Best of George Harrison - Harrison, George (CD 1990)

In 1976, George Harrison's contract with Capitol Records was ending, so a Best of George Harrison compilation was rushed out. Because this album was made early in George's solo career, it includes only thirteen songs, seven of which are Beatles songs which George wrote. It also includes some weaker tracks that really shouldn't be on a greatest hits collection, while ignoring some of George's early solo gems.

Something is one of the Beatles' most romantic songs, featuring sincere, beautiful lyrics and a Harrison guitar solo that is perfection itself. George's voice and songwriting skills had definitely improved since the Beatles' beginnings. This Abbey Road selection is one of Harrison's best, with or without the Beatles. If I Needed Someone appeared on Rubber Soul and was probably Harrison's best to that point. This is a sweet, romantic love song George wrote for his then-girlfriend Pattie Boyd. I love the music for this song, with George's cute, upbeat guitar hook and someone shaking a tambourine. George's lead vocal is impressive, and John and Paul's backing vocals are perfect. This is my favourite of George's early works and one of my favourite Beatles songs.

Here Comes the Sun, also from Abbey Road, is one of those songs everyone seems to know. It starts off with an instantly recognizable acoustic guitar riff, and the whole song is very gentle and soft, with acoustic guitars, drums, handclaps, and the synthesizer. The lyrics and melody are simple but lovely, George's lead vocal is impeccable, and the harmonies from Paul and John are beautiful. The bridge, with the words "Sun, sun, sun, here it comes" repeated five times, is gorgeous, but then, so is the entire song.

Taxman is a rocking song from Revolver. This song shows George improving as a writer, with satirical lyrics about a taxman who takes everyone's money. I especially love the line, "Now my advice for those who die: Declare the pennies on your eyes." The music for this song is fantastic, with Paul on lead guitar, Ringo on drums, and John on tambourine. The guitar riff on this one is awesome. Think For Yourself is another Rubber Soul track. Lyrically, the song is about someone who just can't think for themselves, and it encourages that person to start trying to think more. George sings lead, with Paul and John providing some nice harmonies. There is a lot of tambourine and maraca action going on here, but the dominating instrument is Paul's fuzz bass, which gives the song a heavy sound. This is a good song, but I'm not sure it belongs on a "Best Of" album.

For You Blue is a lesser-known Harrison composition from Let It Be. George's acoustic guitar and John's slide guitar sound excellent, but George's vocals are kind of hard to hear. This is still a charming little blues number, with cute lyrics and some humourous interjections from George ("Elmore James got nothin' on this baby!"). While My Guitar Gently Weeps from The White Album is often hailed as one of George's best, and it really is an amazing song. The lyrics are some of the best Harrison had written to this point, the beginning piano and guitars sound wonderful, and George's friend Eric Clapton does a fine lead guitar solo.

Finally, we move on to George's solo years. My Sweet Lord, from his first solo album All Things Must Pass, was one of Harrison's most successful songs, and it's probably the only number one hit to feature Hare Krishna chants. This is a very religious song, and it shows George's devotion to his spirituality, which was an important part of his life. It's also catchy and easy to sing along with. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) was originally featured on George's second album, Living in the Material World. It's a soft, acoustic number about yearning for peace and love. Very simple, inspirational, and beautiful.

You is from 1975's Extra Texture, and it's a catchy song built around very few words. "I, I love, love, And I, and I love you, Oh you, you, yeah you." The music is upbeat and fun, and even though it's not a lyrical masterpiece, it was a hit for Harrison, and I think it's a great song. Bangla Desh is George's message song about saving the people of Bangladesh. Harrison organized an historic concert to benefit the cause, and he created this song to promote the concert. It may seem kind of preachy, with lyrics like, "Relieve the people of Bangla Desh," but I like the fact that George used his music to help people become aware of what was going on in the world.

Dark Horse first appeared on the album of the same name, and George actually had laryngitis when he was supposed to record this. Instead of waiting until his voice was back to normal, he decided to record it anyway, and it's almost painful to listen to his raspy voice as he struggles to make his way through the song. This song has grown on me, however, although I still don't think it belongs on this collection. What Is Life is another of Harrison's All Things Must Pass hits. This is an upbeat number with some nice harmonies and a catchy melody. The lyrics are very romantic, and this is just a great song.

This compilation was released in 1976, and I am not sure why an updated version has not been released. This album doesn't really work as a Best of George Harrison collection, as over half the tracks are Beatles songs. And if they were going to include Beatles songs, where are early numbers like "I Need You" and Eastern-tinged works like "Within You Without You"? I think the Beatles work should have been saved for a best of the Beatles, and more of Harrison's solo work should have been included. Where are songs like "All Things Must Pass," "Beware of Darkness," and "Isn't It A Pity"? Do they not quite measure up to "Dark Horse"?

A true best of collection would include some of Harrison's later work, too. He did record after 1976, you know. "All Those Years Ago, "Blow Away," and "Got My Mind Set On You" were all late 1970s or 1980s hits. Some tracks from his days with the Traveling Wilburys group could also be included. Actually, all these songs could probably be included without removing the other tracks since the CD is only 45 minutes anyway. Of course, that's not to say that the songs on here are bad. This collection just could have been so much better. If you are unfamiliar with Harrison, you might want to give this a try. Otherwise, get one of his solo CDs.

Repeat (songs I can never get enough of): Something, If I Needed Someone, Here Comes the Sun, For You Blue, My Sweet Lord, etc.
Skip (songs I have trouble listening to even once): Dark Horse

Also Recommended
George Harrison - George Harrison
The Beatles - Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, The Beatles (The White Album), Beatles For Sale, Rubber Soul, Help!, A Hard Day's Night, Let It Be, Past Masters Volume One, The Beatles Anthology 1, The Beatles Anthology 2, The Beatles Anthology 3, Free As A Bird (Single), Real Love (Single)