London strings, a painstakingly polished L.A.-made product -- and not a particularly inspired one at that. It's an ordinary album from an extraordinary talent. "Love Comes to Everyone" leads it off on a depressing note, a treadmill tune with greeting-card verses, and there are too many other such halfhearted songs lurking here, although some are salvaged by a nice instrumental touch: a catchy recurring guitar riff on "Soft Touch" and some lovely slide guitar on "Your Love Is Forever." Compared to the original, tougher Beatles version that was left off the White Album, the remake of "Not Guilty" is an easy listening trifle, though it was a revelation when it came out (the original had to wait until 1996 and Anthology 3 for an official release), and the succeeding "Here Comes the Moon" is a lazy retake on another Beatles song. "Blow Away" would be the record's most attractive new song -- and a number 16 hit -- but "Faster," a paean to Harrison's passion for Formula One auto racing, probably better reflected where his head was at this time. There are a few quirks: "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a strange, stream-of-consciousness Hawaiian hallucination and "Dark Sweet Lady" is a Latin-flavored tune written for his new wife, Olivia. Finally, the inevitable spiritual benediction "If You Believe" offers some thoughtful philosophy to ponder, if not an especially memorable tune.
1. Love Comes to Everyone 04:36
2. Not Guilty 03:35
3. Here Comes the Moon 04:50
4. Soft-Hearted Hana 04:04
5. Blow Away 04:01
6. Faster 04:48
7. Dark Sweet Lady 03:22
8. Your Love Is Forever 03:48
9. Soft Touch 04:00
10. If You Believe (George Harrison, Gary Wright) 02:57
Additional Track:
11. Here Comes the Moon (Demo) 03:39
Tracks By Harrison, Except 10
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar, Introduction, Musician
Ray Cooper/Musician, Percussion
George Harrison/Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Neil Larsen/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Mini Moog
Gayle Levant/Harp
Del Newman/Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Andy Newmark/Drums
Emily Richards/Marimba
Willie Weeks/Bass
Steve Winwood/Guest Artist, Harmonium, Mini Moog, Polymoog, Vocals (Background)
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Oberheim Synthesizer
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DISC THREE - SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND (1981)
REVIEW
by Richard S. Ginell
Somewhere in England had a troubled birth, for when Harrison originally submitted it for release in November 1980, Warner Bros. rejected it, claiming that four songs -- "Flying Hour," "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing," and "Tears of the World" (once available on the bootleg "Ohnothimagen") -- were not worthy of being issued. Harrison was forced to go back into the studio to cut four new tunes, delivering a bitterly barbed thrust at his record label in "Blood from a Clone" (which they did release) and a tune originally meant for Ringo Starr but rewritten as a remembrance after John Lennon's assassination ("All Those Years Ago"), as well as "Teardrops" and "That Which I Have Lost." As a result, the most compelling issue of this album is the contest of wills between the artist and the suits. Now how do the four deleted tunes stack up against the ones that replaced them? The four missing tunes are of generally even quality, even similar in sound, although "Tears of the World" is a strident attack against corporate and political masters that probably unnerved the executives the most. Actually, the six tunes that Warner Bros. spared should have been more likely candidates for the hook, including the curious covers of two Hoagy Carmichael songs, "Baltimore Oriole" and "Hong Kong Blues." Yet in general, the new ones are indeed superior and more varied, with more of a punch than the ones they replaced. The bouncy "All Those Years Ago" is a definite gain, being the most heartfelt song on the record as well as a de facto Beatles reunion (Starr plays drums and Paul and Linda McCartney overdubbed backing vocals), and it was justly rewarded with a number two showing on the singles charts. The official release is slightly preferable over the bootlegs of the original.
1. Blood from a Clone 04:04
2. Unconsciousness Rules 03:37
3. Life Itself 04:27
4. All Those Years Ago 03:47
5. Baltimore Oriole (Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster) 03:59
6. Teardrops 04:10
7. That Which I Have Lost 03:47
8. Writing's on the Wall 04:02
9. Hong Kong Blues (Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster) 02:56
10. Save the World 05:01
Additional Track:
11. Save the World (Acoustic Demo) 04:31
Tracks By Harrison, Except 5, 9
Gary Brooker/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Synthesizer
Ray Cooper/Drums, Keyboards, Percussion, Synthesizer
Herbie Flowers/Bass, Tuba
George Harrison/Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals
Jim Keltner/Drums
Al Kooper
Neil Larsen/Keyboards, Synthesizer
Dave Mattacks/Drums
Paul McCartney
Mike Moran/Drums, Synthesizer
Alla Rakha/Tabla
Tom Scott/Horn, Lyricon
Ringo Starr/Drums, Guest Artist
Willie Weeks/Bass
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DISC FOUR - GONE TROPPO (1982)
REVIEW
By William Ruhlmann
Although George Harrison's solo career had faded from its early promise, through 1981 he could be counted on to turn in a gold-selling Top 20 album containing a Top 20 single every year or so. Then came the disastrous Gone Troppo, a half-baked affair led by the minor single "Wake Up My Love" that failed to make the Top 100 LPs. Clearly, Harrison could no longer treat his musical career as a part-time stepchild to his interests in car racing and movie producing if he wanted to maintain it. As it turned out, he didn't; this was his last album for five years.
