www.koreatimesus.com Paul McCartney to perform in South Korea for first time THE KOREA TIMES January 30, 2015 Paul McCartney will hold his first-ever concert in South Korea. The former Beatle canceled his “Out There” stop in the country last year due to illness. He plans to perform in Seoul’s Jamsil Baseball Stadium on May 2, Yonhap reported. Hyundai Card, which attempted to bring McCartney to Korea last year, is again organizing the event with the music legend. Hyundai Card CEO Ted Chung posted a link to an ad for the show on his Twitter Thursday. McCartney is the composer of many of The Beatles’ most-loved songs, including “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be,” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame as a solo artist. (Yonhap)
www.rollingstone.com Ringo Starr Slates 'Postcards From Paradise' Weeks Before Hall of Fame Former Beatle's 18th solo album will feature appearances by Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton and Richard Marx BY KORY GROW January 29, 2015 Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 21, 2014. The former Beatle will release his new album 'Postcards From Paradise' in March. Larry Marano/Getty Ringo Starr will not go quietly into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. About a month before his induction, the ex-Beatle will release his 18th solo album, Postcards From Paradise, which will contain 11 original songs. Among them are "Island in the Sun," the first he has written with his All-Starr Band – Steve Lukather, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie, Richard Page, Warren Ham and Gregg Bissonette – and songs featuring appearances by a number of his famous friends. "If I am recording and you're in town and drop by, you're going to be on the record," Starr said in a statement. Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Richard Marx, Peter Frampton and Glen Ballard, among many others, will make appearances on Postcards. Postcards From Paradise will come out on March 31st, a couple of weeks after his North and South American tour, and weeks before his Hall of Fame induction on April 18th. The former Beatle will receive the Award for Musical Excellence. When Rolling Stone asked Starr what the honor meant to him, he said, "It means recognition." He also said he was excited to join the company of his former bandmates. "Finally, the four of us are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though we were the biggest pop group in the land," he said. He also said that he wasn't planning on performing at the event – unless Paul McCartney took the initiative to get him on the stage. "If he puts a band together, I'll do 'With A Little Help From My Friends,'" he said. Ringo Starr, Postcards From Paradise Track List: 1. "Rory and the Hurricanes" 2. "You Bring the Party Down" 3. "Bridges" 4. "Postcards From Paradise" 5. "Right Side of the Road" 6. "Not Looking Back" 7. "Bamboula" 8. "Island in the Sun" 9. "Touch and Go" 10. "Confirmation" 11. "Let Love Lead" Postcards From Paradise. Photo: Rob Shanahan.
Tuesday 21st April: Kyocera Dome, Osaka Thursday 23rd April: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Saturday 25th April: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Monday 27th April: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
General Ticket Sales: 28th February, 10:00AM (local)
By the end of 2014 and 18 months since its launch, Paul’s incredible ‘Out There’ tour has been seen by almost two million people around the world. Paul and his band have performed a total of 63 shows in 11 different countries in venues of all different shapes and sizes. Each show on the tour has seen multi generational audiences from all different kinds of backgrounds come together to share in the incredible magic of a McCartney live show.
Last year for reasons beyond his control Paul was forced to cancel his Japanese tour dates. Today it is confirmed that Paul will bring his show back to Japan in April.
Speaking about the forthcoming shows Paul said:
“I can’t wait to get back to Japan for some more great nights of rock n’ roll and fun. We had such a great time on our trip in 2013 and we were so disappointed that we couldn’t perform last year. I want to thank my fans for all the lovely messages you sent me. Looking forward to seeing you all very soon.”
The 'Out There' tour features music from one of the best loved catalogues in popular music. Paul will perform songs that span his entire career - as a solo artist, member of Wings and of course as a Beatle. The set list will also include material from Paul’s most recent studio album ‘NEW’, which was a global hit upon its release.
The McCartney live experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity; in just three hours some of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music are relived; music which for many has shaped the very soundtrack of their lives. The last decade has seen Paul and his band perform in a staggeringly impressive range of venues and locations, including outside the Coliseum in Rome, in Moscow’s Red Square, Buckingham Palace, at the White House, a free show in Mexico to over 400,000 people and even into Space! Having played with his band (Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass guitar/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums)) for over ten years now, the show never disappoints.
