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AlbumReview: All Things Must Pass

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1 George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
- 1.1 All Things Must Pass
  - 1.1.1 DISC ONE
  - 1.1.2 DISC TWO
- 1.2 Performers - Disc One and Two

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

First edition; apple december 1970 ~ reedition CD : superb remasterisation 2000 (5 bonus tracks)

All Things Must Pass

Released: November 27, 1970 Recorded: May - August, 1970 Produced by: George Harrison and Phil Spector Engineered by: Ken Scott and Philip McDonald Package Design & Photos by: Tom Wilkes and Barry Feinstein Label: Apple STCH-639

An amusing game in 71 was to reconstitute material published by the ex-beatles in solo in 1971 and to imagine what could have been....well you know.

And certainly, on that dream album, George's contribution would not have been one or two songs...

"Just imagine that you have been constipated for years, and imagine that suddenly, you have diarrhea.... For me, it's that all things must pass."said George impassively to a billboard journalist in 1970...

Clearly, since the big beatles split, (provocated by the first Mc cartney solo album), Harrison is in a creative eruption: he produces Ringo Starr,give songs to the pianist billy " get back" Preston for his first apple album, records lots of demos, jam with bob Dylan, who records "new morning" in Nashville, and locks himself in the Trident studios, and Abbey Road, for his own solo album

He was joined by the elite of heavy weight musicians of the time; Eric Clapton, and various future dominos, Gary Brooker, from Procol Harum, peter Frampton, Gary Wright from Spooky Tooth, ringo Starr, and a heap of studio sharks from all over the country.

Plus a young phil Collins (who claimed to everyone who wanted to hear that he had been associated with that project but was not on the credit; well now this has been arranged with the remasterisation 2000)...

PHIL SPECTOR, who had just finished the tiredsome salvation work on the "let it be" project, had been chosen by George for the production...

BY THE END of may 1970, george had played to Spector, some songs on acousic version.

That seance, is said to have been bootleged; they were 8 songs that won't be used on the original triple album, featuring one Dylan song "I don't Want To Do It".

Some mysterious sources will talk about one mysterious album. That album will never see the day. George material is very abundant; some of those songs will be published later; "i Still love You" he will give to Ringo.

The happy owners of these songs, (now almost impossible to find),can hear George rocking is rockabilly influence, his taste for Hindu Pop, and pedal steel, played by Pete Drake the Nashville ace ......

Finally, "All Things Must Pass" , will be proposed to the puplic of Christmas 1970: a triple album a rarity for those times (including a poster)Lennon will say that George has gone mad ! But for George Harrison, all is clear now; "all things must pass", is here to uplift him as an equal with his prestigious ex-companions ...

Two years of work and various efforts had been invested into that project.

In June, the "all things" tracks, were mixed at the Trident studios. The final mixing, made by Spector in New York, during the summer, will give us an enormous wall of sound where the reverbs are abundants ...

The two first albums are made of 18 tracks of a rare intensity. For the 3rd album, George had locked himself in the studios with a company of first class musicians, officially gathered here to celebrate the john Lennon 30th bithday (it's johnny's birthday sung like congratulations).

The hit is on and very soon, the marshall amps are hot. George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and dave Mason are going on some guitaristic acrobaties and those will fill an entire record.

30 years later, some impartial observers will claim that the 3 guitarists didnt kept their picks in their pockets for "i remember jeep"...

HOW to resume such a project? Like one of those gorgeous wedding cakes ? 0ne of those records with a big reputation, but one whom the younger generations are a little scared to approch.

And yet the more the years pass, the more "All Things Must Pass" is beautiful ! The two first LP show George at the summit of his art. Distingushed. High class. Superb. The rock And Roll aristocracy...

I'll try to go into the greatests moments and the key songs of that album. "I'd have you anytime" co-writen with Dylan makes a wonderfull opening track. The very soul "awaiting on you all" shows the Harrison mystical side.