1. Wake Up My Love 03:36
2. That's the Way It Goes 03:38
3. I Really Love You (Leroy Swearingen) 02:57
4. Greece 04:03
5. Gone Troppo 04:27
6. Mystical One 03:46
7. Unknown Delight 04:18
8. Baby Don't Run Away 04:05
9. Dream Away 04:32
10. Circles 03:48
Additional Track:
11. Mystical One (Demo) 06:02
Tracks By Harrison, Except 3
Gary Brooker/Guest Artist, Synthesizer
Joe Brown/Mandolin, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Vicki Brown/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Ray Cooper/Glockenspiel, Percussion, Synthesizer
Herbie Flowers/Bass
William "Bill" Greene/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
George Harrison/Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Alan Jones/Bass
Jim Keltner/Drums, Guest Artist
Bobby King/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Neil Larsen/Keyboards, Piano
Jon Lord/Synthesizer
Dave Mattacks/Drums
Mike Moran/Keyboards, Synthesizer
Paco Peña/Vocals
Pico Pena/Vocals (Background)
Billy Preston/Guest Artist, Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Sarah Ricor/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Radina Sloan/Vocals
Henry Spinetti/Drums
Syreeta/Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Willie Weeks /Bass
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DISC FIVE - CLOUD NINE (1987)
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Teaming with legendary Beatles obsessive Jeff Lynne, George Harrison crafted a remarkably consistent and polished comeback effort with Cloud Nine. Lynne adds a glossy production, reminiscent of ELO, but what is even more noticeable is that he's reined in Harrison's indulgences, keeping the focus on a set of 11 snappy pop/rock numbers. The consistency of the songs remains uneven, but the best moments -- "Devil's Radio," "Cloud 9," "Just for Today," "Got My Mind Set on You," and the tongue-in-cheek Beatles pastiche "When We Was Fab" -- make Cloud Nine one of his very best albums.
1. Cloud 9 03:17
2. That's What It Takes (Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Gary Wright) 04:01
3. Fish on the Sand 03:24
4. Just for Today 04:06
5. This Is Love (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne) 03:49
6. When We Were Fab (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne) 04:00
7. Devil's Radio 03:54
8. Someplace Else 03:53
9. Wreck of the Hesperus 03:34
10. Breath Away from Heaven 03:36
11. Got My Mind Set on You (Rudy Clark, George Harrison) 03:55
Additional Tracks:
12. Shanghai Surprise 05:09
13. Zig Zag 02:46
Tracks By Harrison, Except 2, 5, 6, 11
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar
Ray Cooper/Drums, Guest Artist, Percussion
George Harrison/Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Jim Horn/Guest Artist, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Elton John/Guest Artist, Piano
Jim Keltner/Drums, Guest Artist
Bobby Kok/Cello
Jeff Lynne/Guest Artist, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Keyboards
Ringo Starr/Drums, Guest Artist
Gary Wright/Guest Artist, Piano
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DISC SIX - LIVE IN JAPAN, DISC ONE (1992)
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
George Harrison returned to the stage for the first time in years in 1991; that Japanese tour is documented on the fine double-disc set Live in Japan. Backed by a stellar supporting band led by Eric Clapton, Harrison turns in surprisingly strong versions of his best solo material; it easily surpasses Paul McCartney's double-disc Tripping the Live Fantastic or Paul Is Live. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like to give concerts.