The tour also uses state of the art technology and production to ensure the entire audience has the best possible experience. With massive screens, lasers, fireworks, unique video content and the best songs in the world, a Paul McCartney show is so much more than just an ordinary concert.
www.dailymail.co.uk He's the next Paul McCartney! Three-year-old boy performs pitch-perfect Beatles song with his guitar-playing dad (and robot helmet) · Three-year-old shows true talent as he sing a duet with his father · As well as singing the toddler performs with his harmonica · Dashing out to grab a robot helmet he dresses up for final notes of song By SARAH GORDON FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 24 January 2015 A three-year-old musician has proved he could well be the next Paul McCartney. Performing a duet with his father of The Beatles' classic Love Me Do, the toddler shows talent way beyond his tender years. Singing along without a care in the world and playing his harmonica, the blonde boy happily bobs to the music as he belts out the tune. As well as playing along to the tune, the toddler also sings a pitch-perfect rendition He takes turns with his father to sing each verse to the guitar music. At one point, the boy dashes off, explaining: 'I'm going to get dressed and I'll be back.' His father objects saying they are making a video, but the boy rushes back within moments. The three-year-old boy shows real talent as he plays the harmonica to accompany his father As he comes back into the lounge area where they are recording, he is sporting a robot-style helmet. And without missing a beat, the young boy proceeds to join straight back in with the song. Singing and playing the harmonica in his fancy dress outfit, the boy seems completely happy in front of the camera. Singing the cute duet with his father, the boy shows talent beyond his tender years At one point the boy dashes out to pick up a robot helmet which he wears to complete the performance Commenters online complimented the toddler on his musical talent. One named Irishqueenb wrote: 'This is adorable! The three-year-old sings better than I do.' And Alex Jackaman added: 'That's pretty cool it must have taken ages to teach.'
www.examiner.com Rare 1964 unpublished photos, color Beatles footage to be auctioned Steve Marinucci Beatles Examiner January 27, 2015 A collection of unreleased Beatles photos from 1964 featuring the group rehearsing for “The Ed Sullivan Show” and on several stops from their U.S. debut, plus roughly 3½ minutes of rare color footage of the Beatles backstage at the ABC Blackpool Theatre in the UK in 1964 will both go under the hammer Feb. 5 in the UK, Invaluable.com announced Jan. 26. The items are being sold by Ewbank's auction house. Items from Ewbank's auction in early February. (Invaluable.com - used by permission. ) Lot 121B will feature 109 black-and-white original negatives with previously unseen and unreleased images from the band's first tour of the U.S. The pictures will show them in Washington, D.C., on the train to New York, on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and rehearsing in Miami. The pictures are being sold with full copyright. Lot 121B. Estimated Price: £8,000 - £12,000 The color film footage (Lot 121C) was made by Chas McDevitt, who appeared on stage with the Beatles that evening. The footage, which has no sound, shows The Beatles backstage, chatting and laughing. Though the auction house, Ewbank's, calls the footage the earliest known color footage available of the group, color footage had previously surfaced from 1962 almost a decade ago. The film comes with a letter of authenticity from McDevitt and is being sold with the copyright by the current owner. The film is estimated by the auction house to be worth between £7,000 to £9,000 ($10,562 to $13,582 USD). Lot 121C . Estimated Price: £7,000 - £9,000 Also being sold by Ewbank's on Feb. 5 is a handbill (Lot 82) from a 1963 gig at the Rialto York Theatre with the Beatles playing as a supporting act on a bill headlined by Chris Montez and Tommy Roe and a used ticket from a 1963 show at Fairfield Hall, Croyden that comes with a piece of paper from the Official Beatles Fan Club that says “With Compliments from Freda Kelly, National Secretary.” Freda Kelly was the subject of a documentary, “Good Ol' Freda,” about her years of work with the fan club. Lot 82 . Estimated Price: £150 - £250 Lot 11 . Estimated Price: £80 - £120 Lot 30: The Beatles, Pin-Up Screamers, Gordon Currie Limited, 1964, unopened . Estimated Price: £80 - £120