Very touching, George sends little messages to the world in the form of songs;

"Apple Scruffs"is about those fans camping nights and days under the Apple offices. "Isnt it A Pity" are bitter ponderings from a gentleman who'd been struck by some recent events.

"Run Of The Mill" is a sudy on lost friendship. For years, the specialists will wonder if that song talked about Lennon? or Mc Cartney? or both? It's still a mystery.

But it's always with his beloved guitar that the "Angelo Mysterioso" is the most fascinating

According to another mysterious legend, a 10 minutes bootleg version of Wah Wah would exist: a song George had written on january 10 1969 after paul mc Cartney showed him a very scornfull attitude, and left the aborted Let it be/Get back project

"If not For You" another one co-written with Dylan.The very country"Beyond Locked Doors" and that gem of all gems: "Beware of Darkness"...

AT THE TIME such a thing was purely impossible without one flash single "My Sweet Lord" will fill that function. Hitting straight at number one... Lennon declared: " God maybe there is a God after all"! ...

George had written that like one personal version of the Edwards Hawkins Singers the gospel song "Oh Happy Days" . That track, with that almost irreal slide job, had been so much fiddled by Phil Spector that one doo-woop band the Chiffons, will claim plagiarism of their own single "He's So Fine". The trial will be long, and it will kill the joy and euphoria of the legendary guitarist ...

Still, on december 26 1970, George Harrison, was the first Beatle in solo to hit at number one on the United States.......... Overtaking smokey Robinson " Tears Of a Clown".

DISC ONE

CODE

I'd Have You Anytime {Harrison/Bob Dylan} (2:59)
My Sweet Lord {Harrison} (4:41)
Wah-Wah {Harrison} (5:39)
Isn't It A Pity (version one) {Harrison} (7:10)
What Is Life {Harrison} (4:20)
If Not For You {Bob Dylan} (3:33)
Behind That Locked Door {Harrison} (3:08)
Let It Down {Harrison} (4:58)
Run Of The Mill {Harrison} (2:53)

Disc One total playing time 39:2

DISC TWO

CODE

Beware Of Darkness {Harrison} (3:49)
Apple Scruffs {Harrison} (3:08)
Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) {Harrison} (3:54)
Awaiting On You All {Harrison} (2:50)
All Things Must Pass {Harrison} (3:46)
I Dig Love {Harrison} (4:59)
Art Of Dying {Harrison} (3:40)
Isn't It A Pity (version two) {Harrison} (4:47)
Hear Me Lord {Harrison} (5:47)

Disc Two total playing time 36:40

Performers - Disc One and Two

CODE

George Harrison - lead vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton, Dave Mason- guitars
Gary Wright, Bobby Whitlock, Billy Preston, Gary Brooker - keyboards
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland, Mike Gibbons - rhythm guitars, percussion
Pete Drake - pedal steel guitar
Bobby Keys - tenor saxophone
Jim Price - trumpet
Klaus Voormann, Carl Radle - bass
Mal Evans - tambourine, tea and sympathy
Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon, Alan White - drums, percussion
John Barham - orchestral arrangements
The George O'Hara-Smith Singers - background vocals

DISC THREE

(APPLE JAM)

CODE

Out Of The Blue {Harrison} (11:17)
George Harrison, Eric Clapton: guitars
Gary Wright, Bobby Whitlock: keyboards
Bobby Keys, Jim Price: horns
Carl Radle: bass
Jim Gordon: drums
...and Al Aronowitz

It's Johnny's Birthday {Harrison, based upon "Congratulations" by Martin/Coulter} (0:50)
George Harrison, Mal Evans, Eddie Klein

Plug Me In {Harrison} (3:23)
George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitars
Bobby Whitlock: keyboards
Carl Radle: bass
Jim Gordon: drums

I Remember Jeep {Harrison} (8:08)
George Harrison, Eric Clapton: guitars
Billy Preston: keyboards
Klaus Voormann: bass
Ginger Baker: drums

Thanks For The Pepperoni {Harrison} (5:33)
George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitars
Bobby Whitlock: keyboards
Carl Radle: bass
Jim Gordon: drums