'New' George Harrison Album

gvdv

It seems spurious to me to even search for a place on indiamike to post this message, as George Harrison almost single-handedly put India on the modern World map (a century of British Raj rule, the fame of Uday Shankar, and touring in the 1950's by Ali Akbar Khan, and then Ravi Shankar failed to make for the kind of cultural upheaval that George Harrison's interest in Raviji forever propelled Western 'seekers' towards India in the late 1960's).

I've just finished listening to the 'new' album ('Let It Roll', released today) - mostly solo material and some live - 'The Concert For Bangladesh' -versions of George's Beatles' songs.

While we could argue about the content (where is 'Life Itself' - a sublime, Indian, Hindu philosophy-inspired cut from 'Somewhere In England'?), the quality of the songs is undeniable.

As one of my friends said to me when I asked him a few months ago if he would be interested in drumming in a band consisting exclusively of Beatles material - "Well, you're not short of material, then".

I don't like Giles Martin's (producer George Martin's son) new mixes all that much, but this is a wonderful reminder of a man whose music reflected his beliefs - beliefs which pondered and celebrated what India had to offer (with a bit of rock & roll, too). I don't think that India would be nearly as popular as it is now without George. Which means....no indiamike.

Hal

I think George Harrison has certainly stood up the best, post-Beatles.

gvdv

As a post on the B.B.C. website said, after George died, "God - you've got two Beatles, and we've got two - can we call it quits?"

Hal, as a Scouser, I imagine you can relate to this, although I'd be hard put to think that you could feel how I do about The Fabs.

James1985

the best beatles are dead.......its shit!

gvdv

They're all great - that's what made them work. They didn't make it until Ringo joined.

James1985

they would of made it without Ringo!

gvdv

Not in their opinion, and also they had been rejected by all the record companies in the U.K. at that point.

I guess that it's a moot point, because they didn't make it until Ringo joined, and there were several opportunities.