On the twenty-ninth of November 2001, the world lost one of its most beloved musicians, a man who rallied for peace, worked magic with a guitar, and was one of the only four people to ever know what it was like to be a Beatle. Exactly one year later, a collection of his friends, all of them accomplished and renowned musicians themselves, gathered together to pay tribute to their beautiful friend, George Harrison. This is Concert for George.

In his fifty-eight years on Earth, including around seven or eight with the Beatles and decades more in the recording studio, George managed to amass quite a canon of songs, and the best of the best appear on this album, all of them lovingly performed by those who knew him and loved him best. Sure, a few choice musicians and friends alike were absent for reasons beyond their control (John Lennon springs to mind, though I won't mention why he could not be there, as per Yoko's request), but everyone in attendance was well aware that all of his dearly departed friends, including George himself, were there in spirit. And that's the true meaning of this album: ensuring that, though he may not be physically here, George will remain apart of human culture through his music and all the memories that are conjured by the notes that flowed from his mind.

I've gotten too sappy for my own good again, haven't I? Let's move on to a basic description of this double album; the first CD contains the first part of the concert, featuring George's Eastern-inspired music as played by good friends Ravi Shankar and Jeff Lynne, not to mention an expansive collection of talented sitar players. To be completely honest, I haven't listened to Disc One all that much, considering that I've never been much of a fan of his sitar-laced music; although they are stunningly beautiful and intricate, I've never had an affinity for these songs, with the notable exception of "Within You Without You," one of George's greatest accomplishments. Still, Disc One is quite impressive, featuring versions of "Sarve Shaam," "Your Eyes (Sitar Solo)," "The Inner Light," and "Arpan."

Now we move to Disc Two, the collection of George's more rock-inflected tunes. All of the songs are beautifully performed and produced, and prove just how timeless George's music is. Without further ado, here's my famous track-by-track rundown (with slightly more terse descriptions due to the wealth of tracks; after all, brevity is the soul of wit). Performers' names are in italics, and all songs are composed by Harrison unless otherwise noted.

"I Want To Tell You" Jeff Lynne

The album kicks off with "I Want To Tell You," from the Beatles' 1966 epic Revolver. It's a definite classic, with excellent lyrics that convey a soul in conflict ("I want to tell you/I feel hung up, but I don't know why" and "Sometimes I wish I knew you well/Then I could speak my mind and tell you/Maybe you'd understand"). Jeff Lynne is a great choice to perform here, but this opening performance shows that it does take some acclamation to enjoy this album; it's a tad odd to hear a George classic coming from someone else's vocal chords.

"If I Needed Someone" Eric Clapton

Performing another number from the Beatle period, this one from Rubber Soul, Eric Clapton belts out an amazing version of "If I Needed Someone." Over the years, I've always interpreted, right or wrong, this song as a sly, reverse-psychology plea for attention; lyrics like, "Carve your number on my wall and maybe you will get a call from me/If I needed someone" and "If I had some more time to spend, then I guess it'd be with you, my friend" seem to suggest that.


"Old Brown Shoe" Gary Brooker

One of my all-time favorite George numbers is beautifully presented here through the throaty, bluesy voice of Gary Brooker. Excellent guitar riffs propel amazing lyric after amazing lyric, including such gems as "Right is only half of what's wrong," "If I grow up, I'll be a singer/Wearin' rings on every finger," and "When I see your smile replacing every thoughtless frown." Mix in a strong brass section and amazing drumming, and we've got a classic song on our hands.

"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" Jeff Lynne

Lynne returns for this optimistic tune about unity and, well, peace. Acoustic and wicked slide guitar, great backup vocals, and piano accentuate lyrics like, "Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load/Trying to touch and reach you with heart and soul." Overall, a well-rendered tender song.

"Beware of Darkness" Eric Clapton

Off of 1970's All Things Must Pass, "Beware of Darkness" steers the tone into a darker zone but always retains a sense of hope and strength; "Beware of sadness: it can hit you, it can hurt you/Make you sore and what is more, that is not what you are here for," Clapton sings amidst powerful guitar solos, infectious piano riffs, and heavy drumming. All in all, a great tune, but I prefer the acoustic outtake version of it on the ATMP CD reissue.

"Here Comes the Sun" Joe Brown

Whenever I think of my favorite George songs, I tend to move towards the darker, more introspective numbers and often push the hopelessly optimistic and bright "Here Comes the Sun" to the bottom of the list. But that's not to say that it isn't a great song; an instantly-recognizable acoustic guitar riff opens into a song laden with syrupy lyrics like, "Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter/Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here/Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right." A tad on the sugary side, but classic nonetheless.

"That's the Way It Goes" Joe Brown

After the saccharine-sweet "Here Comes the Sun," take a minute for the biting, sarcastic "That's the Way It Goes" the sink in. A fierce social commentary, the song drips with acidic lyrics like, "Subdivide and deal it out/Feel his clout/He can stoop so low." George does manage to make some poetic points as well, including, "There's a fire that burns away the lies/Manifesting in the spiritual eye/Though you won't understand the way I feel/You conceal all there is to know."

"Taxman" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

The ultimate political Harrison number, "Taxman" takes heavy swipes at the government for ruthlessly taxing the public and, more specifically, his earnings during his Beatle days. Tom Petty's nasal, forcible voice is perfect for this tune, and two blistering guitar solos rival the quality of the originals.

