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[tkitna]

All Things Must Pass

I have always considered this to be the best solo album of all the Beatles, but admit to not having listened to it for a very long time.  Its a long album and its going to be a chore to dissect, but I think its time so we can then proceed with George's other efforts.  So here goes,,,,,


I'd Have You Anytime - A song that Bob Dylan helped George out with.  Starts off with a nice acoustic and steel guitar playing (think its a steel anyways).  Bass has a nice tone.  Drums are nice and low in the mix.  George's voice sounds nice.  Drummer is using brushes.  Sweet.  0:48 love the electric guitar here and the little build up.  1:25 I can hear an xylophone or something in the background.  2:22 is a nice little lead guitar part and its evident its not a steel guitar.  Beautiful and haunting tune to start the album.

My Sweet Lord - Probably George's most popular song ever.  Everybody knows about the plagiarism court case in which George supposedly lifted the song from the Chiffons, but who cares?  Its a good song. Love the acoustic guitar and Georges trademark slide electric.  1:30 the background singers come in.  1:52 absolutely adore how the drums sneak into the fray.  2:46 the lead comes in and gets double tracked along the way.  Great.  George sings with conviction and its just a great song.

Wah-Wah - Always a favorite of mine.  George takes a jab at Paul and John with this one.  Starts with a nice electric guitar intro.  Keyboards and drums fall in right after to set the tone.  Like how George sings over the background singers singing Wah-Wah.  Bass sounds good again.  1:45 we have some brass and horns joining in.  Lead plays along with the horns and its awesome.  Just an upbeat tune about a few grudges during earlier times. Outstanding.

Isnt It A Pity - Starts with an acoustic guitar and piano intro.  Might be strings in there too, but I dont have my good headphones on.  0:50 the tambourine comes in (most underrated instrument in music).  1:15 drums appear and sound good.  Has that dead 70's sound but works well.  1:29 Georges voice is double tracked and its a great effect. Big strings at 2:10 with slide guitar.  Great solo by the way.  Another haunting piece I love.  It clocks in a little over 7 minutes, but I never get bored with it. 

What Is Life - One of George's more upbeat, better known numbers that I love.  The guitar intro is awesome along with the drums coming in,,,,really nice.  Bass has that full rounded sound as usual and those horns, please.  Fantastic.  The hi hat splashes throughout from the drummer is a must.  They add so much.  The lead solo is tasty to say the least.  Just a happy, upbeat song that has me always tapping my toes and wanting to move around. 

If Not For You - Dylan wrote this one and this is where the momentum takes a slight dip for me.  More acoustic with some slide and the drummer using the brushes again.  Piano comes in, but I swear theres wrong notes being played at the 1:00 mark.  1:12 theres that tambourine again.  Overall, this is a fine song and I do like it, but its just coming off that high from the previous song that brings it down a notch. 

Behind That Locked Door -  Starts with slide or steel guitar and acoustic together which reminds me of a country themed song you would hear in a barn while dancing. There's those brushes again,  Bass continues to impress.  Nice piano.  Oh that church organ in the middle. All in all its a nice country, waltz, slower offering. 

Let It Down - Hit you like a sledgehammer is how this song starts out.  Horns, guitar, drums with echo effect, etc,,,.  Love the piano.  0:25 its comes to a calm.  Love the melody to the song.  Another that is haunting but yet not overly so, if you can understand that.  Really, really love George's vocal range here.  Not so much lows to falsettos but more in the terms of being smooth to forceful.  Great.  2:15 'Let It Down',,,,Yeah.  What a powerful song. One of my favorites.

Run Of The Mill - Starts with electric acoustic I think?  Some good drumming with melodic horn pieces.  Very weird time signatures in this song.  I like it.  Its a hard song to explain.  Its a medium tempo affair and quite enjoyable.  Not sure what else to say about it. 

Beware Of Darkness - Just love that haunting and beautiful beginning with the guitars and how George's voice sounds when it comes in.  Drums sound great.  .50 mark somebody hits an xylophone note or something.  Just a single one.  Piano and strings are great.  I adore the emotion this song exhibits and its one of my favorites from George.

