1. All Things Must Pass
Here comes little Georgie Harrison with a great big statement of a triple album set. He’s got his two albums worth of weirdo electronica experimentation out of his system since The Beatles finished and he’s ready to lay down all those songs Paul and John turned their nose up at. And what songs they are. All that pent up frustration that was made so clearly visible in the Get Back footage is unleashed to magnificent and enduring effect. All Things Must Pass is not just George Harrison’s finest solo album, it’s the best solo album ever recorded by a Beatle, and ‘All Things Must Pass’ is the finest solo Beatle song.
Harrison assembled a who’s who of rock to make the record, including Ringo, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton (and the rest of his alter ego band Derek and Dominos: Bobby Whitlock on keyboards, Jim Gordon on drums and Carl Radle on bass), Peter Frampton and Ginger Baker among many others. It was produced by Phil Spector and the opening track ‘I’d have You Anytime’ was co-written with Bob Dylan.
The set’s 23 tracks run the gamut from rock and R&B to gospel, country and folk. While it is a sprawling collection, there is a cohesiveness to it that makes listening to all six sides (or streaming it in its entirety) a real joy. Are the final two sides of jams essential? Well, maybe not, but they have enough energy and invention to make them enjoyable. I for one would miss them if they weren’t there.
It’s hardly going out on a limb to call All Things Must Pass a masterpiece. It has been included in countless best albums lists including Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time best albums of all time, and in 2014 All Things Must Pass was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Essential tracks
All Things Must Pass
My Sweet Lord
Beware of Darkness
What Is Life
Wah-Wah
If Not For You
Beatles Handbook rating: 5 Stars
Buy this album: All Things Must Pass
2. Living in the Material World
After completely emptying the tank for All Things Must Pass, Harrison struggled to follow it up, proving it was a one-off, solely fuelled by his backlog of Beatle’s cast offs, right? Wrong. Living in the Material World might be less ambitious than All Things, as a single album with far fewer contributors and a more narrow and concentrated musical style, but it’s a very strong successor that proves Harrison’s song writing skills and melodic ear were every bit as honed as McCartney’s or Lennon’s.
Let’s overlook the clunker that is ‘Sue Me, Sue You Blues’ (Harrison in full mithering mode, bemoaning his legal costs in the wake of the Beatles break up – someone really should have said something to him) and instead concentrate on all the wonderful, spiritually charged music the album otherwise contains. There is strong competition for most-beautiful-Harrison-composition in the form of the yearning ‘Who Can See It’ and elegiac ‘The Light That Has Lighted The World’, but the winner must be ‘Be Here Now’ with an elegantly sparse arrangement that highlights Harrison’s mesmerising guitar playing and heartfelt, lilting vocal.
But ‘Be Here Now’ might not even be the best track on the album, such is the consistent quality of Harrison’s writing and performing. ‘The Day The World Get ‘Round’ has a stronger hook, ‘Try Some Buy Some’ a slightly heftier emotional punch. ‘Living In The Material World’ is an earworm of a pop hit and ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) with it’s soothing slide guitar, is a gentle stroll through a sun dappled meadow with a loved one.
So, Living In The Material World doesn’t quite reach the dizzying height of All Things, but then very little in the rock and pop canon has. It does however further establish Harrison as an all time great recording artist in his own right outside of his work with his old band. An absolute delight and one to be cherished.
Essential tracks
Give Me Love
Be Here Now
Living In The Material World
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Living in the Material World
3. Cloud Nine
A fine, vital return after a 5 year break. Harrison is eased into the late 80s high production-value pop/rock area by Jeff Lynne’s steady production hand. From the taught blues funk of the opening title track to the pop joy that is ‘Got My Mind Set On You’ (a cover of Ruby Clark’s 1962 song), Cloufn Nine is a blast. Why no modern boy band has covered ‘That’s What It Takes’ is a mystery.