1. I Want to Tell You 04:33
2. Old Brown Shoe 03:50
3. Taxman 04:16
4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) 03:37
5. If I Needed Someone 03:50
6. Something 05:21
7. What Is Life 04:47
8. Dark Horse 04:21
9. Piggies 02:57
10. Got My Mind Set on You (Rudy Clark) 04:56
Tracks By Harrison, Except 10
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DISC SEVEN - LIVE IN JAPAN, DISC TWO (1992)
1. Cloud 9 04:23
2. Here Comes the Sun 03:31
3. My Sweet Lord 05:41
4. All Those Years Ago 04:26
5. Cheer Down 03:53
6. Devil's Radio 04:25
7. Isn't It a Pity 06:33
8. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 07:08
9. Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) 04:45
Tracks By Harrison, Except 9
Eric Clapton/Guest Artist, Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Ray Cooper/Musician, Percussion
Nathan East/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Steve Ferrone/Drums
George Harrison/Guitar, Vocals
Katie Kissoon/Vocals
Chuck Leavell/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Andy Fairweather Low/Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Tessa Niles/Vocals
Greg Phillinganes/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
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REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
George Harrison's albums for Dark Horse drifted out of print in the late '90s as his contract with Warner Brothers expired. Over the half-decade, they fetched high prices on the collector's market, as any relatively rare Beatles-related item does, and the demand for these records -- along with the Traveling Wilburys albums, which were part of Harrison's Dark Horse/Warner contract -- never diminished. At the time of his death in November 2001, the albums were being prepared for reissue, but his passing delayed them for a few more years, and it wasn't until February 2004 that the albums -- Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976), George Harrison (1979), Somewhere In England (1981), Gone Troppo (1982), Cloud Nine (1987), and Live in Japan (1992) -- were reissued, both individually and as part of the lavish box set Dark Horse Years 1976-1992. All five of the studio albums have been remastered and are graced with a bonus track or two, while the double-live set has been reissued as a hybrid SACD with a 5.1 surround mix (a nice gesture, but it does raise the question of why wasn't the entire set released as hybrid SACD, the way the 2002 Rolling Stones and 2003 Bob Dylan reissues were). In addition, the box set contains an exclusive booklet and a DVD containing video highlights of the Dark Horse years. It seems like the box would be the definitive word on Harrison's latter-day career, and it very nearly is, but it comes short in a couple of ways. First, there is the aforementioned puzzling decision to release only one SACD in the set, which only highlights the fact that the rest of the discs are standard CDs (which do have very good remastering). Second, the bonus tracks are underwhelming. With the exception of Cloud Nine, which has two songs from the Shanghai Surprise soundtrack, there's only one bonus track per disc, and with the exception of Thirty Three & 1/3, which has the fine "Tears of the World," a demo of a song that's on the album. Harrison has a lot of unreleased material in the vault -- Somewhere In England is notorious for being reworked on Warner's request, so at the very least the excised songs could have been featured on this reissue -- so it's a disappointment that there's not more bonus material here. Third, the DVD isn't nearly as complete as it should have been, containing a ten-minute "Dark Horse Feature," some selections from the Live in Japan video, and the Shanghai Surprise movie, plus seven promotional videos, all prefaced with interview excerpts from Harrison. While the featurette would have been much more interesting if it was expanded to a full documentary, the real disappointment is that this doesn't contain all of Harrison's promotional music videos, with such gems as the lovely "Blow Away" missing in action (some may also wish that the videos had been mixed for 5.1 sound as well). Considering the steep price of the box set, it's hard not to think that this DVD could have been a little bit more thorough. That said, the box set is very well made: the art direction is lovely, the sound is terrific, and the hardcover minibook is beautiful, with good notes from David Fricke. All of this makes it an essential purchase for Harrison fans, who have already accepted the uneven quality of the albums and want them in their collection anyway.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
In his most obvious contribution to music as lead guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band with a lyrical style of playing in which every note mattered. Later on, as a songwriter with the Beatles and subsequently as a solo artist, Harrison used his celebrity and his musical sensibilities to try raising the awareness of millions of listeners about issues much bigger than music, especially the life of the spirit, and the living (and dying) situations of people in parts of the world that not a lot of Westerners usually thought about. And yet, for all of that, and a journey through life that took him to musical horizons he scarcely could have imagined at his start in Liverpool, Harrison was also one of the humblest of superstars -- in his last decade, he still preferred to describe himself as "just an old skiffle man."
George Harrison was one of millions of young Britons inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line." But he had more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a slightly older school friend, Paul McCartney, he advanced quickly in his command of the instrument. Harrison developed his technique painstakingly over several years, learning everything he could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. At 15, he was allowed to sit in with the Quarrymen, the Liverpool group founded by John Lennon of which McCartney was a member; by 16, he was a full-fledged member, and was playing lead guitar when they became the Beatles.
The Beatlemania years, from 1963 through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The group's studio sound was characterized by very prominent rhythm guitar, and on many of the Beatles' early songs, his lead guitar was buried beneath the chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, his aspirations as a songwriter were thwarted by the presence of Lennon and McCartney, both natural and prodigious composers whose output left little room for songs by anyone else.
