I'm so glad "George Harrison" ranked that high. I can appreciate that objectively "All things Must Pass" is probably the best album, but I play his self titled more than anything. It's the mood of it. I just feel better after putting it on. I haven't clicked with Material World yet but last time I listened to it I had a lot of fun.
Awesome video,John! George was my favorite Beatle, and I love his solo career more than the others. My all time favorite album of his is the self-titled album he released in 1979.
Interesting comments. I think the bottom line is that all of George’s regular albums, non-album singles, b-sides and outtakes have merit and are enjoyable to listen to. My son is a musician, and when he came home for Christmas last month, he was playing all these songs from “Material World” that he had recently discovered, and it was just wonderful to hear. Thank God for George Harrison. We miss him so much.
Great reflections on these albums as ever, John. Yes, personally I would have Cloud Nine near or at the top, but I respect your views of course. I love to see appreciation for the 1979 LP - it’s a record which has rocketed in my estimation in recent times and now regularly dances around the top spot with ATMP and CN. Love your reviews man. Peace.
Another excellent appraisal, John. May I mention the sublime 'Marwa Blues' too from Brainwashed. Apparently it's also one of Paul's alltime George faves 😎
A superb defence of Living in the Material World - and rightly arguing for it's beautiful production and thematic consistency, rejecting the idea that because George was writing about god and his personal conflicts/difficulties he was 'preaching' or 'whining'. It feels almost like a concept album - diary of George '70-'72 - and for that I applaud it.
I appreciate your direct and sincere comments on these albums. I also like "Dark Horse," though I would have ranked "33 1/3" higher. You make me want to listen to them all again (except maybe for "Electronic Sound, which is just 3/4 of an hour of George playing around with a synthesizer).
Thanks for the podcast. Living in the Material was a massive seller. Here in the USA it debuted at number 11 and was number 1 the following week. Robert Hilbourne of the Los Angeles times panned it, which delayed me from buying it till 1979. I found it quite enjoyable. Prior to that, I only had the give me peace on earth single from the album. Blow away while only making it to only number 51 in UK ,made it to number 16 in U.S. when 9 of the 10 top ten singles were dico.
When "Blow Away" made it to #16 in the US, 3 of the top 5 songs in the US were not disco. #1 Reunited - Peaches & Herb #3 Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills #5 Stumblin In - Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman One of the misnomers of the late 70s is that disco took over almost everything in music. But in reality, there was a nice variety in music. Just as there was in every year of the 70s.
Thanks for the updated rankings, mine constantly changes as well. But to your point, Living in the Material World, gets overlooked these days. And it’s a great album, and more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it. Wonderful video John, and thanks for sharing.
John, excellent and thoughtful review. I also love the positive vibe of 1979 George Harrison. I wish I could hear your thoughts on Early Takes - it is by far my favourite George Harrison album to listen to - to me it presents the most unadorned and authentic version of George's music.
George Harrison’s studio album sound never sounded ‘ thin ‘ at all after ATMP. By the time his 1979 self titled album came out George had learned how to take full advantage of creating his own solo sound. This sound reflected until ‘ Cloud Nine ‘ , an album full of great songs that was totally overproduced by Jeff Lynne. I waited 15 years for the next George Harrison album and sadly it was a posthumous one. However I feel ‘ Brainwashed’ was a great album to end Georges solo career and it contained a number of very enjoyable songs. It ranks as No.5 in my George Harrison solo list. 1: All things must pass 2: Living in the material world. 3: Thirty three & 1/3. 4: George Harrison 5: Brainwashed.
I typically don't share my personal rankings. But in this case I'll make an exception because I was such a fan of George Harrison's music and bought his six albums from the 1970s in chronological order and as soon as they were released (from "Living In the Material World" onwards). I played the albums incessantly upon release and interestingly ranked them in real (1970s) time. So here goes (rankings by date throughout the 1970s). 1973: All Things Must Pass Living In The Material World. 1974: All Things Must Pass Living In The Material World Dark Horse. 1975: All Things Must Pass Extra Texture (Read All About It) Living In The Material World Dark Horse. 1976: All Things Must Pass Extra Texture (Read All About It) 33 & 1/3 Living In The Material World Dark Horse. 1979 (with some of the reasoning): All Things Must Pass (my favourite; the first studio album of George's that I bought which got me into his solo work; plus a fantastic line up of musicians). George Harrison (his most optimistic and uplifting album; it also recreated my interest in listening to music and collecting records). Extra Texture (Read All About It) - (better than Dark Horse - the release immediately before this one, so - phew! - finally the trend of each new release being worse than its predecessor had been broken for me; "You" could have been on "All Things Must Pass"). 33 & 1/3 (solid album, I liked it a lot). Living In The Material World (beautifully crafted songs throughout; but the album is not as good as "All Things Must Pass"; and I didn't like George's voice as much as on The Beatles' albums and on "All Things Must Pass"). Dark Horse (didn't like this, so much unrealised potential; it could have been George Harrison's "Court and Spark" having Tom Scott & The L.A. Express at his fingertips, but alas, it was not to have been; he even took my favourite song from 1973 - Alvin Lee/Mylon Lefrevre's version of "So Sad", and ruined it for me). Yes, I know I have "Living In The Material World" in the wrong place. But you have to remember that it was a relative disappointment for me after "All Things Must Pass". However, it was the album that introduced me to Zakir Hussain. "Extra Texture" is probably too high. But for me, "You" is a song which made me feel that I had discovered a bit more of "All Things Must Pass" 5 years on. By the way, there's a nice reworking of "This Guitar" in 1992 with Dave Stewart on lead guitar and Ringo on drums which is worth a listen.
I agree with you about All Things Must Pass. It was released as a triple album and should be evaluated as a triple album. All too often it’s reviewed as a double album with a bonus, throw away third album. It was one of the best albums when it was released and still has some of George’s best solo songs. It is a must have for any Beatles fan.