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk All You Need Is Love for Beatle themed Valentine's dinner By Jade Wright Jan 26, 2015 Love, and £45 per head, is all you need at the Hard Day's Night hotel restaurant Blake restaurant, North John Street. Richard Williams pic ALL You Need is Love with the new Beatle-themed Valentine’s menu at Blakes restaurant. Located within the Hard Days Night Hotel, the venue will serve a menu for those wanting an intimate meal between two. The set menu will feature a wide variety of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes that have been specially selected with couples in mind. General Manager Mike Dewey says: “Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for couples to wine and dine, and truly spoil one another. To provide the ideal setting for romantic celebrations, we will serve only the finest dishes to ensure that every individual’s dining experience is special and memorable.” Blake restaurant, North John Street. Richard Williams pic On arrival, diners will begin their meal with an Amuse Bouche, followed by a starter, main course, pudding and after-dinner coffee with truffles. Mike adds: “To add to the romance during the Valentine’s celebrations, we will set the scene by playing Beatles love songs throughout the evening. This will create an idyllic atmosphere for lovers to relax, unwind and enjoy.” The Valentine’s menu is available on Saturday February 14 at £45 per person. A non-refundable £10 deposit is required when booking. For more information about Blakes Restaurant visit www.harddaysnighthotel.com/blakes-restaurant Reservations can be made can be made by emailing blakes@harddaysnighthotel.com or calling 0151 236 1964. By Jade Wright
beatlesblogger.com Latest Beatle Vinyl on the Universal Music Label by beatlesblogger Posted on January 25, 2015 Since the lucrative Beatle catalogue went over to Universal Music for distribution (as part of the sale and break-up of the EMI company in 2012) there’s been a steady stream of product from released – most of it (it has to be said) re-issues of stuff we already have. The latest of these – four albums on vinyl – are a case in point: the Beatles 1962-1966; the Beatles 1967-1970; the Beatles Number 1; and the Beatles Love. Each of these are re-issues containing no new material. The only thing that can be said to be slightly different is that the two sets, 1962-1966 (a.k.a. The Red Album), and 1967-1970 (a.k.a. The Blue Album) are reportedly the original analogue mixes. The discs are cut direct from the analogue tapes used for the 1973 LP sets—with a few exceptions (i.e. mono versions using EQ from the latest mono box set replace the few faux stereo tracks originally used). AAA it seems is definitely the new DDD….. It has to be said though that the packaging on each of these four Universal re-issued double LPs is impeccable. The Red and Blue albums, for example, are faithfully reproduced in thick cardboard with very shiny covers and inners. If you speak Spanish (and you don’t get seasick from the all the camera movement) this “unboxing” YouTube video from keen Beatle collector shakespearecub gives you a good indication of both the Red and Blue LP’s in all their glossy finery (if you are pressed for time, scroll in to about 4’10”): Here are those 2014 stickers on the front of each: And this is the main point of difference – Universal Music logos on the back, and mentions of Universal Music and Calderstone Productions in the small print….it’s not Parlophone, Capitol, or EMI anymore: These albums are also manufactured in the Netherlands – according to small transparent stickers on the back of each LP: And while we’re on the subject of the Red and Blue LPs and the EMI company, here’s a video from a very keen fan who went to the trouble of tracking down the actual location of the Angus McBean shoot for the Red, Blue – and of course for 1963’s Please Please Me LP. Both photographs of the old and new Beatles were taken at the former EMI headquarters in Manchester Square, London with the group looking down over the stairwell. The building has since been demolished: The rear photo, taken in 1969, was initially intended for an LP to be called Get Back, but those plans changed and we got the Let It Be album instead. The photo was eventually used on both the 1962–1966 and 1967–1970 LP’s. The 2014 Universal Music edition of the Beatles Number 1 LP set also comes in a thick cardboard, this time with a matt finish gatefold cover (just like the original 2000 edition) complete with the inners, large poster (depicting Beatle singles picture covers from