Apple Scruffs - Little Harmonica to start us out with an echo effect on the drum rims.  Always liked the chord changes through this song.  I'm no musician when it comes to notes, but they always sounded cool to me on this song. All great until the singing at the .53 mark with George trying to go up and down the vocal ranges.  He doesnt have the voice for it and it sounds awful.  1:51 great backing harmonies.  Decent song, but has a few annoying parts. 

Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) - Here's a song that I have always enjoyed just sitting back and relaxing while listening to it.  Its not a banger, but I find my feet still tapping and my shoulders moving.  Drummer uses the brushes and love his bass foot pattern.  All instruments sound great here.  Nice fallout at 1:28 mark.  Song makes me feel good and I like it. 

Awaiting On You All - Another favorite of mine.  Great upbeat number.  I cant help but to dance around to this one either.  I'm not even bothering trying to go into detail about the instruments.  They are all there and they all sound good.  Just do yourself a favor and spin this one.

All Things Must Pass - The title track.  Do I really need to go into detail about this one?  Oh that smooth intro.with the piano, bass, guitar, and horns, and of course that piercing slide.that sounds like its being shot to the moon.  Love the harmonies during the course and the electric guitar.  Horns and strings add so much.  Another winner right here folks.  Beautiful song.

I Dig Love - Damn this album.  Just chalk full of great songs and here's another I love.  The intro reminds me of a mystery spoof theme for some reason.  Always has.  Heavy echo effect on the drums.  .34  What a groove.  Good song, but if I had to find any criticism at all, it would be that its a bit long, around the 5 minute mark, and it really doesnt stray from its path too much which means it can border on the monotonous side.  I dont care, I like it.

Art Of Dying - Wow.  Rocking start with a fantastic electric guitar tone and then the huge horns coming in.  Love, love the bass.  1:38 the middle is great.  The horns and lead are relentless throughout this song.  Absolutely fantastic.

Isnt It A Pity (Version 2) - Same as the first version with some variations to the piano and additions of more harmonies, lead guitar, and flute, etc,,,.  Its a great version.  A bit deeper that the first and I believe my choice out of the two.

Hear Me Lord - Man oh man.  Coming in with those drums and piano.  Good stuff.  Those harmonies give me goosebumps.  Every instrument sounds fantastic here.  George asking for help from the lord.  Powerful song to me.  Piano has that Lunchbox Oddsox sound.  Love the song and what a proper way to end the album before going into the jams.

Continuing on to the third record which are just jam sessions.  I'm not going to spend a bunch of time on them, but will give them a going through.

Out Of The Blue - 11 minute jam with some raunchy guitar and nice piano and organ playing.  Sax comes in a little down the road and sounds awesome.  Cool jam but pretty lengthy.  I wouldnt hesitate to throw it on when i'm partying in the garage with my friends and I want some good rocking background music.  Its good.

Its Johnnys Birthday - A little 49 second tribute to Mr. Lennon.  A sped up and slowed down circus atmosphere.  Goofy little song.

Plug Me In - Another 3 minute jam thats heavy with leads and piano with some decent drumming.  Not much more I can add.

I Remember Jeep - 8 minute deal here that starts out with wind effects.  Production is a bit lower with this one than the previous ones.  Has a few weird sound effects thrown in.  Its ok.

Thanks For The Pepperoni - A 5 plus minute jam here.  Sounds a lot like Roll Over Beethoven with the leads.  Again, its alright, but its just improv jamming. 



There you have it folks.  A triple album if including the jams and what an album it is.  As most know, I lean towards Paul when it comes to the solo efforts, but I wont hesitate to claim this album as the best out of all of them.  Its just a fantastic effort that I really dont listen to enough.  Do yourselves all a favor and listen to this album (especially if you dont happen to own it), because you all deserve it.  Its that good. 

[tkitna]

I have what musicians play on each song somewhere.  Its on an old drumming forum.  I'll see if I can find it and post it up.

[tkitna]

I’D HAVE YOU ANYTIME
(George Harrison & Bob Dylan)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Alan White.