I enjoy your takes on the Beatles, and many of your other videos as well. Thank you for turning me on to George’s self titled album, it took a few listens, but no agree, it is sublime, and for me his best. He is my favorite Beatle because he’s the most interesting, the most spiritual, and seemingly down to earth. I was quite take by how many folks who knew him absolutely adored him.
John great to revisit and re- appraise your rankings! I find I would similarly change my view of record releases over the years! I love George’s music.I think he benefited from having equal collaborators rather than side men!
Great comments, John! I think also with All Things Must Pass, as good as they are, some of the tracks could have done with a tighter edit. A few of the songs seem at times to meander a bit too much, although I won't deny also their basic strengths. I am glad also you include the unnecessary apple jam sides in your rating. Overall, though, like all the ex Beatles, many of George's most memorable moments are in the early part of his solo career. Living In The Material World is a refreshing change at no 1, where i believe the album lacks the unnecessary extravagances of All Things Must Pass, although the core of the latter is perhaps still my favourite. Not sure about the self titled George Harrison album from 1979. It has some great songs, and some notable slide playing by George, but I've always found it a little bland in comparison with his early seventies recordings
I have a bootleg with these great songs: Mo, Flying Hour, Sat Sitting, Lay His Head. Some favorites on Thiry Three And One Third: Pure Smokey, Learning How To Love You, Crackerbox Palace. Great music video to True Love. Some favorites on George Harrison self titled: Love Comes To Everyone, Blow Away, If You Believe, Soft Touch. I mainly like Somewhere In England for one song: All Those Years Ago. plus 3 of those who were left off. Life Itself is also a very nice song. Almost too many great songs to mention on All Things Must Pass. 5 songs that mean the most to me: I'd Have You Anytime, Awaiting On You All, My Sweet Lord, What Is Life, Behind That Locked Door. I don't really need the last Jam, should have just been a double. The price gets ridiculous with having it a triple. My favorite song on Dark Horse: Far East Man. So Sad & Simply Shady are also memorable. My favorite song on Extra Texture: You. My favorite song on Living In The Material World: Give Me Love. I actually enjoy the whole Gone Troppo album. My favorites include: That's The Way It Goes, Gone Troppo, Mystical One, Dream Away. Shanghai Surprise is a nice song. I tend to ignore the Cloud Nine album. I love Jeff Lynne but I still don't resonate with that album. Poor Little Girl is a nice song. I don't care for the Brainwashed album or the two 60's albums. The Pirate Song is gold. Abandoned Love & I Don't Want To Do It are also very nice. The Light That Has Lighted The World is also a very nice song. But overall that album is not too high for me personal. I have a friend who is a Beatles collector and his favorite George Harrison album is Living In The Material World. Love Comes To Everyone and Blow Away are very nostalgic to me. I probably heard them a lot on the radio when I was little. Same with All Those Years Ago, very nostalgic for me. Some Beatles favorites are: Long Long Long, Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something.
Like many casual solo George Harrison fans, I’ve enjoyed All Things Must Pass for years and have always wondered how wonderful the Beatles next album would have been had they stayed together and used all of their first solo album material, but the real revelation, thanks to John’s praise, was the self-titled album, which is a joy from start to finish. A real favourite
Hi John, I always enjoy your commentaries and while it's all subjective, I'll take a moment to give you mine: I LOVE the "late" albums, "Cloud Nine" and "Brainwashed", but I'll grant you your criticisms of "Cloud Nine" are fair. I'm a HUGE Jeff Lynne fan, so that colors my opinion of those albums. Number One for me is "All Things Must Pass", even with the Apple Jam. Yes, it is superfluous, but I've come to enjoy it nonetheless. Lastly, two albums that got slagged when they came out, "Dark Horse" and "Gone Troppo", I rather like.
I found your choice interesting John, as a admirer of George Harrison I was quite surprised by your choice in a good way. I agree the Cloud Nine to me is not the George music I know it has been over worked by Jeff Lynne and it sounds too ELOish I do however like Gone Troppo a couple of duffs but over all a nice album, so that for me would be above Dark Horse. As for George's music in general to me he is the better of all the other's and the words are just so meaningful and I myself have become more Spiritual for it. Thanks John for defending George like that and about the wealth he gave millions away to charities .
I am in agreement with you on “Cloud Nine” - I enjoyed it when it came out, but it’s lost its charm for me and these days it leaves me cold. On the other hand for some reason “Extra Texture” has really grown on me over time. I agree with you on its honesty and. soulfulness. It along with “Brainwashed”, and “All Things Must Pass” (still by far my favorite) are really the only albums of George’s that I return to, although most of the albums have a few highlights on them. Nice video John..
That's a very interesting and radical ranking John. I concur with the love you're giving to Dark Horse and Extra Texture. Dark Horse has so many good songs - So Sad, Simply Shady, Maya Love, title track and Far East Man, and I've always enjoyed the openlng 3 songs of ET. But, I do like Cloud Nine and Brainwashed - punchy rockers and beautiful ballads - and woud rank them higher than the first 4 Warners albums. I would also have ATMP at 1 simply because sides 1-4 are sooo brilliant. LIAMW, meanwhile, sounds good but I think suffers from some clumsy writing - eg The Lord Loves and verse 2 of the title track.
One of my most favourite songs of Georges is his cover of the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea I think it’s one of his best. My top George Albums would be ATMP and LIAMW. I would have liked to have seen more Indian influenced songs like WYWY and Love you too in his later work, also an updated version of it’s all too much which is so underrated and seemed to have got lost in the Beatles Repertoire.
Great to learn some of your info regarding these albums and George. I would love for you to show the albums more and not simply flash them on screen then place them outta view. Also your countdown was all over the place, skipped a number or two, no matter just details.
Hi John & i've totally changed my rankings on George's solo albums myself with believe it or not All Thing Must Pass actually going UP in my estimation..... 10 - Gone Troppo 9 - Brainwashed 8 - Living In The Material World 7 - Dark Horse 6 - Extra Texture 5 - Somewhere In England 4 - George Harrison 3 - Cloud 9 2 - All Things Must Pass 1 - Thirty Three & 1/3.... My Top 5 totally moved about in the last year or so.