Harrison was known as "the quiet Beatle" but "the reluctant Beatle" might have been more accurate, in some respects. He was the member least comfortable with the sheer masses of people that their music inspired to frenzied outbursts. He was also the one who was most concerned with pure musicianship -- one of his idols was the classical guitarist Andrés Segovia -- and knew that the quality of his playing was lost on those screaming concert audiences. It was a situation that he came to loathe.
Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a musician during those years, even writing a handful of songs, including one near-classic, "If I Needed Someone." He also played a key role in popularizing the Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, which became a staple of American folk-rock, especially in the sound of the Byrds. And he made his first acquaintance with the sitar, an Indian instrument whose sound fascinated him. Harrison subsequently developed a friendship with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar that lasted for the rest of his life; and his fame as a Beatle, in turn, helped to transform Shankar into the most well-known Indian musician in the world. By 1966, Harrison was writing music for the sitar, starting with the exquisite "Love You To" from Revolver. This was also the period in which the band, to Harrison's relief, agreed to give up doing concerts, which had become futile attempts at performance.
In the wake of that decision, Harrison's playing and songwriting grew exponentially. His interest in the sitar yielded a pair of beautiful songs, "Within You, Without You" and "The Inner Light," that were effectively solo recordings. He also wrote some clever, very personal psychedelic-style songs. And he developed a personal friendship with blues virtuoso Eric Clapton, which would have a profound effect on both their careers -- additionally, Clapton fell in love with and later married Harrison's then-wife, Patricia Boyd Harrison, who was also the inspiration for several of the best-known songs of the period by either guitarist. And, growing out of his devotion to the sitar, Harrison also developed a smooth, elegant slide guitar technique that showed up on the group's last three albums. Finally, he contributed three classic songs to those albums: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here Comes the Sun," and "Something." The latter was also the first Harrison song to appear on the A-side of a Beatles single, and not only topped the charts, but was good enough to get widely covered, including a version by no less a figure than Frank Sinatra, who called it "the greatest love song of the last 50 years."
Although never a strong singer, Harrison's vocals were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right setting. For his first solo record following the group's 1970 breakup, All Things Must Pass, he collaborated with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "Wall of Sound" technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the former Beatles to top the charts. Unfortunately, Harrison was later sued by the publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord" -- he lost the case, in what was deemed an instance of unintended plagiarism. The album, however, was extraordinary in any context, built around some highly personal, topical songs, and some phenomenal rockers, but much of it also steeped in spirituality. It posed as many questions for the serious listener to ponder as it offered exquisite melodies and stunning production for the casual listener to revel in. And it sold about as well as any Beatles album, an even more impressive feat as a two-record set (with a bonus record, the "Apple Jam" -- which, itself, was historically important as the sessions that spawned Eric Clapton's band Derek & the Dominos).
In 1971, he organized rock's first major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, staged at New York's Madison Square Garden to aid that famine-ravaged nation, which yielded both a movie and a triple album. Rather ironically, for the man once known as "the quiet Beatle," Harrison found himself at the center of the international news media. What's more, he was having a decidedly easier time than his former bandmates selling his music. John Lennon's personal and political evolution yielded records that were sometimes difficult for fans to embrace; Paul McCartney was selling lots of records but was also being attacked by critics and fans for the superficiality of his work. In the most towering irony imaginable, the reluctant Beatle became the beneficiary of most of the lingering good will attached to the group.
In 1974, he organized Dark Horse Records, which -- following the end of his contract with EMI in 1976 -- became the imprint on which all of his subsequent solo work was issued. His albums from the '70s into the '80s always had an audience, but -- except for Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the murder of John Lennon -- none attracted too many listeners beyond the core of serious fans. And some of his best musicianship was not in evidence on his own albums, so much as on recordings by such Dark Horse artists as Splinter. During this same period, Harrison co-founded Handmade Films, which produced such hit movies as Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail and I, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
In 1987, he released Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached number one on the U.S. charts. A year later, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison, he formed the Traveling Wilburys, who released two very successful pop/rock albums. All of this activity heralded his short-lived re-emergence from private life, resulting in a 1991 tour of Japan that yielded the album Live in Japan with his longtime friend Eric Clapton.
He withdrew from the public after that, devoting himself to his life with his second wife and their son. In 2000, he began work on remastering and expanding his classic All Things Must Pass album, in what was to be the first in a series of archival explorations of his post-Beatles career. Harrison had been treated for throat cancer in the late '90s, but in 2001 it was revealed that he was suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer. At the time of his death on November 29, 2001, The Concert for Bangladesh album had been announced for upgraded reissue in January of 2002, and a DVD of the film was in release internationally. In the years since, his Dark Horse solo catalog has been re-released, as has the Traveling Wilburys library. Martin Scorsese produced an epic documentary on Harrison's life, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, which premiered in the fall of 2011.
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