around the world), and the four psychedelic photographs of the individual Beatles. It’s all very nice. Again the main point of difference now is in the logos used and the small print credits: The Love LP comes in a thick cardboard gatefold cover – just like the original from 2007. And it has the same thick, glossy booklet. Top marks go to Universal for the packaging. The 2007 release had a small brown sticker on the front: While the 2014 edition has a larger red, white and yellow sticker: On the rear of the gatefold the logo line-up has changed. The 2007 release has Apple, Parlophone and Cirque du Soleil logos: The 2014 has just Apple and Cirque either side of the barcode, and a small Universal Music Group logo on the far lower right. There’s also a change to the small print. No EMI Records reference, and interestingly the Universal edition has a copyright date of 2006, while the earlier EMI/Parlophone/Apple edition is 2007. Curious: shakespearecub has also done an “unboxing” video of both the Number 1 and the Love LPs:
www.rap-up.com NEW MUSIC: RIHANNA, KANYE WEST, & PAUL MCCARTNEY – ‘FOURFIVESECONDS’ 1.24.2015 The wait is over. Rihanna surprised her fans on Saturday by debuting her new single “FourFiveSeconds” featuring Kanye West and Paul McCartney. The stripped-down track, which was released to iTunes via Roc Nation and Rihanna’s own company Westbury Road Entertainment, features the Beatles legend on guitar and RiRi’s raw vocals.
“I’m ’bout four, five seconds from wildin’,” she sings, while ‘Ye responds, “Hold me back, I’m ’bout to spaz.” Rihanna’s eighth album is due early this year, and marks her first project since departing Island Def Jam. She has enlisted hitmakers including Mike WiLL Made-It, Ne-Yo, and DJ Mustard. In an interview with Rap-Up TV, “No Flex Zone” duo Rae Sremmurd also hinted at a collaboration and Super Bowl performance with the pop superstar.
Hear the power trio unite on the acoustic jam.
[Verse 1: Rihanna] I think I’ve had enough, I might get a little drunk I say what’s on my mind, I might do a little time Cause all of my kindness, is taken for weakness [Hook: Rihanna] Now I’m FourFiveSeconds from wildin’ And we got three more days ’til Friday I’m just tryna make it back home by Monday, mornin’ I swear I wish somebody would tell me Ooh thats all I want [Verse 2: Kanye West] Woke up an optimist, sun was shining I’m positive Then I heard you was talkin’ trash Hold me back I’m bout’ to spaz [Hook: Rihanna] [Bridge: Rihanna] And I know that you’re up tonight Thinkin’ how could I be so selfish But you called bout a thousand times wondering where I been Now I know that your up tonight Thinkin’ how could I be so reckless But I just can’t apologize, I hope you can understand [Bridge: Kanye West] If I go to jail tonight, promise you’ll pay my bail See they want to buy my pride, but that just ain’t up for sale See all of my kindness, is taken for weakness [Hook: Rihanna and Kanye West [x2]]
ecowatch.com Paul McCartney, Mario Batali Urge NYC to Adopt ‘Meatless Monday’ Resolution Cole Mellino January 23, 2015 “Meatless Monday is a national and international campaign that encourages people to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays to improve their personal and public health, animal welfare, wildlife protection and environmental and agricultural sustainability,” according to the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Earth’s species and their habitats. Going meat-free even one day a week can significantly reduce your environmental impact and improve your overall health. Paul McCartney encourages people all over the world to go meatless at least one day a week with his Meat-Free Mondays campaign. That’s why New York City Council members Helen Rosenthal and Corey Johnson have introduced a resolution to make meat-free options more widely available and encourage New Yorkers to skip meat on Mondays. About 40 schools in New York City already participate in Meatless Monday, including private, public and charter schools at all grade levels. Many New York City colleges and universities participate in Meatless Monday, as well. And even conscientious restaurant owners, such as Bill Telepan, Mario Batali, John Fraser and Marisa May, promote their meatless options to customers on Mondays. The measure would not force the city’s restaurants and schools to go meatless, but rather it would promote meat-free options. Council Member Corey Johnson said, “We’re issuing a call to all New Yorkers: Let’s go meatless on Mondays. By doing so, we’re not only helping the planet, but ourselves.” He said, “Studies have shown that red meat in particular has a carbon footprint similar to automobiles. And if New Yorkers cut out meat just one day of the week, we could potentially make a dent in rates of obesity, cancer and diabetes.” The resolution has a lot of support. The Center for Biological Diversity has been encouraging people to eat less meat with their campaign Take Extinction Off Your Plate, which raises awareness about the environmental impact of meat production. Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney, founders of Meat Free Monday, are thrilled: “Great to hear that New York City officials are considering introducing Meatless Monday. It’s such an easy and enjoyable way to reduce our carbon footprint and improve our health.” Erica Meier, executive director at Compassion Over Killing also supports the resolution. “By introducing this Meatless Monday resolution, the New York City Council is sending a powerful message about the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables, and of course, eating fewer animals,” she said. New York City is not the first city in the U.S. to adopt a Meatless Monday Resolution—Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington DC and more than 30 other cities have already adopted resolutions. But if the city council approves the resolution, there could be millions more people in America’s largest city going meat-free on Mondays. Check out Paul McCartney’s next hit song:
www.billboard.com Kanye West Plays New Music, Embraces Radio at Industry Event: 'Of Course I Want to Be on Radio!' By Jem Aswad and Erika Ramirez January 22, 2015 Rihanna collaboration among previewed songs during surprise appearance at Wednesday's iHeartMedia Music Summit. People are sleeping with one eye open in case Kanye West releases new music, and that moment seems to be fast approaching. On Wednesday, West previewed new music from his seventh studio album at the iHeartMedia Music Summit at Burbank, Calif.'s iHeartRadio Theatre, according to a source at the event. After Def Jam CEO Steve Bartels started his scheduled presentation -- talking about upcoming records from Big Sean, Alesso and Axwell /\ Ingrosso -- he suddenly announced: "I wanna stop this and turn it over to one of the great iconic rock stars of our time: Kanye West." Kanye West performs during the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival at Golden Gate Park on August 8, 2014 in San Francisco, California Getty Kanye walked out with his laptop to a stunned room and picked up the mic -- then, noting the size of the room, put it down and asked if everyone could hear him and proceeded to speak for around 45 minutes without a mic.
A theme of his talk, which was a bit stream-of-consciousness and included a lot of joking around, was innovation -- what he called his "responsibility to innovate" and not repeat what he'd done before. He spoke of bringing in soul beats on his early records at a time when gangsta rap was prevalent, and the dichotomy of being signed to Roc-a-Fella and wearing a backpack in 2004. Because he was addressing radio programmers, he spoke at length about how he'd brought unlikely songs and topics to urban radio with "Jesus Walks" and "Through the Wire" from his first album, and then later in his career discovered Daft Punk and EDM and brought those influences into his music with "Stronger" and again with 808s and Heartbreak and how he hears that album's influence on a lot of urban radio today, even though it wasn't his biggest-selling album.
"This little talk I'm giving is going good so far," he said at one point, "so I have to risk being Kanye" -- meaning he'd have to mess it up. Gabriel Olson/Getty He also doubled back on a statement he made onstage at Governors Ball in 2013: that he didn't want to be on the radio. "I was joking!" he laughed. "Of course I want to be on the radio!" He said "Black Skinhead" was another innovative record that he wished radio had embraced, and sang some of it a cappella.
He talked at length about his experience of working with Paul McCartney on "Only One." The song came together with McCartney jamming and Kanye freestyling, and West said he only realized when he heard the song played back that "my only one" was the meaning behind his first name.
He discussed what a sexy song the Beatles' "Come Together" is, and how he was in complete disbelief when Paul stood across from him and played the bassline. He also recalled jokingly asking the Beatle, "What was pussy like in the '60s?"
He then sang some of "Only One" a cappella, and you could hear a pin drop in the room.