Interesting list and I like how you’ve bucked the trend. I think the reason I have never gone “all in” on George Harrison as a solo artist is because I don’t think he’s a genius or an interesting character on a par with John Lennon, and he didn’t seem to be as passionate about or committed to music as Paul McCartney. There is also a touch of lecturing self righteousness in some of his songs. Having said that, All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World are great albums, and there were gems throughout his career, some of which I’m still discovering. I always thought This Song and Got My mind Set On You were good fun.
Didn't like Nicky Hopkins' keyboard work???? I understand this is all subjective, but such a comment needs a very persuasive explanation. And Jim Keltner was a highly in demand drummer in the 70s for good reason.
Really enjoy your videos and I know it's just personal opinion. But I have to say that I love Cloud 9. Nothing wrong with wanting a hit record. It's in his top 5 albums imo. Stuart
Very thoughtful... many disagreements, but I do like them all. I still love Crackerbox Palace. I think Lay His Head is on my top 5 favorite George songs. I also love Pisces Fish. Dark Horse and Tired of Midnight Blue are amazing. I also really like Hottest Gong in Town. Thanks John. 1. ATMP 2. Brainwashed 3. George Harrison 4. 33 1/3 5. Cloud 9 6. Living in the Material World 7. Extra Texture 8. Somewhere in England 9. Gone Troppo 10. Dark Horse 11. Wonderwall 12 Electronic Sounds
Agree about Cloud nine being over rated and impressed by you having an individual take on Georges albums.I would rank Brainwashed higher than you and though i agree about ATMP needing to be a double album to me the strength of the first 4 sides make this Georges best album and argubly the best Beatles solo album
hi John always a interesting topic which is George, for me all things must pass is hard to beat and would always be my number 1 George album i know the jam bit didn't cut with yourself i always loved it, thanks to yourself i revisited living in the material world and rate a lot more than i did at first been playing Dark Horse quite a bit of late again this wasn't a album i warmed to at 1st, but it has grown on me a lot i didn't like Extra texture i have gone back to it to try again aside from You and this guitar, it laboured for me and to be fair it would put me getting Georges albums till somewhere in England. i would get round to check the other one out but extra texture would swap places with cloud nine for me, i know you were not too fussed about cloud nine i love it it was great move by George linking up With Jeff Lynne, i mourn the fact George didn't tour more... a shame gone troppo is another album i need to revisited the self titled album is good didn't mind 33/1/3 caught them later, good to hear you were a cassette collector still have my cassette collection always was a album and cassette purchased very buy back in the day. happy new year john great video sir.
Thank you, John, I couldn‘t agree more. And yes, Dark Horse is one of my favourites and esp. in Simply Shady he is as honest and personal as John had ever been. And what a wonderful wonderful brass arrangement at the end, nobody noticed it. Try to hum the melody and you see how intense and melodic the song is. For me it‘s on my Top 3 list of George‘s songs and Top 10 of all Beatles solo songs. - The dissing of the musicians who play in Material World by some people is just ridiculous. The piano solo by Nicky Hopkins in The Light That Has lighted The World is indescribably beautiful. Also, in this song George‘s double tracking of his voice is one of the glorious moments of the album. In my opinion it‘s better than Red Rose Speedway and Mind Games, I even listen to it more often than to Band On The Run. - Greetings from Berlin, Harry
Simply shady is top 10 solo? Maybe im amazed All things must pass My love Band on the run It don’t come easy Photograph Instant karma Mind games Watching the wheels My sweet lord Which song of these is it better than? You’re trying to be different..I get that but it’s nonsense.
I've always rated the self titled album very highly and never wavered. I done think I've heard Living all the way through, I must do something about that.I was influenced by the bad feiews...probably NME and probably Tony Tyler. I remember Planet Waves and Blood on the tracks got poor reviews originally yet I was not influenced by those reviews in that case !
Good assessment, John: I would agree with all of your rankings. The original version of Somewhere In England would be in my top 5; it has a great feel to it. It's a shame it wasn't released as it was intended. As much as I love the songs on ATMP, Spector's production makes it unlistenable for me now. Fortunately, with all the archival material that has been released, it's possible to make an alternative version without his bombastic, annoying wall of "mud" sound. Thanks for another enjoyable video; always look forward to your Beatle & related ones.
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production was the perfect way to present George's Epic Masterpiece. Anything less would have been pandering to the "purists".
Nice round up John. I generally agree. I wasn't impressed by CLOUD 9 on release and like it less now. I'd have to put ALL THINGS MUST PASS at the top, despite the third disc!!! but EXTRA TEXTURE and DARK HORSE are woefully unappreciated and I do play them more than MATERIAL WORLD. The self titled GEORGE HARRISON was his last great album, in IMHO.
obviously these lists are a matter of personal opinion. Happen to agree with you about Cloud 9 though. Loved it when it came out but it has not aged well and i dont listen to it anymore. I think its very uneven. However, i feel the same way about Material World except ive always disliked about half that album. as far as All things Must Pass: George himself described it as a double album with a bonus disc.
Glad to see Material World getting some love and praise. I was hoping for a re-release when the 50th anniversary came around, but we got nothing. As masterful as All things is, it feels a bit bloated, especially due to the Jams disc. Meanwhile, I believe Material world is much more focused and concise than All things, resulting in a far more consistent and pleasurable listening experience. As a younger man, the spiritual songs may have bothered me, but as I grow older, I take them as merely George's expression of his own faith. I appreciate them as much as I can admire a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace or any other religious song. Even if I don't believe the theology behind the message, I can still be moved by the beauty of the music. That's the beauty of music as an art form, its numinous quality transcends mere message.
