 George Harrison George knocked this record out hastily in preparation for his 1974 tour, and it's the hastily-knocked-out quality that makes it one of my favorites. It's got a loose feel that you don't find in many Beatles solo records – Paul's Wild Life is the closest comparison. While it's by no means a masterpiece, Dark Horse is still one of the Harrison records I'd be more likely to actually listen to at any given time. At nine songs, George was clearly scraping together whatever he could to fill out an album, working with quick session musicians to produce what sounds more like a rehearsal than a record. His voice is ragged and raspy, as he didn't even have time to recover from laryngitis before recording the vocals … the album has been referred to as Dark Hoarse for exactly that reason. But that's what I dig about it. It's as unpretentious and friendly as pop music gets. The title track in particular is outstanding – easily his best song since All Things Must Pass, with a pointed lyric, incredible melody, and great acoustic guitar work – then over the top, George can barely croak out the vocals. It gives the album a roughshod quality that's actually preferable to most of his later, slicker solo stuff. Most of the album is straight-up L.A. boogie-rock, a la Eric Clapton's stuff of the same era. Tons of slide guitar riffs, electric piano, supersquashed horns, superdry drums, no high or low frequencies. Any more polish and it would be pretty uninteresting. But the rough edges keep you listening by somehow convincing you that the record is, yes, a "dark horse" underdog. "Hari's On Tour (Express)" kicks things off, a clear "We need a rockin' concert opener" type thing undoubtedly written in the studio. Like McCartney's "Rockestra Theme," it's a bloated instrumental, but all the more charming for being George's idea of a bloated instrumental. "Simply Shady" and "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" are the standouts beyond "Dark Horse" – both are classic George solo moments that evoke the Abbey Road-to-All Things Must Pass era with good humor and great melodies. A weird cover of "Bye, Bye Love" (in a minor key) includes amended lyrics to address Eric Clapton running off with George's wife Patti, as well as the line "I know I'm gonna die." And Eric & Patti are both on the track! The rest of it is pleasant, with some of the expected "Krishna" devotional lyrics cropping up here and there, and the genuinely soulful "Far East Man" showing George was capable of getting a bit sexy – this one would be perfect for Andre 3000, or Prince, or Lenny Kravitz, or Scarlett Johansson, who really should think about having the indie-rock version of a Hilary Duff-style popstar sideline. Andre 3000 can produce. Title: Frankly Scarlett.
Review by La Fée |
