When I checked George Harrison out on the Internet, I kept finding the same words to describe him - underappreciated and overlooked. He was always seemingly eclipsed by his virtuoso Beatle bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Their towering genius at songwriting and musicianship unfortunately put Harrison in the shade. That seems unfair. He was every bit as brilliant and special in his own subtle way as they were in theirs.
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Now, almost 24 years after his death in 2001 at the too-young ago of 58, his work bears renewed evaluation. In my opinion, Harrison's stunning 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass qualifies him for greatness in itself. It is an unequaled encapsulation of everything that made him remarkable and unique as an artist.
Looking Back At George Harrison's Amazing Career
Maybe you have seen a program on PBS called Concert for George that was filmed in London on November 29, 2002, one year after Harrison left us.. Some of his musician buddies got together in his memory and played his songs in a rollicking, reverential show. Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, ex-Beatles Paul and Ringo, Billy Preston, Harrison's son, Dhani, and others played and sang their hearts out. If anything, it proved how very gifted George Harrison really was and how much he is missed.
Per ultimateclassicrock.com, "From his massive Phil Spector-produced solo debut, to unjustly ignored smaller-scale triumphs in the late '70s to his final collaborations with Jeff Lynne, the so-called Quiet Beatle always found a way to make some joyful noise."
Here are three examples of why Harrison occupies a lofty and well-earned niche in contemporary music.
'Wah-Wah'
I confess to a weakness for what was to Harrison a highly personal song. It was co-produced by Phil Spector, who apparently favored lush orchestrations called the "Wall of Sound" as evidenced by his involvement in the Beatles' final album Let It Be. According to the Beatles Bible, "'Wah-Wah' was written on the day that George Harrison walked out of The Beatles during the ill-fated Get Back/Let It Be sessions on 10 January 1969."
At that inflection point, Harrison was reportedly fed up with the frequent presence of Yoko Ono, John Lennon's criticism, and Paul's "ambition." Harrison's feelings at last erupted in "Wah-Wah," the title of which refers to "a 'headache' as well as a footpedal," or guitar effect, per his book, I, Me, Mine. Despite their collective success, Harrison had enough of the Beatles, especially John and Paul. This anthem to his frustration and dissatisfaction proves it on a grand scale.
'So Sad'
Per ultimateclassicrock.com, "So Sad" from Harrison's 1974 Dark Horse album is about "his "the wreckage of his complicated relationship with model Pattie Boyd," his first wife. (She went on to wed another exceptional guitarist, Eric Clapton.) Boyd and Harrison were married from 1966 to 1977. Per the Beatles Bible, he acknowledged the mournful tone of the song and how it related to what was unraveling in his life at the time. "I started 'So Sad' in New York City in 1972. I like this song a lot as a melody and lyrically, except the only problem with it is it's depressing. It is so sad. It was at the time I was splitting up with Pattie."
The lyrics reveal unvarnished, acute despair and gloom. Heavily autobiographical, Harrison bares his anguished soul here.
"...While his memory raced
With much speed and great haste
Through the problems of being there
In his heart at arm's length
Held within its great strength
To ward off such a great despair
But he feels so alone
With no love of his own
So sad, so bad, so sad, so bad...."
'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)'
Per American Songwriter, "'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)' comes from the 1973 release Living In The Material World. It's a cohesive, high-quality piece of work, both in its lyricism and melody." This track also shows off Harrison's acumen as a guitarist, as if anyone needed more proof of that! There is an impressive guitar solo in the song that could be a master class for how to play this instrument.