I more or less agree with John's placings. As a long term Harrison fan, the albums I play most often are Material World, Dark Horse, GH and Extra Texture. I was glad when George had his late resurgence in 87, but I agree with John that Cloud 9 hasn't aged well, and lacks the "feel" of those 70s albums. I also think that far too much credence is given to what critics said in the 70s, when they effectively punished George for not producing All Things over and over. I remember how excited I was when I got my vinyl copy of Material World via the good offices of the George Harrison Fan Club back in 82, and also buying the MFP issue of Dark Horse and being shocked that it was nowhere near as bad as its critical reputation. In fact, as mentioned above, it remains one of my most-played albums overall.
I think John you are the first person Ive seen who has "Cloud 9" on the bottom of the list. You said its because 'you don't go back to it that much' - But there must be more to it than that. I think a little more objectivity is called for, and Cloud 9 is not his worst album. On a personal level for me, I think it's one of his strongest; good songs (mostly), great production (debatable in some quarters) and very accessable and upbeat. He doesn't have many bad albums in my opinion, but definitely some better than others. My own list: 1: All things 2: Material world (could be #1 on another day) 3: Cloud 9, 4: Self titled ("your love is forever" one of his best) 5: Gone Troppo (personal opinion - but I enjoy it more than ones below it) 6: Brainwashed (very cohesive) 7: Extra-Texture (better than is given credit) 8: Thirty-Three + Third, 9: Dark Horse (love the title track; could be higher on another day) 10: Somewhere in England (have never been able to get into it but love "All those years ago") - didn't include his first 2, never been interested. Thanks
Very good ranking, my issue with cloud 9 is the production by jeff lynne. I think most of the songs are good but im not a fan of lynne. I would have to put all things must pass #1. Its a top 5 solo Beatle album. All of George's albums have good songs on them and are worth seeking out for those who don't have them.
Remember when you felt that "Blow Away" should have been a bigger hit then it was? Well that track and "This Is Love" didn't get any airplay here in the States! ZERO! I don't see anything wrong with promoting these tunes. No different then someone promoting their books. If you're not getting any airplay, you have to do something! Cloud 9 is a solid lp, but i, too, didn't care for the cover track. Good stuff John. 😉
I respectively disagree about US airplay for Blow Away. Not only was it Top 20 in pop charts it was a staple on adult contemporary stations. Here in Detroit, it even got airplay on FM rock stations along with If You Believe and Love Comes to Everyone (criminally ignored when it came out as a single.)
For me Harrison's solo career was less interesting and successful (artistically) than either Lennon's or McCartney's. But he arguably produced the best solo album of all in ATMP.
@@alfching2499 The production was in some ways dated when it was made. But well written songs never "go out of fashion" as far as serious music fans are considered, and there are several such songs on ATMP. And who cares what is fashionable with the largely musically illiterate general public of today?
everyone is allowed an opinion but ranking cloude 9 that low is insane. it's his 2nd best album. the guitars are incredible. his voice is the best it ever was. just a crazy take
It was supposed to be about albums, but ends up being about good songs here and there. A big invention of the 60s was LP as an artistic statement and being more than collection of songs aka, one or two hits, another passable song and plenty of filler. By focusing on few good songs from each album the reviewer reveals the major weakness of post-Beatles Harrison’s output: with possible exception of ATMP his albums do not add to much. Good song here and there but as albums they are unconvincing and most of them quickly outstay their welcome. Personally, since I tried to listen to them when they were appearing, I have to admit I stopped paying attention to George by mid 70s.
Hand someone all things must pass and they aren’t missing out on anything after let’s be honest John!!!!!…no mention of Bobby Whitlock whilst naming those musicians..I hope he’s not being overlooked again!!!!
All Things Must Pass is all you need to hear from George. The rest of his albums forced me to reevaluate George's abilities as a writer. Sometimes an artist has a shining moment...and then its gone.
This is a list of 1 All things must pass… The end. Stick the rest in the bin where it truly belongs. We must point out George was inspired by John and Paul to write songs..only a few occasions did he match them. John,all things must pass no3?..pop that list of yours in the bin also! Dark hoarse number 4?
Your love is forever one of the greatest songs ever written.
I'm so glad "George Harrison" ranked that high. I can appreciate that objectively "All things Must Pass" is probably the best album, but I play his self titled more than anything. It's the mood of it. I just feel better after putting it on. I haven't clicked with Material World yet but last time I listened to it I had a lot of fun.
Awesome video,John!
George was my favorite Beatle,
and I love his solo career more
than the others.
My all time favorite album of his
is the self-titled album he released in 1979.
I've always considered the 1979 "George Harrison" album to be the most underrated solo Beatles album. Such a great listen, start to finish.
@@alanlinfield4318
Yes.
It’s a masterpiece!
Interesting comments. I think the bottom line is that all of George’s regular albums, non-album singles, b-sides and outtakes have merit and are enjoyable to listen to. My son is a musician, and when he came home for Christmas last month, he was playing all these songs from “Material World” that he had recently discovered, and it was just wonderful to hear. Thank God for George Harrison. We miss him so much.
Great reflections on these albums as ever, John. Yes, personally I would have Cloud Nine near or at the top, but I respect your views of course. I love to see appreciation for the 1979 LP - it’s a record which has rocketed in my estimation in recent times and now regularly dances around the top spot with ATMP and CN. Love your reviews man. Peace.
Another excellent appraisal, John. May I mention the sublime 'Marwa Blues' too from Brainwashed. Apparently it's also one of Paul's alltime George faves 😎
A superb defence of Living in the Material World - and rightly arguing for it's beautiful production and thematic consistency, rejecting the idea that because George was writing about god and his personal conflicts/difficulties he was 'preaching' or 'whining'. It feels almost like a concept album - diary of George '70-'72 - and for that I applaud it.
NowhereMan2710 well said.
I appreciate your direct and sincere comments on these albums. I also like "Dark Horse," though I would have ranked "33 1/3" higher. You make me want to listen to them all again (except maybe for "Electronic Sound, which is just 3/4 of an hour of George playing around with a synthesizer).
George was a talented singer musician, and. Song writer .thanks John allways a pleasure listening to your comments .
Great comments ! Yes, "Living In the Material World" is my favorite too. I hope a review of this album with Matt very soon !