He finished by playing one new song: a duet with Rihanna (title unknown) that featured acoustic guitar and a big, soaring chorus and melody with a massive hook. He then slammed his laptop shut and walked offstage to a standing ovation. Perhaps the Rihanna song is the collaboration that also features Ty Dolla $ign and McCartney that Ty mentioned to Billboard in early January. "Me, Rihanna, 'Ye and Paul [Mc Cartney] got a song about to drop as well," Ty Dolla $ign said. "It's gonna drop soon. I heard they shot the video recently. I don't know what the final title is, but I know it's crazy, so just be looking out for [it]."
www.ulladullatimes.com.au Riley is a young George Harrison By Gillian Lett Jan. 23, 2015 RILEY White does not take singing or guitar lessons, yet the 11-year-old struck a big chord with the judges of the Times Youth Music Scholarship and was named as a finalist. Riley simply picked up a guitar and started singing along to his tunes 18 months ago and has not looked back.
Riley White is a young George Harrison.
“Dad used to play the guitar quite a lot and has heaps of books, so I just started playing chords out of them,” Riley said. The Ulladulla Public School student was asked to enter the Times Youth Music Scholarship along with other musical gems at his school and went on to impress the judges at auditions with his renditions of Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair and Blackbird by The Beatles. Riley plans to play these songs, as well as Rocky Raccoon, also by The Beatles, and Stand By Me when he takes to the stage on Australia Day. Other than a few talent expos at school it will be Riley’s biggest performance so far, but despite the occasion, he said he was feeling confident. Riley said he was not sure what he would do if he took out first place. “I will probably just buy a good guitar and use the money to go towards my music,” he said. In the beginning: Schoolboy George Harrison
www.popmatters.com George Harrison: The Apple Years: 1968-1975 By Scott Elingburg 20 January 2015 The Legacy of George Harrison Improved Upon for All What is left to say about George Harrison that hasn’t been said already? As a Beatle, his role was nearly infallible. Harrison was the meticulous quiet presence whose arid, minimal guitar defined songs like “Something”, “Here Comes the Sun”, and “I Me Mine”, the experimental mind that brought forth “Within You Without You” and “The Inner Light”, and the pop artist who created some of the band’s best output with a single guitar riff or two. Think about songs like “It’s All Too Much”, “Long Long Long”, and “Blue Jay Way”, and think about how much they stand out and stand in as a separate and equal legacy of The Beatles. Without Harrison, The Beatles are distilled down to a simple pop duo, an instance of The Everly Brothers with more parts Elvis Presley than Bob Dylan. My affinity for Harrison notwithstanding, I can easily understand why his legacy, his songs, his heart and soul, endure. Probably now more than ever before. But the understood legacy of George Harrison is spotty in places; his time in the biggest band in the world has been well-documented as have sections of his post-Beatles solo career. But, even for the most intense fan of Harrisongs, it’s difficult to piece together—and to endure—parts of his solo career. It seems we’re only able to digest it in manageable chunks; portions for fans to parse through delicately, separating the wheat from the chaff. But the new box set of his solo output, The Apple Years: 1968-1975, does Harrison, in the role of non-Beatle, a great service, further cementing his bright legacy. It recasts his fruitful journey out of the shadow of yesteryear and into the current light of the ever-brilliant present. Let’s start with the record we all know, All Things Must Pass. So, do we really need another release of this seminal record? In this case, yes, you do. As a Harrison fan, you need this release of this record. All Things Must Pass, an enormous outpouring of Harrison’s emotional soul, is rendered in rendered in full on this box set release. Finally cut loose from the shadow of his magnanimous songwriting partners, Lennon and McCartney, the album is mammoth in size and runtime. But its enormous output is the only fitting artistic statement Harrison could have made at the time. (He was the first one out of the gate with a solo album after the breakup of The Beatles.) Harrison stuffed All Things Must Pass with some of the best songs in his solo catalog, ones the endure even today, and then, just because he could, he packed on a third disc of free-wheelin’ jams to close out the whole damn thing. Songs like “Apple Scruffs”, “Thanks for the Pepperoni”, and “I Remember Jeep” are not mere throwaways; They are captured tracks of Harrison flexing his guitar playing prowess, cutting a stark path into a new decade, and, of course, letting his hair down and having a lot of fun. Rife with guest stars and a