MY SWEET LORD
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Ringo  Starr, Jim Gordon, Badfinger

WAH WAH
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Ringo  Starr, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Badfinger

ISN’T IT A PITY
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Tony Ashton, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Ringo  Starr, Badfinger

WHAT IS LIFE
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Badfinger

IF NOT FOR YOU
(Bob Dylan)
Musicians: George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Alan White, Ringo Starr

BEHIND THAT LOCKED DOOR
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Pete Drake, Alan White.

LET IT DOWN
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Gary Brooker, Badfinger

RUN OF THE MILL
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Gary Wright

BEWARE OF DARKNESS
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Bobby Whitlock, Gary Wright, Carl Radle, Ringo Starr

APPLE SCRUFFS
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison

BALLAD OF SIR FRANKIE CRISP {Let It Roll}
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Pete Drake, Bobby Whitlock, Alan White

AWAITING ON YOU ALL
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Klaus Voormann, Jim Gordon, Jim Price, Bobby Keys

ALL THINGS MUST PASS
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Klaus Voormann, Pete Drake, Ringo Starr OR Jim Gordon

I DIG LOVE
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Bobby Whitlock, Gary Wright, Klaus Voormann, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon

ART OF DYING
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Phil Collins

ISN’T IT A PITY (Version 2)
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Tony Ashton, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright, Ringo  Starr, Badfinger

HEAR ME LORD
(George Harrison)
Musicians: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Gary Wright, Bobby Whitlock, Billy Preston, Jim Price, Bobby Keys

I dont have the lineups for the jams.

[Moogmodule]

Terrific detailed Microscope.

Love this album too but might take a while to do a full reply. Maybe when I’m stuck inside on the weekend.

I think Apple Scruffs from memory was one where George employs his favourite diminished chords. But would have to listen to it again.

The other amazing thing is that, despite filling a double album with songs, with the one repeat of Isn’t it a Pity, George had heaps of other songs leftover, Beautiful Girl, Woman Dont you Cry for Me, I Live for You, You plus others which either he repurposed for later albums or let drop.

[Bobber]

Respect my friend. I'm going to listen to this album too. :-)

[tkitna]

Might do Ringo next or keep with George.  Havent decided.  Not like I dont have the time right now.

[stevie]

Great work Todd!  I’ve never actually listened to this album lol, have only heard the singles and the ones played for Bangladesh.

What Is Life has always intrigued me. One of the best Beatle solo songs. It’s so catchy. It’s weird because the guitar is distinctly George but the infectious melody is practically Paul. The only weakness is George’s vocals seem to mixed low and he gets drowned out by all that’s happening in the song. Awesome bass by Klaus which I can play reasonably well if I concentrate lol.

It’s one of those songs that demands to be played loud

[nimrod]

Thanks Todd, I enjoyed reading your review.
 

[Pothos]

Thank you Todd.

[tkitna]

Cheers all.  Thanks for the kind words. 

[blmeanie]

I enjoyed it as well and ...gulp...will admit I've never listened to it all.  I think I owned it 35 years ago but no longer have it other than through streaming.

I listed to a few cuts I hadn't heard while reading your enthusiastic review.  I didn't have time for a good listen so I will need to do that soon.

[Moogmodule]

Thanks Tkitna for taking on this microscope. I always found this album to be such a handful and reviewing it certainly is. So much material to get your head around. It was great to sit and go through it song by song which I haven’t done for a while. This was a mammoth statement by George less than a year after the Beatles had separated. That statement being, look how many songs I have.

I thought I’d put songs in groups of how I think of them.

Top Notch; Always on a George Playlist

I’d Have You Anytime - This was an interesting choice to kick off the album. Usual practice would have been something upbeat like Wah Wah or What is Life. Regardless it’s a lovely song. Dylan was in his simple lucid lyric mode and George lent it his laid back slightly jazzy chord feel. Great tune.

What Is Life - love this one. Upbeat with that soul horn sound going along. This is one song I don’t think would have been improved by the Beatles doing it. The Phil Spector style with the massed instruments works perfectly. Surprisingly only got to 10 on billboard chart. Should have been a bigger hit and should be as well known as My Sweet Lord.