Thanks for the podcast. Living in the Material was a massive seller. Here in the USA it debuted at number 11 and was number 1 the following week. Robert Hilbourne of the Los Angeles times panned it, which delayed me from buying it till 1979. I found it quite enjoyable. Prior to that, I only had the give me peace on earth single from the album. Blow away while only making it to only number 51 in UK ,made it to number 16 in U.S. when 9 of the 10 top ten singles were dico.
When "Blow Away" made it to #16 in the US, 3 of the top 5 songs in the US were not disco.
#1 Reunited - Peaches & Herb
#3 Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills
#5 Stumblin In - Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
One of the misnomers of the late 70s is that disco took over almost everything in music. But in reality, there was a nice variety in music. Just as there was in every year of the 70s.
Hello John, great ranking!!! I totally agree. Greetings from Germany, Thomas.
Thanks for the updated rankings, mine constantly changes as well. But to your point, Living in the Material World, gets overlooked these days. And it’s a great album, and more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it. Wonderful video John, and thanks for sharing.
Good rundown John. I honestly wasn't expecting the switch-over at the very end.
Good call John. LITMW is my all time favourite album. Not too much wrong with your ranking
John, excellent and thoughtful review. I also love the positive vibe of 1979 George Harrison. I wish I could hear your thoughts on Early Takes - it is by far my favourite George Harrison album to listen to - to me it presents the most unadorned and authentic version of George's music.
George Harrison’s studio album sound never sounded ‘ thin ‘ at all after ATMP. By the time his 1979 self titled album came out George had learned how to take full advantage of creating his own solo sound. This sound reflected until ‘ Cloud Nine ‘ , an album full of great songs that was totally overproduced by Jeff Lynne. I waited 15 years for the next George Harrison album and sadly it was a posthumous one. However I feel ‘ Brainwashed’ was a great album to end Georges solo career and it contained a number of very enjoyable songs. It ranks as No.5 in my George Harrison solo list.
1: All things must pass
2: Living in the material world.
3: Thirty three & 1/3.
4: George Harrison
5: Brainwashed.
I typically don't share my personal rankings. But in this case I'll make an exception because I was such a fan of George Harrison's music and bought his six albums from the 1970s in chronological order and as soon as they were released (from "Living In the Material World" onwards). I played the albums incessantly upon release and interestingly ranked them in real (1970s) time. So here goes (rankings by date throughout the 1970s).
1973:
All Things Must Pass
Living In The Material World.
1974:
All Things Must Pass
Living In The Material World
Dark Horse.
1975:
All Things Must Pass
Extra Texture (Read All About It)
Living In The Material World
Dark Horse.
1976:
All Things Must Pass
Extra Texture (Read All About It)
33 & 1/3
Living In The Material World
Dark Horse.
1979 (with some of the reasoning):
All Things Must Pass (my favourite; the first studio album of George's that I bought which got me into his solo work; plus a fantastic line up of musicians).
George Harrison (his most optimistic and uplifting album; it also recreated my interest in listening to music and collecting records).
Extra Texture (Read All About It) - (better than Dark Horse - the release immediately before this one, so - phew! - finally the trend of each new release being worse than its predecessor had been broken for me; "You" could have been on "All Things Must Pass").
33 & 1/3 (solid album, I liked it a lot).
Living In The Material World (beautifully crafted songs throughout; but the album is not as good as "All Things Must Pass"; and I didn't like George's voice as much as on The Beatles' albums and on "All Things Must Pass").
Dark Horse (didn't like this, so much unrealised potential; it could have been George Harrison's "Court and Spark" having Tom Scott & The L.A. Express at his fingertips, but alas, it was not to have been; he even took my favourite song from 1973 - Alvin Lee/Mylon Lefrevre's version of "So Sad", and ruined it for me).
Yes, I know I have "Living In The Material World" in the wrong place. But you have to remember that it was a relative disappointment for me after "All Things Must Pass". However, it was the album that introduced me to Zakir Hussain. "Extra Texture" is probably too high. But for me, "You" is a song which made me feel that I had discovered a bit more of "All Things Must Pass" 5 years on. By the way, there's a nice reworking of "This Guitar" in 1992 with Dave Stewart on lead guitar and Ringo on drums which is worth a listen.
I agree with you about All Things Must Pass. It was released as a triple album and should be evaluated as a triple album. All too often it’s reviewed as a double album with a bonus, throw away third album. It was one of the best albums when it was released and still has some of George’s best solo songs. It is a must have for any Beatles fan.
I enjoy your takes on the Beatles, and many of your other videos as well. Thank you for turning me on to George’s self titled album, it took a few listens, but no agree, it is sublime, and for me his best. He is my favorite Beatle because he’s the most interesting, the most spiritual, and seemingly down to earth. I was quite take by how many folks who knew him absolutely adored him.
I agree with you on your insights into the records, especially "Material World." Very astute, very well considered throughout. Good job!
John great to revisit and re- appraise your rankings! I find I would similarly change my view of record releases over the years! I love George’s music.I think he benefited from having equal collaborators rather than side men!
Great comments, John! I think also with All Things Must Pass, as good as they are, some of the tracks could have done with a tighter edit. A few of the songs seem at times to meander a bit too much, although I won't deny also their basic strengths. I am glad also you include the unnecessary apple jam sides in your rating. Overall, though, like all the ex Beatles, many of George's most memorable moments are in the early part of his solo career. Living In The Material World is a refreshing change at no 1, where i believe the album lacks the unnecessary extravagances of All Things Must Pass, although the core of the latter is perhaps still my favourite.
Not sure about the self titled George Harrison album from 1979. It has some great songs, and some notable slide playing by George, but I've always found it a little bland in comparison with his early seventies recordings
George Harrison self titled is one of my favourite albums of all time.
I have a bootleg with these great songs:
Mo, Flying Hour, Sat Sitting, Lay His Head.
Some favorites on Thiry Three And One Third:
Pure Smokey, Learning How To Love You, Crackerbox Palace.
