10 Songs That Prove George Harrison’s Solo Years Were Better Than You Think
The quiet Beatle spent his solo years writing some pretty impressive “Harrisongs”.
There’s a lot of received wisdom floating around when it comes to the demise of The Beatles and their varying solo careers.
When it comes to George, the story goes like this. Fed up of playing understudy in The Beatles, he spent the band’s final year’s stockpiling incredible tunes that couldn’t get a look in on Lennon and McCartney dominated albums and singles. He then released an amazing triple album, All Things Must Pass, and briefly became the most successful former fab.
He used his cultural currency to organise the first major charity concert, The Concert For Bangladesh, roping in some rockstar mates. After that it was diminishing returns with George letting his solo career trail off to concentrate on producing movies, driving fast cars and shagging Ringo Starr’s wife. Most people know he had a big eighties hit with Got My Mind Set On You and not much else.
Most George Harrison compilations include Beatle recordings or live versions of Beatle songs. Not something you can say of John Lennon or Paul McCartney. It underlines the perception that George’s solo output was a little lacking but his back catalogue is actually a treasure trove of overlooked gems.
10. What Is Life?
This list sets out to prove George’s credentials beyond his towering solo debut but we had to include something from All Things Must Pass.
For his first album out of The Beatle’s shadow George teamed up with the controversial producer of Let It Be, Phil Spector.
Spector brought his trademark Wall of Sound production style to the project, adding full, rich backings to George’s songs.
You can hear the full effect on this beautiful track built on Harrison’s cracking central riff. The track is also emblematic of a reccurring Harrison technique.
Having found religion in the Sixties George would regularly write of his love of God but often with an ambiguity that allowed the songs to play as more straightforward love songs.
“Tell me what is my life, without your love?” He asks the the lord in the chorus. He could just as easily be asking Patti Boyd, his wife and the subject of his classic love song Something.