If Not For You - great cover of Dylan’s tune. Wish George had done an album of Dylan or Dylan collaboration songs. He did them well.  Olivia Newton-John pretty much imitated this version for her hit with this song.

Run Of The Mill -.  Great melody and use of shifting time signatures. Some nice chords thrown in outside the home key. Suspected to be at least partly a dig at Paul but who really knows. The mariachi sounding horns seem to be just an instrumental break but take the song to an abrupt end.

Behind That Locked Door -  love this ones lilting melody. Apparently written about Dylan. One of George’s most effective ballads.

Beware Of Darkness -  a beautiful song from George. An interesting chord progression which is worth a post on its own ( I might do something in musician corner on this one when I have time). Despite the strangeness of the chords the melody stays accessible and lovely.  A top ten George song.

All Things Must Pass - one of George’s best. The Beatles passed on this during the Let it Be sessions to spend more time doing Dig It, Maggie May and torturing old songs into submission. While a fully realised Beatle version would have been nice, it’s hard to beat this version. Again the instrumentation is spot on letting George’s voice through to accentuate the great melody and lyrics. George seems to have used some of Paul’s chorus harmony ideas from Let it Be sessions but places them subtly at the back.

Good to Almost Great Songs, will all get a spin on a playlist at some point.

My Sweet Lord -  An iconic early 70s folky religious song which were almost a separate genre at the time. Hard not to sing along with the background singing. While parts clearly sound like He’s So Fine, taken in total it’s a very different song. Doesn’t save you from the lawyers though.

Wah-Wah - Great upbeat funky track. Words aren’t much and it’s like a semi instrumental. Title is apparently a term for headache which Apple and his colleagues were giving George at the time.

Isnt It A Pity (versions 1 and 2) - a reject from the Beatles, started in 1966, revisited in the Let it Be sessions, it’s been called George’s Hey Jude. It doesn’t have the melodic hookiness of Paul’s ballad but is still a lovely and thoughtful tune. George again deploys some unusual chord choices. Version 2 is shorter and a bit more low key. Not sure why he put two versions on given he had many other songs he could have added.

Let It Down - This always struck me as odd. On an album with a lot of slower tunes, the huge intro to this makes you suspect a really big song coming up. Then it settles into a nightclubby jazzy sound similar to Id Have you Anytime. Almost a let down (boom tish). Very nice tune though. Another one the Beatles rejected during the Let it Be sessions.

Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) - nice delicate tune with understated instrumentation. The impression that Spector overloaded this lp with bombastic arrangements is a bit unfair really.  This has plenty going on but nothing seems excessive.  The guitar in the background works almost like a keyboard pad.

Awaiting On You All - This is a good uptempo number. Production is huge and might be the one people think of when they say Spector went over the top. Interesting to hear an alternative take on Early Takes Vol 1 which is a stripped down version. That could have worked but the Spectorisation gave this grandeur.

Apple Scruffs - this is a light fun number. Good to get something uptempo and with no philosophical or religious overtones.

Art Of Dying - George first demoed this around time of Revolver. Would have fit well on that record with the theme. Some great wild guitar on this courtesy of Eric but it’s probably the track where I think the echo has been overdone.  Very different to the acoustic demo but works better I think with the bigger production.

Hear Me Lord - Yet another passed up by the Beatles in the Let it Be sessions.  Great gospel feel to it and wraps up the album well musically and thematically


Filler to take or leave

I Dig Love - Probably the only song I’d consider filler  on the album. But it’s a bit of fun which is welcome on such a weighty album theme wise.

All the Jams - The jams I haven’t listened to in decades and always thought they were pretty disposable. Listening to them today my opinion hasn’t changed too much although I enjoyed them a bit more than I did when I first heard them.  Plug Me In and I Remember Jeep rollick along nicely. I Remember Jeep has a nice boogie quality although with inexplicable Moog sounds interspersed. By the time I’ve got through Pepperoni and Out of the Blue I’m well over them despite some good instrumental moments. I’m sure they were fun to play on though. I think the basic lineup for most of the jams was George, Eric, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock and Jim Gordon, although for I Remember Jeep the line up was Klaus Voormann on bass, Ginger Baker on drums and Billy Preston on keys. Out of the Blue usually credits Clapton but I read somewhere that Klaus says he played guitar on that doing a Clapton imitation.