huge sound, All Things Must Pass still looms large in sound and scope. It’s either the biggest influence on modern songwriting (would we have Elvis Costello or Elliott Smith without it?) or the most successful pop record that everyone has heard but never truly paid respect to. Does that make it a record of cult status? Is it possible that a former Beatle put out a record that has influenced every musician who has heard of it, let alone spent nights alone digesting it on the turntable? Yes, and Harrison did it almost single-handedly through the grace and poise of songs like “My Sweet Lord”, “Beware of Darkness”, and “All Things Must Pass”. Any collector worth their salt knows you can’t have too many copies of this record (I’m up to five and counting); but this is the definitive version of All Things Must Pass. The remainder of The Apple Years box set can’t match the heights of All Things Must Pass but some of it comes incredibly close and does well to reinvent Harrison’s image as a musician’s musician. Where on later albums his songwriting falters a bit or he chases his muse to places that were less than hospitable to the casual listener, he never lost his inner self. Every movement he made was in service of the song, even when the songs were lyric-less and wandering. Wonderwall Music is Harrison’s journey to center of the mind, if you will, the first album released on Apple Records and the first album released by a solo Beatle. The soundtrack to a film of the same name, Wonderwall Music is mixed bag of tricks, as much as any film soundtrack is. But there’s a indescribable element of candor and craftsmanship to Wonderwall Music, the kind that comes from an artist that is deeply invested in the type of music they commit to tape, no matter how uncommercial it may be. The same investment applies to Harrison’s most “experimental” work, included here at long last, the simple, two track album Electronic Sound. Where Wonderwall Music hangs together by the thread of its cinematic theme, Electronic Sound is cinematic in its own right, though lacking in story. Essentially, Electronic Sound is Harrison cavorting around the keys of a Moog synthesizer, pushing the gain and the gate open and shut in an effort to explore virgin territories of sound. Harrison is no Brian Eno or Jeff Lynne, his musical brother-in-arms who found great success in his own synth-pop group, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), but the intention behind Electronic Sound is one of exploration and discovery, an artist limbering up his musical mind to discover how far the boundaries of modern instrumentation could take him. Out of context, Electronic Sound would sound maudlin, even dull. Here, as a key step in the progression of Harrison the solo artist, it sounds audacious in its primitiveness and offers listeners a glimpse into his music-making mindset. Clearly aching to set himself apart from that other group he was currently shackled to, both Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound are living documents of his internal expressiveness. Given the remastered treatment, they sound raw and gorgeous, alive and capable of sparking ingenuity. Post-All Things Must Pass, Harrison’s solo catalog is deep and, at times, intensely personal in its simultaneously grand and minute offerings. The groove that Harrison locked into on All Things Must Pass is still present and accounted for on Living In the Material World and Extra Texture: Read All About It. The pair of albums complement each other well, finding an AM radio gold formula and hooking it into Harrison’s dry wit and ultra-spiritual teachings. “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” is still heartbreaking in its earnestness, while other would-be hits such as “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long” and “Be Here Now” offer much more than just Harrison’s Hindu-inspired teachings; they also offer up the chance for larger dialogue within music. Where other bands in the early ‘70s were getting rich and high off corporate largesse, Harrison made it a point to move beyond the external draws of the flesh. Making a statement about materialism in the ‘70s (even if it did have a throwaway, eye-rolling number like “Sue Me Sue You Blues”) was only a move an enlightened soul like Harrison could have accomplished without being brushed off as insincere. Not only did he manage to do it and be moderately successful at it, but he managed to wrangle a few other musicians to his cause, most notably by organizing The Concert for Bangladesh, whose rallying cry and primary single, “Bangla Desh” appears on Living In the Material World in awesome live version. Extra Texture drapes a little extra soul and some loose-end swagger onto Harrison’s workmanlike formula. Horns blast out at the intro, lifting lead track “You” out of normalcy, while “The Answer’s At the End” and “Tired of Midnight Blue” rely on some 12-bar piano to give them their own groove. An