Great music video to True Love.
Some favorites on George Harrison self titled:
Love Comes To Everyone, Blow Away, If You Believe, Soft Touch.
I mainly like Somewhere In England for one song:
All Those Years Ago.
plus 3 of those who were left off.
Life Itself is also a very nice song.
Almost too many great songs to mention on All Things Must Pass.
5 songs that mean the most to me:
I'd Have You Anytime, Awaiting On You All, My Sweet Lord,
What Is Life, Behind That Locked Door.
I don't really need the last Jam, should have just been a double.
The price gets ridiculous with having it a triple.
My favorite song on Dark Horse:
Far East Man.
So Sad & Simply Shady are also memorable.
My favorite song on Extra Texture:
You.
My favorite song on Living In The Material World:
Give Me Love.
I actually enjoy the whole Gone Troppo album.
My favorites include:
That's The Way It Goes, Gone Troppo, Mystical One, Dream Away.
Shanghai Surprise is a nice song.
I tend to ignore the Cloud Nine album.
I love Jeff Lynne but I still don't resonate with that album.
Poor Little Girl is a nice song.
I don't care for the Brainwashed album or the two 60's albums.
The Pirate Song is gold.
Abandoned Love & I Don't Want To Do It are also very nice.
The Light That Has Lighted The World is also a very nice song.
But overall that album is not too high for me personal.
I have a friend who is a Beatles collector and his favorite
George Harrison album is Living In The Material World.
Love Comes To Everyone and Blow Away are very nostalgic to me.
I probably heard them a lot on the radio when I was little.
Same with All Those Years Ago, very nostalgic for me.
Some Beatles favorites are:
Long Long Long, Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something.
Like many casual solo George Harrison fans, I’ve enjoyed All Things Must Pass for years and have always wondered how wonderful the Beatles next album would have been had they stayed together and used all of their first solo album material, but the real revelation, thanks to John’s praise, was the self-titled album, which is a joy from start to finish. A real favourite
All things must pass is a masterpiece, i also think Cloud nine is a great album.
Hi John, I always enjoy your commentaries and while it's all subjective, I'll take a moment to give you mine: I LOVE the "late" albums, "Cloud Nine" and "Brainwashed", but I'll grant you your criticisms of "Cloud Nine" are fair. I'm a HUGE Jeff Lynne fan, so that colors my opinion of those albums. Number One for me is "All Things Must Pass", even with the Apple Jam. Yes, it is superfluous, but I've come to enjoy it nonetheless. Lastly, two albums that got slagged when they came out, "Dark Horse" and "Gone Troppo", I rather like.
I found your choice interesting John, as a admirer of George Harrison I was quite surprised by your choice in a good way. I agree the Cloud Nine to me is not the George music I know it has been over worked by Jeff Lynne and it sounds too ELOish I do however like Gone Troppo a couple of duffs but over all a nice album, so that for me would be above Dark Horse. As for George's music in general to me he is the better of all the other's and the words are just so meaningful and I myself have become more Spiritual for it. Thanks John for defending George like that and about the wealth he gave millions away to charities .
Greatl list John. Never liked the Phil Spector Wall of Sound used on All Things Must Pass..even though ATMP is a winner…
I am in agreement with you on “Cloud Nine” - I enjoyed it when it came out, but it’s lost its charm for me and these days it leaves me cold. On the other hand for some reason “Extra Texture” has really grown on me over time. I agree with you on its honesty and. soulfulness. It along with “Brainwashed”, and “All Things Must Pass” (still by far my favorite) are really the only albums of George’s that I return to, although most of the albums have a few highlights on them. Nice video John..
That's a very interesting and radical ranking John. I concur with the love you're giving to Dark Horse and Extra Texture. Dark Horse has so many good songs - So Sad, Simply Shady, Maya Love, title track and Far East Man, and I've always enjoyed the openlng 3 songs of ET. But, I do like Cloud Nine and Brainwashed - punchy rockers and beautiful ballads - and woud rank them higher than the first 4 Warners albums. I would also have ATMP at 1 simply because sides 1-4 are sooo brilliant. LIAMW, meanwhile, sounds good but I think suffers from some clumsy writing - eg The Lord Loves and verse 2 of the title track.
I totally agree with you on Dylan's Saved. It's a superb album full of emotion.
One of my most favourite songs of Georges is his cover of the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea I think it’s one of his best. My top George Albums would be ATMP and LIAMW. I would have liked to have seen more Indian influenced songs like WYWY and Love you too in his later work, also an updated version of it’s all too much which is so underrated and seemed to have got lost in the Beatles Repertoire.
Great to learn some of your info regarding these albums and George. I would love for you to show the albums more and not simply flash them on screen then place them outta view. Also your countdown was all over the place, skipped a number or two, no matter just details.
Hi John & i've totally changed my rankings on George's solo albums myself with believe it or not All Thing Must Pass actually going UP in my estimation.....
10 - Gone Troppo
9 - Brainwashed
8 - Living In The Material World
7 - Dark Horse
6 - Extra Texture
5 - Somewhere In England
4 - George Harrison
3 - Cloud 9
2 - All Things Must Pass
1 - Thirty Three & 1/3....
My Top 5 totally moved about in the last year or so.
Obviously can’t agree with your list but that’s the great thing about ranking videos.
Interesting list and I like how you’ve bucked the trend.
I think the reason I have never gone “all in” on George Harrison as a solo artist is because I don’t think he’s a genius or an interesting character on a par with John Lennon, and he didn’t seem to be as passionate about or committed to music as Paul McCartney. There is also a touch of lecturing self righteousness in some of his songs.
Having said that, All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World are great albums, and there were gems throughout his career, some of which I’m still discovering.
I always thought This Song and Got My mind Set On You were good fun.
Didn't like Nicky Hopkins' keyboard work???? I understand this is all subjective, but such a comment needs a very persuasive explanation. And Jim Keltner was a highly in demand drummer in the 70s for good reason.
Have you got any KLAATU?