The main thing that stuck out doing the above ordering is how little I’d consider genuine filler or throwaway. Except the whole third record

As with all double albums (forgetting the jams) it could be asked whether a single record would have been a better approach. Maybe so. There are more than one albums worth of good songs here, I have playlists with the album distributed across two LPs and both would make high quality albums. A conservative career adviser might have suggested he hold some back for a follow up.  A double/triple album was a huge risk for him. A poor critical and/or commercial reception could have sunk his solo career before it started.

But like the White Album, the size of the record and the number of songs is the point in itself. George had openly talked during the Let it Be session of doing a solo album to get rid of his backlog. If only so he could hear them done properly. The fate of the Beatles wasn’t set in stone when he recorded this. Maybe he thought, if the Beatles do continue, he didn’t want a whole lot of songs still unused when he was only going to get his quota of two an album. Commercial impact might have been a secondary consideration.

And there’s still the tempting mystery. Did John Lennon play on it? It’s known he visited the sessions (and said supportive things about what he’d heard) and drummer Alan White says he did play but that’s the only evidence. Its unlikely we’ll ever know.

[Mr Mustard]

A timely opportunity, here in lockdown, to embrace George's sprawling magnum opus and afford it the proper time and space which any fairminded critical assessment surely requires. First, let me try and park to one side the baggage with which I've saddled this triple set for perhaps too long: it has for me always been the most overrated solo offering, smothered in early 70s self indulgence - a bloated collection enveloping a superb single album screaming to be let out.

I decided to listen to it as a double album... with a bonus disc of loose jamming thrown in as an (almost) optional extra. Suddenly it became much more digestible and the dreaded "triple album" epithet no longer sounded quite so daunting.

And so, with a cleansed mind and a non judgmental spirit, I waded in....

I'd Have You Any Time
"Come on in, the water's lovely" entices George and a beautifully languid composition, deftly delivered, ripples out to meet us. This is most inviting; exquisitely constructed, gorgeously presented and the perfect, seductive opening to George's new vista, unshackled by fabdom. Think of it as an undemanding but surprisingly delicious appetiser for what lies ahead.

My Sweet Lord
it's here. George's anthem in all its wonderfully layered, compellingly rhythmic, blossoming majesty. Never before or since would he so successfully encase his spiritual crusade within such irresistible melody and power. From the alluring opening strum, via that distinctive trademark lead pattern and the cleverly swelling momentum bolstered by the stealthy arrival of the drums behind siren voiced backing vocals, we are blessed with one of the very finest offerings a former Beatle has ever served us. Terrific and fully deserving its impact as the global smash which ignited Harrison's solo career.
The Chiffons can p*ss off, by the way.

Wah-Wah
Freed from the giant shadows of Lennon & McCartney, George steps up the volume and takes the opportunity to bang their heads together. Or is he perhaps expressing veiled exasperation at the screamers from moptop days? Maybe a bit of both: weary of the tit-for-tat egotistical point scoring within the group and the trappings of fame besieging it, he attempts here to purge the shallow idolatry by setting it to music. It works brilliantly and he successfully turns a superficially noisy  diatribe into an appealing plea to move on.

Isn't It A Pity
The pace relaxes and a hypnotic groove uncoils overlaid with one of George's smoothest vocals. It's significantly elevated by a gloriously understated solo just beyond the two minute mark. However, it rolls on and on...and on for almost another five minutes, becoming a little bit too much of a plod by the end for me. not for nothing has it long been regarded as Harrison's "Hey Jude", but it carries nothing close to the swagger or sheer chutzpah of Paul's smash.

What Is Life
One of the four most outstanding tracks on the entire package, this infectious foot-tapper, complete with corkscrew lead guitar motif, exhilarating vocals and wonderfully potent horns once more picks up the tempo with a life-affirming blast of fresh air. Rarely does George press the "joie de vivre" button, but he cranks it up to full volume here and this has "hit single" written all over it. Terrific.

