Still, several compositions Harrison wrote and sang for the Beatles became classics, including “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Here Comes the Sun”. Harrison’s first solo album after the break-up of the Beatles, 1970’s All Things Must Pass, revolved around songs that didn’t make it onto Beatles albums, and is now considered a masterpiece.
Let It Roll—The Songs of George Harrison, marks the first compilation spanning the entirety of Harrison’s solo career after the break-up of the Beatles, from 1970 to 2002. (Songs from Harrison’s 1960s albums, Wonderwall Music, a film soundtrack, and the experimental, Electronic Sounds, aren’t included.)
If one had forgotten or didn’t know how good Harrison’s music sounded, this collection is a strong reminder and puts the record straight. Harrison, who passed away in 2001, was somewhat inconsistent on a number of his albums, but as shown on this compilation, his solo career was better than often credited.
The best-selling All Things Must Pass yielded a number of classic tracks, including the number one hit and Harrison’s signature song, “My Sweet Lord,” the lyrics a reflection of Harrison’s deep spirituality. That he was successfully sued for unconsciously plagiarizing the melodic structure of the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine” has done little to diminish the stature of this song.
1973’s Living in the Material World contained another chart-topper, “Give Me Love, Give Me Peace,” but afterwards his albums struggled on the charts. Still, fine songs were there for the taking, including the uplifting “Blow Away,” from 1979’s George Harrison.
Harrison didn’t care about musical trends, and in 1987, doing things his way, he had a second hit career with the excellent album, Cloud Nine, and its spunky number one single, “Got My Mind Set on You.”
Around this time, he was also part of the Traveling Wilburys, a hit supergroup with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and the mighty Roy Orbison. Those songs aren’t included here, though. A surprising find is the outstanding “I Don’t Want to Do It,” composed by one Bob Dylan and taken from, of all places, the soundtrack to the tacky 1985 movie, Porky’s Revenge.
Harrison didn’t immediately follow-up his hit 1987 album, and in fact the “follow-up” was released fifteen years later in 2002, after Harrison’s death. Brainwashed was finished posthumously by Jeff Lynne and Harrison’s son, Dhani, and turned out to be one of Harrison’s best albums, as underscored by the delightful “Any Road.”
Brainwashed was a fitting way to cap off an excellent career, and Let It Roll—The Songs of George Harrison is a fine way to remember George Harrison.
David Gonzales writes on music and live and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.