Really enjoy your videos and I know it's just personal opinion. But I have to say that I love Cloud 9. Nothing wrong with wanting a hit record. It's in his top 5 albums imo. Stuart
Whenever I feel like listening to a George song, I'm most likely to reach for Fish On The Sand.
Very thoughtful... many disagreements, but I do like them all. I still love Crackerbox Palace. I think Lay His Head is on my top 5 favorite George songs. I also love Pisces Fish. Dark Horse and Tired of Midnight Blue are amazing. I also really like Hottest Gong in Town. Thanks John.
1. ATMP
2. Brainwashed
3. George Harrison
4. 33 1/3
5. Cloud 9
6. Living in the Material World
7. Extra Texture
8. Somewhere in England
9. Gone Troppo
10. Dark Horse
11. Wonderwall
12 Electronic Sounds
With you on George, my top 10 is the same,
Yet another excellent review, thank you.
Agree about Cloud nine being over rated and impressed by you having an individual take on Georges albums.I would rank Brainwashed higher than you and though i agree about ATMP needing to be a double album to me the strength of the first 4 sides make this Georges best album and argubly the best Beatles solo album
Nice to see Extra Texture higher in the ranking, a fine 100% George album.
John are you gonna review the Stones latest album?
He’s previously said they should have retired in about 1983, so would be interesting!
No, he has no intention, although i think it is worthy of a review. It is much better than i could have anticipated.
Living in the Material World (the single) ROCKS!🍾💰
hi John always a interesting topic which is George, for me all things must pass is hard to beat and would always be my number 1 George album i know the jam bit didn't cut with yourself i always loved it, thanks to yourself i revisited living in the material world and rate a lot more than i did at first been playing Dark Horse quite a bit of late again this wasn't a album i warmed to at 1st, but it has grown on me a lot i didn't like Extra texture i have gone back to it to try again aside from You and this guitar, it laboured for me and to be fair it would put me getting Georges albums till somewhere in England. i would get round to check the other one out but extra texture would swap places with cloud nine for me, i know you were not too fussed about cloud nine i love it it was great move by George linking up With Jeff Lynne, i mourn the fact George didn't tour more... a shame gone troppo is another album i need to revisited the self titled album is good didn't mind 33/1/3 caught them later, good to hear you were a cassette collector still have my cassette collection always was a album and cassette purchased very buy back in the day. happy new year john great video sir.
Thank you, John, I couldn‘t agree more. And yes, Dark Horse is one of my favourites and esp. in Simply Shady he is as honest and personal as John had ever been. And what a wonderful wonderful brass arrangement at the end, nobody noticed it. Try to hum the melody and you see how intense and melodic the song is. For me it‘s on my Top 3 list of George‘s songs and Top 10 of all Beatles solo songs. - The dissing of the musicians who play in Material World by some people is just ridiculous. The piano solo by Nicky Hopkins in The Light That Has lighted The World is indescribably beautiful. Also, in this song George‘s double tracking of his voice is one of the glorious moments of the album. In my opinion it‘s better than Red Rose Speedway and Mind Games, I even listen to it more often than to Band On The Run. - Greetings from Berlin, Harry
Simply shady is top 10 solo?
Maybe im amazed
All things must pass
My love
Band on the run
It don’t come easy
Photograph
Instant karma
Mind games
Watching the wheels
My sweet lord
Which song of these is it better than?
You’re trying to be different..I get that but it’s nonsense.
Cloud 9 is his best album. It led into the wonderful Traveling Wilburys period. Wonderwall Music is very underrated.
I've always rated the self titled album very highly and never wavered. I done think I've heard Living all the way through, I must do something about that.I was influenced by the bad feiews...probably NME and probably Tony Tyler. I remember Planet Waves and Blood on the tracks got poor reviews originally yet I was not influenced by those reviews in that case !
all things must pass living in a material world george was on a roll
I’ve always loved Extra Texture. Not my favourite but still a lovely album. Be hear Now from LiTMW is also one of my fav George tracks
Sat Singing is one of my favorite George songs.
Good assessment, John: I would agree with all of your rankings. The original version of Somewhere In England would be in my top 5; it has a great feel to it. It's a shame it wasn't released as it was intended. As much as I love the songs on ATMP, Spector's production makes it unlistenable for me now. Fortunately, with all the archival material that has been released, it's possible to make an alternative version without his bombastic, annoying wall of "mud" sound. Thanks for another enjoyable video; always look forward to your Beatle & related ones.
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production was the perfect way to present George's Epic Masterpiece. Anything less would have been pandering to the "purists".
Nice round up John. I generally agree. I wasn't impressed by CLOUD 9 on release and like it less now. I'd have to put ALL THINGS MUST PASS at the top, despite the third disc!!! but EXTRA TEXTURE and DARK HORSE are woefully unappreciated and I do play them more than MATERIAL WORLD. The self titled GEORGE HARRISON was his last great album, in IMHO.
This ranking list was insane.
obviously these lists are a matter of personal opinion. Happen to agree with you about Cloud 9 though. Loved it when it came out but it has not aged well and i dont listen to it anymore. I think its very uneven. However, i feel the same way about Material World except ive always disliked about half that album. as far as All things Must Pass: George himself described it as a double album with a bonus disc.
Glad to see Material World getting some love and praise. I was hoping for a re-release when the 50th anniversary came around, but we got nothing. As masterful as All things is, it feels a bit bloated, especially due to the Jams disc. Meanwhile, I believe Material world is much more focused and concise than All things, resulting in a far more consistent and pleasurable listening experience. As a younger man, the spiritual songs may have bothered me, but as I grow older, I take them as merely George's expression of his own faith. I appreciate them as much as I can admire a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace or any other religious song. Even if I don't believe the theology behind the message, I can still be moved by the beauty of the music. That's the beauty of music as an art form, its numinous quality transcends mere message.
I more or less agree with John's placings. As a long term Harrison fan, the albums I play most often are Material World, Dark Horse, GH and Extra Texture. I was glad when George had his late resurgence in 87, but I agree with John that Cloud 9 hasn't aged well, and lacks the "feel" of those 70s albums. I also think that far too much credence is given to what critics said in the 70s, when they effectively punished George for not producing All Things over and over. I remember how excited I was when I got my vinyl copy of Material World via the good offices of the George Harrison Fan Club back in 82, and also buying the MFP issue of Dark Horse and being shocked that it was nowhere near as bad as its critical reputation. In fact, as mentioned above, it remains one of my most-played albums overall.
Ray demands yet another royal pardon from you, Your Lordship, for Dutch Master Whitlock: JUSTICE FOR BOBBY!!..
I think John you are the first person Ive seen who has "Cloud 9" on the bottom of the list. You said its because 'you don't go back to it that much' - But there must be more to it than that. I think a little more objectivity is called for, and Cloud 9 is not his worst album. On a personal level for me, I think it's one of his strongest; good songs (mostly), great production (debatable in some quarters) and very accessable and upbeat. He doesn't have many bad albums in my opinion, but definitely some better than others. My own list:
1: All things 2: Material world (could be #1 on another day) 3: Cloud 9, 4: Self titled ("your love is forever" one of his best) 5: Gone Troppo (personal opinion - but I enjoy it more than ones below it) 6: Brainwashed (very cohesive) 7: Extra-Texture (better than is given credit) 8: Thirty-Three + Third, 9: Dark Horse (love the title track; could be higher on another day) 10: Somewhere in England (have never been able to get into it but love "All those years ago")
- didn't include his first 2, never been interested. Thanks
The self-titled George Harrison album is a fantastic album from beginning to end.
Very good ranking, my issue with cloud 9 is the production by jeff lynne. I think most of the songs are good but im not a fan of lynne. I would have to put all things must pass #1. Its a top 5 solo Beatle album. All of George's albums have good songs on them and are worth seeking out for those who don't have them.
At last Dark Horse getting the recognition it deserves !! My fave !!😸
proper order---ATMP, Cloude 9, brainwashed, GH, Material world, 33 1/3, DH, ET, GT, england, unless you want to include the 2 live albums
Just a shock list 😂
i love Somewhere in England….Living in the Material World…not Cloud 9…
Remember when you felt that "Blow Away" should have been a bigger hit then it was? Well that track and "This Is Love" didn't get any airplay here in the States! ZERO! I don't see anything wrong with promoting these tunes. No different then someone promoting their books. If you're not getting any airplay, you have to do something! Cloud 9 is a solid lp, but i, too, didn't care for the cover track. Good stuff John. 😉
I respectively disagree about US airplay for Blow Away. Not only was it Top 20 in pop charts it was a staple on adult contemporary stations. Here in Detroit, it even got airplay on FM rock stations along with If You Believe and Love Comes to Everyone (criminally ignored when it came out as a single.)
@@timothysmith83 Zero airplay in Chicago. 😔
For me Harrison's solo career was less interesting and successful (artistically) than either Lennon's or McCartney's. But he arguably produced the best solo album of all in ATMP.
All Things Must Pass is old fashioned now and it’s too boring and miserable to hear all at once.
@@alfching2499 The production was in some ways dated when it was made. But well written songs never "go out of fashion" as far as serious music fans are considered, and there are several such songs on ATMP. And who cares what is fashionable with the largely musically illiterate general public of today?
I agree. I would love to have heard ATMP without the terrible production. Great songs spoiled.
@@christopher9152 it’s not the old fashioned bit I’m 77 and not exactly fashionable it’s the miserableness of it all
@@alfching2499 Fair enough! I never thought of the album that way, but yes, I can see how it has some dreary moments.
as well as brainwashed which is his 3rd best album
I strongly disagree about cloud nine but you make other good points on the self titled album.
EXTRA TEXTURE: Soulful Rubbish: (Read all about it!)..
Maya love
...dow-dow dow-dow dooww
this is the most insane take on GH career from a fan I've ever heard. lol
nearly all the essential guitars on ATMP pass is George/ all the slide guitar, lots of the riffs played by George. 2-3 songs are Eric front and center
everyone is allowed an opinion but ranking cloude 9 that low is insane. it's his 2nd best album. the guitars are incredible. his voice is the best it ever was. just a crazy take
It was supposed to be about albums, but ends up being about good songs here and there. A big invention of the 60s was LP as an artistic statement and being more than collection of songs aka, one or two hits, another passable song and plenty of filler. By focusing on few good songs from each album the reviewer reveals the major weakness of post-Beatles Harrison’s output: with possible exception of ATMP his albums do not add to much. Good song here and there but as albums they are unconvincing and most of them quickly outstay their welcome. Personally, since I tried to listen to them when they were appearing, I have to admit I stopped paying attention to George by mid 70s.
in fact I am forbidding you to listen to George's albums
praising somewhere in england far and away his worst along with extra texture. I'm just confused listening to this.
"Living in The Material World" is a masterpiece. I won't be listening to that podcast.
Hand someone all things must pass and they aren’t missing out on anything after let’s be honest John!!!!!…no mention of Bobby Whitlock whilst naming those musicians..I hope he’s not being overlooked again!!!!
All Things Must Pass is all you need to hear from George. The rest of his albums forced me to reevaluate George's abilities as a writer. Sometimes an artist has a shining moment...and then its gone.
Not all of his albums are enjoyable,his guitar sound is good but irritating often,my favourite if I have one is Cheer Down.
atmp 3. stop it now
This is a list of 1
All things must pass…
The end.
Stick the rest in the bin where it truly belongs.
We must point out George was inspired by John and Paul to write songs..only a few occasions did he match them.
John,all things must pass no3?..pop that list of yours in the bin also!
Dark hoarse number 4?
Don‘t get excited, buddy. Stuff other people like does not belong in the bin. Just don‘t care and leave us alone.
@@Delius1958 play dark horse and extra texture and live a miserable life then
Dark Horse and Extra Texture have dreadful vocals. Complete rubbish. Should never have been released.