If Not For You
In a pleasing continuation of the heartbeat ebb and flow by now characterising this set, we again re-calibrate to a much gentler vibe with this candidate for prettiest tune on the album. A thing of lilting, fragile beauty, George handles it with the delicacy and care it clearly needs and deserves. Beguiling lyrics serve as always to remind us of Dylan's sheer class as a songwriter, but George's delivery is little short of perfect.

Behind That Locked Door
George goes Nashville. Once in a while an ex-Beatle turns out a number which could readily be delivered by a fellow former fab and I cannot listen to this without wishing Ringo had released it: it's tailor-made for him. That's not to say that George doesn't make a good fist of it, because he does - and with its distinctly C&W feel it provides a refreshing new texture to proceedings.

Let It Down
The full-blooded locomotive intro jarringly shifts down a couple of gears into what is for me a fairly pedestrian plodder. I'm afraid this one just never works for me, on any level, despite some polished musical licks. Harrison has none of Lennon's vocal power dynamics or phrasing, nor the vocal dexterity and range of McCartney - all of which would have served him well here in a number which I'm afraid is simply beyond him and serves only to expose his limitations as a singer. Aptly enough, this for me is itself the first real "let down" so far.

Run Of The Mill
A nice palate cleanser, with George delivering a crisp and appealing little number which acts (lyrically at least) as a sort of sequel to "Think For Yourself". Nothing remarkable in itself...but certainly more than just run of the mill...

Beware Of Darkness
Harrison always had a knack for setting cautionary warnings to music and the gift does not desert him here. It's a beautifully crafted song leading the listener gently but firmly through the minefield of the material world's shysters and hustlers peddling false dawns and disappointments. Typically understated perspicacity from George. Great track which grows with successive listenings.

Apple Scruffs
Amusing and welcome touch of lightheartedness as we encounter George's droll paean to The Savile Row groupies who staked out the fabs at their London HQ as the sixties were drawing to a close. The jaunty harmonica, blithe vocal treatment and tongue in cheek mischief pervading this light relief has a Lennonesque smack throughout and has always been something of a guilty pleasure for me, being a nicely-timed pinprick to the occasional solemnity which inevitably risks creeping into a project of this scale and nature. Harmless fun and a sweet nod to an already rapidly receding past.

Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
One to really enjoy as it washes over you. Nicely balanced; gently restrained, lovely instrumentation gives George's soulful vocal room to breathe and flourish. So enjoyable: one to drink in and savour.

Awaiting On You All
George goes Gospel! and, inevitably, it works a treat. One of the pleasing things about ATMP is that George's "preachiness" was being dished up in palatable, melody-rich servings. The grim, admonitory sermonising lay three or four years in the future. For the time being we can enjoy vibrant, happy celebrations like this one, complete with wall of sound treatment but without any of guilty existentialist baggage.

All Things Must Pass
Sumptuous, lovingly constructed with sublime lyrics gloriously delivered, this one truly shines as a milestone in George's burgeoning career. He hits his stride effortlessly on the vocal front and the soaring slide guitar enriches an already stunning track. Gorgeous.

I Dig Love
Apart bfrom its lack of brevity, this for me could be another Ringo track. Lyrically and musically (that almost comical tip toe introduction) would fit right at home on "Goodnight Vienna". It runs on a little too long and suffers from repetition and simplicity. The nearest thing to filler until we reach the jams.

Art Of Dying
Best track on the entire album. My goodness this is breathtakingly impressive stuff. The relentless, instrumental urgency and weighty production befits the profound nature of the lyrics. Morbid? no, it soars way above and dives way beneath that. This is an awesome profession of faith by George who, with perfect timing, delivers one of his most strident vocals in a pugnacious challenge to embrace the inevitable. An astonishing track which would for me comfortably occupy a top twenty place in any solo Beatle playlist. Marvellous.

Isn't It A Pity (version Two)
What precisely was the point of this? The first version was overblown enough, without warranting a re-visit. This one outpoints the first version only by virtue of its comparative brevity. But it falls behind the first version with a much weaker solo interlude and an overall more gloomy, rather than gentle, delivery. Filler I'm afraid.

