 George Harrison George Harrison's 1979 album, comprised mostly of songs he wrote while taking it easy in Hawai'i, is so laid-back that I'm not sure it even qualifies as an album … it feels more like a nap. Not in a bad way, though! I suppose in 1979, you were either making a cocaine-and-whiskey fueled triple rock album, a cocaine-and-amyl-nitrate-fueled double disco album, or a simple marijuana-fueled single soft-rock album, and George Harrison falls clearly in the third column. It's the aural equivalent of a hammock, tied on one end to a palm tree and on the other, to a Fender Rhodes. Evidence that poor George's well had run dry: not just one, but two reminders of his Beatle days. "Not Guilty," a White Album outtake, here is recast in such a way as to sound like a song from a Carol Burnett murder mystery sketch … great song, though the campy "detective" vibe is a bit much. And "Here Comes the Moon" is just what you'd immediately think it would sound like from simply seeing the title. As with most sequels, it's an inferior variant where the original was quite sufficient, but it is certainly pleasant on the ears. "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a pretty funny story-song about George tripping on mushrooms, set to a speakeasy-style arrangement straight out of Paul Williams and/or The Muppets (minus a strong melody). Probably the highlight of the record, with some great dobro work by Georgie. "Blow Away" was a single, and still has a certain Bread-like charm. "Faster," inspired by George's curious fixation with auto racing, takes the rumbling roar and propulsive thrill of that sport and douses it with kava kava until all the drivers are doing 2 MPH and pit-stopping every lap for a quick doobie. Not a bad song, by any means, but how can you write a song about auto racing and not use a distorted electric guitar? "Dark Sweet Lady" is a nice, lilty island ballad along the lines of Elton John's "Sweet Painted Lady" or Uncle Paul's "The Lovely Linda" … though perhaps a bit too close to the Margaritaville City Limits for my taste. Side 2 peters out into a wash of pretty but forgettable Album Trax™ … probably similar to what most Timothy B. Schmidt albums sound like. "Your Love is Forever" is a forgotten ballad that someone could probably make a great cover of … rather blissful while it's on, though I guess it's kinda forgotten because it's kinda easy to forget. Hm, wait, what song was I talking about again? The last track, "If You Believe," would fit comfortably on Cloud Nine, sounding just like Jeff Lynne's production (minus the wall of harmonies). A nice one, co-written by Gary Wright (of "Dream Weaver" fame). Too bad more of the album doesn't hit this level of modest inspiration. Self-titled records should reflect the artist's revealed "true self" at a moment in time, and this one does. It's as tasteful, droll, unambitious, and often patently lazy as Harrison himself was circa '79. The rematsered version adds an acoustic demo of "Here Comes the Moon," which is quite nice, since it doesn't have that sunny L.A. production that blankets the actual record. A few more demos would have been nice, allowing for a greater appreciation of the compositions … as it is, though, these songs are really hard to hear from behind the wall of "good vibes."
Review by La Fée |