RIP George Harrison

Of course all his later work was dire AOR, but curiously I find his view of the world more appealing now than I ever did in life. Whether this is just not-wanting-to-speak-ill business I don't know, but it does have some resonance. I like "My Sweet Lord" as well.

"the only world I know" - Nick, I take this to be a world of social mobility and flexibility not hidebound by traditional class boundaries. And it *was* the 60s generation that founded that world, and the Beatles were the band most definitive of that time, so I really can't argue with that.

WMGGW with forceful, "serious" Slowhand solo is a blight. Isn't It a Pity is an overlooked gem and Long x3 is the pick of the Beatles litter.

Great sadness and sympathy: the 'sadness' Mark S talks of is absolutely there, for me, and must ultimately be a profound part of what Harrison 'means'.

Nicky D's ('historical / generational') tears are moving too (and not just cos wept on a bus): the death of a Beatle is a loud, dark bell tolling for us all.

Death only happened with this? Astounding! Weird hallucinations I've been having saying otherwise, then.

Now some love for George.

some lovely understated songs. the instrumental "what is life" is one of my favourite! things! ever!
can't forgive him for Taxman though.

I want to do "Top ten George Beatles guitarness moments" but I've not got anything to hand to confirm who played what so I shant yet.

I know, someone could easily go "yeah, that solo on Taxman" for instance.

hahahaha, yes, BUT there are a couple of things I'm thinking of suggesting where I have doubt in my mind over whether it was Lennon or Macca instead.

What top ten can we do for Lennon? Songs? Vocals performances?

Lyric?

How about Vocal moments?

e.g. Backing vocal on "Getting Better" "but I can't complain"

My Top Ten Harrison Beatle Guitar Moments

1. Fixing a Hole solo
2. Backwards bits on I'm Only Sleeping
3. Let it Be solo
4. Multilayered parts on And Your Bird Can Sing
5. Riffs on Another Girl
6. Wonky wierd suff on Baby's in Black
7. Country solo on I'm a Loser
8. Call & response parts on She Loves You
9. Reverby solo on I Saw Her Standing There
10. Guitar swells on Yes it Is

dark horse v underrated imo. it's kind of muddy and meandering, but I love that shit.

4. Multilayered parts on And Your Bird Can Sing

I can narrow this down even further to the plucked/harmonic "ping" that ends the solo which is just so fucking awesome and makes me smile every time I hear it

Oh yeah! He does the same thing on his Nowhere Man solo.

oh shit I think I am mixing those two up

yeah it is def Nowhere Man I was thinking of

duh

carry on!

11. His solo on "Got To Get You Into My Life"

can't forgive him for Taxman though.

Fuck are you talking about? "Taxman" is awesome.

I'm starting to really love the early songs he sang, like 'Think for Yourself'...I love that he's kind of using his speaking voice in TfY, compared to later where he actually 'sings', like in Something, etc.

and I don't understand not loving Taxman. It's GREAT!

This links to the long, famous version of 'Think For Yourself', with lots of speaking.

wee! thanks!

all things must pass is one of my faves

that octaner blog is a little headspinning ... so many beatles bootlegs ... also reminded me that this existed
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lMRIjoHyp-4/SqcFMD5UWII/AAAAAAAADSw/VXQP4gc6nrA/s1600-h/capa.jpg
worst beatles cover art ever? lol, thumbs

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lMRIjoHyp-4/SqcFMD5UWII/AAAAAAAADSw/VXQP4gc6nrA/s1600-h/capa.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lMRIjoHyp-4/SqcFMD5UWII/AAAAAAAADSw/VXQP4gc6nrA/s1600-h/capa.jpg

gah!

tyler your last few posts have been. . . all thumbs. . .

sorry haha ... just click on the link 4 a laff!

gag! Ack! looks like it was painted by that 'boulevard of broken dreams' artist, the one with James Dean, Bogey and Marilyn all hanging at a sad-sack diner. yeesh.

it is sort of crazy, what with the hushed reverence that these recent reissues have been given, packaging-wise. And then you see that ... who approved that?!

was it Ringo

can't forgive him for Taxman though.

Fuck are you talking about? "Taxman" is awesome.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 18 September 2009 18:29 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

don't get me wrong, musically its awesome. but lyrically... it just comes across as nasty - I'm rolling in cash & I don't wanna pay taxes... wanker

Fair point, actually. But in the UK, weren't they being taxed 80% of their earnings at the time(or some insane percentage like that), hence the trend of popstars becoming tax exiles?

That point's almost worth its own thread. The US.'s top tax rate was 70% at one time!

94%, actually, during the WWII years. But yeah, from 1936, it never went below 70% until Ronald Reagan was president. Since 1987, it's never been above 40%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#History_of_top_rates.5B20.5D

the point is, though, that's the top rate - you had to be earning a small fortune for it even to apply.

I read that the top rate of uk tax in the 60s was at one point over 100%. That seems a bit unlikely, but I'm pretty sure it hit 99%. I'd be pretty unhappy with that too.

George dissed Wilson AND Heath in Taxman.

And "one for you, nineteen for me" = 95%, obviously