Hear Me Lord
An appropriately majestic close to the "double album" which skilfully wraps up proceedings with a heartfelt plea to a higher power for redemption and enlightenment. Lovely flowing lead vocal but the abrupt harmonies bring the listener up short in a sudden "Stop and think!" manner, yet it lacks the intolerance and impatience which was to tincture later projects, instead carrying an authenticity and earnestness which ironically afford it more gravitas than later sermonisings. I like the gospel feel and the beautifully interwoven piano, drums and guitars.

And so to the bonus of the jam sessions...

Out Of The Blue
Clocking in at over eleven minutes, this is where the sheer self indulgence takes hold as we enter a relentlessly repetitive drum/guitar jam, spiced up by some improvised sax along the way. Must admit I hadn't sat through this track in its entirety for many, many years - and doubt that I'll be tempted to do so again for many more. For a complete non-musician like me, by about the sixth minute this has already become a marathon endurance test. Keyboards surface and time signatures appear to change, which adds at least a splash of flavour to relieve the bum-numbing tedium, but overall? distinctly underwhelming.

It's Johnny's Birthday
Pythonesque interlude which scores for both brevity and humour. An impromptu congratulation to John, celebrating his 30th birthday at the time of George's session. So for just short of a minute, the silly switch goes on and we get a refreshing break from all the self absorption. A welcome dose of nonsense - "Love these Goon Shows!"

Plug Me In
More introspective noodling, but this time with the redeeming presence of a rock and roll backbeat. Wild guitar and hammered keyboards I can handle, especially when a semblance of melody makes its presence felt - surely I'm not the only one who picks up a touch of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" from the two minute mark? Go on, play it again and tell me I'm wrong!

I Remember Jeep
Another lengthy one weighing in at over eight minutes but again we're treated at least to a bit of boogie-woogie style beat, so unlike "Out Of The Blue" I can at least find myself tapping my feet. But I'm grasping at strwaws here. I could happily live without this.

Thanks For The Pepperoni
Never let it be said that George wasn't a rock & roller every bit as much as John or Paul were. This Chuck Berry inspired slab of grooving is more bearable than "Jeep" or "Blue" and at five and a half minutes is certainly tolerable.
It's just that, with each passing minute, the cumulative effect reminds me how the third record serves to dilute the quality of the whole. Had George halted at the end of disc two I could countenance the claims of glory for ATMP. All this jamming drags the project as a whole down for me. I suppose you can't blame George, so recently free of the straitjacket, his opportunity to run riot. But I'd go so far as to say that I wish this third record didn't exist.

However, I emerge from the waters of All Things Must Pass with a renewed respect for and a deeper grasp of its many virtues.

It's still not my favourite solo album, but (third record notwithstanding) it has undoubtedly climbed several rungs up the ladder.

[tkitna]

Nice reviews as usual from Moog and Mr.M.  Was debating between reviewing 'Ringo' or 'Living In The Material World', but I think i'll go with 'Ringo' as I think its more enjoyable.  Hope to get the review up in a couple days.

[Moogmodule]

I think Ringo would be a good one. I haven’t listened to it through for ages. Good to get reacquainted.

A Microscope on Living in Material World will be good at some point. Musically I think it’s great and George using a small tight band this time gave a good contrast to ATMP. He’s the only guitarist on it so it’s a good showcase for his playing.  But George’s deep dive into his Krishna stuff meant the lyrics became even more directly religious than on ATMP which made it less accessible. That and there was a bit of an imbalance of dirgier tunes particularly at the back end of the album which slowed it up a bit too much.
 

[KelMar]

I’d Have You Anytime - This was an interesting choice to kick off the album. Usual practice would have been something upbeat like Wah Wah or What is Life. Regardless it’s a lovely song. Dylan was in his simple lucid lyric mode and George lent it his laid back slightly jazzy chord feel. Great tune.

That's why this is my go-to album when I'm feeling down. I'd Have You Anytime is so calming, My Sweet Lord perks me up and then Wah Wah finishes the job. LOL