extra, alternate version of “This Guitar Can’t Keep From Crying” shows up to conclude Extra Texture, demonstrating the skeletal frames that Harrison worked with before throwing layers of (ahem) extra texture on top of the tracks. And while Extra Texture is a funky, downright enjoyable album, there is a bit of a sense that Harrison is running out of steam, a weariness that belies the otherwise peppy tracks. The song titles sound like retreads of old ideas (“This Guitar Can’t Keep From Crying”), arrangement are used and reused (“World of Stone”, “Grey Cloudy Lies”), and some tracks are just off-the-rails (“His Name is ‘Legs’ (Ladies and Gentlemen)”). Extra Texture is hardly a weak spot in the collection, though it is the best bookend to Harrison’s prodigious late ‘60s and early ‘70s output. Any album post-Extra Texture is better left outside of this powerful collection. Then, last, there’s Dark Horse, the 1974 album that’s the true overlooked jewel of the box set. Harrison fans are quick to praise Dark Horse as an underrated gem in Harrison’s catalog, but otherwise, one may never hear much about the album, save for the name that would become Harrison’s own label, Dark Horse Records, which Harrison was actually running while recording Extra Texture. Harrison’s voice isn’t quite up to par on Dark Horse; he was ill during much of the recording and it shows in the way that his vocals are buried beneath layers of dueling guitars and a new bottom end (especially bass guitar) that has been boosted incredibly well on the reissue. What makes Dark Horse so unique is that, aside from All Things Must Pass, Dark Horse sounds and feels like Harrison is playing music like he has nothing to lose and all the world to gain. “Simply Shady” and “Maya Love” (which features the great Billy Preston on keys) are not just more of what Harrison had grown accustomed to, they are tracks that experiment subtly with tone, mood, and, most surprisingly, darkness. In some ways, Dark Horse is more experimental that Electronic Music; Harrison seems to be shifting the lay of the land and redrawing the borders for himself, however slight on Dark Horse. “So Sad” inverts “Here Comes the Sun” and turns it into melancholic lament; “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” makes literal use of the bells from its title and Harrison’s voice hasn’t ever sounded as menacing as it does when he barks “ring out the old, ring in the new, ring out the false, ring in the true”; “Far East Man” has more soul and groove to it than any of the phoned-in R&B Harrison smeared on Extra Texture. Dark Horse is a album from man operating at the peak of his talents with no one left to impress and no grand statement to make. Granted, prior to recording, Eric Clapton has snatched Harrison’s wife from him, and that may have led to some of the devil-may-care attitude on Dark Horse, but that sort of contextual reading lessens the impact of what Harrison had to offer with Dark Horse. With nowhere to go but up, and with a few less eyes watching him as the other solo Beatles ascended with their own antics, musical and otherwise, Dark Horse is the sound of freedom and it sounds like a livid dream committed to tape. When Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001, it was a time for mourning. The world lost a great voice, a great humanitarian, and an astonishing musician who never stopped trying to facilitate change and encourage higher thought through music. The world owed a debt to “the quiet Beatle” that seemed impossible to pay. Yet, Harrison was always the first to remind us that death was not the end, that a higher, more spiritual life awaited those of us who were intelligent and open-hearted enough to believe. “All Things Must Pass” was Harrison’s proclamation in more ways than just song. Still, his passing seemed unfair and tragic. In his absence, musicians, fans, and friends alike have come to recognize the effect he had on modern music and, in many ways, some of his greatest achievements have been the legacies he left for those who followed him. To suggest that this collection of his albums honors the legacy of Harrison and his influence seems maudlin and cheap in a way. Harrison’s legacy and his work was much more than a reduction of earthly values wrapped in a song. He was an entertainer, yes; an entertainer in the biggest band in the world. But he was also, first and foremost, a human with a vested interest in the words and deeds of other humans. Though that may not seem like enough when compared to the works of others—the works of scientists, spiritual leaders, and healers—it is, in retrospect, more than enough. Everything begins and ends as it should and no one knew that better than George Harrison. Until we can join him, his love and his music remain as a vestige of his spirit, put down on tape for all to hear. And there’s no better way to honor him than with a proper visitation to the music that he created for us all.