Given that uber-Beatles fan Lynne is at the helm, it’s no surprise to find some nods, overt or otherwise, to Harrison’s old muckers. ‘When We Was Fab’ is indeed fab, with its oblique, sarky lyrics and musical Beatles quotes including ‘I Am The Walrus’ and ‘Within You Without You’. The video, featuring Ringo Starr is a proper hoot too. And I swear there is more than a hint of Lennonesque rasp to the vocal ‘Fish On the Sand’.
Although Cloud Nine lacks the spiritual heft of All Things and Living (‘Just For Today’ is however a touching lament that wouldn’t be out of place on the latter album), it succeeds completely on its own terms as a meticulously engineered, gleaming pop/rock artifact. ‘Devil’s Radio’ is something of a Tom Petty-alike throwaway rocker and ‘Wreck of The Hesperus’ is similarly lightweight, but both are well constructed and enjoyable, you wouldn’t skip them on a listen through.
As the last album released during Harrison’s lifetime, it’s a fitting finale (Brainwashed, released in 2002 was completed by Harrison’s son a year after Harrison’s death) with Harrison on top form again in all departments and embracing the future while slyly looking back to his illustrious past.
Essential tracks
Got My Mind Set On You
When We Was Fab
That’s What It Takes
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Cloud Nine
4. Thirty Three & 1/3
A very strong collection of tunes including the slap bass-driven Woman Don’t Cry For Me, the sublime white soul of Pure Smokey and the addictive pop hook of Crackerbox Palace.
Essential tracks
Crackerbox Palace
Woman Don’t You Cry For Me
Beautiful Girl
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Thirty Three & 1/3
5. Extra Texture
From the opening euphoric, sax-driven blast of pop joy ‘You’ to the closing surreal-rocker ‘His Name is Legs’, an album of varied delights.
Essential tracks
You
This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)
His Name is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Extra Texture
6. Dark Horse
Memorable tunes and a successful mix of guitar-led pop ballads and white boy soul stylings make for a great album. The festive Ding Dong, Ding Dong is a Wizzard-style Christmas knees up.
Essential tracks
Dark Horse
So Sad
Far East Man
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Dark Horse
7. Brainwashed
Recorded in the late 80s and 90s and finished following Harrison’s death in 2001 by his son Dhani and Jeff Lynne. A strong coherent collection with ‘Stuck Inside A Cloud’ a plaintive highlight.
Essential tracks
Stuck Inside a Cloud
Brainwashed
Looking For My Life
Beatles Handbook rating: 4 Stars
Buy this album: Brainwashed
8. Gone Troppo
Bookended by the rousing pop of ‘Wake Up My Love’ and the haunting, mournful ‘Circles’, the album sags badly in the middle, despite a gleeful cover of doo-wop classic I Really Love You.
Essential tracks
Wake Up My Love
Circles
I Really Love You
Beatles Handbook rating: 3 Stars
Buy this album: Gone Troppo
9. Wonderwall Music
The first ever Beatles solo album is the all instrumental soundtrack to a psychedelic film starring Jane Birkin that incorporates classical Indian music. An interesting curio.
Essential tracks
Red Lady Too
Wonderwall To Be Here
Party Seacombe
Beatles Handbook rating: 3 Stars
Buy this album: Wonderwall Music
10. George Harrison
‘Here Comes the Moon’ is an interesting yin to ‘Here Comes the Sun”s yang, but otherwise a fairly ropey record, epitomised by the awful F1-themed ‘Faster’
Essential tracks
Love To Everyone
Here Comes the Moon
Not Guilty
Beatles Handbook rating: 3 Stars
Buy this album: George Harrison
11. Somewhere in England
A lacklustre and uninspired album compounded by weedy production. Only the jaunty pop of Teardrops and the sombre drama of Baltimore Oriole make an impression.
Essential tracks
Teardrops
Baltimore Oriole
Beatles Handbook rating: 2 Stars
Buy this album: Somewhere in England
12. Electronic Sound
Two 20 minute tracks of patience-testing synth noodling. I’d love to know how many other people have actually listened to the whole thing. Zero fun.
Essential tracks
None
Beatles Handbook rating: 1 Star
Buy this album: Electronic Sound
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