 George Harrison There are probably no other true contenders for the title of Most Awkward Beatles Solo Record besides Gone Troppo, which was grudgingly released with a complete vote of no-confidence from the label (and it was George's label!). The jokey cover art, and the trying-to-be-of-the-moment synths of "Wake Up My Love" (the only single), gave little indication that this was actually a pretty inspired album. Coupled with its virtually instant infusion into America's budget bins, total obscurity was in the cards for Gone Troppo right from the get-go. Even the most forgiving Beatlemaniacs were scared off. All of this gets in the way of appreciating Gone Troppo for what it is: a really weird, but decidedly pleasant–and actually quite funny—album. Weird not so much in the sense of "wild experimentation" as much as "what the hell is this supposed to be?" Even Ringo at his most drunk would have had a hard time being this out of touch with musical trends, but this isn't a bad thing. Troppo departs from George's usual Clapton-lite approach in favor of a Jimmy Buffett-lite approach … and while I am embarrassed to admit it, I quite like it. The songs are much stronger than on the couple of albums that preceded it, and there's a sense of humor to it that would come to fuller fruition on Cloud Nine (or more specifically, the Cloud Nine genre-bending b-side "Zig Zag"). "Wake Up My Love" has nice lyrics and a memorable melody, but it's hard to get past the arrangement, which is pure Aerobicize! "That's the Way it Goes" and "Mystical One" both would fit comfortably on Cloud Nine, though "That's the Way it Goes" bears a sudden and alarming bass vocal part (courtesy Willie Greene) that delights and disturbs me every time I hear it. This disturbing quality is turned into outright comedy on "I Really Love You," a baffling doo-wop pastiche that is not even sung by George – it's like a drunken and nostalgic Neville Brothers suddenly muscling him out of the way under an even more drunken and nostalgic Billy Joel's direction. Hilarious; easy to think of as "bad" … yet, great. Then there's the island-hopping mostly-instrumental "Greece," which sounds like what might have happened if the Buena Vista Social Club had been L.A.'s top pop session musicians circa 1979. Hm, come to think of it, that's probably how Ry Cooder's solo albums from that era sound like … well, you go listen to those, I'd rather drink heavily. "Gone Troppo" is straight-up calypso-pop, and for my money, it's the definitive song from that genre. George is clearly having a great time with it, and it's no less convincing than any of Buffett's piña colada serenades. I wonder whether George had any idea how much this sound would mess with people's minds … you want to fault him for shooting out into a completely new direction, then you consider the fact that you really didn't want any more slick, boring, midtempo religious pop songs … then you just don't know what to think. The best bet is to shake up another drink and just quit resisting. George Harrison is throwing a pool party! "Mystical One" is another good standard-George tune that points right toward Cloud Nine, certainly worthy of more attention. Solidly memorable all the way through. "Unknown Delight" is a stock George ballad, a la "Something" or "Your Love is Forever," but peppering the mix with more of those crazy 40s-style doo-wop harmonies. "Baby Don't Run Away" features three lead vocal tracks in unison: George, Billy Preston, and a vocoder! Plus Syreeta on backgrounds! Whoa … I think I'm getting looped … reality as I knew it is starting to bend. Wasn't this a George Harrison record? "Dream Away" crosses the general sunshine vibe of "Cheer Down" with the chant-tastic devotion of "Is It He" (from Dark Horse) – and more Syreeta! Hard to resist. Then "Circles" closes things on a more typical moody-George note … a bit Beatle-esque, vaguely spooky, but nothing special. The remastered disc adds a demo of "Mystical One," which makes it even easier to see how good that song is, though George does sort of sound like he's mocking Donovan.
Is Gone Troppo a good album, or just a fun album? Eh, who cares, do you want another mai tai, or what? I know I do!
Review by La Fée |