Thirty-Three & 1/3 [Remaster] - Harrison, George (CD 2004)

I was so young when I was born. Aren t we all.

I ve got a long way to go baby
Though his solo career has been hit or miss, and in fact, dismissed by many Beatles fans as inconsequential, George Harrison [1943-2001] remains capable of surprising his most ardent critics from time to time. Though his songwriting talents may not be as polished as Paul McCartney s or as revered as John Lennon s, there is no denying that the quiet Beatle has had his moments of brilliance captured on record.

Sometimes are good sometimes are bad
Harrison released his masterwork All Things Must Pass in 1970 and then meandered through that decade with some of his most forgettable and remembered works. One such memorable album is 1976 s Thirty-Three and a 1/3 released on his own Dark Horse Records.

The title is a reference to his age at that time (according to allmusicguide.com), and he is shown on cover wearing Bicentennial sunglasses (1776-1976). It also refers to a vinyl record s tracking speed of 33 & 1/3 rpms (revolutions per minute) too.

Nothing tricky about it
But he is no aging rock star on this record. Joined by musicians Billy Preston, Gary Wright, Willie Weeks, David Foster and Tom Scott (who has a assistant producer credit), Thirty-Three and a 1/3 was Harrison s most successful album after his post-Beatle debut earlier in the decade. It is an album heavily influenced by the keyboards favored at the time, but still contains his recognizable and often imitated slide guitar playing.

Songs (Side One):
Woman Don t You Cry for Me: An engaging track with a sly boastful tone. Is he leaving or just threatening. A nice slide opening.
Dear One: Song dedicated to Harrison s yogi. It has a spiritual meditative quality, yes, but also can work as a lullaby or love song.
Beautiful Girl: A self-assured vocal by Harrison, seemingly about that love has struck me dumb and I have found my soulmate moment. Harrison contributes a really great slide solo on the bridge before final chorus.
This Song: Song is supposedly Harrison s way of commenting on his lost court case concerning similarities between his hit My Sweet Lord and another song by another artist who claimed plagiarism. It is a catchy piece of ear candy. It was a single hit and also features a hidden Monty Python-like vocal moment. Fine Harrison guitar solo found here too.
See Yourself: Another song dedicated to Harrison s yogi and this one has a decided moralistic tone to it. It is a commentary on the moral ambiguities of our age and the weight of commercialism on our spiritual life.

Songs (Side Two):
It s What You Value: This strikes me as something of a goof song, but it carries another message on commercialism with its catchiness. Someone s driving a 450. And his friends are so wild. They re still in their stick shifties . This features a Tom Scott solo and may remind many of the gas lines of the early 1970s when listening.
True Love (Cole Porter): A surprising choice, but Harrison does a very nice job with this song about love s promise.
Pure Smokey: Has a heavy keyboard flavor and a good opening guitar. Has a prayerful quality to it though I ve read it may be giving thanks to a higher power for the gift of Smokey Robinson. Go figure.
Crackerbox Palace: The biggest hit on the album; this song refers to Harrison s backyard (according to rollingstone.com) and contains a child s vision that stays with you. Great slide piece here as Harrison sings about the childlike moments of wisdom that we encounter whatever the age.
Learning How to Love You: This one is dedicated to Herb Alpert, with a Fender Rhodes and acoustic guitar powering it. Some sweet sentiments expressed here.

This song is in E
On balance, Thirty-Three and a 1/3 is not a classic album, but Harrison acquits himself well here and, even with the dawn of disco, this album reached Number 11 on the album charts I believe. It s a solid album. It gives one a taste of Harrison s brand of spirituality, but more importantly, a glimpse at his talents. I give it three stars as it is a little dated almost 25 years later. A good addition to a Beatles fan collection of their better solo works.

Cat Rating Scale
Mixed responses from both Freddie and Chester on Harrison's work. The spinning disc enthralls them so consequently album playing must be watched thoroughly. Freddie was most animated; Chester his nonplussed self.

2004 Update
Thirty-Three and a 1/3 has been re-released on CD in a remastered format with a bonus track added, "Tears of the World." It's worth picking up, especially for fans of the quiet Beatle.