"I Need You" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Once more, Petty's voice is an impeccable fit as he belts out "I Need You," off of Help!. Distinctive, ringing guitar riffs back up some surprisingly romantic lyrics, including "Please remember how I feel about you/I could never really live without you/So come on back and see just what you mean to me."

"Handle With Care" (Dylan/Harrison/Lynne/Orbison/Petty)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison

The guys resurrect a classic Traveling Wilburys number in "Handle With Care," a straight-up pop outing that still retains some edge with some choice guitar solos. Unfortunately, Petty and Lynne are the only Wilburys to appear on this stage; Harrison and Orbison (of a 1988 heart attack) had since passed on and Bob Dylan was not in attendance. George's son, Dhani, the Heartbreakers, and the assorted other backups fill in admirably, making this one of the best songs on the album.

"Isn't It a Pity" Billy Preston

Keyboardist Billy Preston, one of George's closest friends who provided amazing performances for Let It Be, receives the mike for "Isn't It a Pity," a down-tempo commentary on the state of society. Preston gives a heartfelt, soulful performance as he belts out "Isn't it a pity, now isn't it a shame/How we break each other's hearts/And cause each other pain?" He also throws in a great keyboard solo and is backed up by blistering guitar solos and excellent female singers.

"Photograph" (Harrison/Starr) Ringo Starr

"Photograph," a joint effort between George and Beatle drummer Ringo Starr, is prefaced with this quote from Ringo: "...George and I wrote together, it's called 'Photograph.' Of course, the meaning's changed now..." Don't let the song's upbeat tempo fool you: this is quite possibly one of the most meaningful and touching songs on the album, one that I cannot possibly describe in writing. Just look at the lyrics: "Every time I see your face it reminds me of the places we used to go/But all I've got is a photograph and I realize you're not comin' back anymore...I want you here to have and hold as the years go by and we grow old in the rain." Enough said.

"Honey Don't" (Perkins) Ringo Starr

It's a well-known fact that George simply idolized Carl Perkins, so I assume that Ringo wanted to run through his version of Perkins's "Honey Don't," which he originally performed on Beatles for Sale, as a way to commemorate that affinity. Well, I don't think I'd agree that this is a good choice for a George tribute album, but, hey: Ringo knew George way better than I did, so who am I to criticize his choice? Besides, it's a rollicking, straight rock number that good ol' Ringo takes to the next level by randomly shouting out the names of onstage performers.

"For You Blue" Paul McCartney

Enter the other living Beatle for "For You Blue," a flat-out exemplary Harrison love song with a bouncy, bluesy edge. Macca gives a stellar performance here, and the end product remains true to the original with just a hint of heavier backing guitar and a bright, bouncy piano solo.

"Something" Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton

After telling a touching story of ukulele jam sessions at George's home, Paul launches into a version of "Something," once called "the greatest love song of all time" by Frank Sinatra, that relies heavily on the aforementioned string instrument (for those playing at home, this is the third time I've mentioned ukuleles in my music reviews). This marks one of the numerous times the audience joins in the fun, rhythmically clapping to Paul's minimalistic version. Then, all of a sudden, the familiar guitar riffs come crashing in, and Eric Clapton takes us the rest of the way in a tone that closely resembles the original. (Fun fact: Paul's quote before the song provided the title to this review.)

"All Things Must Pass" Paul McCartney

Macca flies solo once more for "All Things Must Pass," quite possibly the most popular of George's post-Beatle music. After hearing only the opening line, "Sunrise doesn't last all morning/A cloudburst doesn't last all day," you'll be pulled into this great rendition of this feel-good number.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton

Clapton returns to perform the song for which he provided lead guitar all the way back in 1968, the timeless "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." That same driving lead guitar lends an excellent backdrop for jaw-dropping lyrics, including, "For every mistake, we must surely be learning/Still my guitar gently weeps" and "I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love." Every note, every line is unbelievable, making this my hands-down favorite Harrison song ever recorded.

"My Sweet Lord" Billy Preston

If "All Things Must Pass," is the number one most popular post-Beatle song, "My Sweet Lord" is certainly either number two or a tie. The song that buried George in hot water for "subconscious" copyright infringement (although "Lord" certainly is more popular than the song it's allegedly based upon, the Chiffons' "He's So Fine"), "MSL" is a simple folksy tune about becoming close with the Lord. Preston once more pulls out all the stops, and his raspy performance is absolutely brilliant.

"Wah-Wah" Eric Clapton and Band

Although I prefer the ATMP original version, I still am impressed with the immense production that went into the live version of "Wah-Wah"; the "band" includes most of the musicians in attendance, and they all manage to come together for an amazing rendition of George's ode to the guitar distortion pedal.

"I'll See You in My Dreams" (Jones/Kahn) Joe Brown

Although not written by George, "I'll See You in My Dreams" provides the perfect close for the album, the perfect way to convey how we all feel. With nothing but a ukulele to accompany him (and some violins, later on), Brown gives an emotionally-charged performance of this song, crooning, "Though the days are long/Twilight sings a song of the happiness that used to be/Soon my eyes will close, soon I'll find repose/And in dreams, you're always near to me." It's essentially a summation of the grand theme of the entire concert: sure, George isn't among us physically, but he'll always be here, whether it's in a song on the radio or a spirit within us.

So over the course of twenty-four tracks, we're treated to a tribute to one of the twentieth century's most popular singers/songwriters/musicians, a man whose brilliance took him through successful careers in two bands and several acclaimed solo projects. George Harrison is a legend, pure and simple, and as long as there are fans who love his music, he'll be around forever.



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving