Buried Alien
01-03-2007, 09:10 PM
Anyone who has been a member of this particular music forum for a substantial amount of time knows what a big Beatles fan I am, so I don't really need to explain that what follows isn't a slam/bash thread. George Harrison is one of my all time favorite musicians, both as a member of the Beatles and as an independent musician. I liked most of Harrison's Beatles work and some of his solo records as well.
That said, I think his most celebrated solo album, ALL THINGS MUST PASS, is somewhat overrated.
From the acclaim that I've read about this album receiving over the years, I had very high expectations for this record. It's been described glowingly by multiple reviewers as the best solo album by an ex-Beatle ever, a landmark album in rock history, and the best work of George Harrison's career.
But having listened to it, there were only three songs from the album I liked: "My Sweet Lord" (the hit single for which Harrison was sued for plagiarism), the titular "All Things Must Pass" (which Harrison had originally planned to record with the Beatles), and "I'd Have You Anytime" (which was a Bob Dylan cover).
I didn't care for the rest of the album at all. "Wah Wah" was just loud (Phil Spector really overdid it with the Wall of Sound on that track, more than he did with anything on LET IT BE). "What Is Life" was also a big hit single, but I can't see how or why: it doesn't have a memorable melody like "My Sweet Lord" or even earlier, Beatles-era Harrison works such as "I Need You" or "If I Needed Someone," let alone classics such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here Comes the Sun," or "Something." Most of the songs are fairly forgettable. In addition to the three songs I mentioned earlier, the only other song from the album that sticks out in my mind is "Art of Dying," and more so for some good (but still not prime) guitar work and an interesting lyric.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS isn't the most terrible record I've heard, but I can't quite see how it deserves the great acclaim it gets. I like only three songs off of it, which isn't good on a triple album that's so widely celebrated.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
That said, I think his most celebrated solo album, ALL THINGS MUST PASS, is somewhat overrated.
From the acclaim that I've read about this album receiving over the years, I had very high expectations for this record. It's been described glowingly by multiple reviewers as the best solo album by an ex-Beatle ever, a landmark album in rock history, and the best work of George Harrison's career.
But having listened to it, there were only three songs from the album I liked: "My Sweet Lord" (the hit single for which Harrison was sued for plagiarism), the titular "All Things Must Pass" (which Harrison had originally planned to record with the Beatles), and "I'd Have You Anytime" (which was a Bob Dylan cover).
I didn't care for the rest of the album at all. "Wah Wah" was just loud (Phil Spector really overdid it with the Wall of Sound on that track, more than he did with anything on LET IT BE). "What Is Life" was also a big hit single, but I can't see how or why: it doesn't have a memorable melody like "My Sweet Lord" or even earlier, Beatles-era Harrison works such as "I Need You" or "If I Needed Someone," let alone classics such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here Comes the Sun," or "Something." Most of the songs are fairly forgettable. In addition to the three songs I mentioned earlier, the only other song from the album that sticks out in my mind is "Art of Dying," and more so for some good (but still not prime) guitar work and an interesting lyric.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS isn't the most terrible record I've heard, but I can't quite see how it deserves the great acclaim it gets. I like only three songs off of it, which isn't good on a triple album that's so widely celebrated.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)